Dein erstes Forum » two states and which many believe is a safer way

While the Dallas Stars are still young, their expectations have clearly changed.This group is no longer just hoping to get to the playoffs.Weve been together for a year now. The new players have fit in well, said Jamie Benn, their 25-year-old captain. Weve got a little bit more confidence as a group just making the playoffs, and I think we can bring that into this year.Not only did the Stars end the longest post-season drought in franchise history last season, they came oh so close to taking top-seeded Anaheim to Game 7 in the opening round. The Ducks had to score twice in the final 2:10 of regulation in Game 6 to force overtime, and won on the only shot there.We had a great year last year, and this year I think our expectations are a lot higher, said Tyler Seguin, the 22-year-old centre.General manager Jim Nill, a longtime assistant GM with Detroit, was hired in April 2013 after the Stars missed the playoffs for the fifth season in a row. He hired veteran coach Lindy Ruff, who had eight playoff appearances in his 15 seasons with Buffalo.Nills biggest initial deal was a seven-player trade with Boston to get former second overall pick Seguin, who in his debut Dallas season was the leading scorer with 84 points (37 goals, 47 assists). This off-season, Nill added 31-year-old former Ottawa teammates Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky.Last year, Jamie Benn moving back to the wing, Seguin coming in, how were they going to mesh together? And weve seen that theyre as dynamic a duo as there is, Nill said. A lot of questions have been answered. ... Weve got the excitement of adding Spezza, Hemsky and these guys. Its an exciting time, good for our team.Spezza (23 goals, 43 assists) is a centre acquired in a trade before free-agent right wing Hemsky (13 goals, 30 assists combined with Edmonton and Ottawa) signed a three-year contract. The two will likely be paired together, providing another scoring line behind the front line led by Seguin and Benn (34 goals, 45 assists).Here are some things to know about the 2014-15 Dallas Stars, who open the season at home Oct. 9 against Western Conference finalist Chicago:POTENT POWER PLAY: During the preseason, Ruff had a primary power-play unit that included Seguin and Benn, his top two scorers from last season, and newcomers Spezza and Hemsky. We were finding each other, Seguin said. It will be great to see what we can do once we learn each other a lot. Ruff said he expects those guys to read off each other, rather than having a specific plan where, Youve got to be here, and youve got to be there.BACKUP GOALIE: The Stars went into training camp with several options to be goalie Kari Lehtonens backup. They used four different players in that role last season. Anders Lindback, who started 67 games over the past four seasons with Nashville and Tampa Bay, exited training camp as the second goalie on the roster.WORKING CLASS: Benn said the team has developed an identity as a hard-working team. Weve got to be the hardest-working team out there, the captain said. Our skills going to help us out, but if we dont work hard, were not going to win many games.STILL UNSIGNED: When the Stars opened training camp in mid-September, unsigned restricted free agents Cody Eakin and Brenden Dillon were working out at home in Canada. Eakin, a centre, signed a two-year deal and joined the team this week. Defenceman Dillon remained unsigned and it was uncertain if his contract would be resolved before the season.PEVERLEYS PROGRESS: Nearly seven months after collapsing on the bench during a game because of an irregular heartbeat, forward Rich Peverley is doing off-ice workouts. But he still hasnt been cleared by doctors to get practice or play, and there is no specific timetable for when that could happen. He had surgery in mid-March to correct an abnormal heart rhythm, an issue that was diagnosed during training camp last year. Wholesale Nike Air Max From China . The former Toronto FC designated player played three of his 15 professional seasons with the team. Discount Nike Air Max Wholesale . With the union re-formed, negotiations with owners will resume Friday on the remaining issues that would be in the collective bargaining agreement, according to a person familiar with the plans. https://www.wholesalenikeairmaxshoes.com/cheap-air-max-270/ .A. Happ is coming off his first start of the year, a win at Philadelphia Monday. The former Phillie allowed three hits in five scoreless frames of a 3-0 triumph. Cheap Nike Air Max Outlet . -- Darrelle Revis says at least 26 teams called after he was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Fake Nike Air Max Replica . Here at TSN.ca we will take a look back at the season by bringing together a panel of experts to help pick the best 50 players of the season.Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week, they discuss the NFL and marijuana, Canadian world champion boxer Bermane Stiverne, Steve Kerrs choice for head coach and FIFA backtracking on Qatar 2022. Dave Naylor, TSN Radio 1050: My thumb is up to the National Football League which - according to reports this week - is planning to soften its penalties for players who test positive for marijuana. Look, even if youre part of the minority which still believes pot should be illegal, its not hard to see the hypocrisy here. The NFL is a down-and-dirty league, where all kinds of nasty stuff happens and players are often welcomed back to the field despite risky and dangerous behavior. And yet, as of now, Clevelands Josh Gordon will miss this coming season because he did something that is legal in two states and which many believe is a safer way to manage the pain associated with pro football than popping pills. What would the NFL be like if the league stopped testing for weed altogether? Well, we have a pretty good idea because in Canada the CFL does not list marijuana as a banned substance. And frankly, no one cares. The NFL has followed the CFLs lead when it comes to the forward pass, two-point converts and a few other things … its time to follow its lead on pot as well. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is up Bermane Stiverne, and if you dont know the name, youre not alone. A week ago, Stiverne, the Haitian-born Montreal-raised boxer, won the WBC heavyweight championship. Once upon a time, that was a title that began with Sonny Liston and moved through Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier and Larry Holmes and George Foreman and Mike Tyson and another Canadian of other countries, Lennox Lewis. It was the title of all titles not just in boxing, but in all of sport: heavyweight champion of the world.dddddddddddd Somewhere in time that disappeared, just not the history; now its Stivernes time, after his sixth round stoppage of Chris Arreola in Los Angeles. He might be like Trevor Berbick, a one and done champion. But after all these years, we still remember Berbicks name. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to Steve Kerr for a wise choice. Offered coaching positions with the Knicks and Warriors, the broadcaster took door no. 2, Golden State. The job might not be all rainbows and lollipops because Warrior players are angry former coach Mark Jackson was fired, but it is a better option than Madison Square Garden, the worlds most famous asylum. Kerr wont have to answer to bullying owner James Dolan or face inevitable second-guessing from Knicks president Phil Jackson, a fair coach himself. Golden state provides Kerr with a more talented roster and a better family situation, but mostly if offers a truly precious commodity - sanity. Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is down to soccers world governing body, FIFA for managing to sound dumber than its president, Sepp Blatter. Blatter has finally admitted that the selection of Qatar as the site of the 2022 World Cup was a mistake, which, until now, has been obvious to all but FIFA, because if the summertime heat makes it dangerous to watch a soccer match, its probably not a good idea to play in one. But, said Blatter, people do make mistakes. Well, an embarrassed FIFA spokesman tried to distance the organization from Blatters remarks by claiming that Blatter never actually said that Qatar was the wrong choice, which means that Blatter meant...... FIFA made the right choice and it was a mistake. They cant even stand this heat. ' ' '