Mikhail Grigorenko scored his first two goals of the season for the Sabres, who finished their three-game California road swing

TSN Radio 1050 Maple Leafs reporter Jonas Siegel addresses five questions as training camp unfolds this week in Toronto. Youth Braden Smith Jersey . First up, the defence. Perhaps the greatest unknown on the roster – as to its assembly or construct – the Toronto defence remained more or less intact from 2013, save for added depth in the form of Paul Ranger and T.J. Brennan. Stability with this group will therefore hinge (in all likelihood) on the revival of Jake Gardiner and to a lesser degree, the continued ascension of Cody Franson (as yet unsigned). Gardiner is the variable who could in some ways make or break the Leafs blueline. The 23-year-old rode the waves of turbulence a year ago, battling the lingering undercurrent of a concussion and its after-effects. He re-emerged as a bright spot in the playoffs, busting out with five points in six games against the Bruins. That player, the one who made noise with his legs, aggressiveness and unpredictability, is the one the Leafs need to return this season. Its that Gardiner who can dictate the action and alter a shift in an instant with an icy swagger, elements that are unseen elsewhere on this roster (Morgan Rielly not withstanding). His efforts will still require and certainly receive much prodding from Carlyle, primarily as it relates to his assertiveness and positioning in the defensive zone, but that ability to make something out of nothing with the puck is what the Leafs desire and missed last season. Franson saw his role grow and grow last season, from under 14 minutes in January to upwards of 22 in April, and the now 26-year-old delivered, finishing amongst the leaders at his position in scoring. In addition to his increased responsibility, which included first duty power-play, Franson also showed more assertiveness defensively, with prodding from Carlyle paying dividends. A breakthrough 2013 continued in the postseason, with the B.C. native and unsigned restricted free agent adding three goals and six points in nearly 23 minutes against the Bruins. He and Gardiner teamed together in the final three games of the first round against Boston – with Fraser sidelined – and proved Torontos most effective pair, a preview perhaps of what Carlyle may opt for this season. If the Leafs can achieve stability beyond their predicted top pair of Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarsson from a second pair of Gardiner and Franson then the assembled group may just be deep enough with NHL experience to get by. Beyond the aforementioned, the final three spots figure to be assumed initially by some combination of Mark Fraser, John-Michael Liles, Paul Ranger, Korbinian Holzer, T.J. Brennan and perhaps, though it would seem unlikely – considering the risks and cap crunch – Morgan Rielly. While by no means a certainty Fraser would seem to have locked up a spot considering the rarity of his skill-set in this group – an edgy stay-at-home defender – and performance in such a role last season. Ranger too, would be inclined to hold a spot. The former Lightning defender impressed Toronto brass in his stint with the Marlies last season, his gifts of old – easy mobility, NHL-caliber first pass, sturdiness defensively – rediscovered in relatively short order following a lengthy absence from the game. That would leave one spot to Liles, Holzer, Brennan or Rielly. The Leafs would be thrilled if the Liles from two years ago flourishes once more – though his fit under Carlyle will always be in question. Holzer struggled in his NHL duties last season though he was miscast for a role on the top pairing with Phaneuf and may perform more effectively on a bottom pair. Brennan meanwhile, joins the organization from Florida and projects as more of a depth defenceman at this point. Rielly is the wild card in many respects. The organization can opt to keep him with the NHL club – with a nine-game trial period – or send him back to junior in Moose Jaw. Regardless of his apparent readiness in training camp, the decision is complicated both by the cap considerations (Rielly is due significant change with the Leafs tight under the cap) and the inherent risks of holding onto a teenager and thus burning a year of his entry-level eligibility. Carlyle kept Cam Fowler as a teenager in Anaheim so hes evidently not against the prospect if he deems Rielly ready for the challenge, especially in the defensive zone. With a Gardiner revival, Franson progression and the likelihood of an improved third pairing with greater NHL depth, the Leaf defence may prove steady. Gardiner is ultimately the key; his return to previous performance allows the likes of Fraser, Ranger, Liles etc. to fall into suitable positions within the lineup. Cheap Colts Jerseys For Sale .com) - Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau has been selected as the NHLs Rookie of the Month for December, the league announced Friday. Wholesale Colts Jerseys Free Shipping . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. http://www.wholesalecoltsjerseys.com/?tag=youth-zaire-franklin-jersey . First reported by FOX Sports Ken Rosenthal, its unknown if the impetus for the deferral proposal came from players or management, but it never left the preliminary stages.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. "About time, eh?" he said. "Ive been waiting for this one for a while." Anaheims consummate playmaker finally had a hat trick of his own in the latest overwhelming victory for the league-leading Ducks. Getzlaf had three goals and an assist in the first period, linemate Dustin Penner also scored four points, and the Ducks remained the NHLs only unbeaten home team with a 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. Getzlaf nearly didnt play after taking a tumble in the morning skate. Instead, he got his first career hat trick before the first intermission as the league-leading Ducks (14-3-1) trounced the league-worst Sabres (3-15-1) for their seventh win in eight games overall. While improving to 7-0 at home, the Ducks got a landmark performance from their captain, who usually makes his living setting up longtime teammate Corey Perry for the bulk of the former Richard Trophy winners goals. With big assists from Penner and Perry, Getzlaf finally got his first hat trick in his 574th regular-season game. "They were really dominant tonight," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said of his top line. "There was no doubt. You could tell, as soon as he started his skating, that Ryan was great. When we got the power-play goal early, it was because he did something he doesnt normally do, which is jump right into the play after a shot. As soon as he did that, I said OK, hes going to have a good game." The veteran centre tied the franchise record for points in a period while picking up just the second first-period hat trick in Ducks history. Teemu Selanne also did it in November 1997. "Thats why hes got the C," said Penner, who had three first-period assists and a second-period goal in his first four-point game since December 2009. "He shows what a great leader he is by getting timely goals." Getzlaf finished the first period with nine points in his last nine periods, including three multipoint performances in Anaheims last four outings to move up to second place among the leagues overall scoring leaders. He has 13 points in the Ducks last eight games while playing with Perry and Penner, reassembling their line from the Ducks Stanley Cup-winning team in 2007. "The way we used to play together and work around each other, it feels like its the same," Getzlaf said. Frederik Andersen made 25 saves and improved to 5-0 in his NHL career as Anaheim won its seventh straight at Honda Center. Cam Fowler also scored in the first period for the Ducks, and Richard Rakell earned his first NHL point on a slick backhand assist for Andrew Coglianos second-period goal. Cheap Colts Jerseys. Mikhail Grigorenko scored his first two goals of the season for the Sabres, who finished their three-game California road swing with back-to-back losses. Ryan Miller stopped 28 shots in the first two periods while dropping to 2-11. "It was a disaster to be part of," Miller said. "Ive been a part of many disasters in my career. You just have to turn the page and move on." The Sabres struggled defensively without key defenceman Christian Ehrhoff, who sat out with a lower-body injury. Jhonas Enroth replaced Miller in the third period for the Sabres, who have lost six of seven overall. Anaheim also won 6-3 in Buffalo last Saturday. "Theyre a great team, (but) that line especially is the top one in the NHL," Buffalo centre Cody Hodgson said. "We didnt have a good start, and they capitalized on it. Its not the ending you want to a road trip, but we had a good win against the Sharks, and well take that from it. But there were not a lot of positives to build off of from this game." The Ducks were sizzling in their second game since returning from an eight-game East Coast trip. Anaheim is off to the best home start in the franchises two decades of existence, outscoring its opponents 33-12. The Ducks scored just four power play goals in their first 16 1/2 games this season, dropping to last overall in the NHL, before scoring four more in a 35-minute stretch that began Wednesday against Phoenix and extended into the lopsided first period against Buffalo. After Getzlaf batted home a rebound in the slot just 2:11 in, Fowler scored Anaheims second power-play goal midway through the period. Grigorenko answered with a goal on a nifty behind-the-net pass from Cody McCormick, but Getzlaf jumped on a Buffalo turnover and fired a wrist shot for an unassisted goal. Getzlaf completed the hat trick with 20 seconds left in the period, scoring on a backhand all alone in front after a pass from Perry. The traditional hat shower from the Anaheim crowd only began gradually, with many fans stunned by Getzlafs feat. NOTES: Ehrhoff was hurt in the third period Thursday night in Los Angeles. LW Ville Leino was a healthy scratch. ... ... Selanne played in his 1,400th NHL game. The 43-year-old Finnish Flash is just the third European player to reach the mark, joining Nicklas Lidstrom and Jaromir Jagr. ... The Ducks are 10-0-1 when Penner is in the lineup. ... Ducks C Saku Koivu (upper body) and F Jakob Silfverberg (broken right hand) sat out their seventh straight games. G Viktor Fasth missed his 12th straight game with a lower-body injury, but could return to practice soon. 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