Tyler Bozak and Dave Bolland have accounted for 65 per cent of all Toronto Maple Leafs faceoffs thus far this season. With the pair of centres on the shelf for the immediate future, the team is searching for options to carry the load. Bozak has been out since incurring a hamstring injury in a loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 25. He was placed on long-term injured reserve and isnt eligible to return until November 21st when the Leafs take on the New York Islanders. Bolland underwent surgery for a torn tendon in his left ankle after Zack Kassians skate blade cut it during a collison in Saturday nights loss to the Vancouver Canucks. There is no timetable set for his return. In their absences, regular centres Nazem Kadri, Jay McClement and Trevor Smith will see an increased workload, while James van Riemsdyk, almost exclusively employed as a winger in his time with the Leafs, will shift to centre a line in between Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. The 24-year-old van Riemsdyk played centre for two years at the collegiate level with the University of New Hampshire, but has NHL experience is limited. Compounding the issue of using van Riemsdyk in the circle is that he is left-handed. Because of this, its not inconceivable that Lupul could step in on the draws depending on the situation. Barring an acqusition from outside the organization to shore up the position, the team could turn to their AHL-affiliate Toronto Marlies for help. Jerred Smithson, a veteran of 588 NHL games with a career face-off percentage of just under 55 per cent, signed with the team on Wednesday and could be brought up to the big club. In more positive injury-related news for the team, Mark Fraser is ready to return. The defenceman has been sidelined with a knee injury sustained in only the second game of the season after a hit from the Philadelphia Flyers Jay Rosehill. "If it was up to me, Id like to play this weekend, hopefully on Friday," said Fraser on Wednesday. "Today was my best day yet as far as conditioning went and comfort with no pain. It was a true test as as good as Ive felt so far." Leafs coach Randy Carlyle was noncommittal as to when the club would dress Fraser. "We have decisions to make and hes not any different than any other time than when we have extra bodies," said Carlyle after Wednesdays practice. "Youre going to make the decision that you feel is best for your hockey club, give you the best chance to win." The Leafs are next in action on Friday night when they host the New Jersey Devils in the Hall of Fame game. . Middaugh fed off Rachel Homans mistakes to cruise to a 10-4 win at the womens semifinal at the Olympic Curling trials Friday night. "In the past its been normally like a missed shot on my behalf, maybe nerves, but the fact (is) that maybe all those experiences have helped," Middaugh said of her record of stumbling before the finish line was in sight. [url=http://www.nflofficialauthentic.com/nfl-jerseys/san-francisco-49ers/joe-mon... Montana Jersey . On Saturday, he replaced Max Pacioretty on the Habs top line with David Desharnais and Erik Cole. . The 23rd-seed crushed Italian Filippo Volandri 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 at the Australian Open on Tuesday and joined fellow Canadians Aleksandra Wozniak and Stephanie Dubois in the second round. [url=http://www.nflofficialauthentic.com/nfl-jerseys/houston-texans/jj-watt-jers... Watt Jersey . It could spell trouble for the Tampa Bay Rays as they make their push for the post-season. Jose Reyes scored twice and R.A. Dickey was effective over 7 1/3 innings as the Blue Jays defeated Tampa Bay 6-3 on Friday night at Rogers Centre.SAN FRANCISCO -- With New Orleans poised to score on its opening possession, Donte Whitner delivered a crushing blow that knocked out running back Pierre Thomas and forced the first of five Saints turnovers. San Franciscos hard-hitting, opportunistic defence set the tone in the 49ers thrilling 36-32 playoff win the same way it has all season. From Justin Smith and Aldon Smith harassing Drew Brees all day, to Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman shutting down the running game and Dashon Goldson making punishing hits and key plays from the secondary, the defence is the biggest reason for the resurgence in San Francisco that has the 49ers (14-3) back in the NFC championship for the first time since the 1997 season. An offensive show featuring four lead changes defined the final five minutes Saturday, capped by Alex Smiths 14-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis with nine seconds remaining. But Whitner got things going in the franchises first post-season appearance in nine years. "It let the (Saints) offence know we were going to be physical all day," Whitner said of the hit on Thomas, who left with a head injury and never returned. Whitner was unfazed by his pass interference penalty moments earlier that briefly sent shaken-up tight end Jimmy Graham to the sideline. Whitners jarring, legal helmet-to-helmet hit on Thomas was a blow to the Saints psyche as well as to their depth chart. The 49ers defence has been so stingy this season they didnt allow a 100-yard runner or a rushing touchdown until the second-last game of the year Dec. 24 at Seattle. Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, part of plenty of top-notch defences himself, has praised these men for not "giving up inches." "Weve got a great defence. We feel like we can stop anyone," Bowman said. "When its not working for our offence, its our job to get the ball back for them as many times as we can. Thats all it was. "If those guys arent doing well its our job to pick it up. Thats what a team is and I think we have a great one here." First-year coach Jim Harbaugh brought defensive co-ordinator Vic Fangio along with him from Stanford when he was hired last January -- and Fangio has developed his unit into one of the NFLs best. "We like to think that we play defence the right way," Fangio said. "We play physical, we play with our hands. We run to the ball. "We dont try and do anything too fancy, although we do have our changeups here and there. We try and play defence the old-fashioned, hard school way." The Niners will either play at defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay next Sunday or at home against the New York Giants. The defence had 38 takeaways during the regular season to only 10 turnovers. Their plus-28 turnover differential matched the 2010 Patriots for the second-best mark in NFL history since 1941. They forced five more Saturday, and only had one turnover themselves. San Franciscos determined defenders heard all week how difficult it would be to stop Brees and Co., knowing many figured theyd fail. "We got tired of it throughout the week. They gave us no chance," Goldson said. "They kept talking about the Saints, the Saints, where they stand against us and what they were going tto do.dddddddddddd "We ignored everything and focused on us and what we had to do to come win this game." Goldson had six interceptions for the NFC West champions during the regular season, then his biggest yet Saturday. That first-quarter pick snapped Brees NFL-record streak of 226 post-season passes without an interception dating to the NFC championship game against Chicago five years ago. Tarell Brown had the other interception, while special teams standouts Blake Costanzo and Madieu Williams each forced a fumble. "Our guys were humming. We were able to pry a couple out and that was big," Fangio said. "The interceptions were big also." The Niners were No. 1 in the NFL in stopping the run during the season and didnt allow a rushing TD on Saturday after the Saints scored three on the ground in a 45-28 win over the Detroit Lions in the Superdome in last weekends wild-card round. The Saints produced a playoff-record 626 yards against the Lions, with Brees throwing for 466 yards while completing 33-of-43 passes. "I had figured coming into this game they would feel like, Lets keep everything in front of us, lets not give up big plays and obviously do a good job against the rush and try to put them in third-and-long situations, " Brees said. "They did, yet again, a great job stopping the run in a lot of cases which we felt like in order to really get chunks, we would have to throw it. "Obviously thats a great defence. Its one of the best defences in the league." Goldson was re-signed to a one-year contract as a free agent in August to complement newcomers and fellow defensive backs Whitner and Carlos Rogers. Against the Saints, Goldson had a team-leading 11 tackles to go with the first-quarter interception and two passes defenced. Bowman also made 11 tackles, 10 of those solo. "We got some spectacular stops," Harbaugh said. "On third down, I thought they were outstanding. "Five takeaways in the game. I know the special teams contributed to that as well. Very opportunistic today. Got pressure on their quarterback. Made plays on the ball, and made them when they were there to be made. Our guys in the secondary made them. It was a terrific job by our defence, once again. You just love the way they play. You love the way they compete. Love how hard they work on the field." The 49ers sacked the record-setting Brees three times, including rookie Aldon Smiths pounding for an 11-yard loss on third down in the first quarter. All-Pro defensive tackle Justin Smith brought Brees to the ground for a nine-yard loss in the third quarter and Ahmad Brooks added a fourth-quarter sack on which Brees lost seven yards. "We wanted to come out and play our style of football, which is playing physical, being a great tackling team, and playing with good fundamentals which has carried us all year," Fangio said. "We just wanted to play the way weve played all year, particularly starting early in the game." Whitner definitely did his part. "I told myself that I was going to hit anything moving today and that I was going to be extremely physical, even if I hit my own guys," he said. "Luckily, I didnt hit too many of my own guys." cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '