Growing up in the Toronto neighbourhood of Mimico, Brendan and Reilly Smith never played organized hockey together. Just everything else. "We were always playing mini sticks or road hockey or shinny on the ice out on the rink, stuff like that," Brendan Smith said. "We were always playing with or against each other." Inevitably, one-on-one games in the basement would get heated. If it was last goal wins, Reilly said Brendan would often make sure they kept playing until he scored it. It wont be that easy this time as Brendans Detroit Red Wings meet Reillys Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Theyve met in the regular season, but this was a matchup the brothers and their parents were hoping to avoid. "We dont like when theyre against each other," mother Deidre said on HBOs "24/7" program. "We like it when theyre against other people." When the Red Wings were making their wild-card run last month, Reilly told Brendan to keep racking up the points to get the first spot and a matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins instead of his Bruins. "He told me he doesnt want to see that," Brendan recalled. "He doesnt want to see that in the first round because he thinks we play really well against them. I think we match up decently well against Boston. I think we match up better against them than Pittsburgh." Reilly didnt get his wish, as the Bruins and Red Wings are meeting in the playoffs for the first time since 1957. Game 1 is Friday night in Boston. That was 30 years before Lester and Deidre Smith started having kids, and now they have to witness their sons playing against each other. "Theyll probably be wearing a jersey sewed down the middle with Boston and Detroit," Reilly told reporters in Wilmington, Mass., as quoted by the Boston Globe. "Maybe my mom wont wear it, its definitely a fashion statement. But I dont think my dad will worry too much." The Red Wings won three of four meetings with the Bruins this season, including April 2 in Detroit to snap Bostons streak of 16 games without a regulation loss. Reilly had an assist in each of those games, while Brendan went without a point the three times he played against Boston. "When Boston plays Detroit, we root for both of them to play well," father Lester said on "24/7" in December. "But its fun." Its much more fun for the brothers to watch and help each other now that theyve reached the NHL. Brendan said he and Reilly talk every day during the season, sometimes for confidence-boosting purposes. "I talk to him about things, things that are going wrong with him, if hes on a cold streak. We can both help each other," Brendan said. "Were always talking. I think its good for me and I think its good for both of us is that we understand. Were both in the same profession and we know what its like on a day-in, day-out basis, so we can help each other and maybe if things arent going well crack a smile on each other. Its a good relationship." Brendan, at 25 the middle of three brothers with professional lacrosse player Rory the oldest, is Reillys biggest supporter. He didnt quite agree that Reilly turned out to be the best return from Bruins trade that sent Tyler Seguin to the Dallas Stars -- because Loui Eriksson is really good -- but he expected the 23-year-old forward to thrive. "I think hes been the most shock-and-awe factor in that trade that nobody saw that (was going) to happen," Brendan said. "We did as a family, and a lot of people that have seen Reilly in previous years in college and St. Mikes, they knew who Reilly was." All Reilly needed, according to his brother, was an opportunity to play with better linemates. Getting that chance, eventually on a line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, Reilly broke out with 20 goals and 31 assists for a career-high 51 points. "He never really got that great of a chance with Dallas on the fourth line (where) its hard to produce when youre a skill player," Brendan said. "Once he got into a system where hes starting to play with high-production players, obviously he jumped off the page." Reillys stats at the start to his Bruins tenure certainly jumped off the page. After just three goals and six assists in 37 games with the Stars last season, he had 30 points in his first 38 games for Boston. "Its kind of interesting to watch it and for me to follow it. Reilly came out flying, he was really hot and then it became Marchand and now its Bergeron," Brendan said. "Its like theyre all taking their turn to get that limelight. ... Its a good line and its impressive to see that Reillys done so well." Even though Reilly went cold late in the season, he still finished sixth on the Presidents Trophy-winning Bruins in scoring. He credited captain Zdeno Chara and others for the fact he was able to integrate so well into an established group. "I think it comes down to the leadership on this team," Reilly said. "From management down, it seems like, for me at least being a new player joining this system, the structure was there. They just kind of throw you into it. It doesnt really matter who it is, someones always trying to help you out and make your game easier and help you be more successful. " That a couple of hockey players from Mimico found success isnt surprising, considering Brendan Shanahan, David Clarkson, Dave Bolland and others came out of there. Two from the same family, Brendan said, is a testament to their parents. "The drive and all theyve done for us and how theyve brought us up from young guys, I think thats the main reason why weve been successful," he said. "We always wanted to be professional and play in the NHL and we were fortunate to do that. And I think thats something our parents instilled in us was that drive." Brian Orakpo College Jersey . Compared to what hes gone through in recent weeks, that seemed like a breeze. Speaking to The Associated Press on Friday at an NBA Cares event, Silver said hes thrilled that the leagues attention can be on the championship series between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs -- and not, as it was for so much of the post-season, on the off-the-court matters involving the banishment of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling and now the looming sale of that franchise. Earl Campbell College Jersey . Less than 24 hours later, in the same arena, he tried to recreate the magic of his all-time favourite player. Hilliard scored a career-high 26 points and No. More importantly, he is trying to show his young teammates the Colorado are still post-season contenders. He hopes winning a series at home was a fresh start. Wholesale Texas Jerseys . Henry, who missed three games with a knee injury, was charged with a handball in the penalty area in the 82nd minute as he went to block a strike from Patrick Mullins. On the ensuing penalty kick, Lee Nguyen picked up his fourth goal of the season, giving the Revolution a 2-1 win Saturday afternoon. Stitched Texas Jerseys . -- The Chiefs have signed seven players to reserve/future contracts, including running back Joe McKnight, a former fourth-round pick of the New York Jets. TORONTO -- Four games into the MLS season, the Toronto FC training room is packed. And more worrying, it is filled with marquee talent. Toronto (3-1-0) could be without as many as five starters for Saturdays visit by the Colorado Rapids (2-1-1) including two designated players whose combined pay this season is close to US$13 million. Catch the game on TSN starting at 4pm et/1pm pt. England striker Jermain Defoe (hamstring) is out for the second straight week. American midfielder Michael Bradley missed another practice Friday, his body feeling the effects of games for both the U.S. and Toronto last week. "Were giving him every single chance ... well make a decision (Saturday)," manager Ryan Nelsen said of his teams midfield general. Centre back Doneil Henry (knee) will sit out a second straight game. Jonathan Osorio (hamstring) is "probably a no" for the third week in a row and fellow midfielder Alvaro Rey (hamstring) is "very very questionable." Because of injuries and suspensions, Toronto has only five players who have started every game so far: goalkeeper Julio Cesar, defenders Mark Bloom and Justin Morrow and midfielders Bradley and Rey. And that number could be down to three after this weekend. Defoe was sidelined by a hamstring injury at Spurs earlier this season. Nelsen has said the two injuries are not linked and repeated Friday that the England star was dealing with a mild strain. Hamstrings are tricky things, especially for elite soccer players. Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, for example, ran 12.2 kilometres in Wednesdays Champions League semifinal against Barcelona. Toronto, which has used 19 players to date, has had to put the brakes on Defoe, who has wanted to resume training. Nelsen, however, sees a bigger picture. "The one thing that we dont want is obviously him coming back and getting re-injured. And so if we have to sacrifice an extra week, we have to sacrifice an extra week." Nelsen said the team has been reviewing everything at its disposal -- from heart rate to distance travelled in training -- to see if things could be done differently. The club is also learning the ins and outs of the bodies of new players like Defoe, he added. The TFC manager says there are no alarm bells about the current spate of injuries. A challenging opening to the schedule and the long winter that has kept practices until this week to artificial turf under a bubble at the team training centre havent helped. Most top soccer pros would rather gargle cod liver oil than set foot on artificial turf. Nelsen believes that this is just the kind of injury run that all clubs go through at some point. "It happens at Chelsea, it happens at Man City, it happens at every single club. Hopefully were just getting all of them done now." Said captain Steven Caldwell: "Its disappointing that weve got a few injurries but a lot of them are nobodys fault.dddddddddddd." In the case of Toronto, this is a squad that brought in at least seven new starters this season. Time has been needed on the training ground to get everyone on the same page. Youre damned if you, damned if you dont, Nelsen said of practice regimens. "Because if you pull them out of training and just rest them, then theyre not ready for the demands of a game. Were sitting with three wins because the guys are fit and organized. But we couldnt have done that if we had all wrapped them up in cotton wool." Bradley presents an interesting case in point. Rested this week, he is probably the exception to the rule that starters need to practise. If he doesnt start, speculation will grow that he is dealing with more than the variety of strains the club has pointed to. The good news is the injuries have not slowed Toronto down so far. Missing Defoe, Osorio, Henry and the suspended Caldwell last week, it still managed to topple previously unbeaten Columbus away from home. Also on the plus side, squad players like rookie defender Nick Hagglund and second-year midfielder Kyle Bekker have stepped up. And veteran Bradley Orr showed his moxie in smoothly shifting over to centre back. Nelsen says his reserves have stepped up to the challenge during the current injury glut. But he is not about to say debate over his teams depth is over. "I always got told that anybody can play one, two, three games at any level," he said. "But its the ability to spit them out week in, week out ... thats the mark of what a really good player is." Orr will likely partner Caldwell in central defence with Bekker deputizing for Osorio in midfield again. Dwayne De Rosario could start on the flank for Rey with Issey Nakajima-Farran who scored off the bench last week, possibly partnering Gilberto up front. Jeremy Hall may get the nod if Bradley cant go. The pitch at BMO Field, poor for the home opener thanks to the brutal winter, should be better Saturday although the players know it will take time to return to top condition. "Its not going to be ideal," said Caldwell, who returns from his one-game suspension. Colorado, under new head coach Pablo Mastroeni, has already defeated Portland and Vancouver this season and tied the New York Red Bulls. The lone loss was a 3-2 decision to defending champion Sporting Kansas City. "Theyve got a really nice team thats been around together as well for a bit," said Nelsen. "Theyre a team, for me, that has no real weaknesses. Theyre just a lovely, solid MLS team thats going to be very difficult." Spanish midfielder Jose Mari -- real name Jose Maria Martin Bejarano-Serrano -- introduced himself last week with two goals against Vancouver. The first, a swerving left-footed rocket, was judged the leagues goal of the week. Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale College Jerseys Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Baseball Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Jerseys From China Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Nike NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China Cheap NCAA Jerseys China Stitched NFL Jerseys Cheap Custom Jerseys China Cheap Basketball Jerseys Authentic NFL Jerseys China Cheap College Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys ' ' '