What happened last night that you need to know about? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best performances. This is where we say, Morning, Joe.Avs starting strong: The defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins had a chance to start the season 3-0-0, but the Colorado Avalanche beat them 4-3 in overtime Monday night at PPG Paints Arena. Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog scored the tying goal late in the third period and then the winner in OT. Despite the absence of Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who remains sidelined with a concussion, the Penguins have been impressive in their Stanley Cup defense. However, youve got to like what were seeing from the 2-0-0 Avalanche, who missed the playoffs the past two seasons. After coach Patrick Roys surprising exit during the offseason, GM Joe Sakic hired up-and-coming AHL coach Jared Bednar for the job, a key hire. Landeskog has great puck-protection instincts and needs to keep his legs moving to be effective, which he did exactly that against the Penguins. Re-signing goalie Calvin Pickard was a good move for the Avalanche. His teammates respect him and he will push No. 1 goalie Semyon Varlamov. Joe Colborne, who scored a hat trick in his first game of the season, is versatile and he will help the teams possession game. Ultimately, the teams core players -- captain Landeskog, 23, Nathan MacKinnon, 21, and Matt Duchene, 25 -- need to set the tempo. Those players are at an age where theyre ready to lead and if they and the Avs continue like they have in the first two games, then Colorado should like its chances of returning to the postseason in April.Kreider a pain in the butt: Two summers ago, New York Rangers Chris Kreider played a charity game in Boston like it was Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. The game was loaded with current and former NHLers and his tenacity was on full display. That hasnt always been the case on a consistent basis during past regular seasons for Kreider. The 25-year-old forward is off to a solid start this season and hell need to continue that if the Rangers are to be successful. He has registered at least one goal and one assist in each of the Rangers first three games of 2016-17. His six points and three-game scoring streak is a career high. Even though its early in the season, Kreider has found chemistry with linemates Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. Kreider is showing his strengths as a power forward and hes been a pain in the butt for the opposition. The Rangers are 2-1-0 after Mondays 7-4 win against the San Jose Sharks at Madison Square Garden.Vanek not done yet: Sure, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Greens first career hat trick en route to a 5-1 win against the Ottawa Senators Monday night was impressive. It was the first three-goal game by a Red Wings blueliner since Nicklas Lidstrom on Dec. 15, 2010. But it wasnt Greens heroics I focused on: It was the three assists by Wings newcomer Thomas Vanek that had me smiling. After the Minnesota Wild bought out Vaneks contract during the summer, the Red Wings took a low-risk chance and signed the 32-year-old forward to a one-year deal worth $2.6 million. Vanek was signed because of his ability to produce, especially on the power play. In Detroits first three games this season, Vanek has two goals (one on the power play) and three assists for five points. If he can continue this pace for the majority of the season, it could turn into an incredible offseason transaction for the Red Wings. Custom Edgar Martinez Jersey .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward James Neal on injured reserve Tuesday. Custom Mariners Jersey China . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. http://www.custommarinersjersey.com/ . A forerunning sled crashed into the worker Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center. The unidentified worker broke both legs and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Wholesale Custom Mariners Shirts .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. Mariners Jerseys China . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. SAN ANTONIO -- Somehow, some way, the San Antonio Spurs seem to have discovered a secret that every team in the league desperately searched for all season long. They have figured out a way to slow down LeBron James. Whether its Kawhi Leonards incredible wingspan, Danny Greens dogged determination or a stash of kryptonite that Tim Duncan happened upon while taking a walk along the banks of the San Antonio River, its working. And yet the Spurs return home for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night perhaps feeling lucky to have earned a split in Miami. James is averaging a pedestrian 17.5 points and has posted his two lowest point totals in the post-season during the finals. One would think thats a recipe for a commanding 2-0 series lead. But San Antonio needed an incredible shot from Tony Parker with 5.2 seconds to play in Game 1 to hold off a charging James, then got blown out in Game 2 on Sunday night even though the four-time MVP scored 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting. "Obviously, LeBron is unbelievable," Parker said after the 103-84 loss to the Heat that evened the best-of-seven series at one game apiece. "Hes going to score. But right now the other players, they are playing great, too. So we cant have both." James shot an astounding 56.5 per cent during the regular season and made 103 3-pointers -- the first time in league history someone has made that many 3s while shooting a percentage that high. The improved shooting has made the 6-foot-8, 250-pound freight train almost impossible to guard this season, and had the Heat confident that their star player had the antidote for any type of defensive approach against him. The last time the Spurs were in the finals in 2007, they won their fourth title over the Cleveland Cavaliers by daring James to shoot the jumper in an all-out effort to keep him from attacking the rim. It worked beautifully when James shot an abysmal 35.6 per cent in a four-game sweep. The Spurs have essentially used the same approach this time around, with Leonard and Green sharing time on him and Duncan and Tiago Splitter crashing to double every time James even thinks about coming into the paint. And so far, that efficiency that he showed in the regular season hasnt been there. James had a triple-double in Game 1, but only scored 18 points on 16 shots in the 92-88 loss. He is shooting just 41.4 per cent ffrom the field, is 2 for 8 from long range and has only attempted six free throws in the first two games, monumental achievements against the most dominant player in the game.dddddddddddd "I know I attract a lot of attention," James said. "This team has been set up the right way where when I do attract attention, we have guys that can make plays." In Game 1, Dwyane Wade kept the Heat in it with 17 points in the first three quarters and Ray Allen hit three 3-pointers before Parker bailed the Spurs out with the shot of these playoffs. In Game 2, it was Mario Chalmers 19 points and three big 3s from Mike Miller that helped fuel a 33-5 run and put San Antonio away early in the fourth quarter. "I think LeBron is the type of player that you have to pay a lot of attention to," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "And its not something that happens that often that he scores less than 20. But I dont think that was the difference why they beat us so badly in the second half." Thats the biggest problem for these Spurs. They have done what many viewed as impossible. They have stopped LeBron James from scoring. And still, when the two teams boarded their respective planes to head for San Antonio, the defending champion Heat were the ones walking with a renewed swagger, with new life. The Spurs havent hosted a finals game since 2007. Theyre going to need the energy, the juice, the charge that should come from a passionate fan base eager to once again see the only show in town playing on the biggest stage. Because theyve thrown everything theyve got at James in the first two games. And wouldnt you know it, its worked pretty darn well. Yet there they were on Sunday night, staggering out of American Airlines Arena, their victory in Game 1 a distant memory. Instead, the realization was creeping in that theyve done as well as can possibly be expected against the leagues brightest star, and still they need to do so much more to stop James and the Heat from running away from them the way they have run away from everyone else for the last two years. "It wasnt just LeBron attacking us or getting those 13 points," Ginobili said of James awakening during the game-deciding run. "It was just the whole Miami team was killing us. ... So its not just that he turned it on. It was Miami that turned it on." ' ' '
