Scott Cullen breaks down the opening night of the NHL playoffs, including Daniel Briere looking good for the Habs, the supporting cast coming through for the Penguins and the Stars comeback coming up short in Anaheim. [url=http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-kobe-bryant-shoes. html]Cheap

Scott Cullen breaks down the opening night of the NHL playoffs, including Daniel Briere looking good for the Habs, the supporting cast coming through for the Penguins and the Stars comeback coming up short in Anaheim. Cheap Kobe Shoes For Sale . WEISE THE HABS OT HERO A game that went back-and-forth on the scoreboard, though was controlled territorially by Montreal, ended in overtime when Dale Weise buried a pass from Daniel Briere at 18:08 of overtime, giving the Canadiens a 5-4 overtime win in Game One. The goal was Weises fourth in 18 games for the Canadiens since he was acquired from Vancouver, after scoring 10 goals in 135 career games prior. Lets not go changing expectations for Dale Weise the goal-scorer, however; hes still not generating many shots (0.71 per game with Montreal in the regular season), but when it comes to overtime winners, always take em where you can get em. Perhaps more interesting for Montreal is that Daniel Briere had a strong game for Montreal, playing a season-high 18:48 (in a 78-minute game), recording strong possession stats (65.4% Corsi) and, of course, setting up the winning goal. That assist gave Briere 110 points in 109 career playoff games, and his acquisition was touted for his playoff productivity, but it took a lot of patience as he struggled his way to 25 points in 69 regular-season games. If Briere can be a quality contributor in the playoffs, that will add a new dimension to the Canadiens attack. The game featured shoddy defensive play both ways, with Montreal outshooting Tampa Bay 44-25 (67-47 5-on-5 attempts), an unusual development considering that Tampa Bay had decidedly better possession numbers during the regular season. The line doing the most damage, in terms of controlling play, was the number one unit of Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais and Thomas Vanek and they did it while matched most frequently against Tampa Bays top line of Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson, with Victor Hedman and Sami Salo on defence. Desharnais was 3-for-17 (17.6%) on face-offs. Tampas top line took a hit early in the third period when LW Ondrej Palat left the game with an upper-body injury. Palat was hit hard by Columbus D Jack Johnson Friday, and was forced to leave the game, so hes hurting. If Palat isnt ready for Game Two, Killorn should continue in that spot, while a veteran like Tom Pyatt might make sense as an addition lower on the depth chart. There had been some talk, prior to the playoffs, that Lightning RW Steven Stamkos hadnt been in top form as he had missed nearly four months with a broken tibia, but he played a season-high 27:18 in Game One, scoring a pair of goals. Killorn, the second-year forward out of Harvard, had a goal and an assist for the Lightning. Montreals multi-point efforts came from unusual sources. C Lars Eller had a goal and an assist; he finished the regular season with three points in the last two games, but had a horrible run of three points in the 33 games before that, so if the Habs are going to get offence from him now, thats a bonus. D Alexei Emelin recorded a pair of assists, while he and Andrei Markov spent most of their night matched up against Stamkos and Johnson. Emelin previously had three multi-point games in 164 career games. That Montreal put five past Lightning G Anders Lindback isnt a huge surprise, but it was slightly more concerning that Canadiens G Carey Price surrendered four goals on 25 shots. They werent all Prices fault, to be sure, but a goaltender in the midst of a big playoff game might stop at least one that managed to get by Price in Game One. The good news for Montreal is that they earned a series-opening win without needing Price to carry them. PENS GET IT DONE Penguins C Brandon Sutter scored the game-winner in the third period, and Pittsburgh escaped with a 4-3 win over Columbus in Game One. While the game wasnt Pittsburghs best, they could take some positives because on a night that Sidney Crosby was held to one assist, and a minus-2 rating, the Penguins got contributions from the supporting cast. RW Beau Bennett and D Matt Niskanen each had a goal and an assist while C Evgeni Malkin had two assists as did defencemen Paul Martin. The Blue Jackets can also take some positives, in that they were competitive on the road against the Penguins and the game was winnable if G Sergei Bobrovsky (28 saves on 32 shots) had been at his best. In their attempt to neutralize Crosby, the Blue Jackets kept Brandon Dubinsky matched up on No. 87 as often as possible. Dubinsky had a game-high nine hits, a highlight-reel assist and led Blue Jackets forwards with 20:29 time on ice. The Crosby line also shuffled during the game, with Brian Gibbons replacing Bennett on right wing. Given the number of guys that have rolled through that spot since Pascal Dupuis was injured this year, it should come as no surprise that the revolving door continues. Columbus D Jack Johnson contributed a goal and an assist. For all the criticism lobbed at Johnson, and he and partner Fedor Tyutin didnt fare well in the possession game in Game One, Johnson now has 14 points in 13 career playoff games. Whats troubling for Columbus, even if they were competitive with the Penguins, is that they lost a game in which they limited Crosbys contribution and it was the Penguins supporting cast that came through. If a team is going to pull off an upset, it would help matters to win in the games that they manage to be reasonably effective against Crosby. FIRST QUACK After racing out to a 4-0 lead by the midway point of the game, the Anaheim Ducks held on for a 4-3 win against the Dallas Stars in Game One. The rally for the Stars started with a second-period 5-on-3 power play goal and then Tyler Seguins third-period goal made for an interesting finish, but it wasnt enough, and despite a situation in which score-effects could have easily led to Dallas getting more shots in the third period, the Ducks outshot Dallas 13-8 in the final frame. Anaheim had contributions throughout the lineup, but the line of Teemu Selanne, Mathieu Perreault and Patrick Maroon was ridicuously dominant in terms of puck possession. Perreault was on for 13 shot attempts for and one against in 5-on-5 play. The most effective Ducks line, in terms of scoring, was their No. 1 line of Ryan Getzlaf, Matt Beleskey and Corey Perry. Both Getzlaf and Beleskey had a goal and an assist, and both left the game with injuries. Beleskey suffered a lower-body injury and didnt play after the midpoint of the third period, then Getzlaf took a Tyler Seguin slapshot in the mouth in the final minute. Early indications on Getzlaf are that he should be okay to play, but if Beleskey happens to be out, there will be an opportunity for someone -- perhaps Kyle Palmieri, who scored the first goal in Game One -- to move up the depth chart. The Stars top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Valeri Nichushkin was effective in the possession game and spent the night matched against Getzlafs line in a head-to-head situation. At the other end of the spectrum, Stars veterans Ray Whitney, Shawn Horcoff and Erik Cole struggled, as did defencemen Sergei Gonchar, who took a couple of penalties in limited (11:28) ice time, and Aaron Rome. If the Stars can get D Brenden Dillon back from a lower body injury soon, Rome or Gonchar could easily be bumped from the lineup. Up front, Nichushkin was replaced, for a few shifts, by RW Colton Sceviour, who finished the game with a goal and an assist to lead the Stars. While coming up short on a comeback attempt doesnt do the Stars all that much good, they were more competitive than the score showed early, and a close finish has to be preferable to getting blown out in Game One -- that was looking entirely possible at the midway point. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Cheap Air Max Plus China .com) - Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett is active for Sundays matchup with the Miami Dolphins. Air Max 97 Plus Cheap Wholesale . -- Chad Labelle scored the winner 17:36 into the third period to give Medicine Hat a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos on Sunday and lift the Tigers into the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-max-95-shoes.html . -- Creighton apparently has Villanovas number.BERLIN -- Hoffenheim dampened Bayern Munichs Bundesliga title celebrations by grabbing a 3-3 draw to end the champions 19-game winning run on Saturday. Anthony Modestes 23rd-minute opening goal only seemed to rile Bayern, which responded with three goals in nine minutes -- a brace from Claudio Pizarro and one from Xherdan Shaqiri. But Sejad Salihovic pulled a goal back with a brilliant free kick in the 40th and Roberto Firmino equalized in the 75th. Hoffenheim goalkeeper Jens Grahl preserved the draw, denying Bayern substitute Arjen Robben with three minutes remaining. "It was a great day for us but Bayern are still beyond reach for us," Hoffenheim coach Markus Gisdol said. It was only the third time in 28 games that Bayern -- which clinched the title with a record seven games to spare on Tuesday -- dropped points this season. However, Bayern still managed to extend its record 53-game unbeaten run. "Compliments to Hoffenheim," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. "We always had a solution in the first half, not in the second half. We had no control, it went here and there, and when that happens the other 17 teams are better than us." Marco Reus scored a hat trick for Borussia Dortmund to come from behind and win 3-2 at 10-man Stuttgart to reclaim second place from rival Schalke. "The second half was great. We deserved to win," said Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp, whose side visits Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday. Bayer Leverkusen could only draw 1-1 with bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig. Mainz enjoyed a 3-0 win over Augsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt lost 2-1 at Wolfsburg. In the late game, Felix Klaus wonderful 65th-minute strike to the far top corner clinched a 3-2 come-from-behind win for Freiburg over fellow relegation candidate Nuremberg. Emanuel Pogatetz, who opened the scoring for Nuremberg in the sixth, was sent off with his second yellow card in injury time. "We won a game, nothing more. Were in a fight against the drop," said Freiburg coach Christian Streich, whose side moved five points clear of the relegation zone. Pep Guardiola rewarded his side for winning the Bundesliga by making several changes from the side that won 3-1 at Hertha Berlin. The Bayern coach also likely had one eye on Tuesdays Champions League quarterfinal first leg at Manchester United. Tom Starke madde a rare start in place of regular goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, while David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, Toni Kroos, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Mueller and Robben were also rested. Outlet Air Max 1. Hoffenheim took advantage of the home sides high defence to open the scoring. Kevin Volland sent Anthony Modeste on his way from inside his own half. The French strikers first effort was parried by Starke but he followed up to fire the loose ball home. Shaqiri crossed for Pizarro to equalize in the 31st, and the Peruvian returned the favour for Shaqiri to make it 2-1 three minutes later, six minutes before Franck Ribery crossed for Pizarro to claim his second. Salihovic scored with a free kick from around 30 metres (yards), and Roberto Firmino eluded Dante and Rafinha to complete the come-back before Grahl secured the point. "We have to analyze what happened today," Guardiola said. "Were not favourites against Manchester on Tuesday if we play like we did today in the second half." The worst news from Bayerns point of view was the first half injury to midfielder Thiago Alcantara. An MRI scan confirmed the Spaniard suffered an extended partial ligament tear in his right knee, ruling him out of action for up to eight weeks. Dortmund fell two goals behind in Stuttgart after Christian Gentner scored in the ninth and Martin Harnik made it 2-0 10 minutes later. Jonas Hofmann set up Reus to score in the 30th, and the Dortmund attacking midfielder equalized with a penalty in the 68th, after last defender Georg Niedermeier was sent off for bringing down Robert Lewandowski, who had earlier struck the post. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cut the ball back for Reus winner in the 83rd. "Its hard but thats the way you come away from the bottom -- fighting and sticking together," said Stuttgart coach Huub Stevens, whose side remains second from bottom. The game was interrupted briefly in the second half for injured referee Michael Weiner to be replaced by one of the linesmen. Naldos 89th-minute long-range strike ensured Wolfsburg closed within a point of Leverkusen. Stefan Aigner scored for Frankfurt in the 11th but Ivica Olic equalized in the 69th. Leverkusen needed a penalty from Stefan Kiessling in the 51st to rescue a point against Braunschweig, which took the lead four minutes before through Ken Reichels superb volley inside the near post. ' ' '