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MONTREAL -- Troy Smith is ready to hear Anthony Calvillos name mentioned every time he lines up at quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes. Eric Avila Orlando City SC Jersey . The Heisman Trophy-winning pivot, who joined the Alouettes midway through last season, will be the clubs first opening-game starter other than Calvillo in 15 years when Montreal plays its first game of the 2014 CFL regular season at Calgary on Saturday. They are massive shoes to fill, with Calvillo having retired in the off-season as the leagues all-time passing leader. "Ill never stop hearing those references," Smith said this week. "I think its great to be mentioned with a great name like that. "I havent done nearly the things he has, and just holding onto his coattails a bit has been fun so far. But as a man, I definitely want to make my own path. Thats why Im here." Smith takes over the key position on a team that was a powerhouse for most of Calvillos time behind centre, but which has been sliding in recent seasons. And even though they remain well-stocked with top talent at many positions, the Alouettes are perceived as a team in decline. Last season was a disaster, with the inexperienced Dan Hawkins fired as head coach only five games into the season, followed shortly by a season-ending, and career-ending, injury to Calvillo. They finished 8-10, tying their worst record since they returned to Montreal after a 10-year gap in 1996, and lost to Hamilton in the East Division semifinal. This season hasnt started well either, with team architect Jim Popps bid to keep the head coaching as well as general managing job turned down. Tom Higgins, who was out of coaching since 2007, was named the new head coach, but the offensive co-ordinator he hired, Rick Worman, was fired midway through training camp. Then the club lost both its pre-season games, including a 26-10 setback at home against expansion Ottawa in which they failed to score a touchdown with new OC Ryan Dinwiddie calling the plays. Smith was not sharp while playing just over half of that game, but neither were backups Tanner Marsh and Alex Brink. All three got starts last season, with Smith emerging as the most promising to take over the top job. Now he has to play well enough to keep it. "I dont look at it as a transition year," said Popp. "That was last year. "Theres going to be a transition, but we were faced with this starting in Game 6, and we played two thirds of the year without Anthony Calvillo, knowing he probably wasnt coming back. "We had four different quarterbacks that won games and the team realized they could win without Anthony. That was a big hurdle. Its a little nerve-wracking, but like with all great players you lose, you just have to march on. Its not so much to replace that guy, but to find someone you can win with. How great theyll be, well find out." There were two main positives to come out of the off-season. One was the return of Larry Taylor, who gives them a kick return threat they havent had in recent seasons. Another was the signing of former NFL star receiver Chad (Ochocinco) Johnson, who so far looks to have a positive influence on and off the field. The 36-year-old Johnson has been out of football for two years, but Popp said he showed up in shape and has been a "great fit." "I think he can do great things for us," Popp said. "Every time we play somebody, their attention is on him, and not on S.J. Green and Duran Carter. So if hes an attention grabber and everyones talking about him, great. Chads used to that. And Chad, with each game and experience he has in this league, is only going to get better as the season goes along." Smith will have an impressive set of receivers with Green, Carter, Johnson, Taylor, Brandon London, Eric Deslauriers and the repatriated Dave Stala. Gone are Jamel Richardson, who had a knee injury and was cut, and veteran Arland Bruce. "Weve got the best receiving corps in the league," said Popp, who is particularly high on Carter, the son of former NFL great Cris Carter, who gained 909 yards in only 12 games after making his CFL debut in August. "All I say is CFL, enjoy what youre watching because youll be watching him in the NFL next season, Hell have the majority of NFL teams after him, and were not talking about as a third or fourth receiver. He can go in and have an impact like Cam Wake. Hes at that level." There is a first-rate running back in Brandon Whitaker and a solid offensive line anchored by left tackle Josh Bourke, despite the retirements of Scott Flory and Andrew Woodruff and the departure of Michael Ola to the NFL. The defence lost starting middle linebacker Shea Emry to Toronto, but should remain among the leagues best under defensive co-ordinator Noel Thorpe with veterans like rush end John Bowman and linebacker Chip Cox leading the unit. The Alouettes kick teams have been weak for the last three seasons, including when Marc Trestman was head coach and didnt name a full-time special teams co-ordinator. But they looked good both on returns and kick coverage in the pre-season and they may be a key area of improvement. Taylors ability to avoid the first wave to pick up extra yardage should be a bonus. It will likely take some time for the offence to jell. And if it turns out that Smith doesnt have what it takes to be a regular CFL starter, it could be a long season indeed. Starting the campaign against Calgary, followed by a home game against B.C., should give Higgins and idea of what it will take to re-establish Montreals reputation as a Grey Cup contender. "Every indication is that Troy Smiths going to be our guy, but sometimes there are growing pains," said Higgins. "If you look at Anthonys career, at the start it wasnt as stellar as it was at the end. "All that being said, (Smith) comes with good intangibles. Hes from a good program. Hes got the system down. Practices are going good. So lets see him get measured up against the best." Corey Ashe Orlando City SC Jersey .com) - A pair of programs shooting for their 10th win of the season get together at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, as the NC State Wolfpack tangle with 22nd-ranked West Virginia during the challenge round of the Gotham Classic. Carlos Rivas Jersey . 15 in Hamburg. The fight was originally slated for Sept. 6 but had to be postponed after Klitschko tore a bicep in sparring and was forced to miss four weeks of training. 403 Forbidden . For one, he still gets to crank the intensity to the max. "I push pretty angry. I ran pretty angry too though, but I have fun doing it," Lumsden said.The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will aim for a seventh straight victory and a 3-0 lead in their second round Western Conference series when they host the Anaheim Ducks in Thursdays Game 3 battle at Staples Center. Watch the Ducks vs. Kings live on TSN tonight at 9:30pm et/6:30pm pt. The Kings, of course, were down 3-0 in the opening round against San Jose before becoming only the fourth team in NHL history to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first three meetings. L.A. hasnt slowed down a bit since completing that first-round comeback with a Game 7 win in San Jose, claiming the first two games of this series on the road. The Kings posted a 3-2 overtime win in Anaheim on Saturday before grabbing a 2-0 series lead with Mondays 3-1 triumph at the Honda Center. The Kings have gone on a few long playoff winning streaks in recent years. The club won eight straight at one point in 2012 en route to winning the franchises first Stanley Cup title and had a six-game winning streak last spring before falling in the conference finals to Chicago. "We just take it one game at a time, shift at a time, period at a time. All those things like that," said head coach Darryl Sutter of his teams current winning streak. Anaheim, meanwhile, hopes it can halt L.A.s hot streak on Thursday and avoid falling behind 3-0. A seventh straight win by the Kings would give them a chance to close the series with a sweep Saturday at the Staples Center. The top-seeded Ducks finished 16 points ahead of Los Angeles in the Pacific Division standings and went 4-0-1 against the Kings during the regular-season series, but so far that success hasnt translated to the playoffs. "We know we can beat this team," said Ducks defenseman Ben Lovejoy. "We feel weve had pretty even games, and theyve come out on top. I truly believe the playoffs are all about momentum. Right now, we need to put a seed of doubt in their mind. If we win (Game 3), its a 2-1 series and we have momentum. We can do that." The Kings jumped on Anaheim early in Game 2, with Marian Gaborik scoring just 34 seconds into the contest. Anaheim tied it near the midway point of the first, but Alec Martinnez scored the game-winner for L. David Mateos Orlando City SC Jersey. A. at 12:07 of the first. The score remained 2-1 until Dwight King added an empty-netter in the closing minute of the third period. "Well enjoy this one night, but we have a lot of work to be done still," said Martinez. Jonathan Quick turned away 36 shots to anchor the win for the Kings. The 2012 Conn Smythe winner had stopped 69-of-72 shots sent his way in this series for a save percentage of .958. Gaborik also is having a strong series for L.A., recording three goals and an assist over the first two games to give him nine points (6 goals, 3 assists) in nine games this postseason. The Slovakian sniper was the hero of Game 1, tying it late in regulation before scoring the winner 12:07 into overtime. Anze Kopitar has been on fire for the Kings as well, notching at least one point in all nine of the clubs postseason games this spring. The star centerman had an assist on Monday and leads all skaters in the playoffs with 14 points (4g, 10a). Kopitar has reached the scoresheet in all nine games this postseason. Patrick Maroon scored the only goal of Game 2 for the Ducks, who had won all three of their home games in a 4-2 series win over Dallas in the opening round. Jonas Hiller gave up two goals on 16 shots in the loss. "This series isnt over. We can go to Staples Center, get a few bounces and bring this series back tied," said Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau. The Ducks were 3-0 on the road against the Kings during the regular season, but one of those wins came outdoors at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 25. Thursdays battle will mark the first postseason game between the clubs at the Staples Center, as this series marks the first playoff encounter between L.A. and Anaheim. The Kings played Monday without defensemen Willie Mitchell and Robyn Regehr in the lineup and both players could be out again with undisclosed injuries. Mitchell last played in Game 6 against San Jose, while Regehr has been out since leaving in the first period of Game 1 against Anaheim. Matt Greene has filled in for Mitchell in the lineup, while Jeff Schultz replaced Regehr on Monday. NFL Jerseys China cheap jerseys ' ' '