from outside plays, he believes the mistakes can be fixed against Vancouver. "It will be difficult," he said of the Canadian final. "But were well-prepared and our last game gave us a lot of confidence." Notes: Impact forward Marco Di Vaio was named MLS player of the week on Tuesd

TORONTO -- The Nashville Predators are a confident team after overcoming a slow start.They will take a 4-0-2 November record (6-5-3 overall) into their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs (6-6-3) on Tuesday at Air Canada Centre.Even when we werent scoring, we knew we had players that were capable of scoring goals, Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. It just wasnt happening. I go back to those two shootout losses, and there were 50 quality chances in two games, and were just not getting that third goal.If you could get that third goal, or fourth goal, theres a chance youre going to win the hockey game.The Predators have scored 20 goals in six November games, one more than they totaled in eight October games.They have won three games in a row, including a 5-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday led by two goals from James Neal, who has scored five times in his past four games.The Maple Leafs are coming off a weekend of contrasting results.They scored four unanswered goals in the third period in a 6-3, comeback win over the Philadelphia Flyers at the ACC on Friday. Then they went on the road and lost 4-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.The game on Friday impressed Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock.I think its the first time since Ive been here that we came back like that, Babcock said. It says we have talent and skill. It says we stayed calm. We executed and finished. I liked our team (Friday) night.It was a different game against the Stanley Cup champion Penguins. Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen faced 49 shots. The Leafs have allowed 40 or more shots in four of their past six games.Three of the (Penguins goals), we could have done a better job, Babcock said. That part is disappointing. You cant play like that. I know we played (Friday) and I understand all that. But you rely on your structure and your ability to play defense and you wait for your chances.Babcock shuffled his lineup Saturday and likely will again Tuesday.Defenseman Frank Corrado played in his first game of the season against the Penguins after being a healthy scratch for the first 14 games. Defenseman Matt Hunwick returned from injured reserve Saturday, and fourth-line center Peter Holland played for the first time since Oct. 25.Defensemen Roman Polak and Connor Carrick and right winger Ben Smith were scratched. Center Zach Hyman did not skate with the team Monday but could play Tuesday.Predators goalie Pekka Rinne, who earned his 41st career shutout Saturday, is 4-0-2 with seven goals allowed in his past six starts.Hes been so strong, Laviolette said. Hes seeing it really well right now; hes in position, and I think our guys are feeding off of that in front of him.Rinne said, I thought that I had a good end of the season last year and good playoffs, but its ups and downs. But my main goal is to be consistent and be able to maintain a level where I felt like Im playing my best game every night. This home stretch has been really good for me and my teammates, and hopefully we can keep it going. We havent been great on the road so far, but hopefully we can play well, too.The Predators are 1-4-2 on the road, and the Maple Leafs are 5-2-0 at home.Bill Buckner Cubs Jersey . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Ben Zobrist Cubs Jersey . The next step is a better finish. Bae played bogey-free Friday on another gorgeous day at Riviera for a 5-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Aaron Baddeley and Robert Garrigus going into the weekend. https://www.cheapcubs.com/ . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. Addison Russell Jersey . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. Leon Durham Jersey . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield.VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Whitecaps hope to end four years of frustration Wednesday night. With a victory over the Montreal Impact in the second and final leg of their Amway Canadian Championship soccer series, the Whitecaps can finally claim the title after finishing second in the past four finals. The two-game, aggregate goals series is tied 0-0. The last two finals have occurred while the Caps were in MLS, where they currently play, after previously playing in a lower league. Vancouver defender Alain Rochat, who joined the club in its 2011 MLS expansion season, said the losses have been extremely frustrating. "We didnt manage to get a good result (at) home on the first leg, and then we had to go away to win the trophy," said Rochat after a practice Tuesday at the University of British Columbia. "So this year is different." Vancouver lost the previous four Canadian title matches on the road to Toronto. But this year is different because the Reds were eliminated in the opening round by Montreal. And, for a change, the Whitecaps are hosting the crucial second leg instead of playing it on the road. One factor is the same. Whitecaps management has set winning the Canadian title as a major goal -- as it did previously -- because a national championship is viewed as a major building block in the young MLS franchises development. "Having got to the (MLS) playoffs (for the first time in 2011), we made that first step of development," said Whitecaps coach Martin Rennie. "We are a new club and a young club. So the next step, for me, is to win a trophy, and this is first chance weve got to do that this season." Many new Vancouver players only learned of the importance of a Voyageurs Cup victory to the club at the start of this season. But Rochat, a 30-year-old native of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., who grew up in Switzerland, said it has been a major topic of discussion. "We knew that it is a big competition, so we wanted to be in the final," said Rochat. "Now that we are in the final, we want to win it." Added Rennie: "Were at home and were in a good position, so were excited to make the most of our opportunity." The Whitecaps are unbeaten at B.C. Place Stadium in all competitions this season. Rennie believes a 10-day break from league play, thanks to a bye following their game against Portland on May 18, will increase the home-field advantage. The rest came after the Caps played eight of their previous 11 games, including MLS and Canadian championship contests, on the road. "t;I think its been important, even just for me personally," said Rennie.dddddddddddd "I was exhausted after all those games and all that travelling. It doesnt really hit you until you have a break, but everybody needed it." The Impact, a second-year MLS franchise, poses a formidable challenge thanks to its strong offensive play. Montreal beat Toronto 6-2 in the opening round, and its high-scoring ways have continued in league play. However, Rennie believes Montreals own travel-related fatigue will assist his club. Eastern clubs often struggle in Vancouver as a three-hour time difference takes a toll on players. "Having coached on the East Coast (with the second-tier Charleston Battery) and come to Vancouver and come to the West Coast, I do know that that (time difference) is a factor -- and it does affect you," he said. But Montreal goalkeeper Evan Bush said the time change should not affect the visitors, because fitness trainer Paolo Pacione has players follow a schedule that enables them to adjust their bodies quickly. To aid the adjustment, Impact players stayed up late Sunday night and slept in Monday. "So weve already started adjusting our bodies to West Coast time," said Bush, adding his team has played well in the Pacific time zone this season. Montreal opened its campaigns with wins in Seattle and Portland and later earned a tie in San Jose. The Impact are unbeaten in their last three games (2-0-1), which included two league games and the scoreless opening-leg draw with the Whitecaps. In that span, Montreal has outscored its opponents 8-5, but defence was a cause for concern in the Impacts last MLS game. Fullback Hassoun Camara was disappointed that his club allowed three goals in a 5-3 win over Philadelphia. But, noting most of Philadelphias goals resulted from outside plays, he believes the mistakes can be fixed against Vancouver. "It will be difficult," he said of the Canadian final. "But were well-prepared and our last game gave us a lot of confidence." Notes: Impact forward Marco Di Vaio was named MLS player of the week on Tuesday after recording a hat-trick in the first half against Philadelphia. Di Vaio is tied for the league lead in scoring with nine goals. ... Rennie said injured midfielder Daigo Kobayashi (ankle) will be a game-time decision. He has not played since a May 11 win over Los Angeles. ... Vancouver striker Kenny Miller, out with a hamstring injury since March 11, is slated to draw into the lineup as a limited-time starter or second-half substitute. ' ' '