Basisphilosophie » Im there to talk

Once a career NHL agitator himself, Minnesota forward Matt Cooke can relate to what Patrick Kaleta is going through this week and went so far as reach out to him after the Wilds game in Buffalo on Monday. "I told him, Ive been there, its not fun - Its hard," Cooke told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun on ESPN.com. "I laid it out there that if he wants to know what I did, Id gladly talk to him about it. He knows Pommer (former Sabre-turned-Wild forward Jason Pominville), so I told him `If you want to get hold of me, Im there to talk." Cooke, whos had his share of league discipline over a 15-year career, came back a changed player with the Pittsburgh Penguins after being suspended for the last 10 regular-season games and first round of the playoffs in 2010-11. And his advice for Kaleta is to try to do the same thing. "During my suspension, with either (Dan) Bylsma or (Tony) Granato, I probably watched about 30 or 40 hours of video; watching players that play a physical style," said Cooke. "The hours of video work I did seriously helped me," he added. "The work that I put in has helped me not only take the risky plays out but also become a more effective player. Ive got a way more active stick on the forecheck, and Im more aware of my surroundings which has helped me offensively." Kaleta was handed a 10-game suspension on Tuesday for an illegal check to the head of Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Jack Jackson, a decision that he, his agent and the NHL Players Association will appeal. Part of changing his game included dealing with adversity, as Cooke recalled an incident in the 2010-11 season when a player dove into the boards after he barely touched him. "My heart was racing," Cooke told LeBrun. "I thought I was getting suspended. But before I was even off the ice Brendan (Shanahan) had called (Penguins GM) Ray Shero to tell him he knew I didnt touch the guy. That re-assured me." And by Cookes own admission, hes still learning. "Its never going to be over for me, and I realize that, and Im fine with that," he said. "Right now I err on the side of caution. I still watch video to make re-assure that there are good times to go out and by physical. "Its just a read. If you dont change the way you visually see the game, then change is impossible." Case in point - Cooke leads the Wild in scoring with three goals and six points in seven games and has yet to pick up a penalty minute this season. "Theres a huge difference in the way I approach the game now," he explained. "The days of just going for the big hit, every time possible, is just not feasible. The way the game is played now, the speed of the game, and the way the kids are taught to play the game." Files from ESPN.com by TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun were used for this report. Jesus Manuel Corona Jersey . Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris, city natives, handled the catering for teammates that begged them for the tasty postgame feast. Carlos Salcedo Jersey . -- Kole Calhoun homered and drove in three runs, Albert Pujols also went deep and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Chicago White Sox 8-4 Friday night. http://www.soccermexicojerseysteamstore.com/guillermo-ochoa-mexico-jersey/ . -- The Los Angeles Clippers chose not to speak publicly about owner Donald Sterling before they faced the Golden State Warriors for Game 4 of their first-round series Sunday. Rafael Marquez Jersey .DeMarco Murray got his 20th carry late in the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead, not long after Dez Bryant made his final catch of the day.Sure enough, a 44-17 win over Washington didnt change Dallas post-season position. Alfredo Talavera Jersey . -- The taxing preseason, which included two games in China, is finally over. NEW YORK -- Three words raced through Seattle Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smiths mind as he streaked toward the end zone in the Super Bowl, returning his interception of a pass by Peyton Manning: "Dont get caught." That, Smith explained Monday at a news conference, would be the "typical thoughts a defensive player (would have) with the ball." And he heeded his own advice, going 69 yards for a touchdown on that play. He added a fumble recovery later and earned MVP honours as Seattle beat Mannings Denver Broncos 43-8 for the Seahawks first NFL championship. At no moment during Sundays action did Smith think he would take home the award. His teammates did. "Even during the game," Smith recalled, "guys were like, You might be MVP. And I was like, No way. No way. Not me. But to be here, its just pretty cool." Smith is not one of those players who long ago seemed destined to wind up getting the keys to a new vehicle the day after the Super Bowl, a sponsors prize for the big games best player. Coming out of college at Southern California -- where he was coached by the Seahawks current boss, Pete Carroll -- Smith wasnt invited to the NFL combine, where top prospects are measured and evaluated. Then, when the 2011 draft rolled around, he wasnt taken until the seventh round, the 242nd player chosen. Seems to fit right in with the Seahawks, more than a third of whom werent even drafted at all. "He didnt like it, but he had to go in the seventh round. Hes proven otherwise, just like a lot of other guys in our program," Carroll said. "I think it was extraordinary last night to see Jermaine Kearse score a touchdown, and Doug Baldwin score a touchdown, and Malcolm gets in the end zone and scoops up another fumble," he continued. "Guys that are not the heralded guys coming in competed in our program and found a way to contribute in enormous ways." By way of explaining in a euphoric locker room Sunday night why he was an appropriate choice for an MVP from these Seahawks, Smith said: "Im just fortunate to be a part of it, fortunate to get opportunities.dddddddddddd Im happy to be amongst a bunch of guys that play with attitudes and chips on their shoulders. Im happy to represent that." He went on: "You might have been overlooked. You might feel like you can make plays and never got the opportunity." Truth is, the Seahawks were the lucky ones. Because even though Smith was not supposed to be a starter this season, a player with zero interceptions in his first two years in the league, he always was ready when called upon. Pegged mainly as a special teams guy, Smith earned notice with his speed and ability to handle both outside linebacker slots. When Bruce Irvin was suspended for four games in May for violating the leagues policy on performance-enhancing substances, it was Smith who filled in as a starter. When Bobby Wagner was sidelined, and K.J. Wright slid over to middle linebacker, Smith got another opportunity to start. And when Wright broke his right foot late in the season, guess who Seattle called upon: Yep, Smith, of course. Then suddenly, on Sunday, there he was at the Super Bowl, in the right place and right time, as usual. It was Smith who wound up with the victory-sealing interception at the end of Seattles NFC championship game victory two weeks ago, grabbing the football after Richard Sherman deflected a pass in the end zone. And then, in the biggest game of all, Smiths pick-6 off a fluttering ball -- after teammate Cliff Avril made contact with Manning during the throw -- made it 22-0 late in the first half Sunday, and Seattle was on its way. "I was like, Again!? No way. I didnt believe it," Smith said. He grabbed a fumble later, too, capping quite a late-season surge. "Ive always just been taught to run to the ball and good things will happen for me," Smith said. "I played running back as a kid, so its always been the most exciting thing to have the ball in my hands." Blackhawks Jerseys Store Cheap Wild Jerseys Cheap Red Wings Jerseys Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys Penguins Jerseys Store Capitals Jerseys For Sale Blues Jerseys Store Cheap Kings Jerseys Adidas Lightning Jerseys Stars Jerseys For Sale Cheap Predators Jerseys Ducks Store Sharks Jerseys For Sale Cheap Sabres Jerseys Rangers Jerseys For Sale ' ' '