TORONTO – Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis was not consumed this past summer with the stinging string of moments that led to his teams demise on that fateful night in Boston last May. Kiko Casilla Jersey . “I spent a lot more time thinking about the fact we proved to ourselves we can compete with that team,” Nonis said at the outset of training camp on Wednesday morning. “Youre not forgetting what happened, but I havent spent, literally five minutes thinking about it. Its dwelling on a negative that I think we shouldnt dwell on. We should dwell on the opposite: that were not where we need to be, but were a lot closer than we were 24 months ago.” Gone is the cloud of a nine-year playoff absence and all the lingering disappointment and failures it brought with it. In this fall comes a Leafs team that will aim for another rung on the ladder, a belief that the success attained in lockout 2013 was just one incremental step toward a far greater goal. “Our expectations have gone up,” Leafs coach Randy Carlyle bellowed shortly after Nonis. “Everything cant stay the same …We have to push for a higher level, if its compete, if its efficiency, if its skill, desire, all those words that you want to use, were going to have to push for more. This group has got to be prepared to give us more than they gave us last year and weve got to do it over an 82-game schedule.” That will mean another step forward from the recently inked Nazem Kadri, the still unsigned Cody Franson, and James van Riemsdyk, who thrived with a veteran know-how in the postseason. More will be asked of Jake Gardiner, who struggled last year post-concussion and yet went on to wreak havoc when he entered the lineup against the Bruins. More will be demanded from James Reimer as he attempts to fight off Jonathan Bernier for the number one gig in goal. More might even be expected of Phil Kessel, the now 26-year-old rising to new heights opposite his former team following another regular season amongst the NHLs scoring leaders. “We want to make sure that we build off the things that we created last year,” said Carlyle. Preferring to focus on the long-awaited march into the postseason and near knockout of the Bruins – and not the untimely Game 7 unraveling – Nonis hopes that his team gleaned a belief that it could compete with the very best the league has to offer, that the assembled collection was capable of chasing down a team of Bostons caliber and very nearly toppling such a giant. “It allowed them to believe in themselves,” Nonis stated of last years group, which included 14 players appearing in their first postseason game. “Until you actually go out there and do it I dont think you can honestly say that we did believe, but they learned to [believe].” “We feel we can compete with those teams,” he continued. “Bostons a pretty good hockey team. They went right to the very end [losing in the Stanley Cup final]. We can learn some lessons from them too. We want to become a team ultimately that can compete for a championship. Were not there yet. There are lessons to be learned. We hopefully learned some right there and theres a lot more along the way that were going to have to pick up and figure out if we want to become one of those teams.” While Nonis says that he was not consumed from the perils of Game 7, including the fall from a 4-1 third period lead, he does concede to thoughts of what mightve been. Analyzing the series in its entirety, those thoughts continued to hover back to the series opener, a one-sided 4-1 beat-down, “the biggest lesson of all for our group”. “We really felt and our players felt that they were prepared for it,” said Nonis of the loss, which saw many Leafs dazed in the headlights of postseason hockey. “But watch that tape and we werent.” A different team emerged in Game 2, one that swiped a 4-2 victory from the Bruins in the hostile confines of TD Garden, a match that was highlighted by Carlyles creative approach to freeing Phil Kessel from Zdeno Chara, the former rising with an increasingly dominant performance against a former team. And from there the series tightened to the end points of Game 7. “Players that maybe dont back-check as hard on a regular basis began to do it,” Nonis recalled of the shift in tone versus the Bruins. “Collectively we pushed them to do things that they hadnt normally done and it allowed us to have a little bit of success.” For Carlyle, the lesson moving forward lies in accountability. “There are growing pains that take place in team sports and we experienced one of them,” he said of the momentous defeat. “But were responsible for that. Were not shying away from it. As a coaching staff, we have to take our fair share of responsibility for that also and weve done that. Were not putting our players out on an island and saying ‘You shouldve did this and you shouldve did that.Were putting ourselves in the same boat and saying ‘We shouldve done some things, we had a chance to do some things that we shouldve initiated, we shouldve been the stimulus. Thats all part of it. “Thats the way this group is going to take the step forward is we accept responsibility for our actions, try to learn from them as much as possible and attack the next one straight on.” “…when youre in a position where there is no turning back, you learn a lot about people,” Nonis added. “You learn a lot about what theyre going to do and how theyre going to compete and if theyre people you want to keep around.” Gone are Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur, Matt Frattin, Ben Scrivens and Ryan OByrne, replaced by an infusion of postseason fortitude in the form of Dave Bolland and David Clarkson, the former capturing the Cup with the Blackhawks, ultimately topping those very same Bruins with the shocking winner in Game 7. Additionally added from the Kings is increased strength in goal with Bernier. “I think when you bring players in that have gone through that and have won, that have gone through the adversity to win a championship, they can pass on a lot to the players around them,” said Nonis, stressing Bollands run with Chicago this past spring and once previously in 2010. The Leafs hope that the added know-how of Bolland and Clarkson, Berniers predicted ascension, and continued growth from a stock of young talent will initiate another step forward in the building process. But they know theyll need even more. “In our opinion, weve taken some significant steps forward,” concluded Nonis. “We still believe as a group that we have a lot to learn and a lot to do. And its only to get harder, its not going to get easier for us.” Fabio Coentrao Jersey .Lets go back to the Avs, who have become one of the funnest teams to watch in this years playoffs. Sergio Ramos Jersey .com) - Avery Bradley scored 21 points and the Boston Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets, 89-81. http://www.realmadridfcprohop.us/Alvaro-Morata-Real-Madrid-Jersey/ . -- With Tony Allen back, the Memphis Grizzlies were able to turn up their defence pressure and hold off the Los Angeles Clippers down the stretch.TORONTO – It didnt happen right away, this positive working relationship between centerfielder Colby Rasmus and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. It wasnt that the two men were at odds. Its just, sometimes, these things take time. Its especially true with a guy like Rasmus. Hes taken all kinds of advice through the years on how to be a better hitter and how to be a better player and sometimes too much information rattles around in his brain. "Weve crossed some humps for sure," said Rasmus. "Just getting to know each other better; him getting to know me a little better." It was a conversation in Kansas City that proved the turning point. Rasmus was scuffling, his batting average hovering around the so-called Mendoza Line (.200). Hed been trying things his way. Noticeable details, like how he would hold his hands out over the plate when he came set in his batting stance. There were less noticeable things, like his approach to particular pitchers, which also needed tweaking. Seitzer approached Rasmus. The coach asked his 27-year-old pupil to do it his way for one week. The hands came in a bit, the bat rested still on Rasmus shoulders to launch a more even swing through the strike zone and the results were immediate. Entering Sundays play, Rasmus had at least one hit in each of the nine games hed played in May. He was tied with Jose Bautista for the team lead with nine home runs. "I was probably more surprised than what he was that he was able to do it so quick and he did it immediately," said Seitzer. "It was amazing how he just went from a straight pull guy to having a willingness to go back through the middle of the field." For his entire career, Rasmus has been considered a dead pull hitter. Seitzer, with whom manager John Gibbons became familiar when the two served on Trey Hillmans coaching staff in Kansas City, was brought in to change the Blue Jays all-or-nothing offensive approach. The hitters would use all fields under his tutelage and get away from their pull-happiness. Seitzer would like to clarify. "I said, I dont care where the ball goes. What I care about is your approach," said Seitzer. "The quicker your hands, the better your swing, the more balls youre going to catch early and youre going to pull them but its the approach that allows for better recognition and the ability to repeat your swing path to where youve got a chance on balls that are cutting and sinking and the change of speeds." The hitting coach also plays the role of part-time psychologist. Different guys need different types of help. Rasmus doesnt need the proverbial kick in the rear. His issue never been work ethic; if anything, hes often worked too hard to the point of physical and mental fatigue. "Keep it light," said Rasmus of what he needs from Seitzer. "I guess make the game less than what it really is and I think hes learned that about me, that I dont need a lot of poking and prodding to give me a lot of energy out there because I like to compete, I like to play, I like to do good and I think hes starting to learn that about me. Hes been just kind of cutting up with me and trying to keep it light and we laugh. I think if Im laughing, its a good thing." Rasmus slash line had climbed to .234/.279/.516 before Sundays action. The on-base plus slugging is closing in on .800, moving toward the numbers of his two best seasons (.859 in 2010; .840 in 2013). His career on-base percentage of .315 suggests that statistic will improve as games pass by. The strikeout rate remains high, almost 33 pper cent after Sunday, but Seitzer thinks Rasmus will end up cutting down on the whiffs with his new approach. Borja Mayoral Jersey. "I feel like hes putting balls in play and fouling off more pitches that he would have swung through the first part of the season," said Seitzer. "Thats an encouraging sign for me." Rasmus admits to being too pumped up after hitting a grand slam in Pittsburgh. Hes still finding an even keel, having to remind himself that each at-bat isnt life and death. Seitzer has met a student hes better learning to understand as time rolls on. "I think Colbys very quiet, hes a very private person and what Ive learned about him is hes probably one of the most genuinely nice, kind, sincere, honest people that Ive ever been around," said Seitzer. "I told him he has an absolutely beautiful heart inside and I can see it. I see it everyday even when hes got a scowl on his face because hes either in his zone or a little frustrated." JANSSEN RETURNS The Blue Jays activated closer Casey Janssen from the disabled list in time for Sunday afternoons game with the Angels. Janssen strained his left oblique muscle on March 28 in Montreal. He felt a tweak during a warm up pitch, thought nothing of it and threw a scoreless inning against the New York Mets. He made three appearances for Double-A New Hampshire on a rehab assignment that began on Monday and concluded on Saturday. "In my last outing I told myself I was going to step on it a little bit more and get some more velocity and I did that," said Janssen. "Not that velocity is anything really but I know that the difference between throwing in a Double-A game and a big league game youre going to go through those adrenaline rushes where youre going to throw harder based on actual adrenaline and I wanted my arm to withstand it." Torontos bullpen entered play on Sunday with the fourth-worst ERA in baseball (4.77). Its 62 walks rank third-most in baseball. The Jays are hoping Janssens return settles down the relief corps as pitchers resume roles to which theyre more accustomed. "We had a nice bullpen last year," said Janssen. "We were able to pass the baton pretty well in the certain inning that they had and if we can back to that and start putting up some zeroes I think that would help everybody." "I just think it brings a bit of a comfort down there for those guys having Casey back," said pitching coach Pete Walker. "Obviously our staff, knowing that hes down there and hes a viable option to close out a game, it does put guys back into their more proper roles. Trying to mix and match and close out the ninth without him has been difficult." To make room for Janssen on the active roster, infielder Chris Getz was designated for assignment. ROGERS ALTERS DELIVERY Esmil Rogers, whos struggled early this season, looked noticeably different during his two-inning appearance in Saturdays game. He dropped to a three-quarters arm slot. Rogers went six up, six down. "He made a little bit of an adjustment the day before," said pitching coach Pete Walker. "Were trying to find a little more deception. Hes an over-the-top guy and maybe the hitters have a good view of the baseball. We just altered just a hair and he seems comfortable with it and he had a good outing (on Saturday)." Its been a tough year for Rogers. Hes allowed a staff-high five home runs in just 18 1/3 innings pitched and of late has been used by manager John Gibbons only in low-leverage situations. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '