Neues » the Avalanche got away

GREEN BAY, Wis. Chuma Edoga Jersey . -- Its easy to spot Clay Matthews at Packers practice, with his long blond hair protruding from his helmet and on to his neck and shoulders. When the veterans are getting a break, the pass-rushing outside linebacker can often be found taking a breather next to A.J. Hawk, the durable inside linebacker. After some doubt, theyll be together again this weekend to face the Detroit Lions. The Packers bye week did wonders for Matthews and his sore hamstring. "Well I mean we obviously had the bye week, which helped out as far as" getting healthy, Matthews said Thursday. "It was a fortuitous bye week, Ill say that." The TV commercial star and the eight-year veteran. The energized Matthews, in his fifth season, and the well-spoken, blue-collar Hawk. Mainstays of the Packers starting linebacking corps since 2009. So many games against NFC North foes like the Lions, it must make playing them seem like second nature. Wrong, said Hawk. Especially with Reggie Bush in the mix now in Detroit to join receiver Calvin Johnson to give opposing defences headaches. "And the truth is, Ive been part of a lot of games like that. You go in with all these things that you think are 100 per cent, and they can change in division games," Hawk said. "I need these days leading up to every game. I need every rep I can get because were working on so many different looks and so many different things." Sounds like sage comments a grizzled veteran would say. Hawk agreed to a pay cut in the off-season, not worried about outside perception of the deal. Hawk has also taken heat from fans about perhaps being a step slow, or not making enough big plays. But he does make tackles -- 28 this year, second behind Brad Jones, and a team-high 145 last season. Hes also durable, having played in 123 of a possible 125 games while in Green Bay. Its all in the preparation, Hawk said, at least until Sunday. "I have little tips in the back of my head that Ive written down all week," he said. "But I know once Im out there, we just need to run around and make plays." Which is exactly what Matthews is known for, becoming one of the leagues most popular defensive players. His No. 52 jerseys might be outnumbered in the Lambeau Field stands only by the No. 12 jerseys for Aaron Rodgers among current players. When hes on the field, Matthews fires up the crowd and his teammates. When hes on the sideline with a hamstring injury, like when he was knocked out of the Bengals game two weeks ago, it gives the green-and-gold fans a scare. Matthews missed four games last season with a hamstring problem. He quickly reminded reporters Thursday that when he returned, Dec. 16 at Chicago, he had two sacks. "The first part of getting over a hamstring strain is healing, and obviously I cant control that," Matthews said. "But coming back, the final hurdle you have to overcome is mentally are you comfortable with exerting 100 per cent effort or even more so. I wouldnt put myself out there if I wasnt." In his fifth season in the league, Matthews still possesses the wide-eyed eagerness of a rookie. But that experience is building up in his brain, beneath those trademark locks, especially when it comes to dealing with his hamstring. Matthews was playing well with two forced fumbles and a sack against Cincinnati before departing. It was a joint decision with medical staff and coaches. "I just told them where I was at and how I felt and moving forward what the smart thing would be," Matthews said. "At that point in the game, with that lead, too, I felt like it was the wise decision." The Packers went on to cough up their 16-point lead. But its a long season. After the early bye, the Packers will have to play 13 straight weeks. "I think Ive become a lot smarter. Obviously a younger player would have kind have pressed the issue, maybe hurt himself even more so," Matthews said. "But I think were smart with the events that took place in Cincinnati and where were at now, so fortunately there will be no time missed." LaDainian Tomlinson Jets Jersey . MLB.com reported that the Dodgers locked the left-hander in for one year at $10 million with up to $4 million in incentives. Jachai Polite Jersey . Algeria led 3-0 at halftime, but withstood a stronger South Korean second half performance to claim its first World Cup win since 1982 and move into second place in Group H with one match left to play. Defeat for South Korea means it must now beat already-qualified Belgium to stand a chance of progressing to the knockout stages. http://www.authenticnyjetspro.com/Curtis-martin-jets-jersey/ . Spains victory rendered Frances 3-0 win against Finland meaningless as Spain needed just one point to secure passage to Brazil. Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema scored either side of Joona Toivios own-goal as France advanced to the playoff among the eight best second-place finishers.The Colorado Avalanche saved some money in a forward swap, but took the worse player in the process. Numbers Game looks at the trade that sees Daniel Briere and PA Parenteau switching spots. The Canadiens Get: RW PA Parenteau and a fifth-round pick. Parenteau, 31, is a late bloomer who didnt reach the NHL for good until he was 27-years-old, but hes been a productive player, scoring 196 points in the past four seasons, which ranks 55th in the league. He fell out of favour in Colorado last season, missing 25 games with a couple of knee injuries and playing 16:57 per game, his lowest average time on ice of the past four seasons. On an Avalanche team that was among the leagues worst possession-wise, Parenteau was nearly break-even, so he wasnt particularly a problem in that respect. In Montreal, Parenteau should have a good opportunity to play in a top-six role, which is suitable for his price tag of $4.0-million over the next two seasons. A fifth-round pick brings with it a less than 15% chance of yielding an NHL player, but its a bit of a sweetener for the Habs taking on an extra year. Given that Montreal is getting the better player, that sweetener might not have been altogether necessary. The Avalanche Get: RW Daniel Briere. Briere is a 36-year-old who is well past his prime as a scoring forward, with a serious decline in productivity over the past couple seasons, managing 41 points in 103 games over the last two years. Keyshawn Johnson Womens Jersey. Briere was dropped down the Canadiens depth chart last season, playing 12:46 per game, his lowest since 2000-2001. While Brieres game has declined -- hes not as quick as he once was -- he does come with a rep as a playoff performer, putting up 116 points in 124 postseason games over his career, which is tied for fourth among active players. Briere signed a two-year, $8-million deal as a free agent last summer, so his deal has one year remaining. He doesnt figure to play a prominent role in Colorado, but Briere should have a shot to play in Colorados top nine. If he does, theres a decent chance that, even if he scores a little bit more with more ice time, Brieres sinking possession stats will only be exacerbated by the Avalanches puck possession troubles. In the grand scheme of things, the Avalanche got away from two years of paying Parenteau, which was their motivation, but the price to pay means taking an inferior player for one year. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. 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