aracelikc

When Andy Pettitte rejoins the Yankees on Sunday, it will be a different pitching staff than the one he expected to see when he decided to come out of retirement, and the Yankees can’t afford to have Pettitte take long to find the form that made him so good in 2010.

He thinks he’ll be able to do deliver.

“I do,” Pettitte said from his home in Westchester during a conference call yesterday. “I felt like that when I made the decision to come back. Just knowing how I’m feeling in my bullpens now, I just feel like I can get back to where I was. I’m going to be very disappointed if I don’t. I’m definitely expecting that out of myself.”

And that’s despite not pitching all that well in his minor league rehab starts and having an extra two days of rest before Sunday’s start against the Mariners.

“My preparation for this game has been exactly like it normally would have been,” said Pettitte, who has thrown bullpens at the Stadium with pitching coach Larry Rothschild. “The fans in the minor leagues have been awesome, but it’s time now.”

Pettitte won’t be able to fix all the team’s problems himself, since there have been plenty of culprits in the sluggish start.

“I’m just looking forward to being here again this year and trying to get this team back to where everybody wants to go and that’s to get to the playoffs, obviously, first and then another World Series,” he said.

Pettitte will have to pitch better than he did in the minors.

“My last outing was probably my worst outing, as far as how I felt, the feel of stuff,” Pettitte said of Sunday’s Triple-A start in Rochester, where he gave up five runs in five innings. “It’s really hard to take a read on these minor league starts … and I feel like my body is still trying to figure out [pitching] every fifth day.”

The 39-year-old lefty is aware of what needs to be done to get the Yankees turned around, since he’s seen almost all of their games.

“I haven’t missed any games unless I was pitching on a rehab assignment,” Pettitte said. “I’ve followed them extremely closely.”

So he’s well aware of the task at hand.

“I just want to take some of the stress off [the rotation],” Pettitte said.

Still, for as well as he pitched in 2010, he was derailed by injuries. Pettitte, who turns 40 next month, is confident he can remain healthy.

“I have not had any problems in my six starts to try get ready for this, so that gives me a lot of confidence that I’m going to be OK,” he said. “I feel like my strength is there and my legs are under me well. Two starts in a row, I went [beyond] 90 pitches and that’s kind of where they wanted me to get.”

dan.martin@nypost.com

Andy Pettitte, Pettitte, the Yankees, minor league

Nypost.com

Baseball

11 a.m.

AAA: Lehigh Valley vs. Indianapolis MLBN

7 p.m.

Rays at Yankees YES, WCBS (880 AM)

7 p.m.

Indians at Red Sox MNBN

NBA Playoffs: First Round

7 p.m.

Bulls at 76ers, Game 6 NBATV

8 p.m.

Hawks at Celtics, Game 6 TNT

10:30 p.m.

Lakers at Nuggets, Game 6 TNT

Golf

9 a.m.

European Golf Tour, Madeira Islands Open, First Round GOLF

1 p.m.

The Players Championship, First Round GOLF

Hockey

9 a.m.

2012 IIHF World Hockey Championships: United States at Belarus NBCSN

Softball

8 p.m.

SEC Tournament, Quarterfinal:
Mississippi State vs. Alabama ESPN2

Horse Racing

12:45 p.m.

Churchill Ch. 71

12:50 p.m.

Belmont Ch. 71

12:50 p.m.

Monticello Ch. 71

4 p.m.

Hollywood Ch. 71

7 p.m.

Yonkers Ch. 71

Red Sox, Celtics, WCBS, 76ers

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ARLINGTON, Va. -- Perhaps Washington Capitals forward Brooks Laich thinks that saying something makes it so. Or maybe he's a believer in the power of positive thinking.

Laich used the phrase "keep moving forward" over and over again - five times in all - on Tuesday while discussing how he and his teammates need to recover and regroup from a potentially devastating loss to the Rangers if the Capitals are going to avoid elimination in Game 6 on Wednesday night.

The top-seeded Rangers lead the series 3-2, one victory from reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1997, when a certain guy by the name of Wayne Gretzky was on the team.

"We want to close it out and get this over with. It's a lot easier said than done," Rangers forward Brad Richards said. "We want to be as desperate as they are."

With No. 7-seeded Washington on the verge of taking control of the semifinal series Monday night, Richards tied Game 5 with less than 10 seconds left, and Marc Staal won it about 1 1/2 minutes into overtime.

"You can't really write that; that's something you can't script. You keep moving forward," Laich said. "Good breaks, bad breaks. We just keep moving forward."

As much as there might be for the Capitals to lament about how things went awry - two-time NHL MVP Alex Ovechkin had zero shots on goal for only the second time in 49 career NHL playoff games; Washington lost the game's last seven faceoffs; Joel Ward's double-minor penalty gave the Rangers power plays at the end of regulation and the start of overtime - they want to do whatever it takes to forget all of it.

"Everyone's realizing that: Let's just get it out of our heads now. Let's just focus on what we need to focus on," defenseman John Carlson said. "That stuff happens. It's no one's fault. There's no one to blame."

As it happens, the Capitals have shown a capacity for moving on quickly:

- They're 3-0 in games following overtime losses this postseason, including taking Game 4 after a three-OT defeat against the Rangers in Game 3.

- They haven't lost consecutive games since March 22-23.

- Goalie Braden Holtby has played 28 straight NHL games without losing two in a row, a streak that dates to November 2010.

Why is that?

"We control our emotions a little better. I mean, even when we win, we're not bouncing off the ceiling. It's more of a business atmosphere. And when we lose, we know we can bounce back," Laich said. "I mean, we have a very good hockey team. We never get too high, never get too low. We stay pretty composed."

As for whether New York will be looking ahead at all, Rangers coach John Tortorella said: "We won't be overconfident. This team doesn't get overconfident."

If Washington does manage to win Wednesday, Game 7 would be Saturday in New York.

For the Capitals to extend the series, though, odds are they'll need to score the opening goal of Game 6. So far in these playoffs, Washington is 6-1 when it scores first, and 0-5 when its opponent does.

"The start is always big. You want to try to get momentum as quick as you can. That's always the focus," Rangers forward Brian Boyle said. "I just expect their intensity to ramp up even more. We have to do the same and match it."

Washington Capitals, Capitals, Washington, Washington, Brooks Laich, Rangers, Rangers, Brad Richards, NHL, ARLINGTON, Va., Wayne Gretzky

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It has been a long time coming for Marc Staal, but as the buzzer sounded last night after his slap shot found the back of the net in overtime, the smile on his face was irrepressible.

Staal had just played an exemplary game as his Rangers beat the Capitals, 3-2, in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, which is now in favor of the Rangers, 3-2. The best-of-7 series shifts to Washington for Game 6 tomorrow night.

“We kept talking about it, plays that would open it up for us,” Staal said afterward. “We just kept trying to come at them.”

The goal came 1:35 into overtime with the Rangers still on the man-advantage that carried over from regulation, when Joel Ward was called for a high-stick on Carl Hagelin. Because Hagelin was bleeding from his mouth, the Rangers were awarded a four-minute power play, on which Brad Richards scored to tie the game 2-2 with 6.6 seconds left in regulation.

“You can’t say it was [Ward’s] fault,” Alex Ovechkin said. “We all lost the game. We win as a group and lose as a group.”

When the Rangers came out for the overtime, it seemed as if the unit that has been so mercurial all season was set for another disappointment. They had 1:57 to work a 5-on-4 in the extra period, and in the first 1:30, they got very little action toward the net.

Then there was a draw at the right circle, won by John Mitchell, and the puck ended up back on Staal’s stick.

“It wasn’t a set play or anything off the draw,” Staal said, “just a good clean draw and guys went to the net and he [Capitals’ goalie Braden Holtby] couldn’t see it.”

Staal’s shot rifled low through traffic, and the momentum of a season swung back in favor of the Rangers.

“Both [Capitals players] kind of came out so I just wanted to get between them and hit it as hard as I can,” Staal said. “I think it ended up going off one of them [Brooks Laich] and into the back of the net.”

Staal missed the first half of this season as he was still recovering from a concussion sustained on a hit from his brother Eric on Feb. 22, 2011. He made his return at the Winter Classic, played outdoors in Philadelphia on Jan. 2 and has shown steady improvement since then.Last night, Staal logged 24:05 of ice time, a far cry from what he was able to do when he first returned and was treated cautiously. Now, he feels as close to the All-Star player he was before the concussion than he ever has.

“It’s a tough situation,” Richards said. “No one understands that injury unless you’ve been through it. Benefit of the doubt always goes to him and he’s gotten nothing but better. He’s enjoying this fresh start in the playoffs and he’ll continue to get better.”

“I’ve certainly felt better and better as the year has gone on,” Staal said from under the Broadway Hat. “Then the playoffs are a lot of fun and I’m having fun with it.”

bcyrgalis@nypost.com

Marc Staal, Rangers, Capitals, Capitals, Brad Richards, Carl Hagelin, Alex Ovechkin

Nypost.com

It has been a long time coming for Marc Staal, but as the buzzer sounded last night after his slap shot found the back of the net in overtime, the smile on his face was irrepressible.

Staal had just played an exemplary game as his Rangers beat the Capitals, 3-2, in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, which is now in favor of the Rangers, 3-2. The best-of-7 series shifts to Washington for Game 6 tomorrow night.

“We kept talking about it, plays that would open it up for us,” Staal said afterward. “We just kept trying to come at them.”

The goal came 1:35 into overtime with the Rangers still on the man-advantage that carried over from regulation, when Joel Ward was called for a high-stick on Carl Hagelin. Because Hagelin was bleeding from his mouth, the Rangers were awarded a four-minute power play, on which Brad Richards scored to tie the game 2-2 with 6.6 seconds left in regulation.

“You can’t say it was [Ward’s] fault,” Alex Ovechkin said. “We all lost the game. We win as a group and lose as a group.”

When the Rangers came out for the overtime, it seemed as if the unit that has been so mercurial all season was set for another disappointment. They had 1:57 to work a 5-on-4 in the extra period, and in the first 1:30, they got very little action toward the net.

Then there was a draw at the right circle, won by John Mitchell, and the puck ended up back on Staal’s stick.

“It wasn’t a set play or anything off the draw,” Staal said, “just a good clean draw and guys went to the net and he [Capitals’ goalie Braden Holtby] couldn’t see it.”

Staal’s shot rifled low through traffic, and the momentum of a season swung back in favor of the Rangers.

“Both [Capitals players] kind of came out so I just wanted to get between them and hit it as hard as I can,” Staal said. “I think it ended up going off one of them [Brooks Laich] and into the back of the net.”

Staal missed the first half of this season as he was still recovering from a concussion sustained on a hit from his brother Eric on Feb. 22, 2011. He made his return at the Winter Classic, played outdoors in Philadelphia on Jan. 2 and has shown steady improvement since then.Last night, Staal logged 24:05 of ice time, a far cry from what he was able to do when he first returned and was treated cautiously. Now, he feels as close to the All-Star player he was before the concussion than he ever has.

“It’s a tough situation,” Richards said. “No one understands that injury unless you’ve been through it. Benefit of the doubt always goes to him and he’s gotten nothing but better. He’s enjoying this fresh start in the playoffs and he’ll continue to get better.”

“I’ve certainly felt better and better as the year has gone on,” Staal said from under the Broadway Hat. “Then the playoffs are a lot of fun and I’m having fun with it.”

bcyrgalis@nypost.com

Marc Staal, Rangers, Capitals, Capitals, Brad Richards, Carl Hagelin, Alex Ovechkin

Nypost.com

FIRST-1m; $9,000; cl($4,000); 3up

2-Wana Play

2-1

4-Ahoy Mate

5-1

3-TrainingZoneJn

5-2

5-Prince Cody

4-1

1-ThunderingRor

5-1

6-Kokomo Gypsy

6-1

SECOND-1m&70y; $17,100; mdn cl($15,000); 3up

4-MovesLkeJgger

2-1

1a-Messorio

7-2

6-Ranger Wes

5-2

3-Great Privilege

8-1

1-Fontodi

7-2

5-EyesOntheStrm

6-1

2-Pegasus Hellas

5-1

THIRD-5f; $10,200; mdn cl($7,500); 3up

4-Hkdnchrchpnch

6-5

1-Sunlake

6-1

5-FrankieScissors

5-2

2-Munda

6-1

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10-1

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FOURTH-5f; $9,000; cl($4,000); 3up; (f&m)

5-Navedano

5-2

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8-1

3-PowderedSugr

9-5

6-Miners Dream

6-1

1-MyLckeyPeney

4-1

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2-Lotta T L C

10-1

FIFTH-5 1/2f; $9,000; cl($4,000); 3up; (f&m)

6-Phantom F Four

5-2

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15-1

1-Nicejewel Cat

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7-NatalieAnastasi

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7-2

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4-1

3-AlarmingAppel

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8-Sandy Castle

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SIXTH-5 1/2f; $11,600; cl($7,500); 3up

3-Trackmens Star

2-1

1-Reading Group

6-1

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5-2

4-Tax Return

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8-1

SEVENTH-5f; $12,500; cl($6,250); 3up; (f&m)

5-Zipolina

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3-Lion's Terms

6-1

1-Drthy'sEssense

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4-Brooke Haley

15-1

2-Gentle Ride

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6-Seattle Juliette

8-1

EIGHTH-5f; $19,200; alw; 3up

3-Wink and Fly

5-2

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6-1

1-NorthernBandit

9-2

5-The Yank

8-1

6-Surprise Strike

2-1

7-Proud House

8-1

2-Loopy de Loop

8-1

NINTH-5f; $9,000; cl($4,000); 3up; (f&m)

2-Pantsffthegrnd

7-2

4-Essex Ferry

8-1

1-Victoria Pool

5-2

5-Disco Dora

10-1

6-Stoneridge

4-1

7-Wheely Pink

6-1

3-Classy Jet

12-1

8-HennessyBeaty

8-1
Nypost.com

The Jets benched first-round pick Quinton Coples for all of team drills in just his second NFL practice Saturday, but they insisted it wasn’t as bad as that sounds — and not bad at all, actually.

The defensive lineman from North Carolina watched all of the 11-on-11 session from the sidelines with his helmet off, then said afterward that he was healthy and that it was a “coach’s decision.”

Coples’ dedication was questioned in college, but Rex Ryan said the move yesterday was precautionary and not at all discipline-related. The 56 players in the camp this weekend include more than 20 tryout players, a fact that would seem to indicate a higher chance of line injuries.

Ryan is so high on Coples, in fact, he officially designated him a starter for the 2012 season yesterday.

“Really, he’s fine,” Ryan said. “There’s no injury, there’s no nothing. It was really just my decision.”

A decision Coples said he was fine with.

“When the coach tells you to sit out, you sit out,” he said.

***

Hawaii wideout Royce Pollard, a tryout player, was impressive enough during the first two days of camp to earn a free-agent contract Saturday night.

Ryan also praised current free agent Hayden Smith, the Australian rugby player who had never put on a football helmet before this weekend but made a couple of terrific catches yesterday at tight end.

“He’s one of those [GM] Mike Tannenbaum specials,” Ryan said. “I’m not betting against him.’’

Ryan continued to dispute a report last week the Jets were trying to take West Virginia defensive end Bruce Irvin instead of Coples, with Ryan revealing his team even had Stephen Hill — their eventual second-round pick — rated higher than Irvin.

***

Hill, whose pass-catching skills are in question because he played in a Wishbone offense at Georgia Tech, made a couple of difficult receptions during team drills Saturday.

Hill’s most impressive catch came in an 11-on-11 session, when he went deep over the middle and stretched out for a high throw from Matt Simms between two defenders.

***

Third-round pick Demario Davis, whose leadership skills Ryan compared recently to Ray Lewis, had a different former NFL star linebacker in mind.

“I want to play with the recklessness and havoc of Lawrence Taylor,” Davis said.

***

Asked in the wake of Junior Seau’s suicide if he had any qualms about his son playing football for nearby Summit High School, Ryan said Seth Ryan suffered a major on-field concussion last year.

Even so, Ryan said: “I’m proud that my son plays football.”

***

Ryan said the Jets are unlikely to bring back wide receiver Braylon Edwards or newly released defensive back Drew Coleman.

bhubbuch@nypost.com

Quinton Coples, Rex Ryan, The Jets online, the Jets, Seth Ryan, Stephen Hill, football helmet, Royce Pollard, Hayden Smith, Mike Tannenbaum, NFL, defensive lineman, Demario Davis, team drills

Nypost.com

With one week left, DeWitt Clinton put itself in position for another division title.

Mariangely Cruz went 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead Clinton to a 10-4 win over InTech Academy in PSAL Bronx A softball Friday at Harris Park. Clinton (10-4) is trying to win its seventh Bronx title in eight years.

Kimberly Martinez went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Alondra Soroa was 1-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored for the Governors. InTech falls to 8-6.

Construction 10, Newtown 0: Kailan Luciano went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Britney Rodriguez gave up a hit and a walk with 14 strikeouts in six innings for Construction (11-1 Queens A-II). Newtown is 3-10.

McKee/Staten Island Tech 3, Curtis 1: Blayse Halvorsen gave up one run on five hits with 10 strikeouts in seven innings and Demetria Thaten had three hits and an RBI for MSIT (10-3 Staten Island A). Curtis is 2-10.

Bryant 12, Lane 2: Ashley Torres Littwin, Courtney Serrano and Sarah Temkin all had two RBIs apiece to lead Bryant (10-2 Queens A-II). Lane is 6-7.

Stevenson 12, Lehman 3: Maranda Diaz went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored and Gianny Jimenez and Keyana Brown Wiggins each had three RBIs apiece for Stevenson (9-5 Bronx A). Lehman is 5-9.

Beacon 17, Environmental Studies 8: Polly Carr went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored and Alexis Traussi went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored for Beacon (6-7 Manhattan A). Natalie Ortiz had two hits and two RBIs for Environmental Studies (5-6).

Manhattan Center 9, Hunter College HS 5: Idaysha Quinones went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored and Tatiana Branch and Yen Pham each had two hits for Manhattan Center (8-5 Manhattan A). Hunter is 6-6.

Bushwick 19, Grand Street Campus 0: Yudaisy Mejia went 2-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored and Milagros Rosario went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and four runs scored for Bushwick (4-8 Brooklyn A). Rosario gave up just two hits in five innings. Grand Street is 6-6.

Bronx Science 18, Riverdale/Kingsbridge 9: Grace Dzina went 5-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored and Elizabeth Reddy and Rosemary Gibson each had two RBIs for Science (7-7 Bronx A). RKA is 2-12.

CHSAA BRONX/WESTCHESTER

Maria Regina 4, Cardinal Spellman 2: Victoria Quinones went 2-for-3 with an RBI double for Cardinal Spellman (5-3), which got just five hits. Jill Santiago was 1-for-3 with a run scored, a double, a walk and one stolen base. Tiffany Rondon allowed four earned runs and struck out four.

PSAL CLASS B

Morris 21, Jane Addams 16: Jennifer Bronson went 4-for-4 with four RBIs and four runs scored and Tiara Brown went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored for Morris (10-2 Bronx B-II). Addams is 8-6.

Queens Metropolitan 8, Academy of American Studies 7: Enzamaria Tamburello went 1-for-4 with two RBIs for Queens Metropolitan (7-6 Queens B-I). Academy of American Studies is 2-10.

OTHER SCORES

Long Island City 12, Richmond Hill 2

Bowne 5, Van Buren 3

Edison 13, Far Rockaway 4

Grady 11, FDR 1

Leadership & Public Service 15, Van Arsdale 13

mraimondi@nypost.com

jstaszewski@nypost.com

Academy of American Studies, RBIs

Nypost.com

“The Avengers,” from Disney’s Marvel Studios, looks set to blow the doors of the traditional start of the summer movie season.

The superhero extravaganza has the buzz and advance sale to ring up the biggest opening weekend in North American movie history, with a box office of $170 million, according to a Boxoffice.com projection

Other estimates have its weekend take at $150 million.

THE POST'S 'AVENGERS' REVIEW

'AVENGERS' ADVANCE TICKET SALES SOARING

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2” released last year, currently holds the record at $169.2 million.

AP

That’s Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) blasting the competition to kingdom come. Early reports suggest that Disney’s “The Avengers” will celebrate the best money-making weekend in US history.

Directed by “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” creator Joss Whedon, “The Avengers,” with a budget of about $200 million, opened on some screens at midnight last night.

“This is going to make Disney’s Marvel purchase look so smart and make people quickly forget about ‘John Carter,’ ” said RBC Capital media analyst David Bank, referring to Disney’s big flop under now departed Disney studio boss, Rich Ross.

Ross resigned under pressure last month.

Sources speculate that Disney didn’t want Ross sharing the positive halo of “The Avengers.”

“This is what a Disney franchise should be. It’s got great consumer products and ancillary revenue potential,” said Bank.

The movie features a host of Marvel characters including “Iron Man,” “Captain America,” “The Hulk” and “Black Widow.”

Hollywood Stock Exchange is predicting the movie will bring in $400 million domestically.

Boxoffice.com’s Phil Contrino told The Post, “Disney has been very aggressive in its marketing on Facebook and Twitter and in TV spots.”

catkinson@nypost.com

Marvel Studios, Scarlett Johansson, The Avengers, Disney studio, North American movie, Joss Whedon

Nypost.com

Research In Motion is treating software developers like red-carpet VIPs.

Yesterday, developers at its BlackBerry World Conference were handed early prototype phones running the next-generation BB 10. RIM hopes the unusual move will lure app makers to its smartphone platform as it struggles in the face of competition from Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android.

The prototype was immediately panned by critics for its lack of phone-call capabilities, but some developers said the “alpha” version of the phone offered a way to test their software before the device reaches the public later this year.

The prototype also was an amenity that developers said they would not ever see from a company like Apple.

“It’s proof they are really aggressive in the way they want to have developers on board,” said Baudouin Corman, a vice president at Gameloft, of receiving the early BB 10 device.

Gameloft has been working with RIM to bring its games, such as “Oregon Trail” and “Shark Dash,” to the next-generation platform.

RIM has been falling farther and farther behind in smartphones. Its share of the US market fell from the 16 percent in December to 12.3 percent last month, according to a report yesterday from comScore. Meanwhile, Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android continue to grow, owning 30.7 percent and 51 percent of the US market, respectively.

Lagging brands like RIM and Microsoft are working harder to make developers’ jobs easier and increase the appeal of their platforms.

One developer who spoke on the condition of anonymity said RIM waived fees and stepped in with technical support when the team hit roadblocks. There’s even a developer hotline and Skype-line for immediate assistance,,the developer said.

“I don’t think even [“Angry Birds” maker] Rovio gets this kind of treatment from Apple,” he said.

Yesterday, RIM also said the company would guarantee $10,000 in revenue the first year out for preferred developers.

gsloane@nypost.com

RIM, software developers, Research In Motion, Apple, Google, BlackBerry World Conference, Baudouin Corman, prototype, Gameloft

Nypost.com