Für unsere Gäste » distance, like Carlos. Hes a tall, lanky guy

Jonathan Marchessault returns to Tampa Bay on Tuesday night as the leading scorer of his new team, the rival Florida Panthers. But the 25-year-old winger certainly doesnt have an ax to grind with the Lightning, grateful for what they did for him, but also gratified that he made the right decision to leave this summer in order to find a more stable gig.That was the biggest thing, just wanted to be a guy that could play all his games in the NHL and be able to show what he can do, Marchessault said Monday afternoon over the phone. When I talked to Florida management, they told me they saw me in a bigger role and able to play in all the games and on a good line. Thats just what I wanted, is to play more in the NHL.He would have been penciled in for a third-line role with Florida this season, which was fine for him, but a long-term injury to Jonathan Huberdeau has opened up first-line duty, and Marchessault has responded with two goals and two assists in two games to open the season.Panthers GM Tom Rowe coached against Marchessault in the AHL during the years, so he knew the player. Last season, Rowe and Panthers coach Gerard Gallant were at a Lightning game in Tampa when Marchessault was discussed.I told Gerard, If the opportunity ever presented itself, hes a kid we [are] going to target come free agency, Rowe said over the phone Tuesday. A lot of us here had done research on him. We always liked his skill, on top of that, we liked how he competed.Marchessault is playing on a line with center?Aleksander Barkov and winger?Jaromir Jagr. OK, then.I think those two guys could find chemistry with pretty much anyone, said Marchessault, chuckling. Im just happy to be able to be on their line and be successful right now. Every game, were trying to know how each other plays.His early season success is no surprise to his old coach in Tampa.Coached against him enough in the minors to know he was a scoring threat every time he was on the ice, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Monday night via text message. Special skills when he is around the net. Needed to raise his competition [level] and he did ... that is why he is a regular now. Great locker room guy as well ... has some swag!Marchessault has a certain kind of confidence, which he probably needs, given that he was never drafted and that hes 5-foot-8, 184 pounds.Hes got good hands but hes also cocky -- in a good way, said another Eastern Conference coach. He believes in himself. He was stuck in Tampa behind [Jonathan] Drouin, [Nikita] Kucherov and [Ryan] Callahan?on the right side, thats not easy.He was stuck, period, behind a lot of guys in Tampa.Theyve had the same 11 forwards for most of the last three years, said Marchessault, who appeared in 45 games with the Lightning last season, putting up 18 points. Its just a really good group of hockey players and it was hard to be in the lineup every night.So when free agency beckoned this summer, he looked for a better opportunity.[The Lightning] had salary-cap concerns but it was never a question of money for me, it was a question to play more in the NHL, said Marchessault, who signed a two-year deal worth $750,000 a year with the Panthers. I loved Tampa, theyre a world-class organization, the coaching staff, teammates, everything was unreal over there. Its just about thinking about your career a bit more and thats what I did this summer.Its not like Lightning GM Steve Yzerman didnt want him back, because he likes the player. But its an example yet again of the salary-cap system and its impact, organizations cant horde talent, they can only keep so many guys. So while the Bolts saw the talent in Marchessault when most other teams did not, theyre so loaded up front that keeping him as a depth guy was a luxury they couldnt have.As for Marchessault, hes out to prove hes not a fringe player but a player who can produce in the NHL.I mean, I was never drafted in the NHL, I was only drafted 12th round in junior hockey. Nobody really expected me to be productive, he said. I just keep surprising people. I always produced in the AHL. I just never really got the chance and I knew I would deliver if I ever got it. Chad Thomas Youth Jersey . In the response filed Wednesday to the complaint by 30-year-old Alexander Bradley, attorneys say the former University of Florida player is invoking his Fifth Amendment right that protects people from incriminating themselves. Chad Thomas Jersey . Louis Cardinals. Victorino is batting sixth and playing right field after missing two games because of back tightness. http://www.brownsauthenticproshop.com/Youth-David-Njoku-Jersey/ . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Jarvis Landry Youth Jersey . Jay Feely kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime, and the Cardinals edged the Tennessee Titans 37-34 in overtime after blowing a 17-point lead late in the fourth quarter. Jim Brown Browns Jersey . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action.Johny Hendricks believes he packs the biggest punch but the competition to regain the UFC championship has never been fiercer. The former welterweight title-holder and his lethal left fist are in the heat of the battle for the 170lbs crown - but danger lies immediately around the corner.Sky Sports exclusively asked Hendricks to assess his biggest rivals... Robbie LawlerHendricks beat Lawler by decision for the title in 2014 but a rematch was scored the other way. Hendricks isnt impressed by the current champs method of impressing judges. Lawler (left) and Hendricks shared two 25-minute fights Hendricks said: I started dissecting his game and Lawler isnt doing anything except for in the last minute or 30 seconds of each round.I was tagging him, he barely hit me compared to the amount of times I hit him. The way I moved and threw my combinations, he couldnt get an understanding of what was going on. They said new champion - ouch, what did one judge see in Robbie to win all those rounds? Johny Hendricks In our first fight he gave me some trouble but in the second I felt good. Dont get me wrong I was tired in the third, fourth, fifth rounds because of a bad weight cut. But the only way he could win was to knock me out, so why get in that battle? I stayed my ground and parried punches - maybe four or five out of 20 hit me. I knew I beat him again, one judge said 49-46 and I knew Id beaten him again. But they said new champion - ouch, what did one judge see in Robbie to win all those rounds?Robbie is also now finding out that there are guys who, however hard you hit them, are not going down so you need to hope the judges saw the fight in the same way that you did.Carlos ConditHendricks has previously beaten Condit, who then lost a controversial decision in his title fight to Lawler. Again, Hendricks wonders why Lawler was favoured. Carlos Condit (right), pictured striking Nick Diaz, has lost two world title fights Hendricks said: I understand the decision because you have to beat the champion to become the champion - but that didnt happen with me and Lawler, he didnt clearly beat me.At the end of the fourth round against Condit even [Lawlers] coaches said Robbie we need a knockout to win this fight. He went out and, if Carlos stayed away from him, maybe he would have won.The numbers speak for themselves - I out-struck Lawler two-to-one but somehow he won, Condit out-struck Lawler three-to-one but somehow he won. What are the judges looking at? UFC 195 talking points Aftermatch from Lawler v Condit Tyron WoodleyHendricks withdrew from fighting Woodley at one days notice after a botched weight cut but wont make the same mistake again if they reschedule.dddddddddddd Tyron Woodley (right) has beaten Condit and won his last two fights Hendricks said: I cant forget about the past, I use it as motivation. I was expecting a guy that would try to explode and try to finish me quickly because thats the only way he could win that fight.But no, its not a dangerous first round for me, because guess what? As hard as he hits, I might hit harder! Thats the beauty of it. Some of these fighters do this, some of them do that. But in my back pocket, I always have the ability to hit harder. I am the hardest hitter in the welterweight division.My new strength and conditioning coach is a strongman ranked eighth in the world and Im building up my muscles to hit hard again. Thats the confidence I need. I have focused so much on being slick - out-striking my opponent, out-damaging them - but somehow I still lost. So guess what? Im going to step back, throw as hard as I can, hit you in the face and see if you can take it. Thats what Im getting back to doing. UFC welterweight rankings (Lawler is champion) 1 Rory MacDonald 2 Johny Hendricks 3 Tyron Woodley 4 Carlos Condit 5 Demian Maia 6 Matt Brown 7 Dong Hyun Kim 8 Stephen Thompson 9 Neil Magny 10 Tarec Saffiedine Stephen Wonderboy ThompsonHendricks is fighting the up-and-comer this weekend in Las Vegas and has a plan to deal with Thompsons unique style of kicking. Stephen Thompson (left) meets Hendricks in a five-round fight on Saturday night Hendricks said: I want three fights this year. I signed this bout agreement and havent looked back since. Stephen is a guy who is going to keep his distance, like Carlos. Hes a tall, lanky guy who will want to fight at distance to keep me at bay.But what people dont understand is how quickly I can close the distance, or how fast I can hit somebody then be out of their distance. Thats something that I have. Thats all from my wrestling, were taught to explode in then explode out, so I have those things. But I also have something that a lot of wrestlers dont - I have really good kickboxing and boxing. So when I add my explosions in and out, and my ability to see punches and parry them, it really helps me out.Stephens kicks are very different, he likes to fling them. Whenever you fight somebody like that you have to make sure you prepare in the right way. My training partner can do all those things so Im using people who can throw spinning and quick kicks. I now know what I have to do to win in Vegas. Also See: UFC More sports ' ' '