Neues » on his back and went out

TORONTO a€“ Just about everyone had cleared off the ice from practice on Monday morning, but there just outside the crease of the goal with a batch of pucks was the player few could have expected to be here. He was the smallest player on hand at Maple Leafs training camp a€“ generously listed at 5-foot-8 and nearly 170 pounds a€“ but by the time the annual two-week exercise was through, nobody in Toronto may have made a bigger name for himself than Brandon Kozun, the plucky, smallish 24-year-old from southern California. Kozun is ultimately a symbol of the competitive environment Torontos coaching staff and management team hoped to create this fall and then again for the coming season, one where merit looms largest. A deeper batch of forwards means (or so the club hopes) a constant battle for ice-time and opportunity, a reality the team rarely had last year or in seasons past. Hes made it very difficult for us to not have him here by the way hes played, said Leafs general manager, Dave Nonis, of Kozun, stressing that he had much to prove in the days ahead. But that is the type of competition that we need. Theres going to be somebody not playing on Wednesday [in the season-opener] that probably expected to and thats fine. We made statements that there was going to be opportunities afforded to people who came in and earned them, added head coach, Randy Carlyle, and we feel that some people have stepped to the front of the line and showed us that theyre worthy of at least starting with our hockey club. Kozun, a Kings sixth round pick in 2009, stood out more and more as the exhibition season rolled along, his combination of speed, disruptiveness and offensive potential proving attractive to team brass. He tallied five points in six games, including two assists and a rewind-and-replay caliber of goal in the finale against Detroit on Friday night. Its exciting to get a chance after playing a couple years in the minors, he said, the reality of the moment yet to set in before Wednesdays opener against Montreal. Its pretty exciting for myself, but on the other hand, theres a lot of work to be done. Im not going to try and get comfortable, Im going to try and keep working hard and see where it goes. The Leafs have to hope that such an attitude infects their dressing room, one that sees teammates pushing one another for opportunity. They didnt have it much last year. Depth forwards like Jerred Smithson, Troy Bodie, Colton Orr, and Frazer McLaren were ill-equipped to capably play higher in the lineup if the need arose and the team suffered because of it. There are a number of players in this group who have the potential to play up and down the lineup in a variety of positions a€“ Daniel Winnik, Mike Santorelli, and Leo Komarov can all play both wing and centre a€“ a luxury that offers Carlyle increased flexibility. I think our third and fourth lines are going to look different than they have in the past, said Nonis. Those third and fourth lines will be interchangeable many nights. Peter Holland could be the third line centre one night and fall behind Mike Santorelli a night or two later if his performance dips. The Leafs hope that pushes a young player like Holland, who offered hints of potential in 39 games last year, to work harder, train longer, and perform more consistently. And if hes not up to task, someone like the 28-year-old Santorelli will be there to scoop up the extra opportunity. You have options, Carlyle said. If we feel that somebody is not giving us what theyre capable of, then theres an option of somebody else going in and taking their minutes. Its cruel, but were here to win hockey games and thats what weve got to do. Winnik is amongst the new crop of depth forwards the Leafs brought in during a busy offseason. Skating in Anaheim the past two seasons, hes well-versed in the type of competitive environment Toronto is trying to create. There was no better example of that last year than the now-retired Teemu Selanne, benched at points with the Ducks during what proved to be the end of a legendary career. Guys a legend, definitely a Hall of Fame player, and he got healthy scratched as well so no one was really safe in Anaheim, Winnik said. It just pushes guys to be better every night. If you have a spell of bad games or if it goes further than that, a spell of a bad month, you know youre not going to be in the lineup. It keeps everyone honest, thats for sure. More depth (or the vision of it at least) also means less strain on the Leafs top line, which shouldered a heavy burden last season. James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, and Phil Kessel all finished amongst the leagues most utilized forwards in 2013-14 and perhaps not coincidentally tapered off in the final weeks of the season. Carlyle has the employ to spread minutes around more evenly a€“ on the penalty kill, additionally in the case of Bozak and perhaps, van Riemsdyk a€“ and thus gather contributions from areas of the lineup which offered almost nothing tangible last season. That will aid in improving the teams possession at even-strength and drive the speedier brand of hockey Carlyle has talked about implementing this season. I think were deeper, Nonis said. We didnt have the depth up front that we have this year. As for Kozun, whom the Leafs acquired from the Kings in a January trade, Nonis didnt envision a standout camp of this kind. He imagined the Los Angeles native pushing for a job and proving his worth as a depth player, but hes performed at a different level than we anticipated. This is no finish line though for Kozun, or so he (and the club) hopes. Its been a long couple years, he said, so Im not going to take anything for granted. Adidas X_Plr NZ . TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie tweeted that its believed the Flames are working towards a new contract with the defenceman. NMD Shoes NZ . DeGrom outpitched Jake Peavy in a tantalizing hitless duel that carried into the seventh inning Saturday night before the New York Mets broke loose and beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2. http://www.nmdshoesnz.com/. -- Kael Mouillierat scored three times and set up one more as the St. Adidas NMD Mens NZ . On Monday night, many fans in this city placed the blame squarely on the captain for his role in the James Neal overtime winner against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Superstar NZ Cheap . The 40-year-old midfielder was put in charge on Tuesday when David Moyes reign ended after 10 months with the defending champions in seventh place in the English Premier League. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Too bad all those Patriots fans who left Gillette Stadium in disgust when their team was down didnt wait a minute. Because thats all Tom Brady needed. Fans left in a half-empty stadium roared when the two-time NFL MVP threw the winning touchdown pass with 5 seconds left. They beat the traffic while the Patriots were beating the Saints, 30-27. Coming off one of his worst games, Brady threw the decisive 17-yard pass to rookie free agent Kenbrell Thompkins, knocking New Orleans from the unbeaten ranks Sunday. "Guys made big-time catches," Brady said. "It was just a great game." Slowly but steadily, new pass catchers have made their mark after the Patriots lost their top five receivers from last seasons highest-scoring NFL team. Now hes throwing to Thompkins, Aaron Dobson, Danny Amendola and Austin Collie. "I have confidence in those guys," Brady said. "Were certainly not perfect out there. Were definitely just grinding." Many fans had abandoned hope and left Gillette Stadium by the time the Patriots it out. But at Fenway Park, some 30 miles away, a big cheer went up at Game 2 of the AL championship series between the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers when Thompkins jumped for the winning pass. "Coach Bill said that it might come down to the final seconds," Thompkins said. "You had to stick with the system. We just had to go out there and fight to the finish." The Saints (5-1) had taken a 24-23 lead with 3:29 remaining on Drew Brees 34-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills and the extra point, but couldnt put away New England. The Patriots (5-1) survived an interception by Keenan Lewis on their first snap after Garrett Hartleys 39-yard field goal made it 27-23. Brady started the winning 70-yard drive, with no timeouts, with completions of 23 yards to Julian Edelman, 15 to Collie and 6 to Dobson for a first down at the Saints 26. But he threw two incompletions before connecting with Collie for a 9-yard gain on fourth down and a first down at the 17. He spiked the ball to stop the clock, then sent his receivers deep. "We had everybody going to the end zone and (Thompkins) kind of snuck into the corner and I put it up there for him and he came down and made a great catch," Brady said. Thompkins outfought cornerback Jabari Greer in the left side of the end zone. "Thats something that youll replay in your mind for a long time," Greer said. "We fought hard, were resilient, and it happens like that. For it to happen to me, Ill just have to bear the burden for this week." The Patriots were heaaded for their second straight loss one week after the Cincinnati Bengals beat them 13-6.dddddddddddd Bradys streak of 52 regular-season games with at least one touchdown pass ended in that defeat; Brees holds the NFL record with 54. Brady completed 25 of 43 passes for 269 yards with one touchdown and one interception. It was the 38th time hed led the Patriots to victory after trailing or being tied in the fourth quarter. One week earlier, he was just 18 for 38 for 197 yards and a passer rating of 52.2 New England continued the strong defence its played all year by holding star tight end Jimmy Graham without a catch for the first time in 46 games, dating back to the middle of his rookie season in 2010. He limped off the field after Kyle Arrington intercepted a pass intended for him, but returned. "The one thing they do a good job with is they disrupt you at the line of scrimmage really better than anyone," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "They do a really good job of getting hands on receivers and tight ends." Add Brees: "This ones difficult because you certainly felt like you had a chance. Breed completed 17 of 36 passes for 236 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Stevan Ridley ran for two touchdowns for a 17-7 halftime lead. In the first half, the Patriots controlled the ball against New Orleans, which entered the game leading the NFL in time of possession. The Patriots scored on drives of 80, 66 and 60 yards one week after having just one drive of more than 35 yards in Cincinnati. The Saints tied it by scoring on their first two possessions of the second half: a 28-yard field goal by Hartley and a 3-yard run by Khiry Robinson. New England took a 3-0 lead on Stephen Gostkowskis 35-yard field goal on the first series of the game. New Orleans took its first lead on Brees 3-yard pass to Travaris Cadet, the first run or reception of the season by the running back. Then Ridley scored twice in a span of six minutes in the second quarter on runs of 1 and 4 yards. On the second touchdown drive, Brady completed his last six passes for 64 yards. But he saved his best for last. "What more can you ask out of your leader?" Ridley said. "He put the team on his back and went out there and made the plays we needed to make." NOTESD: Collie, signed before the Bengals game, made his first two catches for the Patriots on the final drive. ... The Saints held the ball for 28:09, more than six minutes less than their season average. ... Patriots CB Aqib Talib, who helped shut down Graham, didnt return after hurting his hip in the third quarter. ' ' '