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Its been two years since the BC Lions hoisted the Grey Cup and Wally Buono handed the head coaching reigns to Mike Benevides. Since then the Lions have entered each season with one of the most talented rosters in the league before falling short of expectations. Two years is a short time to be sure, and its not like the Lions cant supply excuses for their shortcomings since 2011 – Travis Lulays shoulder injury last year – but in the ultra-competitive and impatient world of professional sports, the pressure is on. Bad teams feel pressure to be better; good teams feel pressure to be the best. And dont forget the added burden of a potential home field for the Grey Cup and the three-year streak of Grey Cup champs winning at home. The Lions were smart in acquiring veteran leader and “quarterback 1A” Kevin Glenn from the Ottawa Redblacks during the CFL Draft for the fifth-overall draft pick. The price was a little steep for a player few figured would actually end up with Ottawa for the upcoming season, but with Lulays shoulder still a talking point, Glenn provides quality insurance at the most important position. BC has opted for younger projects at QB behind Lulay the past couple years but the Glenn acquisition makes sense for a team that cant get derailed for even a short period of time, should Lulay miss games – for whatever ailment – this season. Especially with Thomas DeMarcos selection in the Expansion Draft, Glenn gives the Lions peace of mind at one of their most worrisome areas for 2014. Another solid move, adding to a position of strength, was the free agent signing of Jamall Johnson. Johnson returns to BC after five seasons in Hamilton, his last a down year after being asked to play in the middle, and joins a frightening linebacking corps that already includes Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill. BCs task in once again entering the year as one of the most talented teams on paper is replacing receiver Nick Moore and a number of large bodies on the offensive line. Not to diminish Moores impact, but the Lions receiving corps still has enough burners, and more importantly, added Canadian content, that Lulay – or Glenn – shouldnt feel frustrated for lack of quality targets. The line however, may have to rely on more youngsters than would be considered ideal. The good news is their young contingent on the offensive line is talented and the unit is still anchored by perhaps the best left tackle in the game in Jovan Olafioye. While theyve fallen short of the Grey Cup the past two years, the Lions still qualified for the postseason those years, and were just a win away from a return trip in 2012; so it feels strange to suggest the team enters the season under pressure to do more. That reality is part testament to how well the Lions organization is run, but as is the case with all good teams, being good only counts for so long; greatness sticks. Like the Argos and Riders before them, look for the Lions to go all out in 2014. Notes Parting Ways After a long tenure with the Lions as an offensive coach and coordinator, Jacques Chapdelaine left the Lions early in the off-season, the coach and team mutually agreeing to part ways. It was certainly a big shakeup on Benevides staff, getting rid of the offensive mainstay of 10 of the past 11 years. Up and coming offensive mind Khari Jones replaced Chapdelaine as well as taking on the QB coach role. Expansion Draft The Lions search for a backup quarterback began anew after the Ottawa Redblacks selected Thomas DeMarco, who gained solid experience filling in for an injured Travis Lulay In 2013, in the first round of the Expansion Draft. BC also lost guard Matt Albright and DT Andrew Marshall to the Redblacks. Free Agency With the least amount of players to hit the free market, the Lions were one of the least active teams during the free agency period. They did lose promising receiver Nick Moore to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers however, but made a splash on the other side of the ball when they brought back linebacker Jamall Johnson, who last played for the Lions in 2008, from Hamilton. Retirements The Lions offensive line took a number of big hits this off-season with the retirements of three big pieces. Veteran centre Angus Reid was the first to announce his retirement. The 13-year veteran was a three-time West Division All-Star and one-time league All-Star. Not long after tackle Ben Archibald retired. The two-time All-Canadian spent the past three seasons in BC. Then late in the off-season Patrick Kabongo joined the two in retirement. The nine-year vet was a one-time West Division All-Star. CFL Draft The Lions traded out of the first round in order to solidify their backup quarterback situation by grabbing Kevin Glenn from the Redblacks for the fifth-overall pick. The team had two picks in the second round, grabbing OL Tchissakid Player from Northwestern State and FB Pascal Lochard from Laval. With their final five selections the Lions took LB Casey Chin from Simon Fraser in the third round, DL David Menard from Montreal in the fourth round, WR Alexander Fox from Bishops in the fifth round, DL Dylan Roper from Simon Fraser in the sixth round, and RB Guillaume Bourassa from Laval in the seventh round. Khalif Mitchell Returns One of the most enigmatic players in the league the past few seasons made his return to BC late in the off-season after a year with the Toronto Argonauts. Khalif Mitchells talent and impact at his DT position are unquestionable, but his return to the Lions was surprising after Mitchell seemingly burned a lot of bridges on his way out of BC a year ago. Lions GM Wally Buono has said all the right things about Mitchells return so far, noting the player has matured over the years. Air Max 720 Australia Sale . Switzerland faces Belgium or Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals in April. Serbia dropped into the World Group playoffs in September. A confident Chiudinelli and Lammer defeated veteran doubles player Zimonjic and young Krajinovic 7-6 (3), 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2. Cheap Air Max 720 Wholesale . Right-hander Todd Redmond took the loss. Jose Bautista hit his second home run of the spring. Here are a handful of tidbits from around camp: Hutchison impressive The Blue Jays are being cautious when talking about their young arms but internally, excitement is building over the way Drew Hutchison is looking and performing this spring. http://www.wholesaleairmax720australia.com/ . Sami Salo scored two goals as the Canucks overcame a hat-trick from Edmonton Oiler rookie sensation Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to win 4-3 in NHL action Saturday. Wholesale Air Max 720 Australia .com) - Whew! North Dakota States reign as the three-time FCS national champion was pushed to the limit by South Dakota State on Saturday, but freshman R. Air Max 720 Australia . - Joao Plata scored twice in the final 24 minutes, including the winner in stoppage time, to help Real Salt Lake remain unbeaten with a 3-2 victory over the winless Chicago Fire on Saturday night. NEW YORK -- Olli Jokinens third-period outburst for the Winnipeg Jets put any talk of a New York Rangers goalie controversy to rest. Not that there was much of one to begin with. Jokinen scored the go-ahead and insurance goals against rookie Cam Talbot and pushed the Jets to a 5-2 victory over New York on Monday night. By the time Blake Wheeler put a puck into an empty net in the final minute, Talbot was on the bench mulling his second NHL loss. "I thought I felt all right, still not where I wanted to be," said Talbot, who made 25 saves in his second straight start over Henrik Lundqvist. "Four goals is not going to cut it. I cant expect the guys to go and score five goals for me every night." Up until this one, three was plenty for Talbot to win. He already has two shutouts to his credit and he hadnt allowed more than two goals in his first seven starts -- a Rangers record. Jokinen broke a 2-2 tie with 7:18 left and scored again 5:24 later. The former Rangers forward, who also assisted on Devin Setoguchis tying goal in the second period, gathered the puck after a strange carom and fired it in. "Their guy just kind of rimmed it back behind the net," Talbot said. "I think it hit his skate right behind and ricocheted off and went out front. It actually did hit my stick, but it ended up right back at front. "Thats my fault. Ive got to put it right back to the corner," he added. Jokinen then squeezed his sixth of the season between Talbots pads to make it 4-2 with 1:54 left. Talbot had won six straight starts, including a victory Saturday over Vancouver in his Madison Square Garden debut when he made a career-best 35 saves. John Albert also scored in his NHL debut for Winnipeg, which got 35 saves from Ondrej Pavelec in the fourth-game of its season-high, six-game road trip (3-1). "This was a really great win," Jokinen said. "We played another solid road game. Im very glad to get the two goals and see Albert get his first goal on his first shot. "I was telling him about a guy back home who scored on his first seven shots, so hes got a ways to go," he said. Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Callahan had goals for New York (14-14). Rangers coach Alain Vigneault wouldnt reveal who the goalie would be Thursday at Buffalo. After that, New York will begin a nine-game homestand. The Rangers, 4-3 in their laast seven, havent been more than one over .dddddddddddd500 this season. "Were definitely not getting the traction that I know we want," Vigneault said. "The only way were going to get traction and get better is by playing more consistent hockey. Is this team a .500 hockey club? Were certainly playing like one." After the Jets took a 2-1 lead in the second, Callahan got the Rangers back even with his seventh, scored with 4:10 left in the second. Winnipeg turned the tide in the opening seven minutes of the period when the Jets outshot the Rangers 6-1, and that total didnt include drives by defencemen Dustin Byfuglien and Jacob Trouba, who hit the crossbar and right post, respectively, five minutes apart. The Jets then found the range. Setoguchi took a pass from Jokinen and snapped a shot that sailed between the legs of New York defenceman Michael Del Zotto and past Talbot. Byfuglien then intercepted a pass by Derick Brassard and sent a stretch pass to Albert for a breakaway. Albert moved in on Talbot and wristed a rising drive that nestled into the top left corner at 10:00. "Obviously, he didnt make the same amount of saves that he had done in the past," Vigneault said of Talbot, "but we certainly made his life challenging by how we played in front of him." Albert, recalled by the Jets on Sunday, flashed a wide grin as he received a series of high-fives from teammates as he skated in front of the bench. The puck -- it sat in his dressing room stall -- will go to his parents who live outside of Cleveland. "That was the greatest feeling Ive ever experienced," Albert said. "Especially to score at a key moment of the game the way I did. And to score my first goal at Madison Square Garden was extra special." The Rangers got the jump on the Jets, grabbing a 1-0 lead just 2:49 in on Zuccarellos fourth goal of the season. New York was helped by a blatant turnover by defenceman Keaton Ellerby. The puck came right to defenceman Ryan McDonagh, who fired a slap shot from inside the blue line at the left point that was deflected in by Zuccarello. NOTES: The Rangers fell to 12-3 when McDonagh has a point. ... The Jets won two of three from the Rangers last season. ... Setoguchi, Chris Thorburn and Trouba all had two points for Winnipeg. ... Rangers LW Rick Nash had a three-game goal streak snapped. ' ' '