MONTREAL - If its not a must-win game, the Montreal Impacts home opener is certainly one they would very much like to win. After opening the Major League Soccer season with two tight losses on the road, the Impact will play host to the Seattle Sounders before more than 25,000 at Olympic Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It will be a first home game for new coach Frank Klopas, the first time Brossard, Que., native Patrice Bernier will play at home as team captain, and the last that star striker Marco Di Vaio will sit out from the three-game suspension he got for wading into a skirmish in the playoffs last October. "Its the third game of the season, but we need to start getting some points," former Chicago Fire boss Klopas said this week. "Its good to be home. "We definitely felt that we should have picked up some points on the road, but thats the game." The Impact opened the season March 8 with a 3-2 loss in Dallas marked by a harsh penalty awarded to the home team. They followed a week later with a 1-0 defeat in Houston. There was a feeling the team played better in the second game — that the defence was sharper, that better chances were created and that Di Vaios replacement Andrew Wenger looked more comfortable up front. "We have some momentum even if were 0-2," said Bernier, who replaced the departed Davy Arnaud as captain. "Its not like we played bad and got cleaned out. "We felt we progressed last game from the first game and now were coming home. We have to defend our home and weve been very good at home the last two years. This is a game that could send us in the right direction and give us a positive boost." They are up against a Seattle side (1-1-0) with a formidable attack, but which is coming off a 2-1 loss at home to Toronto FC on former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoes pair of first-half goals. The Sounders, old foes of the Impact from their A-League and United Soccer League days, have not beaten Montreal in MLS play. The Impact won 4-1 in Montreal in 2012 and opened the 2013 campaign with a 1-0 win in Seattle. But Seattle has been among the better away sides in MLS, with a 29-28-24 road record since they entered the league in 2009. Di Vaio and midfielder Andres Romero, both with three game suspensions, wont see action until a March 29 game in Philadelphia. In Di Vaios absence, winger Justin Mapp and attacking midfielder Felipe Martins have led the offence. The veteran Mapp was among their best players last season, but Felipe looks to have rebounded from a mediocre campaign and is looking more like the energetic playmaker he was as a rookie in 2012. He has yet to score, but leads the team with eight shots. "I had a few chances," he said. "But the hardest thing is to create chances and were doing that. "The only thing is we have to put it in the net, but that is going to come. Its not after one or two games you have to figure out whats going on. Its just soccer, no? One time a goal goes in and after that it comes natural." Klopas likes what hes seen of the Brazilian. "He missed the beginning of the season with injury last year and that was one reason his fitness level and sharpness werent the same," the coach said. "Hes a guy that sometimes doesnt get the points, but he helps the team in so many ways without the ball, with his work rate and stuff like that. "Ive been very pleased with him and I know he has a lot more room to grow." Bernier, coming off knee surgery, missed the season opener but got in 72 minutes in Houston. The team is still waiting for Bernier, Felipe and designated player Hernan Bernardello to all be at peak form to see what the centre of their midfield can do. Bernardello was injured shortly after signing last summer. The Impact are to play their first three home games at the Big O before moving outdoors to Saputo Stadium. Klopas coached Chicago against the Impact in Montreals first MLS game at Olympic Stadium in 2012, a 1-1 draw. "Its amazing that two years ago I was on the opposite side in the first game here, with a tremendous atmosphere," he said. "I hope its the same, only now theyre cheering for me and our team." Cheap Yeezy 350 v2 Mens . McCutchen hit his first home run in over a month, doubled twice and scored two runs to help the Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 on Sunday and take three of four from the defending NL West champions. Wholesale Yeezy 350 v2 Womens . Bjoerndalen, who had failed to win any major race for two years before Sochi, writes in a Facebook entry that he is "full of energy and inspiration" after winning the 10-kilometre sprint and mixed relay at last months Olympics. http://www.yeezys350cheap.com/cheapest-y...lar-orange.html. The outdoor event will be played on Dec. 31 between alumni of the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Wholesale Yeezy 350 V3 . On paper, it looks a little like Andre the Giant taking on a midget wrestler. It has all the makings of a rout with the Americans adding an eighth win in nine outings of this biennial event. The Yanks have eight players in the top 15 in the world while the Internationals have just one. Yeezy Wholesale Authentic . Robert Griffin III, the No. 2 pick in the 2012 draft, set numerous rookie records and was picked AP Offensive Rookie of the Year for the Washington Redskins.The Los Angeles Kings put veteran centre Mike Richards on waivers Monday, apparently not satisfied with the proposed return in any potential efforts to trade the declining centre. Richards, 29, was a point-per-game player at his peak, tallying 80 points in 79 games in 2008-2009 and has been a contributor on two Stanley Cup winning teams in Los Angeles (2012, 2014), as well as playing a primary role on the Philadelphia Flyers run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. Since 2007-2008, Richards ranks eighth with 86 playoff points. Richards production has been in steady decline, however. RICHARDS DECLINING PRODUCTION YEAR TEAM GPG PPG SOG/GP CORSI% RELATIVE CORSI% 2007-08 Philadelphia 0.38 1.03 2.90 47.6% +1.2% 2008-09 Philadelphia 0.38 1.01 3.01 48.6% +0.6% 2009-10 Philadelphia 0.38 0.76 2.89 52.2% +1.4% 2010-11 Philadelphia 0.28 0.81 2.27 49.2% -0.3% 2011-12 Los Angeles 0.24 0.59 2.31 49.0% -6.6% 2012-13 Los Angeles 0.25 0.42 1.71 54.3% -2.9% 2013-14 Los Angeles 0.13 0.50 1.91 54.4% -3.2% 2014-15 Los Angeles 0.11 0.32 1.23 51.9% -3.2% He still has positive possession numbers but, given how well the Kings fare without him on the ice, Richards is practically being dragged to respectable shot differentials. While in previous seasons he at least faced a reasonable level of competition, Richards has continued his descent this year while facing relatively-soft competition. There may be an argument to make that a motivated Richards could still be a useful contributor, but his contract is going to make it challenging to find a new opportunity. After this season, Richards still has five years remaining on his deal, at a cap hit of $5.75-million per season, a big ticket for an underperforming player. The easiest way for the Kings to rid themselves of that contract would have been to use a compliance buyout on Richards last summer, but its hard to ante up $20-million for a player not to play on your team. Difficult as it may have been, the decision not to buy out Richards then leaves the Kings in a tight spot now. They dont get much cap relief ($925,000) by putting him in the AHL, and while that has value to a team jammed against the salary cap, it doesnt clear the decks in the way that it would have under the previous collective bargaining agreement, when Wade Redden, among others, got buried in the AHL with a big NHL salary. The hope for the Kings has to be to find a trade for Richards, but thats going to require some creativity. It may require eating up to half of Richards salary, taking on a bad contract from another team, or both. With a quick look around the league, seeking some undesirable contracts for underperforming players to go in the other direction, here are some possible options to consideer in a deal for Richards.dddddddddddd To Calgary: For LW Mason Raymond and C Matt Stajan, with the Kings retaining part of Richards salary. Raymond has been a frequent healthy scratch and Stajan has been playing fourth-line minutes, so their on-ice contributions arent very significant, but they would be cheaper for the Kings, either to keep and play in depth roles this season or to buy out in the offseason. Maybe throw Flames winger David Jones into the mix too. To Carolina: For LW/RW Alexander Semin The Hurricanes are paying Semin $7-million per season, on a contract that runs for three more seasons, and hes barely able to get into the lineup. Between injuries and healthy scratches, hes played five games in the past six weeks and has one goal in 26 games this season. Considering the Kings dont have much cap space, taking on Semins higher cap hit this season probably doesnt fit. To Edmonton: For a late-round draft pick, with the Kings retaining half of Richards salary. While the Oilers have room down the middle to give Richards an opportunity, the Oilers dont have any disastrous contracts on the books to send the other way. Its also fair to wonder whether Richards is the right influence on Edmontons young players. Sure, Richards is an accomplished pro with a strong playoff track record, but hes also a veteran whose game has been in decline due to questionable conditioning. To Philadelphia: For C Vincent Lecavalier or D Andrew MacDonald The Flyers are no strangers to regrettable contracts, and they could try to pawn off Lecavalier or MacDonald, two players with big money contracts that have been healthy scratches this season, in the hopes that a return to Philadelphia would energize Richards. To Toronto: For RW David Clarkson. There was talk that the Kings and Maple Leafs discussed a deal involving defenceman Dion Phaneuf, but there would have had to be more involved in the negotiation for the Kings, in need of help on defence, to turn that down. From the Maple Leafs perspective, they would love to get out from under Clarksons deal, but the complications involved in buying out Clarksons deal actually make Richards contract more palatable. To Winnipeg: For G Ondrej Pavelec and D Grant Clitsome The Jets could use depth up front, but if they are going to take Richards, they would have to send some undesirable contracts to Los Angeles. The Kings dont have a real need for Pavelec, but the others on long-term deals in Winnipeg are productive. Given that Pavelec only has a couple of years left on his deal, the Jets would need to acquire something else - draft picks, a prospect - to make the investment worthwhile. None of these destinations represent an easy fix to the Kings situation, and teams can afford to be patient - theres no rush to acquire that contract - but if the Kings are prepared to offer incentives and retain salary, there could be some feasible options. Otherwise, presuming that Richards will get throgh waivers, he will head to Manchester of the AHL, hoping to recover his game. Scott Cullen can be reached at scott.cullen@bellmedia.ca ' ' '