My thumb is up to Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens, who scored the first goal of the NHL season on Wednesday. He did that at the 4:42 mark of the first period against the Leafs at the Air Canada Centre, and at that precise moment, Pacioretty was, or should have been, the envy of every other NHL forward. At that moment, Pacioretty was the only one who did not have to worry about scoring his first goal, and did not have to wonder when it would come. Scoring slumps happen, and the only way to deal with them is to know that they will end. But theres something about a slump that occurs at the beginning of a season and has a zero attached to it, thats the slump that players dread and often try too hard to break. Pacioretty was the first to sigh with the relief that comes with knowing that the first goal has already been scored. If he wants to fuss about the second goal, well, thats another, much smaller matter. But if he aims to do one better than last season, when he scored 39 goals to lead all players on Canadian-based teams, he now needs only 39 more. No sooner had the Buffalo Sabres lost their first game of the season than the tank talk began. So Ill use both thumbs here, one thumb is down to anyone who asks to be taken seriously as an NHL observer while suggesting that the Sabres, or any other team for that matter (Carolina?), should aim for a 30th-place finish. The other thumb is down to the NHL for refusing to deal with the issue by maintaining a draft lottery system that offers an incentive to do so. It is true that a last-place finish does not guarantee a number-one draft selection, but as long as a last-place finish brings with it the best odds of picking first, 30th will be preferable to 29th. The easy and right solution is to give all 14 non-playoff teams an equal shot at winning the draft lottery. The word tank need never be mentioned again. The injection of real drama into the draw and the increased audience it would generate automatically puts to shame the event in its current form. And dont tell me that the worst team needs to get the best player, because theres no guarantee of that now. If the NHL wants that, it should scrap the lottery and trust that no one will cheat. If it wants to keep the lottery because somebody might remove a skate from the pedal, fix the lottery by making it wide open. Oh yes, and Buffalo plays at Carolina on Tuesday, October 14. As you read this, stories that say the loser will be the winner are being prepared. Black Friday Shoes Free Shipping . At quarterback, all agree that Andy Dalton has been a wonderful surprise, but to truly progress he has to play his best in the playoffs. The two losses in the wildcard rounds keep the evaluation on Dalton open -- just like it did for Peyton Manning many years ago and Matt Ryan until last year. Black Friday Shoes Store . The veteran NFL receiver received his work permit and is in Montreal for the start of the Alouettes rookie camp. Johnson even took in the Montreal Canadiens Game 5 win over the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre Tuesday night. http://www.shoesblackfriday.com/ . -- Phil Mickelson came to the St. Cheap Black Friday Shoes . Bowditch, the 30-year-old Australian seeking his first PGA Tour title, shot a 4-under 68 to reach 12 under at TPC San Antonio. Matt Kuchar and Andrew Loupe were tied for second. Kuchar shot 65, and Loupe had a 70. Black Friday Shoes Sale . Billy Hamilton finished off Cincinnatis biggest comeback of the season for a doubleheader sweep.Bridgeview, IL - A penalty kick from Mike Magee proved to be the difference on Sunday as the Chicago Fire earned a much-needed 1-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls at Toyota Park. Chicago has struggled for much of the season, finding themselves with just 22 points this season, but Magee converted a penalty kick in the 39th minute for his sixth goal of the season and it held up as the winner to send the Fire to their fourth win of the campaign. New York created several opportunities, but were stymied on multiple occasions by Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson and could never find an equalizer to remain on 28 points and in fourth place in the crowded Eastern Conference. The deciding moment of the game did not come without its fair share of controversy as Quincy Amarikwa burstt into the box and got tangled up with Red Bulls defender Ambroise Oyongo and went to ground, forcing referee Ted Unkel to make a decision and he pointed directly to the spot.dddddddddddd. Magee stepped up and ripped it toward the left side netted, but it was kept out by New York goalkeeper Luis Robles. Unfortunately for New York, Robles parried it back into the path of Magee and he slotted it into the empty net. The Red Bulls immediately answered with a chance as Thierry Henry had a go on the half-volley from the edge of the area, but it sailed well over the crossbar. New York produced a handful of decent opportunities in the second half, but could not get anything past the quick reflexes of Johnson as the club suffered its seventh loss of the campaign. ' ' '