MONTREAL – Around midnight on Wednesday evening, the phone rang with opportunity. Only a few hours earlier, Nazem Kadri had been assigned to the Toronto Marlies. His gear had already made it back to Ricoh Coliseum. That night, he sat at home and watched as the Leafs sprung to life with a 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Winnipeg Jets. Very early in the game – his first shift in fact – Colby Armstrong was lost with what was later revealed as a left ankle sprain. Kadri sensed an opening. "I figured there could be a possibility that I get a call so I had my phone close by," he explained. "Sure enough, around midnight I got the call." With the door open ever so slightly and the Leafs in dire need of offence not named Phil Kessel or Joffrey Lupul, Kadri gets his chance to prove why hes ready to stick. In 12 games down the stretch last season – six points, plus-one rating – he showed signs of growth, but with improved depth on the roster this fall, a trip to the American League was likely. A knee injury in the final week of training camp hurt whatever chance he may have had to crack the roster. Returning to full health this week, Kadri was literally booked for action with the Marlies when the Armstrong injury struck. "Obviously you dont like to see anyone get hurt, but thats part of being a team," said Kadri. "You need guys to step up and fill that depth role and come in and not only just fill the role, but leave an impact too. "Like right when you come into the game you cant just fit in, you have to make plays, you have to give your team an opportunity to win." "I like what Naz brings to our team," said captain Dion Phaneuf. "Hes a skilled guy that plays with an edge. Hes not just a one-dimensional skilled forward; he can throw his weight around and hes going to be expected to do that in the role that hes being put in. "I thought he looked really good in camp and it was unfortunate he got hurt at the time that he did. "This is a big opportunity for him." Kadri was in a dog-fight to make the Leafs roster when he sprained his left knee in Ottawa on September 27. At 23 years old, Matt Frattin had emerged as ready-made for the NHL game, while Matthew Lombardi returned from a concussion a whole lot sooner than anyone could have reasonably expected. With nothing available in the top six and Frattin and Lombardi plugged for third line duty with Armstrong, Kadri was sitting on the proverbial bubble. Then the injury to his knee happened and the equation was moot. "It sucked," said Kadri of the timing. "It sucked. It was brutal. Obviously when youre hurt it feels like everyone is kind of forgetting about you. And youre kind of an outcast from the team a little bit just because youre trying to work so hard to get back." The 21-year-old played his first game of the season on Thursday night in Boston, notching an assist on the Leafs first goal (David Steckel) in an eventual 6-2 loss to the Bruins. Kadri began the night on the third line replacing Armstrong, but finished alongside Mikhail Grabovski and Matt Frattin as Ron Wilson searched for offence. With only Kessel and Lupul producing offensively after six games – 11 goals combined – the Leafs are in need of a jump-start elsewhere offensively. With a proper mix of flash, smarts and responsible play, Kadri could provide exactly the boost the Leafs are missing. He wasnt happy when folks forgot about him. Now hes got the chance to make sure they dont forget again. -- The Armstrong void – hes out indefinitely – will be tough for the Leafs to fill. "When you lose a guy like Army, hes a guy that brings more than just what he does on the ice," said Phaneuf. "Hes a real good guy in our locker room. Hes a vocal guy. I think he helps loosen up the room before games. Hes a big part of our team so when he goes down its a big loss for us." The 28-year-old has been beset by injuries in Toronto, playing in only 50 games last season because of finger, foot (twice), and eye injuries. The Leafs posted a record of 25-19-6 with him in the lineup. -- The Leafs had to be pleased in winning four of their first five games, considering the faults – shaky starts, leaky special teams, and a lack of secondary scoring – they managed to overcome. But against a vastly superior Bruins team, the Leafs saw their flaws magnified; Boston scored three goals in the first period, the penalty kill allowed two goals in five chances, the power-play came up empty in four opportunities and with Kessel failing to pick up a point for the first time this season the offence stalled. Wilson juggled around his lines with frequency, looking to unearth any semblance of chemistry. "The way weve started some games here, I think hes had to do that just to get things going," said Matthew Lombardi. "As a group, its up to us to come out ready to play. We havent done that so well. I think weve had spurts of really good hockey and shown the way we can play. Weve just got to be consistent and put it together for the whole game." -- Like any player in his shoes, Mike Komisarek wasnt happy sitting out. The 29-year-old was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career as a Leaf, replaced by Cody Franson against the Bruins on Thursday night. "Its just a little bump in the road here," said Komisarek. "Sometimes it is good to take a step back. I dont think Ive been playing awful. If anything Im feeling confident and I feel good; I like the direction my games going in." Ron Wilson confirmed following Thursdays game that Komisarek will return to the lineup against the Canadiens in Montreal on Saturday. "For Komo, hes struggled the last couple of games," said Wilson. "Getting him a little rest or perspective would help and hell be back in the lineup in Montreal." The Long Island, New York native had gotten off to a solid start early this season, but laboured more recently. He took two penalties and struggled in his own end in just under 12 minutes against the Jets on Wednesday. Komisarek met with Wilson to discuss the benching before Thursdays game. "I went in there and I sat down with him," explained Komisarek, "listened to what they had to say, went back and forth a little bit, but respect the coachs decision. Obviously youre never happy when youre out of the lineup, but hes the coach." wholesale nfl jerseys . Nash introduced his longtime friend on Thursday as the man who will lead the senior mens team, confirming a hiring that likely had only one candidate. "Thats why its been one of the best kept secrets in three or four months," Nash joked. jerseys from china . Oilers head coach Ralph Krueger announced the news on Wednesday after the team practiced in Edmonton. Petrell has three goals and six assists in 35 games this season. http://www.cheapnfljerseys2015.us.co... .ca! Kerry, While the TSN panel and the rest of the hockey world is busy discussing the tying goal in last nights contest between the Sabres and Leafs, my question to you has to do with the fourth goal scored by Buffalo! After watching the replay, it appears to me that Alexander Sulzer pushed Ben Scrivens pad into the net along with the puck. [url=http://www.cheapnfljerseys2015.us.com/]cheap nfl jerseys . After battling to a scoreless first half, the teams traded goals in the first five minutes of the second half to settle for a share of the points. Houston (0-1-2) had the better of the play in the opening frame, with striker Brian Ching looking dangerous before being subbed out with an apparent rib injury about five minutes before the break. cheap jerseys . As a sprawling list of 70 players reported for medicals with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday morning, coach Ron Wilson made it clear that many of them shouldnt get too comfortable.XALAPA, Mexico -- Canadas womens basketball team took another step closer in its quest for a world championship berth. Kendel Ross scored 16 points to lead the undefeated Canadians to an 89-45 rout of Venezuela at the FIBA Americas Championship on Tuesday, assuring themselves a spot in the semifinals. But after three lopsided victories, Canada knows it faces a much tougher test Wednesday in Cuba for top spot in Group A. "They play hard when they need to and when they have a lead, they kind of coast," Canadas coach Lisa Thomaidis said of Cuba. "So we need to have some realistic impression of what theyre going to bring and overestimate what weve seen from them so far." Kim Gaucher, Kia Nurse, and Natalie Achonwa added 12 points apiece for Canada, while Tamara Tatham grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. The world No. 9-ranked Canadians opened the tournament with a 75-37 win over Jamaica, then cruised past Chile 93-51. The 14th-ranked Cubans have won by similarly lopsided scores, while Brazil and Puerto Rico have dominated the other side of the draw. The Canadians shot 47 per cent from the field against Venezuela, outrebounding their opponent 52-25, and outscoring them 16-4 on second-chance points. Still, Thomaidis wasnt pleased with her teams performance. &quuot;We just werent very sharp, our offensive precision was not there.ddddddddddddWe didnt think we brought a lot of defensive energy," Thomaidis said. "Its one of those tough games, the result should be a foregone conclusion. However you still want to maintain that level of intensity and energy heading into our most important game, which is (Wednesday)." The lopsided games have allowed Thomaidis to rotate her roster, giving key players such as Gaucher and guard Shona Thorburn some rest. The team had talked before the tournament began about the importance of maintaining their focus when theyre not playing. "When were on the bench, you have to be engaged, whether youre bringing energy by talking to your teammates or just cheering your teammates on," Ross said. "Thats really what you have to do, you have to stay in the game, you cant just be on the bench kind of looking around wondering whats going on in Mexico. You really have to keep yourself focused and be ready for your number to be called." Canada is gunning for its third straight world championship appearance, and needs to finish top three in Mexico to earn a spot in the 2014 world tournament in Istanbul. The semifinals are Friday, with the medal games scheduled for Saturday. cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '