TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are disappointed, though not discouraged. Despite being swept in the first round of the NHL playoffs, the young team led by Steven Stamkos has plenty of reasons to feel encouraged about the future. One year after struggling to the 28th-best record in the league, the Lightning finished second in the Atlantic Division and posted the third-best mark in the Eastern Conference. The Montreal Canadiens eliminated them from the post-season in four games, but coach Jon Cooper said none of his players should hang their heads because the Lightning had a successful season. "Its been a transition year for us in an unbelievably positive way," said Cooper, whos completing his first full season behind the bench. "I dont want this series to be looked at as they were a failure," Cooper added. "Those guys got swept in the first round, but they had a heck of a year." Stamkos missed 45 games because of a broken right leg but still amassed 25 goals and 40 points in 37 games to help Tampa Bay return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011. The 24-year-old captain has scored more goals than any NHL player since the start of the 2009-10 season. His absence from early November to just before a late-season trade sent Martin St. Louis to the New York Rangers created unexpected opportunities for several young players who helped the team stay afloat while Stamkos was out. Goaltender Ben Bishop set a franchise record with 37 victories before a left elbow injury sidelined him for the final week of the regular season and the playoffs. Rookie Ondrej Palate led the team with 59 points and another first-year player, Tyler Johnson, set a club record for rookies with 24 goals. In all, Tampa Bays rookies combined for 201 points, more than twice as many for first-year players from any other team. "Its been well documented what this team has gone through this year," Cooper said, adding that few people gave the Lightning much of a shot at making the playoffs when the season began. Stamkos said its important young players learn from their post-season experience. The Lightning dropped the first two games to the Canadiens at home and didnt feel they played their best hockey until the third period of Game 4 in Montreal on Tuesday night. "Everyones probably feeling a little embarrassed. But in the long run, you probably had to go through something like this," Stamkos said. "I think we will learn," the captain added, "that sacrifice, determination and work ethic is what wins at this time of year." Ryan Callahan, the former Rangers captain obtained in the deal that sent an unhappy St. Louis to New York, agreed. "This means nothing if as a group (the Lightning) doesnt realize how hard the playoffs are and how consistent you have to be moving forward," Callahan said. "Its a waste if you dont learn from it." Eight rookies made their playoff debut in Game 1, while another key player -- goalie Anders Lindback, standing in for Bishop -- entered the series with just 13 minutes of post-season experience. Six first-year players notched their first playoff points in the opener, won by the Canadiens 5-4 in overtime. The next step is returning next season and proving this years success wasnt a fluke. "The amount of youth that we have here is very promising," Stamkos said. "We want to be a perennial playoff team. This is a start." Ecco Shoes Wholesale . The Toronto Argonauts (11-7) look for an opportunity to repeat as CFL champions when they host the surging Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10-8) on Sunday. Cheap Ecco Shoes Online . - Young and old. http://www.cheapecco.us/. Wearing bib No. 1, Maze skied through the gates cleanly to defend her big first-run lead and finish 0.07 seconds ahead of Anna Fenninger of Austria. Defending champion Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany was third, trailing 0. Discount Ecco Shoes Online . - Pete Rose didnt want it to be about him, not on a day when four new members were elected to baseballs most exclusive club. Cheap Ecco Shoes Sale . Tepesch, back from the minor leagues, earned his first major league victory in more than 10 months and the Rangers edged the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Wednesday. MILWAUKEE -- The Toronto Blue Jays are heading home with a sense of relief. Outslugging one of the best teams in the National League can ease the sting of a 2-6 road trip. Jose Bautistas three-run homer capped a five-run sixth inning and Toronto snapped the Milwaukee Brewers five-game winning streak with a 9-5 victory Wednesday. Its time to start chipping away again in the AL East after falling a season-high nine games out of first entering the day. "This has not been a good road trip for us, anybody will tell you that," starter R.A. Dickey said. "The home run by Jose was the difference and you could kind of hear a collective sigh on the bench." Bautista hit a 1-2 pitch from reliever Brandon Kintzler into the Brewers bullpen in right field, scattering pitchers from their seats. The two-out homer made a winner of Dickey (10-12), who gave up five runs in 5 2-3 choppy innings. "In reality, thats baseball. You go through these stretches," manager John Gibbons. "It doesnt take much just to miss a ball." Dickey left after Carlos Gomezs two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth made it 7-5. The bullpen held on from there, and Toronto got some extra cushion after Colby Rasmus hit a two-run homer, his 16th of the year, in the ninth. The Blue Jays outhit the NL Central leaders 15-10. Brewers manager Ron Roenicke pointed back to the sixth as a turning point. "So tough inning, you know we come back and Gomey gets the two points and we get a little closer, and we give up another homer. So we just didnt pitch that well today," he said. "Offensively I thought it was really good day." LEARNING ON THE JOB Rookie Jimmy Nelson (2-4) took the loss after allowing the first two runners to reach in the sixth. Facing a former Cy Young Award winner for the fourth straight start, Nelson gave up four runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings. Roenicke said he thought Nelson threw the ball well, and credited the table-setters in Torontos order, Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera, with hitting ggood pitches to get Nelson in trouble.dddddddddddd Once again, the sinkerballer was doomed by one problematic inning. "These are good hitters, and if you cant put the ball where you want to -- and we know he has good stuff -- you still have to command the ball, and hes going to continue to do better at that," Roenicke said. TURNING POINT Milwaukee had the potential go-ahead run up with one out in the eighth and NL doubles leader Jonathan Lucroy at the plate. The .304 hitter hit a hard bouncer to reliever Dustin McGowan for an easy 1-6-3 double play. KNUCKLING DOWN Dickey, who won the Cy Young in 2012 while with the Mets, wasnt much better after allowing eight hits. Gerardo Parra had a double and triple off Dickey, making him a career 6 of 9 off the knuckleballer. "I expect more out of myself. Especially there in the sixth, I was one out away from it being a tolerable outing," Dickey said. TRAINERS ROOM Blue Jays: RHP Brandon Morrow, on the disabled list since May 3 because of a torn tendon in his right index finger, has "cut it loose" in throwing side sessions but isnt at full strength, Gibbons said. Toronto hopes Morrow will be ready in September, likely out of the bullpen. Brewers: Roenicke said he hasnt started discussions about what to do with Mike Fiers once RHP Matt Garza returns from the disabled list with a rib cage muscle injury. Garza will go back into the rotation when ready, likely in early next month. Fiers is 3-0 with an 0.86 ERA in three starts since being called up Aug. 9 from Triple-A. ON DECK Blue Jays: After an off-day, Toronto returns home to face the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. RHP Marcus Stroman (7-4) will try to rebound from a rough outing, after he failed to get out of the first and allowed five runs on Aug. 15 to the White Sox. Brewers: Milwaukee gets its second off-day in four days Thursday. RHP Yovani Gallardo (8-6) has a chance to put the struggling Pirates in deeper trouble in the NL Central when Pittsburgh begins a three-game series Friday. China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '