er is also in the works. It all costs money. What will it cost the fans

CALGARY -- Maxime Talbot finally got his name on the score sheet as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. Replica Shoes Wholesale China . The 29-year-old scored once and assisted on another as Colorado edged the host Calgary Flames 3-2 on Friday. "Its about time, I waited a lot of games for this," Talbot said. "After this goal, you have 50 pounds off your shoulders." Talbots goal was his first in 16 games as a member of the Avalanche since being acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 31 in exchange for forward Steve Downie. The Lemoyne, Que. native scored at 18:00 of the second period to tie the game 1-1. The goal was the result of a mistake along the end boards by Flames goaltender Karri Ramo, whose soft backhand pass intended for T.J. Brodie was intercepted by John Mitchell. Mitchell promptly zipped a pass to Talbot who had an empty net to shoot at. "I just played it to the wrong side. I should have played it to the backhand," Ramo said. "They got momentum and scored three goals, so it was a big game-changing moment there." Later that same shift, Talbot made a terrific play as the Avalanche took the lead for good. He muscled defenceman Chris Butler off the puck with an aggressive forecheck and set up P.A. Parenteau. "Even if you take away the goal and the assist from my game tonight, thats the best Ive felt with the Avs," Talbot said. "I had good legs, I was strong on the forecheck. I may not score every night but being first on pucks is what I should be doing and tonight I was doing it so it feels good and I need to keep building on that." Colorado coach Patrick Roy said he was happy for Talbot, who plays an integral role regardless of whether hes scoring or not. "Im so happy for Max. When you score, you feel such relief," Roy said. "Hes been playing hard. Hes been playing big minutes for us, penalty killing, that line tonight was really good." Rookie Nathan MacKinnon scored his sixth goal to round out the offence for Colorado (20-7-0). Kris Russell and Matt Stajan scored for Calgary (10-14-4), which had won two straight. "Its a disappointing loss," said Flames captain Mark Giordano. "We werent moving like we were in the first and they capitalized on some breakdowns. Weve got to find a way not to give up those close goals." Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 26 stops in the Colorado net to improve to 7-0-0 and continue his outstanding year as Semyon Varlamovs back-up. It was his second victory against the Flames, having stopped 30-of-32 stops in a 3-2 win in Denver on Nov. 8. "The guys did everything that they were asked to do tonight and it makes everybodys game so much easier," said Giguere. Talbot also mentioned the importance of the win after an 8-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. "It was really important. We talked about it this morning as a team about learning from the game last night and putting it behind us and thats exactly what we did," Talbot said. "We played well, kept most of it on the outside. I was able to see the pucks really well tonight. I was able to freeze it and not give up too many rebounds and when there was a rebound, guys were battling in front," added Giguere. On the heels of impressive wins over Los Angeles and Phoenix, Flames coach Bob Hartley was disappointed with how the game got away from his club. "Those two goals really set us back on our heels. In the third period, they scored that early goal and then it was tough to play catch-up hockey," Hartley said. In his third consecutive start, Ramo had 22 saves to fall to 4-5-1. Calgary scored the only goal of the first period connecting on the power play at 7:01. With Stempniak providing the screen, Russells slapshot from the blue-line found the corner behind Giguere, who was furious after the play claiming Stempniak had interfered with him. Giguere was so mad about the play he shoved the net over, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Notes: It was career win No 258 for Giguere, tying him with Ken Dryden for 44th on the NHLs all-time list... LW Lane MacDermid made his Flames debut. MacDermid was acquired Nov. 22 from Dallas for a sixth round draft picka Missing for Calgary was C Joe Colborne (flu) and LW Brian McGrattan (lower body)a Not in the line-up for Colorado was D Jan Hejda (knee), who was hurt in the loss to the the Oilersa A perfect 17-0-0 when scoring first, the Avalanche improve to 3-7-0 when surrendering the first goala Calgary led after one for only the fifth time (2-2-1). Wholesale Shoes Brands . Bayern led second-place Leverkusen by 10 points with a game in hand, while Dortmund was another four points off the pace. Freiburg midfielder Felix Klaus scored in the last minute as his side twice came from behind to climb provisionally out of the relegation zone. Replica Shoes Wholesale . - First-timer Chris Harris Jr. http://www.wholesaleshoes.us.org/ . Ashley Wagner will skate in the womens short program for a U.S. team thats in seventh place. Davis and White won the silver medal at the Vancouver Games and are two-time world champions.Toronto and Major League Soccer are still a buzz. Toronto FC unveiled prized acquisitions forward Jermain Defoe and US Mens National team midfielder Michael Bradley Monday in front of hundreds of supporters, the whos who of MLSE and a throng of media usually reserved for Toronto Maple Leafs duty. Monday was a big deal. Weve done the song and dance to a lesser scale with this team before, but the track played this time was from another album altogether: a compilation likely produced by Drake. It sounded really good. The new, positive direction of Toronto FC doesnt cast aside hard feelings of seven years of disappointment. There will be many who remain cynical; believing this will crumble like previous renditions. These moves are a good start; a giant, very expensive step in the right direction. The new story has just begun. After all, Tim Leiweke only took over control of MLSE in June. Much has revealed itself in recent weeks. There is still much we dont know. Heres where we stand at present time. What we know... Money Talks Defoe and Bradley said all the rights things. They are coming to the right place and are excited about the opportunity. The famous line from Jerry Maguire is more appropriate: "SHOW ME THE MONEY". Dollars. Bucks. Cash. Quiche. Toronto FC flexed their financial muscle and their targets obliged. Quadrupling or getting paid six times your salary makes it an offer not to be refused. Leiweke called having three designated players (Gilberto the third) on significant dollars as "financial suicide." A line that catches the ear and shows any previous financial restraint has been thrown out the window. Soccer-wise in North America, these salaries make no sense, but for an organization whose profits from their cash cow the Toronto Maple Leafs are protected by a salary cap, the investment into MLSEs suddenly important side project is mitigated. Throwing money at players was the easiest way to try to make a seven-year problem go away. Toronto FC joins the likes of the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls with the ability to spend out the nose on the best-designated players possible. Show them the money and top players will come. Leiweke: Ambition and Network The MLSE President/CEO sat on the stage like a proud father. There was a rightful "I told you so" vibe about it. Leiweke promised significant changes. He has delivered. Leiweke has put an end to any notion that MLSE wont spend. The Bell/Rogers MLSE ownership is a different bunch than the Teachers Pension. It begs to question whether the Raptors would have spent into the luxury tax long ago if Leiweke were around sooner. Leiwekes global sporting connections are Teflon. Its not name dropping if you can actually call upon the biggest names in the world to help. David Beckham. Player agents. Owners. Celebrity. Leiweke has access to all these channels and has used them to foster personal and professional relationships. This goes beyond players to business and developmental partnerships. The motivation here is all in the name of winning. Leiweke acknowledges hell spend whatever it takes to reach that goal. Monday is only the beginning. He dropped the term super club. Maple Leafs and Raptors fans should take notice. Reputations are changing. Belief is real. The Power of Drake Drake as Global Ambassador seemed nothing more than a flashy marketing move when announced. It must be said, the cache of Drake seems to be widely underrated, at least by this onlooker. His influence is tangible. Defoe glowed when describing his adoration for Drake. If Leiweke is the right hook in laying the body blow of recruitment, Drake is the left. "I was out in London one night having dinner when this number came up. I answered it and it was Drake. It was surreal, to be honest. I felt special. He said it was a fantastic city and IId enjoy it," described Defoe. Wholesale Shoes 2020. He was glowing. Every good team needs a finisher in front of goal. Drake can be just that in player recruitment. Weird, isnt it? A Happy Manager As with all previous regime/coaching changes at TFC, the talent cupboard was bare when Ryan Nelsen took over a season ago. He was hired late, and a slow moving conveyer belt of roster moves followed. By the end of the season, Nelsen seemed worn out, absolutely knackered by the process and growing frustration. This is no longer the case. Nelsen has the players. Theyve been locked up early. Its up to him to manage his team accordingly. And the manager is ecstatic. Its clear speaking to him over the last month, there is a newfound energy about him, almost giddiness at the potential of whats at his disposal. What system the team will play and how his new assets will be used are up in the air. This will be a big test for the second year coach. No pressure. What we dont know... Will TFC Finally Win? Its the most popular question asked: is this team now a winner? Its too soon to know. We can say with confidence the club will be more competitive. Defoe and Bradley immediately become the best players to wear TFC red. The jury will be out on Gilberto. General manager Tim Bezbatchenko seems to have a vast understanding of the salary cap and league rules. The ability of the front office to properly evaluate talent will be critical. Other factors will obviously play a determining role. Injuries, form, further transactions, managerial decisions and how soon the new players can gel will be decisive. Big spending doesnt guarantee anything in MLS. That being said, anything short of a competitive team and playoffs would be a disappointment. Matias Laba designated player contract needs to be dealt with. And the team needs more defensive/midfield depth. How Does MLS Feel About These Moves? Leiweke was asked how others around MLS reacted to the big money spent. "Id say some of our partners would say weve lost our minds." So much for the fiscal restraint the league predicates itself on. Beckhams move to Los Angeles was self-explanatory and helped grow the league. Many will believe Toronto over-spent, making Defoe and Bradley the leagues most expensive players (along with Clint Dempsey). It takes MLS to another level, whether they are ready, like it or not. The moves wont be looked upon fondly in some circles. Toronto FC did what they could and felt they had to do. There will be those at MLS who would prefer Bradley, a top American player, to play in an American market. Toronto FC isnt scheduled to feature in any nationally televised game south of the border. This will change. But the draw of Toronto in the US pales in comparison to other American markets in television numbers. And its television ratings where the league needs to grow. Die-Hards Remain Loyal. What About The Masses? Boisterous supporters helped make the festive environment at Real Sports Bar & Grill Monday. While attendance has dwindled at BMO Field, a hardened, resilient contingent has remained true. Its been a tough go for these supporters, spending more than just dollars, but emotional collateral on a team that hasnt delivered. Nothing will sway the devout. But will the masses follow suit and come back on board? Expect calculated efforts by the club and media owners to keep pushing Defoe/Bradley to the spotlight. They are more than just players - they are marketing tools. Leiweke is expecting sellouts all season. At an average of $28 per ticket, he may get his wish. Long-term loyalty and interest from more than the die-hards is the goal. Ticket prices will surely rise as winning football comes to BMO. Stadium expansion and makeover is also in the works. It all costs money. What will it cost the fans? And what are they willing to pay? ' ' '