ng to the tune of 12 homers and 37 RBI. Pittsbu | Forum

(SportsNetwork. Giubbotti Moncler Scontati .com) - The Ottawa Senators enter the 2013-14 season with lofty expectations, and theyll do their best to get off to a good start when they visit the Buffalo Sabres for Fridays clash at First Niagara Center. The Senators made the playoffs for the second straight spring in 2013 before losing in the second round to the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games. However, Paul MacLeans club was bounced out of the postseason with superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson playing at less than 100 percent, and a return to health for Ottawas best player is key to the teams success in 2013-14. Also on Ottawas mind heading into this season is the loss of longtime captain Daniel Alfredsson, who signed with new Atlantic Division rival Detroit this summer. Alfredsson, who was the face of the franchise for well over a decade, will face his former team four times in the regular season, but he wont make his first trip to Ottawa until Dec. 1. The Senators actually wont play any team on home ice until Oct. 17, as the club is starting this season on a six-game road trip. One of Ottawas weaknesses last year was its inability to put forth consistent efforts on the road, where the Sens went 10-11-3 during the lockout-shortened season of 2013. Although "Alfie" is no longer a member of the Sens, the club did react quickly by landing power forward Bobby Ryan from Anaheim on the same day their former captain made the decision to head across the border into Michigan. Ryan is a four-time 30-goal scorer at the ripe age of 26, and hell likely offer more offensive production than the 41-year-old Alfredsson could at this stage of his career. Ryans offensive contributions aside, under MacLean the Senators still will be expected to play a cohesive defensive style in front of the steady goaltending of Craig Anderson. Anderson missed considerable time during the 2013 regular season, but is ready for the season opener on Friday. The Sabres, also members of the new-look Atlantic Division, opened their season Wednesday night in Detroit and were handed a 2-1 regulation by the Red Wings. Mikael Samuelsson and Pavel Datsyuk tallied 36 seconds apart in the first period and Jimmy Howard turned away 19-of-20 shots to lift the Red Wings to a win in their first game as a member of both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. It was the 12 time in the last 13 matchups that the Sabres lost at Joe Louis Arena. Zemgus Girgensons scored his first career goal for Buffalo, which came up short on all seven of its power-play opportunities. Girgensons, drafted 14th overall in the 2012 draft, lit the lamp in the third period. Ryan Miller was steady following the two early goals, stopping 32-of-34 shots in the narrow defeat. "We were right there all night," Miller said. "We got in a position to tie. I think we were improving as the game went on." The Sabres, who are rebuilding and not expected to make the postseason in 2013-14, lost forward Ville Leino to a cracked rib in the opener and he is out indefinitely. Leino signed a six-year, $27 million with Buffalo in the summer of 2011, but has battled injuries and inconsistency during his tenure with the Sabres. After visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, the Sabres will return home for a two-game stint in western New York. Ottawa won three of four meetings against the Sabres last season, but the Sens have dropped four of their last seven tilts in Buffalo. Moncler Bimba Outlet .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Piumino Moncler Uomo . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. http://www.monclersaldionline.it/ . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end.(SportsNetwork.com) - With the way the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates battled for the National League Central crown, its only fitting that their National League Division Series would come down to a decisive fifth game. St. Louis tries to get back into the NLCS for the third straight year, while the Pirates target their first postseason series win since 1979, as the divisional foes play a winner take all showdown at Busch Stadium. "You live for those situations," Pittsburgh star Andrew McCutchen said. "This is the game that we play. They didnt say it was going to be easy getting here to where we are. Weve done a good job of getting in this position. We live for all those moments. Anything can happen in this game." On Wednesday, though, the Cards turn to their ace in Adam Wainwright, who tied for the NL lead with 19 wins and was marvelous in his Game 1 start versus the Pirates, as he allowed just one run and struck out nine in seven innings. "Were always excited to see Adam Wainwright on the mound," Cards manager Mike Matheny said after the Cardinals 2-1 win over the Pirates in Game 4 on Monday. "Hes the ace of our staff. These guys, they get a lot of energy every time he has the mound." Wainwright has won his last five decisions, posting a 1.71 ERA (eight earned runs in 42 innings) over that stretch. Hes also 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in three postseason starts (seven appearances) in St. Louis. "Its the biggest game of the year, isnt it? Thats what I always tell these guys," Wainwright said. "Every start of mine is the biggest game of the year. Its a big-time game against a good opponent, and Im looking forward to doing it." While it may have been a no-brainer that Wainwright would be taking the hill for St. Louis, Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle had a decision to make. He could have gone with Game 1 starter A.J. Burnett, who was pounded for seven runs in two-plus innings, or turn to rookie Gerrit Cole, who gave up one run in six innings to win Game 2. In the end, it wasnt really a choice, as Hurdle went with the 23-year-old righty Cole. "We have one game to win," said Hurdle. "As Ive done and Ive challenged the guys to do, we need to do the best we can to win that next game. I believe that matchup is the best we can do to beat the Cardinals in Game 5." Cole was as good as any pitcher in baseball down the stretch, going 4-0 over his final five starts, while pitching to a 1.69 ERA. He carried that innto the postseason and was more than effective versus the Cardinals on Friday, retiring 11 in a row at one point. Giubbotti Moncler Uomo Prezzi. "Its obviously a great opportunity for me to go out there and give my team a chance to win," Cole said. "This is obviously an exciting time, a high- pressure situation, and this is what you prepare for all year. This is why you work out in the offseason, for moments like this, to be mentally and physically ready to go. Its extremely exciting and I cant wait." The Pirates can only hope that Cole delivers the way St. Louis rookie Michael Wacha did in Game 4, as he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and helped the Cards stave off elimination. "We did a lot of gushing about him before we even got him out there today, and I think everybody sees why," Matheny said. "I dont know if you can put a kid in a tougher spot. He came out and just made pitches all day long. Hes just got a knack of getting up there and [being] very business-like getting the job done." The Cardinals, who received an MLB-best 36 victories from rookie hurlers en route to the NL Central title, are now 7-1 in postseason elimination games over the past three years. "I think you take high-talent and high-character people that are motivated and support each other, and they dont give up. Thats a tough combination," said Matheny of his team. "Its just an honor to watch them do the thing day-in and day-out." St. Louis survived despite managing just three hits, but one was a two-run homer from Matt Holliday off Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton that broke a scoreless deadlock in the top of the sixth. Holliday had a single earlier in the contest. Morton (0-1) lasted 5 2/3 innings, surrendering all three hits and walking four. "Charlie pitched extremely well," Hurdle said. "I think the cowboys say, he drew a tough bull today." Pedro Alvarez homered in Mondays loss and is the first Pirate to drive in runs his first five postseason games, and the first since Willie Stargell in 1979 to hit at least three homers in one postseason. Since the beginning of the 2012 season and including these playoffs, Alvarez has crushed Cardinals pitching to the tune of 12 homers and 37 RBI. Pittsburgh won the season series, 10-9, but was just 3-6 in St. Louis. "Weve played them close," Hurdle said. "It has been a very respectful, challenged series." Wednesdays winner will play Los Angeles on Friday in Game 1 of the NLCS. Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '