Grüße und Vorstellung » whos now in player development for the Leafs.

TORONTO - Stephane Robidas remembers what it was like to be a healthy scratch more than 20 times early in his NHL career. Rene Robert Jersey .You cant take anything for granted, the veteran defenceman said. Theres always people that are coming in and they want to steal your job, they want your spot, they want to be in the lineup.Early in the season for Toronto Maple Leafs, Stuart Percy has been that job-stealer. The first defenceman in franchise history to put up a point in each of his first three games in the league, Percy has at least temporarily taken Jake Gardiners spot in the lineup.Its just how it goes, said Gardiner, who was a healthy scratch for a second straight game Tuesday night against the Colorado Avalanche. Its a business. If someones playing really well or youre not playing your game, youre not going to play.In the process, Percy has given the coaching staff a good problem to have with seven defencemen vying for six spots. In his fourth career game, the 21-year-old was second on the Leafs in ice time with a steady 23:34.Weve said right from the beginning that were going to create competition for positions, coach Randy Carlyle said. If they compete for the position and they earn it, its a novel concept.Percy was a first-round pick in 2011, so his growth into an NHL player shouldnt be a surprise. But he entered training camp staring at three veteran left-handed defencemen firmly ahead of him and Henrik Tallinder with the Leafs on a tryout as the favourite to make it as the No. 7.A shoulder injury to Tallinder and a knee injury to righty Cody Franson opened the gate for Percy to show what he could do. So far, so good.The poise that he has with the puck, the decision-making, he always seems to make that good decision, hold onto the puck when its time, move when its time, Robidas said. Hes very reliable defensively, very good stick, always in good position. Hes been very effective on the power play, as well, and played against some really good players.Carlyle praised Percy for reading where the forecheck is coming from, exiting the zone with one pass and making the right pass in all zones on a consistent basis.Percy, a native of nearby Oakville, Ont., said he takes pride in playing a 200-foot game. His offensive skills were never a question, according to Carlyle, just Percys ability to adapt to this level after one full season in the American Hockey League.Percy showed a flash of being ready in Torontos season opener, when he assisted on a Tyler Bozak power-play goal with a perfect setup from below the goal-line.Maybe I didnt expect (to adapt this quickly), but I definitely strived for it, Percy said. Im just playing my usual game. Its how Ive played most of my career. Just sticking to it, keep things simple, be assertive out there and always have your head moving.Carlyle, who enjoyed a 17-year career as a defenceman, knows that the position comes with a steep learning curve. Playing more games with less practice time and at a quicker pace can go against young players, he said.With that in mind, Percy is taking to heart some advice he got from another former NHL defenceman, Steve Staios, whos now in player development for the Leafs.For me just to keep my foot on the gas and dont let up, Percy said. Just to keep playing hard and practising hard every day and working as hard as I can to stay here every day.Percys ability to stick beyond a game or two came at the expense of Gardiner, who hasnt played since Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Well removed from his shuttling back and forth between the Leafs and AHLs Toronto Marlies, Gardiner signed a US$20.25-million, five-year contract in the off-season, but that didnt keep him from sitting in the press box two games in a row.This happens, Gardiner said Tuesday morning. Its happened to me a few times before and it happens to everybody. You cant play great all the time. Just rebound the next time I get an opportunity.Gardiner said he has watched a couple of video clips and believes he has to tighten some things up defensively.Carlyle said Gardiner simply needs to play better.We feel that we have a quality hockey player that can play to a higher level, and he agrees with that, Carlyle said.Meanwhile, Percy is playing at perhaps as high a level as can be expected for someone with three games of NHL experience. But with what Carlyle called a comfort zone as far as on-ice instincts, Percy has shown evidence he can stick around for some time.We understand theres going to be valleys and theres going to be hiccups along the way, Carlyle said. But I dont think thats any different than any of our other young defencemen.Percy has simply been better than the Leafs other young defencemen, Gardiner and second-year player Morgan Rielly. All three are lefties, and with captain Dion Phaneuf on that side now there isnt room for all of them at once.We have a healthy, I guess, competition to stay in the lineup and thats always good for the team knowing that the teams going to get everybodys best efforts, Percy said.___Follow @SWhyno on Twitter Evan Rodrigues Jersey .com) - The disappointing Ottawa Senators hope to record consecutive wins for the first time since early November, as they visit the Boston Bruins on Friday for the opener of a home-and-home series. Derek Roy Jersey . This is not some token job for a prominent, popular former player. All of those areas need a lot of work, so Molitor is going to be busy. "Hes certainly got a history and knowledge and a high baseball IQ," general manager Terry Ryan said. http://www.cheapsabresjerseys.com/ . Portuguese sides Benfica and Porto also advanced to the last eight while Basel overcame an early red card to win 2-1 at Salzburg and progress from a last-16 second leg that was briefly suspended because of crowd trouble. Lyon, Valencia and AZ Alkmaar will also be in Fridays draw in Nyon, Switzerland, where the team to avoid will be Juventus -- even though the Italian champions made heavy work of their all-Italian last-16 match against Fiorentina.LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Jay Cutlers time away proved shorter than the Chicago Bears originally expected. After missing one game, the quarterback will return Sunday to face the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field following a groin tear suffered Oct. 20. Team officials originally expected Cutler to be out four weeks and then be assessed week to week, but doctors cleared Cutler to play Thursday and he practiced without a problem. "As soon as I got hurt, I felt like Id be back quicker than they thought," Cutler said. "I kind of had that mindset." Coach Marc Trestman saw no reason to believe the team is pushing its starter back onto the field too soon. "He had an excellent practice," Trestman said. "He moved around. We worked the entire game plan today: our movements, climbing the pocket, throwing the football, down the field, short throws, everything. He did everything today." Cutler does not view his quick return as a gamble. He credited the use of an Athletic Rehabilitation and Performance machine (ARP), a device that helps heal soft tissue, with his rapid recovery. "If I wasnt back to 100 per cent, or if they had any doubts, I wouldnt have been able to practice today," he said. "That was the stipulation." The Bears had a bye after their 45-41 loss to Washington, which provided some extra time for Cutler to recover. He suffered the injury with 10 minutes left in the first half of the Washington game on a sack, and backup Josh McCown completed the contest, then played all of Monday nights 27-20 win at Green Bay. Cutler is slated to become a free agent after this season, but called his contract status no factor in coming back so soon. "I havent worried about my contract," he said. "I havent worried about it, period. That stuff takes care oof itself somehow some way. Rasmus Ristolainen Jersey. "So my biggest thing was just helping Josh last week to make sure, even though I knew he would be ready, to make sure I could help him in anyway, and then get back as soon as possible so I could help those guys." McCown completed 36 of 61 for 476 yards and did not turn the ball over as Cutlers replacement. He had a passer rating of 100.2. Cutler has completed 146 of 225 for 1,658 yards and 12 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He has a passer rating of 91.7. McCown said he had no problem returning to the sidelines after playing so well. "Jay got hurt and I served my team by playing and doing what I could to help us win a ballgame, and then play effective football when I was in there," McCown said. "When hes healthy, he comes back and hes the starter and thats how it goes. Thats how we operate." McCown said he will take no snaps with the first team this week at practice, as is normal with backup quarterbacks with the Bears and many NFL teams. Trestman said he wasnt sure yet if he will have third quarterback Jordan Palmer active as a precaution Sunday. Cutlers worst game of the season came facing Detroit and a Lions pass rush spearheaded by Ndamukong Suh at Ford Field on Sept. 29. The Bears lost 40-32 and Cutler turned the ball over three times, including two interceptions and a lost fumble that resulted in a touchdown. "Weve just got to do a good job up front and weve got to be able to have the ability to move the quarterback around and get away from the rush, and well try to do that, as well," Trestman said. "Overall, weve got to play a cleaner game. We gave the defence the ball in our territory too many times, four times, one on special teams and three times offensively. We gave up a touchdown." Cheap Cowboys Jerseys Cheap Giants Jerseys Cheap Eagles Jerseys Cheap Redskins Jerseys Cheap Falcons Jerseys Cheap Panthers Jerseys Cheap Saints Jerseys Cheap Buccaneers Jerseys Cheap Cardinals Jerseys Cheap 49ers Jerseys Cheap Seahawks Jerseys Cheap Rams Jerseys Cheap Bears Jerseys Cheap Lions Jerseys Cheap Packers Jerseys Cheap Vikings Jerseys ' ' '