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(SportsNetwork.com) - While returning to the playoffs for the first time in five years was a big step forward last season for the Minnesota Wild, a loss in the conference finals wasnt good enough for the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings and Wild both look to take a step forward on Thursday night as they open their 2013-14 campaign in Minnesota. You can watch the game on TSN2 and TSN Mobile TV at 8pm et/5pm pt. Los Angeles entered the lockout-shortened campaign off its first ever Stanley Cup championship and stretched its string of postseason appearances to four straight after a second-place finish in the Pacific Division. That did put the Kings on the road to begin the playoffs and they knocked off the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks in six and seven games, respectively, before falling to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference finals. The Kings bowed out with a double-overtime loss in Game 5. "Quite honest, our regular season last year was a better season than the team that won the Stanley Cup. So it means our young guys are getting better. Our nucleus is getting better," Kings head coach Darryl Sutter told Lakingsinsider.com. Not surprisingly, Los Angeles returns a bulk of its roster from last season. It is led up front by leading scorer from a season ago Anze Kopitar (42) as well as leading goal-scorer Jeff Carter, who had 26 goals in 48 games. Justin Williams, Mike Richards and captain Dustin Brown are also key forwards who return, though Brown was slowed in the preseason by a hamstring injury suffered on the first day of training camp. He is expected to play tonight, but could see a reduced role until he gets into game shape. The Kings have a solid defensive grouping led by Drew Doughty and Slava Voynov and are expected to have Willie Mitchell available after he missed all of last season due to a knee injury. However, blueliners Jake Muzzin (sprained knee) and Robyn Regehr (elbow surgery) are questionable. Former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Quick is a big strength to the Kings defense and went 18-13-4 with a 2.45 goals against average and .902 save percentage. He posted a 1.86 GAA, .934 save percentage and three shutouts in last seasons playoffs. Quick should get the start tonight for the Kings, who play six of their first eight on the road. That includes Thursdays tough test at the Xcel Energy Center, where the Wild have never lost a home opener. They have won 11 straight since a tie in their first ever home opener in the building on Oct. 11, 2000. The Wild showed a lot of improvement a season ago after breaking the bank to sign forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter to massive deals, earning the eighth seed in the postseason for their first playoff berth since 2008. Minnesota did lose in five games to Chicago in the opening round, held to a pair of goals or less in all four losses. The Wild had just four players reach double-digit figures in goals last year, led by Parises 18. Minnesota was tied for 22nd with 2.46 goals per game, negating a solid defense that finished in a tie for 15th with 2.60 goals allowed per game. The club shook things up by trading the physical Cal Clutterbuck and a draft pick to the New York Islanders for 21-year-old Swiss Nino Niederreiter, the fifth overall pick of the 2010 draft. "I think the biggest thing for us is we want to get better offensively," said Wild head coach Mike Yeo. "Thats been well documented. Weve talked about it an awful lot, but our bread and butter still has to be that we have to be a great defensive team. That challenge for us is to build on that offensive part without taking away from the defensive part." The Wild also added a pair of veterans, signing forward Matt Cooke and defenseman Keith Ballard. Minnesota plays four of its first five at home and returns Niklas Backstrom in net for his eighth season. The 35-year-old was 24-15-3 with a 2.48 GAA and .909 save percentage in 42 games a season ago, but was unable to play versus Chicago in the postseason after suffering an injury during warmups prior to Game 1. The Wild won two of three over the Kings a season ago, with both victories coming in Minnesota. Cheap Nike Sb Trainers . Harrison Barnes had 15 points and Reggie Bullock scored 11 for the Tar Heels (17-3, 4-1 ACC), who took the court for the first time without starter Dexter Strickland. The junior guard tore his right ACL last Thursday at Virginia Tech and will miss the rest of the season. Nike Sb Sale Online .ca. Mr. Fraser, It looks like Martin Brodeur is coming back to play for the Blues. I was wondering if you have any great stories or fond memories of your time on the ice with Brodeur - in the NHL, or maybe even the Olympics. http://www.cheapnikesbuk.com/. -- John Senden never imagined it would take more than seven years to win again. Nike Sb Uk Sale . - The Seattle Sounders busy off-season continues with the team acquiring defender Chad Marshall from the Columbus Crew in exchange for a 2015 third-round pick and allocation money. Wholesale Nike Sb . Vinci also beat Dulgheru last week in Bucharest en route to her first WTA final in a year. Vinci next faces sixth-seeded Kurumi Nara of Japan, who beat Czech qualifier Katerina Siniakova 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-2. No.CHICAGO -- Jose Abreu is not going to let the pressure get to him. The touted rookie from Cuba hit a game-winning grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning for his second home run of the night, rallying the Chicago White Sox past the Tampa Bay Rays 9-6 on Friday. Evan Longorias two-run homer in the top of the ninth put Tampa Bay ahead 6-4, but the White Sox werent done. Abreus drive off closer Grant Balfour (0-1) won it after Chicago pitchers combined for 11 walks. Abreu, who signed a $68 million, six-year contract in the off-season, finished with three hits and six RBIs. He became the first rookie in major league history to hit nine home runs by the end of April. "I really didnt have any expectations. As a matter of fact, I was talking to Albert Pujols during spring training and he told me, Hey, dont worry about hitting the home runs early in the season since its your first season and all that," Abreu said through a translator. "So I wasnt trying to hit them -- they have just happened." Balfour gave up a one-out double to Alejandro De Aza in the ninth, then walked Tyler Flowers and pinch-hitter Paul Konerko. As Konerko trotted to first, Balfour and Konerko exchanged words. "I dont know. I know his thing after every pitch, he comes way in. Likes to get the ball, likes to stare at you, stare at the hitter," Konerko said. "Thats fine, no big deal. You know thats what he likes to do. After I walked there, he is close to me, eye contact was made and I start to run down the line and I heard yelling. I dont know what he was yelling about. I was just trying to make sure it wasnt toward my direction. Thats really it. I think he was probably yelling at himself to get going or get better. When someone that close is yelling, you want to find out why." Balfour said he wasnt trying to show up Konerko. "Im angry at myself, so if he wants to yell at me, whatever. I wasnt yelling at him. I was frustrated by the fact I missed by 6 feet back there," Balfour said. "This is a frustrating night for me. I know Im better than that. So Ill come back tomorrow and turn the page. If I get an opportunity, go out there and get it done." Adam Eaton hit a grounder to second base, but Tampa Bay was unable to turn the double play after getting a force at second. Rays manager Joe Maddon challenged the call, but Eaton clearly beat the throw to first and the ruling was upheld on replay. Balfour walked Marcus Semien to load the basses again and Abreu drove an 0-1 pitch to right-centre for his ninth home run.dddddddddddd "Pretty impressive. Really a big, strong fella with a controlled attitude at the plate thats not a wild swinger. You have to make good pitches to him or hes going to hurt you like he did tonight," Maddon said. "Its not fun when that happens, but Im still going to go out for my Guinness tonight regardless." Matt Joyce drew his team-record fifth walk of the game leading off the ninth against White Sox reliever Matt Lindstrom (2-1). Longoria followed with his third home run of the season to centre to break a 4-all tie. Tyler Flowers had two hits and two RBIs for the White Sox in the opener of a four-game series. Chicago starter Erik Johnson couldnt get out of the second inning. The Rays tied a club mark by drawing 11 walks. Tampa Bay starter Chris Archer pitched six-plus innings. He allowed four runs and nine hits. With the Rays trailing 1-0 in the second, Yunel Escobar and Ryan Hanigan hit back-to-back RBI singles. Ben Zobrist followed with an RBI double. Johnson was chased after walking Joyce with the bases loaded on his 39th pitch of the inning, giving the Rays a 4-1 lead. The Rays batted around against Johnson in the second. Abreu hit a solo shot in the third and the White Sox tied it in the fourth when Flowers lined a two-run single with the bases loaded. But a baserunning gaffe by Chicago prevented a potentially bigger inning. Eaton grounded back to Archer, who caught De Aza between third and home. De Aza was eventually tagged out in a rundown, then Flowers was tagged out while trying to go to third. The Rays had the bases loaded with one out in the fifth, but Hanigan grounded into an inning-ending double play. "Its one of those games, if you permit it to fester, it will, and if you dont permit it, it wont," Maddon said. "So for me, its a loss and a loss is a loss is a loss. Of course, we really had a chance to win that game, but youve got to come and play tomorrow -- you dont get a week off." After missing five games with a mild left knee strain, Eaton led off the first inning with a single and stole second. He later scored on Abreus single. NOTES: Before the game, the White Sox claimed reliever Hector Noesi off waivers from Texas. He is expected to throw a bullpen before Saturdays game. ... Rays LHP Cesar Ramos will start Saturday in place of LHP Matt Moore, who had Tommy John surgery Tuesday. ' ' '