Canadas mens hockey team is still six days away from their opening match against Norway and with the NHLs pre-Olympic schedule winding down, the talk and the focus of those chosen to don the Maple Leaf has shifted to how well the 25 players selected for Sochi will come together. Zlatan Ibrahimovic Paris Saint-Germain FC . The latest to be added into that mix, of course, is 38-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning forward Martin St. Louis. The scoring winger was an easy choice to replace his linemate Steven Stamkos on the roster, according to Canadas head coach. "We didnt have to vote at all; everyone just thought St. Louis was the guy," Mike Babcock told TSN on Friday. "Prior to that, we all voted and if you got consensus you were in and if you didnt get consensus you werent." St. Louis may have been a unanimous choice, according to Babcock, but that had nothing to do with Canadian general manager Steve Yzerman also being the Lightning GM. "It would have been easy for Steve to say Martys on the team [because] I said hes on the team but that to me is not how you manage," Babcock said Friday. "You just do the best thing and I think we have an opportunity and thats all you can ask for." St. Louis has upped his game since being left off the initial 25-man roster on Jan. 7, netting 17 points in 15 games including a two-goal game the night after the announcement and a four-goal game in San Jose on Jan. 18. Babcock understands St. Louis being frustrated with the initial decision, but believes he will now shift his mentality to help Canada in its quest for gold. "I think everyones allowed to be bitter, but I think you get up and get on with it. You know what I mean? Thats life," Babcock said. "If you go through his career, hes been called out lots of times for the fact that oh youre too small, youre too this and hes just been determined. Thats all over with that stuff. Youre on the team – now youve got to find a way to be part of it." St. Louis career is one that has been marked by determination, including being cut adrift by the Calgary Flames after the 1999-2000 season, finding success with the likes of Vincent LeCavalier and Brad Richards and winning a Stanley Cup with the Lightning. He survived a rebuild that saw the Bolts miss the playoffs in five of the last six years and then re-emerged as a scoring threat alongside the younger Stamkos. As for whether hell get a chance to play or is merely along for the ride as the 13th or 14th forward on the team, Babcock believes St. Louis has to be ready for any eventuality. "Be a good pro, be a real good teammate and battle your butt off in a competitive environment to get as much as you can to help the team and its not going to be about any one player." Babcock addressed another positional battle on Friday, too, speaking out about the recent struggles of Vancouver Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo. Chosen alongside fellow goalies Carey Price and Mike Smith to represent Canada, Luongo has lost four straight games, posting a sub-.900 save percentage over those starts. However, Babcock expressed a confidence in Luongo that suggests the 34-year-old will be given a chance at very least to compete for the lions share of crease time in Sochi. "Im not concerned," Babcock said of the man who back-stopped Canada to gold in Vancouver. "I just think hes a really good goalie. Ive been with him a number of times and hes always found a way to deliver. So Im not concerned, no." Edinson Cavani Paris Saint-Germain FC Jersey ." The announcement from Rutgers President Robert Barchi, who said there was a "miscommunication" about the speeches, is the latest development in a strange saga surrounding the May 18 ceremony. The New Jersey university initially announced that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would give the keynote address, and school officials maintained that she would not be "disinvited" as some students and faculty protested her selection, including holding a sit-in last week. Clement Chantome Paris Saint-Germain FC Jersey . Police leaflets seen by an Associated Press reporter at a central Sochi hotel on Tuesday contain warnings about three potential suicide bombers. A police letter said that one of them, Ruzanna Ibragimova, a 22-year-old widow of an Islamic militant, was at large in Sochi.TORONTO – Sour tones emanated as deeply from the Maple Leafs dressing room as they have all year after yet another flattening loss, one that dug the pit of current despair ever deeper. Toronto was trounced at home on Tuesday night by a young and plucky Florida Panthers squad. It was the 11th loss in the past 15 games, a stretch that includes exactly one regulation win. "We simply got embarrassed," said Mason Raymond, outwardly peeved with the performance in a 3-1 loss at the ACC. "Its pretty simple. I dont think guys can be happy with that at all. We got embarrassed at home." Utterly flat for the opening 40 minutes, the Leafs, playing their fifth game in seven nights, were outworked and overmatched in nearly all regards by an enthusiastic Panthers bunch. Florida scored the opener before four minutes had elapsed on the clock – a Nazem Kadri offensive zone giveaway springing a Tomas Fleischmann breakaway – adding a pair in the middle frame. Though they were surely fatigued, the Leafs lacked little of the gusto or gumption required to turn the corner of a lingering skid. Lost defensive zone battles often appeared a matter of will. Tuesday suitably marked the 12th time in 13 games that they allowed three goals or more, a product of ongoing inadequate team defence (more in Five Points). "They won more puck battles than we did," said Randy Carlyle of the Panthers. "All the 50-50 pucks that were available to us, I would say that they won the majority of them, specifically in the first two periods." Offensively, they were too often a one-and-done attack for the coachs liking, opting for the extra pass or play in the name of simplicity. There was little of the sustained offensive zone time that manifested itself in a stunning weekend win against the defending Stanley Cup champs. "We were guilty of trying to be too cute," said Carlyle. "Too many curls and drags versus putting our head down and driving the puck towards the net and maybe scoring an ugly goal. I classified our game as we tried to play shinny against an NHL hockey club tonight." The Leafs have endured their fair share of misery since the outset of November. Nothing summed up the despair quite like losing twice in a matter of weeks to the lowly Sabres and Blue Jackets. But for maybe the first time on Tuesday, there was a real sense among those players assembled that the struggles had reached a low point. "I dont think were going to make excuses," said Dion Phaneuf, admittedly off-kilter in his performance against Florida. "We know that weve got to play better and were the guys that are going to get us out of this. Its about what were going to do in this room to find a way to get out of this funk that were in." The Panthers may have won five of six entering the evening, but they sat as the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference. And yet they managed to "embarrass" the Leafs on home ice. "We either have half a team or a full team that dont show up at parts and then things go wrong," said James Reimer, who yielded three goals on 23 shots. "We need to find a way to come and bring it every night or for 60 minutes a night and then do that consecutively." "The coaching staff is frustrated. The players are frustrated. Im sure management is frustrated. Im sure our fans are frustrated," said Carlyle. "Is it a crisis? Its a crisis that we havent won enough games. Thats the way I would deem it." Five Points 1. An Excuse or Reality? The Leafs were playing their fifth game in seven nights and certainly appeared low on gas early (though they managed to muster something late). The mere mention of the schedule, however, caused most to recoil. "Theres never an excuse," said Reimer. "Theres never an excuse. Injuries, tired – its all BS. Those are excuses and theyre useless. What it comes down to is your will, your heart, your character." Additionally, Reimer said, injuries would not be blamed for the ongoing struggle. "We should be able to win with half of our guys out," he said. "You just find ways. You trust each other. You believe in each other and you play with that confidence. Thats the case here. I have full and absolute faith in my teammates, the coaches and everyone. Weve done it before, weve done it last year and weve done it this year. Its just a matter of putting it together and I have no doubts we can do it." 2. No Defence No longer saved nightly by the heroic efforts of their two goaltenders – as they were in October – the Leafs havve been a wreck defensively since the outset of November. Zoumana Camara Paris Saint-Germain FC Jersey. . During a stretch of 22 games, beginning on Nov. 2, theyve allowed 71 goals or an average of 3.23 per game. Theyve allowed three or more in 16 of those 22 games, losing 14 times. Among those who struggled in that regard against the Panthers was Phaneuf. There was the inability to track down Fleischmann on the opening goal and the giveaway to Brad Boyes on the third Florida marker. "Ive got better," he said. "I made some mistakes tonight that are unacceptable." 3. Gardiner Benched A strong message was sent to Jake Gardiner on Tuesday night. Gardiner was benched for the final eight-plus minutes of the second and opening 10 minutes of the third. The 23-year-old gave the puck away to Sean Bergenheim in the defensive zone, an error that preceded the Panthers second goal. "Its pretty hard to defend," said Carlyle of the error. "Youve got to expect to have a higher level of execution than that in that situation. I thought that in the game he struggled with the puck." Carlyle felt that Gardiner was often careless with the puck, throwing it away in too many situations. "Right now those are compiling to us receiving the game too often," he said. "(But) I wouldnt say hes the only guy that made them." Gardiner was coming off a similarly difficult finish in a loss to Pittsburgh on Monday evening. He made two errors that preceded Sidney Crosbys eventual game-winner; there was the icing that pinned the Leafs in the defensive zone and the failed clearing attempt following a faceoff win by Jay McClement. Gardiner played just 16 minutes. 4. Starting Slowly There was the feeble first period effort in St. Louis, the wobbly opening in Pittsburgh and another stunted opening 20 (and 40) against Florida. Kadris offensive zone giveaway with less than four minutes gone sprung the Fleischmann breakaway and the games opening goal. It was the 17th time in 36 games that an opponent had scored first on the Leafs and the 12th loss in such situations (4-11-1). "Our starts need to be better," said Raymond, who scored the Leafs lone goal. "Thats a big part of it. I think stats show when you score the first goal odds are in your favour to win the game." The Leafs are 13-5-2 when scoring first this season. 5. Searching for Balance Raymond entered the night as the Leafs third-leading scorer and yet began Tuesdays game alongside Troy Bodie and Trevor Smith. He was replaced on the second unit by David Clarkson, who returned from a two-game suspension. It was an odd move, one likely aimed at sparking Clarkson while balancing out the offence. "Thats a tricky thing," said Carlyle. "We tried to spread a little more offence with moving Raymond down. It probably wasnt fair to him…but I thought that would be an opportunity for them to play against lesser players with some speed out there. But that didnt work for us." By the third frame, Raymond was reunited with Peter Holland and Joffrey Lupul, scoring the Leafs lone goal on a redirection. Already down Dave Bolland and Tyler Bozak at centre ice, the Leafs would lose Smith to a broken hand in the third frame of the loss. He blocked a Scotty Upshall shot and did not return. The organization has already tested its ranks at centre with the Smith recall and Holland trade, also trying its hand for a lengthy stretch with long-time NHLer Jerred Smithson. Its more adversity to a group that already has its fair share of it. Stats-Pack 16 – Number of times in the past 22 games that the Leafs have allowed three goals or more. 3.23 – Goals against per game since the start of November. 15:27 – Ice-time for David Clarkson in his return from a two-game suspension. 11 – Losses for the Leafs in the past 15 games. 1 – Regulation victory in those 15 games, a 7-3 bashing of the Blackhawks on Saturday. 16:03 – Ice-time for Jake Gardiner against Florida, his lowest since mid-November. 11 – Goals for Mason Raymond this season, surpassing the 10 he had in 46 games a year ago. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-2Season: 23.7% (4th) PK: 2-2Season: 77.3% (27th) Quote of the Night "We simply got embarrassed. Its pretty simple. I dont think guys can be happy with that at all. We got embarrassed at home. I think we got beat out all over the ice in almost all situations. Its something we need to improve." -Mason Raymond, following the loss to Florida. Up Next The Leafs host the Coyotes at the ACC on Thursday night. cheap jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '