Über das Forum » continuing to battle to get back o

At this time last season, the talk throughout the hockey world was whether pending unrestricted free agent?Steven Stamkos would sign an extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning or test the market and sign elsewhere.The process lasted through the season and into the playoffs, and only two days before the official start of free agency, on July 1, did the Lightning captain finally agree to an eight-year deal worth $8.5 million annually. The 26-year-old forward could have earned more on the open market, but he wanted to stay and help the Lightning finally win a Stanley Cup under his watch.Not much has changed for Tampa Bay entering this season -- and thats a good thing for the Lightning, who finished second in the division last season with 97 points. Probably the only question this season is the future status of goaltender Ben Bishop, who has one year remaining on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1.Best new facesAfter the saga that played out last season, lets consider Jonathan Drouin a new face for the franchise. The 21-year-old forward, a former first-round pick (third overall) in the 2013 draft, suffered through some bad decisions and growing pains the past two years. Early last season, he asked for a trade, but Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman never relented and instead sent Drouin to the AHL.After a tumultuous start in the minors, he finally cleaned up his act and was summoned back to Tampa at the end of the regular season. During the playoffs, Drouin was outstanding. He registered five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 17 games as the Lightning reached the Eastern Conference finals. Despite a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was a promising end to what seemed like a bad relationship that could be headed for a divorce. Drouin enters this season with more responsibility and should produce.Biggest unknownsEverything is pretty much status quo for the Lightning. There arent any surprises entering the season. The only matter on the docket is whether Bishop remains beyond this season. Yzerman inked backup goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, 22, to a three-year contract extension worth $3.5 million per season last July.After Bishop, 30, suffered a leg injury during the Eastern Conference finals, Vasilevskiy proved he could handle the challenge and played well for the Lightning. Depending how the goaltending duties are divided this season, its possible Bishop could be moved at the trade deadline. Yzerman and coach Jon Cooper realize, however, that to win the Stanley Cup, a team needs to rely on two quality goaltenders. It would take a massive trade offer to convince Yzerman to move Bishop at the deadline.Sure thingsNow that theres no contract pressure on Stamkos, whos healthy after dealing with a blood clot near his collarbone last March that forced him to miss every playoff game with the exception of Game 7 of the conference finals, he should be ready to have a productive season. He had 36 goals and 28 assists for 64 points in 77 games during the regular season and proved during the World Cup of Hockey that hes healthy after helping Team Canada to a championship.Defenseman Victor Hedman, 25, was a Norris Trophy candidate last season, and had the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in either of the past two postseasons, Hedman would have been considered for the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP. Along with defensive partner Anton Stralman, Hedman should have another strong season. Both played for Team Sweden during the World Cup of Hockey.If Cooper decides to keep The Triplets line of Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat together again, expect plenty of offensive punch from that threesome.PredictionAfter losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Cup finals two seasons ago, and then missing out on a return trip to the finals by losing to the Penguins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last spring, the Lightning are poised for another championship run. This could be the season for Tampa. First in the Atlantic. Quenton Nelson Jersey .4 million title. Ryan Riess emerged with the title after a session in which he started behind, but used expert skill to gather the chips to his side amid the unpredictability of no-limit Texas Hold em. Riess put his final opponent Jay Farber all-in with an Ace-King. Bobby Okereke Colts Jersey . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. http://www.coltsofficialstore.us/authentic-marshall-faulk-colts-jersey/ . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. Kenny Moore Youth Jersey . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. Darius Leonard Jersey . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. GREEN BAY, Wis. -- JC Tretter has his old job back.Two years after he lost his job as the Green Bay Packers starting center because of a preseason knee injury, he was anointed as the teams opening-day starter at the position.It means Corey Linsley lost the job in the same way he got it.Linsley, who stepped in as a rookie after Tretter went down in an Aug. 22, 2014, preseason game, remains on the physically unable to perform list because of a hamstring injury that kept him out the entire offseason as well.JC Tretter has had an excellent camp, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Monday. I think Ive answered that question repeatedly and JC, in my view, has earned the starting position at center. Availability is a big part of what you look for in your players.Its unfortunate what Corey is going through and continuing to battle to get back out there. But theres been a lot of time thats gone by since hes been out there. I think JC has done an excellent job.Clearly, McCarthy has placed value not only on Tretters performance but also in the reps hes taken all offseason with the other offensive line starters. Continuity has long been one of McCarthys goals for his offensive line. In 2014, wheen Linsley took over, the same five linemen started 17 of the 18 games (including playoffs).ddddddddddddLast year, only left guard Josh Sitton started every game, and he made one of those starts out of position, at left tackle.Tretter has made four career starts -- all last season. Three of those came at center when Linsley had a late-season ankle injury. The other was at left tackle in the wild-card playoff game at Washington.The former fourth-round pick from Cornell did not play as a rookie because of an ankle injury he sustained in spring workouts. He then spent the first half of the 2014 season on the temporary injured reserve list. By the time he was activated, McCarthy felt so good about Linsleys performance that he decided not to go back to Tretter.Tretter admitted earlier this month that he wasnt sure if he was just holding a place until Linsley came back.I think everybody comes into camp competitions, whether its in a true open competition, to me that doesnt really matter because it doesnt change what Im going to do, Tretter said at the time.? ' ' '