The first game of Week 5 saw two unbeaten teams in Calgary at Edmonton and how the Stampeders won I have no idea. John Brodie Jersey . Edmonton dominated and Calgary survived. Yes, that is an ability and skill set. Consider this: At the end of the first quarter Calgary had zero first downs, three yards rushing and 17 yards passing. They were without their best player in Jon Cornish, lost their next best player in that position of running back in Matt Walter to injury and then had to take their best special teams player, Jock Sanders, and move him to running back full time. Overcoming adversity is an absolute key to winning football games and that is what Calgary did and why they won. With Edmonton the internal conclusion will be "they did not beat us, we beat ourselves." And although it is a truthful statement, you have to be careful not to use that as a repeated rationalization. With the bye week upcoming the Eskimos will regroup, but come Aug. 8, Edmonton at Montreal, you will not see a special teams performance like the one we previously saw. Chris Jones will be criticized for his fake punt reverse that ended up in Stampeder points, but were all products of previous associations. That play has a Don Matthews feel to it remembering that Chris Jones was on Matthews staff in a significant way from 2002 to 2006. Players respect risk-reward taking coaches. Friday night I was surprised, and I will admit, major surprised. Drew Willy looked great. The Bomber offensive line looked great. The intensity of the defence was great. I think it was the greatest win for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers since the November East final at home to get into the 2011 Grey Cup. The change was remarkable. First they came off a previous loss to Edmonton at home 26- 3. In that game the first seven possessions were two and out for Winnipeg on offence. Then no Jason Vega, no Johnny Sears due to injury. Also playing a Lions team that was 21-3 at renovated BC place. I really thought Winnipeg was regressing but this changed my mind. They were outstanding in being ready to play their best throughout. BC? Up and down and up and down. I have no idea what type of team will show up this week in Calgary. For what now seems like forever a pro football team in Hamilton has had to play in a University atmosphere. Initially I was despondent. Tired of the transient Ticats finding what they can to play. But as the game moved on, and because the cameras were so close and the angles so different it gave you a different perspective on pro football. Sometimes you dont realize as fans how hard players hit other players. A McMaster you realize now. There were countless collisions of intensity in the game and through my TV screen I could sense the brutal aspect of football. Next week the Ticats host the Bombers and if you want to see football close up go to the game, you should be watching. It gives you a new sense of appreciation and respect. Is Dan Lefevour for real? I say yes. The question now is do you "let him go" being a running back in quick moment and a quarterback the next? Or do you try to perfect pure quarterback skill and limit the runs? The risk-reward injury possibility is the issue. I say let him go. His combination of abilities is what is so hard to defend. The game did not overwhelm him, let him go and pray for health. Excellent performance when you consider three offensive linemen were rookies and one, Jake Olson, started his first game. Dan Lefevour has some aspects of football you just cant coach and others you can improve on. Bottom line, he played really well. It is Saturday night, late in the East, Toronto at Saskatchewan and this one I was confident in. The Riders, coming off the bye, a big-time previous loss in Toronto and an Argonaut team without their best perimeter players. Add all of it up it was as easy a win as the Riders will ever experience. Next Saturday in Ottawa it will not flow so smoothly. How about Will Ford at running back? He runs with a low level of power that is all his own. Brendan Taman is the most unassuming executives in the history of football. But his talent search should be complimented over recent history. The secret weapon for the Riders? George Cortez running the offence. It gives Cory Chamblin freedom to focus on the other two-thirds knowing the other third is well taken care of. Finally, I still think one nine-team league from top to bottom is better than East and West. The West is so much better than the East right now it is upsetting. One nine-team league and this reality would not even be noticed. Kevin Greene Jersey . On Saturday, the paths of Drew Tate and Kevin Glenn cross again as opposing quarterbacks. Solomon Thomas Jersey . The visitors missed a host of good chances to win the game, and were left to rue substitute Ivo Ilicevics strike against the crossbar in the 86th minute, when he only had the goalkeeper to beat. http://www.custom49ersjersey.com/custom-troy-smith-jersey-large-1968d.html . Speaking on Leafs Lunch with Bryan Hayes and Jamie McLennan on Thursday, Bernier said it was "very hard" at times being entrenched behind Jonathan Quick and is now excited at the prospect of getting an opportunity to compete with Reimer for the top spot with the Leafs. SAN JOSE, Calif. -- John McCarthy and Tommy Wingels sent the San Jose Sharks into a nearly three-week Olympic break on a winning note. McCarthy scored his first goal since 2010 and Wingels had the game-winner for the second straight night to help the Sharks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Friday. "You feel the atmosphere now," San Jose captain Joe Thornton said. "Guys are excited for the break. Its always nice to win before things like this or Christmas. The guys will enjoy the break and come back ready to work for the second half." Patrick Marleau also scored for the Sharks, who won three of four following a three-game losing streak to reach the break in second place in the Pacific Division. Antti Niemi made 19 saves. The Sharks will be a different team when they next play Feb. 28 in Philadelphia, with the expected return of injured players Logan Couture, Raffi Torres, Matt Nieto and Tyler Kennedy. "Were 80 points at the Olympic break," coach Todd McLellan said. "We would have been probably pleased with that at the beginning of the season considering some of the players we lost over and throughout the year. We go into the break satisfied. Coming out of it we have work to do." McLellan also broke Darryl Sutters franchise record by coaching in his 435th game. He already is the franchise leader in wins with 257. Ryan Johansen and Boone Jenner scored for the Blue Jackets, who trail Philadelphia by one point for third place in the Metropolitan Division after losing tight games on consecutive nights in San Jose and Los Angeles. Sergei Bobrovsky made 44 saves. "Obviously, you dont want to go into a break with a loss but we have been playing great hockey the past few games," Johansen said. "The boys battled hard and we just fell a little short." Columbus got worn down in the third against the more-rested Sharks, especially on an extended shift early in the period that led to Wingels goal. With the Blue Jackets unable to change a tiring unit under relentless pressure from San Jose, Wingels knocked in a rebound of Jason Demers shot for his second goal in two games to make it 3-1. "The thirrd goal was obviously the big one," Columbus coach Todd Richards said. R. C. Owens Jersey. "They had momentum at that point. If its a one-shot lead, its something we can do." Jenner scored midway through the period on Columbus second shot of the third when Johansen set him up following a turnover by Demers. Columbus took advantage of a San Jose turnover to get on the board 18 seconds into the second. Thorntons clearing attempt from the corner was knocked down just inside the blue line by Johansen, who quickly flipped a wrist shot past Niemi before he could react to cut the Sharks lead to 2-1. Bobrovsky, starting on back-to-back nights for the first time since the opening two games of the season, fell into a 2-0 hole less than halfway through the first period. McCarthy, who cleared waivers and was sent to the minors last week, made the most of his opportunity in his return after an injury to Nieto. McCarthy won an offensive zone faceoff against Brandon Dubinsky to start his second shift of the night and went straight toward the net. James Sheppard came up with the loose puck and fired a shot from the faceoff circle that deflected off McCarthys stick and past Bobrovsky for the opening goal. It was McCarthys first since Nov. 6, 2010, against Tampa Bay, ending a drought of 73 games. "Its been a long time and it felt really good to get one," McCarthy said. Marleau struck less than 5 minutes later with his first goal in seven games. Bobrovsky made a sprawling save to rob Brent Burns in front, but the rebound went to Scott Hannan at the point. He fired a slap shot that Marleau deflected for his 23rd goal. The Blue Jackets had their chances in the first period, but Johansen missed the net on an early breakaway and they failed to convert a pair of power-play chances. They also had an apparent goal waved off when Jenner knocked in a rebound with a high stick. NOTES: Referee Mike Hasenfranz left the game with an apparent injury, and the third period was played with only one referee. ... The Sharks lead the NHL with 60 goals in the first period. ... Demers returned to the lineup after missing three games with a lower-body injury. ' ' '