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This is going to be a good team. Keenan Robinson Jersey . I realize I tend to say that about almost every team in my CFL previews this year, but with Montreal it is easy to express analytical optimism for many reasons. First is quarterback Troy Smith. There is nothing really physically outstanding about Smith; he is 60, 224 pounds with a good arm and good mobility. I sum him up as thick and quick. But there is something about him, a genuine confidence expressed through experience in football at a high level. An articulation and intelligence that you "pick up on" when he is in front of a camera talking about himself and the league. And a unique level of humility that says in order to perform, I have to learn; not the other way around. I have always looked at humility as a strength and maturity; arrogance as a weakness and insecurity. When you consider the short amount of preparation time Smith experienced last year, his solid on field performance in yes, limited games, was very impressive. You have to feel good that as the teams starter from the outset, improvement is inevitable. I know of the other Alouettes QBs, but I would be immensely surprised if, outside of injury, Smith is not the No. 1 quarterback wearing No. 1. And with Anthony Calvillo retired, I am sure Smith looks at this training camp as a career opportunity, not a wait-and-see situation. On the defensive side of the ball, the Alouettes have an exceptional unit with just one unknown: who will play middle linebacker now that Shea Emry is an Argonaut? This issue is more a ratio adjustment problem than a personnel problem. It would be great if you could replace a Canadian with another good Canadian but if not, you will have a market of linebackers ready throughout the United States. The two positions of numeric wealth in NCAA football are running back and linebacker; simply said there are a lot of them. Last year Montreal was first in some significant defensive categories: fewest yards allowed at 314 per game, fewest rushing yards allowed at 88 per game; fewest 2nd down conversions allowed, most two and outs forced, most quarterback sacks with 59, and a key one, most takeaways with 56. All they need is to find or develop a new middle linebacker. Thats a manageable situation. On offence, Brandon Whitaker will be back and with Jamel Richardson and SJ Green it is hard to argue that the two best slot receivers are anywhere but Montreal. The Chad Johnson experiment will be an interesting one. Hes closer to 40 than 30 but the bottom line is can he still move like he is 20? Answers will be given early but if he is competing for a roster spot with someone younger and equal in talent, the younger guy will get it. The single biggest mediating factor in athletic performance is age. You know it is coming but you cant stop it, you can only slow it down. Special teams will improve with Larry Taylor and Duron Carter as returners, but also a rededication to blocking effectively for the returners as a priority. And finally there is Tom Higgins, the new Alouettes head coach. More than a few years removed from coaching, Higgins is about as much a polar opposite from the previous full-time head coach as you can get. And that is a good thing. Higgins is pragmatic and calculated; hes an administrator and no one knows the rules better. Hes been named CFL coach of the year and is a Grey Cup-winning coach. He is not the next youthful flash of success, quite the opposite. This decision comes from the experience of decades being the front man of the organization. This one is logical and safe compared to last years decision, which was risky and a novelty. It does not happen very often but every now and then games are determined by experience or inexperience with CFL rules. This year, thats an advantage with Higgins in Montreal. In the East, Toronto has to keep Ricky Ray healthy for 18 games because assuming the next Zack Collaros is on the roster is unrealistic. Hamilton has to continue to improve and may be the team to beat early. Ottawa is brand new, if they make the playoffs it will be a successful season. So where does that leave Montreal? With a new coach, new quarterback, new receivers, and maybe more adversity than any CFL team last year, they still finished 8-10, only three games out from first place. Another 8-10 finish this year is very unlikely; expect Montreal to surprise come November in BC. Brandon Marshall Jersey . -- Adrian Peterson takes a look around the league and sees big money flying everywhere. Odell Beckham Jr Jersey . However, Therrien added that Galchenyuks status for next Wednesdays game against the Detroit Red Wings is questionable. Galchenyuk has been out since Jan. 6 with a broken right hand. http://www.nygiantsfanatic.com/c-49-giants-phil-mc...ersey.a spx . Dumont, a fifth round draft pick of the Canadiens in 2009, has four assists and 20 penalty minutes in 12 games with the Bulldogs this season. The 23-year-old split last season between Hamilton and Montreal, recording 16 goals and 15 assists in 55 regular season games with the Bulldogs.HOUSTON -- The Seattle Mariners are next-to-last in the American League in scoring. Playing the only team below them gave their offence a boost. Justin Smoak homered to cap an eight-run burst in the seventh inning, leading Hisashi Iwakuma and the Mariners over the Houston Astros 9-8 Saturday night. "We have had a habit of doing it all in one inning," Smoak said. "It was good to get something going there. We got it going, kept it going and were able to hold on there at the end." Given a 2-1 lead, Dallas Keuchel (2-2) left after walking the first three batters of the seventh. Jose Cisneros forced in the run that made it 2-2 when he walked Mike Zunino, and Mchael Saunders followed with a two-run double. Stefen Romero and Robinson Cano added RBI singles, Kyle Seager doubled in run and Smoaks two-run homer off Raul Valdes made it 9-2. The inning was Seattles highest-scoring since getting eight in the second at Texas on May 30, 2012. "A win is a win," Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said. "People say you win ugly. I dont buy that. A win is a win. I told you guys, playing great and losing, you dont get the ice cream. We get ice cream tonight. Thats all that counts." McClendon was ejected in the seventh after the walk that loaded the bases. Catcher Jason Castro went to the mound to talk to Keuchel, and when he began walking back to the plate, McClendon was tossed by plate umpire James Hoye for arguing. "I told him that the manager told the catcher to go talk to the pitcher," McClendon said. "I said he had been out there once. Obviously, he was trying to get more time. That could be construed as a trip to the mound. I said it was in the rule book, and he threw me out." Iwakuma (1-0) made his first appearance after starting the season on the disabled list because of a sprained right middle finger. He allowed four runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings; the Astros stopped his consecutive scoreless innings streak at 25 dating to last year. "Overall, todays game I was able to pitch well," Iwakuma said through a translator. "I was able to command both sides of the plate and that helped with prettty much all my pitches. Phil Simms Jersey . " Fernando Rodney escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and finished for his seventh save. Keuchel allowed four runs and four hits with three strikeouts, leaving after walking the bases loaded with no outs in the seventh. "Out of the gate, I didnt really feel too well, but I had some early contact. Some groundball outs kind of got me in a groove," Keuchel said. "It feels like a train hit me in the seventh. Its not like me to walk three guys in a row. I felt like a couple of those pitches were close, but the umpire has the final say." Keuchel took a two-out shutout into the fifth, then gave up an RBI single in the sixth that closed the Mariners to 2-1. "A couple times through the order, he was able to keep us off balance," Zunino said. "We were able to get some good at-bats together and cycle through. Once guys start feeling good, it starts opening up for everyone." Jonathan Villar and Chris Carter each homered in Houstons four-run seventh as the Astros dropped to 10-20. Carter also tripled and Marwin Gonzalez had three hits. Carter hit an RBI triple to the centre-field hill in the eighth and scored on Alex Presleys single, making it 9-8. After Yoervis Medina walked the bases loaded, Rodney induced Jose Altuve to fly out. "Great response," Houston manager Bo Porter said. "Those guys, its a credit to them. They keep plugging away. We talk about it all the time. Regardless of what happens, every at-bat counts. Grind your at-bats out, and today was a prime example of that, and we put ourselves in position to make a huge comeback." NOTES: After hitting the game-winning single Friday night, Astros rookie OF George Springer was given the day off. Springer, called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City on April 16, had started the last 14 games. "Its more of just a breather," Porter said. ... Seattle OF Abraham Almonte, in a 4-for-37 slump in his last 10 games, was out of the lineup. "Thats why hes sitting, because its not working," McClendon said. "Its that simple. Hes not playing because hes not producing." 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