naheim goalie Jonas Hiller said. "I dont think many things need to change. We just

PITTSBURGH -- At first glance, it didnt look like much, centre Maurkice Pouncey taking his spot in the middle of the offensive line and snapping the ball to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. nike vapormax plus greece . But for Pouncey, more than eight months removed from tearing both the ACL and MCL in his right knee during the Steelers season opener last September, it was a big step. Pouncey joined his teammates Tuesday for the first time after knee surgery cost him all but eight snaps of the 2013 season. "Yeah, it was my first time doing live action," Pouncey said. "I didnt have any restrictions. It was pretty neat to dry-block some guys and finish on some plays, it was pretty awesome. So, it was great. There were no problems at all." The three-time Pro Bowler was expected to anchor a young offensive line last season. It never happened. Minutes into the opener against Tennessee, Steelers guard David DeCastro dived into the back of Pounceys legs, derailing the direction of an entire season. "Ive never been hit like that," Pouncey said, quickly adding that he hoped to leave all the injury talk in the past. "I think it was more mental than anything, getting my confidence back. Theres only so much you can do to be ready, but then you have to go out and do it." Maybe its why Pouncey was even more fired up than usual as he took the field with his teammates. The sight of Pounceys No. 53 jersey in front of him was certainly a welcome one for Roethlisberger. "It was great," Roethlisberger said. "As a friend and a guy who has worked so hard to get back out here, it was fun to see him back in the pads." Second-year running back LeVeon Bell missed the opening three games last season due to a foot injury during training camp, so the opening OTA practice was his first time running behind a Pouncey block. "Maurkice is one of the more athletic centres in this league," Bell said. "He can run a little better, so were going to try to get back to where we started last year, with more of an outside, zone running game. Its something he can do, and hes also a leader for the front guys. So were looking forward to having him back." Bell and bruising back LeGarrette Blount, acquired as a free agent during the off-season, are counting on Pouncey and an offensive line now under the guidance of former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Munchak. "Weve been building since last year," Pouncey said. "We finished the season pretty well, and a lot of the guys played great. Now, to get a new coach, a Hall of Fame player like that, its awesome. Its going to be great for the group." Roethlisberger believes Pounceys return and the continued improvement of the offensive line could make the Steelers among the most potent offences in the league. Pittsburgh ended 2013 on a 6-2 run while thriving in the no-huddle put together by co-ordinator Todd Haley and Roethlisberger. "Thats a big part of running the no-huddle, because you get those guys working together," Roethlisberger said. "Theyre comfortable. Theyre familiar, and theyve got another off-season of training and continuity and learning from each other. And, so, theyre whats going to drive this team and this offence." NOTES: Inside linebacker Sean Spence, who missed the past two years after sustaining a gruesome left knee injury during the preseason in 2012, said he was thrilled to complete a practice. Spence tried to return at midseason last year, but sustained a hand injury. ... Cornerback Ike Taylor and safety Troy Polamalu did not attend the voluntary workout while training elsewhere. ... The Steelers signed two draft picks to four-year deals on Tuesday, offensive lineman Wesley Johnson (fifth round) and linebacker Jordan Zumwalt (sixth round). Zumwalt cannot attend OTAs until his class at UCLA has graduated. nike vapormax skroutz .C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes have activated defenceman Joni Pitkanen from injured reserve. nike vapormax Ελλαδα . Yahoo! Sports columnist Marc Spears says that the Boogie Smooth album may have been an elaborate April Fools prank. http://www.vapormaxgreece.com/ .The ruling takes effect on Jan. 1 and stems from the debate surrounding Paralympic champion Markus Rehm, an amputee who won the national long jump title competing with a carbon-fiber prosthesis.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Although the Anaheim Ducks are running short on chances to prove theyre more than just a regular-season power, they didnt seem daunted before they headed out on a 30-mile road trip that could define their year. After the best regular season in franchise history, the Ducks have lost four of their past six playoff games heading into a critical Game 3 at Los Angeles on Thursday night. Its barely a slump, and it includes a near-victory that got away with 7 seconds left in regulation in the second-round opener. Yet the Ducks realize what hangs on their latest trip to Staples Center, and theyre comfortable with the risk. "The belief and the confidence in this group is pretty high," Anaheim defenceman Cam Fowler said. "We know that a lot of people are counting us out right now, but that only fuels us." During their best stretches of that remarkable regular season, the Ducks were a dominant offensive team, finishing second in the NHL with 266 goals. With Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry leading the way, Anaheim got consistent scoring from all four lines and methodically broke down almost any defensive team -- including the Kings, who beat the Ducks just once in five tries during the regular season. In the playoffs, Anaheim has managed just three goals against Jonathan Quick in two home losses. The Kings puck-possession style and mistake-free play in their own end are remarkable at times, and even the Ducks appreciated it while spending the past two days figuring out ways to counter it. "They certainly know how to win," Fowler said. "Their style translates well to playoff hockey. Very structured, no mistakes, and make the other team beat you. "Theyve done it before, and when Quick starts playing like he is now, thats when they become a hard team to beat. Theyre certainly peaking at the right time, and we know what were up against, but we have a belief in our group that we can do it." The Ducks have made some unique travel arrangements for the nominal roadd portion of this series. nike vapormax skroutz γυναικεια. After Wednesdays practice, they took a bus to a hotel across the street from Staples Center. Theyre staying downtown until Game 4 on Saturday, but theyll also take the bus back to Anaheim for practice on Friday. With just three goals in more than six playoff periods against the Kings, Anaheim might attempt to boost its offence by putting Kyle Palmieri back into the lineup. The goal-scoring wing, a healthy scratch in the Ducks past four games, skated alongside Nick Bonino and Devante Smith-Pelly at practice Wednesday. Palmieri scored a career-best 14 goals in the regular season, and he had five points in last seasons first-round series loss to Detroit. The Kings are up 2-0 in a playoff series for the sixth time in the past three seasons, reaching that mark as the road team an incredible five times. They led all four series 3-0 despite opening on the road each time during their 2012 rampage through the post-season to their first Stanley Cup title. The Kings also were down 0-3 in the first round last month against San Jose, which means they realize theyre only nominally in control of this series. "A 2-0 lead is great, but its not four. We know that better than anybody," Kings centre Jarret Stoll said. "Theyve outchanced us. Theyve beaten us in a lot of areas we need to be better at." The Kings are likely to be without injured defencemen Willie Mitchell and Robyn Regehr again in Game 3, but Matt Greene and Jeff Schultz have filled in splendidly so far. Even with Quick on top of his game, the Ducks are confident they can get back in the series by getting more pucks past him. They hope to have the support of travelling Anaheim fans after the Kings had a boisterous cheering section at Honda Center, too. "We played pretty well in the first two games, and we remind ourselves of that," Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller said. "I dont think many things need to change. We just need to keep our confidence." ' ' '