That old maxim about defences winning championships was being spread on pretty heavily during Super Bowl week. Wholesale Athletics Jerseys . By the Broncos, of all teams. Yes, the very same AFC champions who tore up the league with a record 606 points, 55 touchdowns coming off Peyton Mannings arm, have been touting how strong their defence has become. Measure it against Seattles unit, which allowed a very miserly 231 points and ranked first against the pass and in overall D, and the Broncos would seem to be whistling a hollow tune. But linebacker Danny Trevathan, a breakout player in his second NFL season, sees plenty of greatness in his defence, too. "Oh yeah. You are supposed to have that attitude," Trevathan said. "On defence youre not supposed to let guys push you over. You are supposed to be the aggressor on defence and you are supposed to have that attitude. I think that is what makes playing defence so passionate to me. "I think this game was meant for tough guys. You cant be soft out here." No one is soft on either of these teams, of course. On the contrary, its only the second time in 20 years that the top seed in each conference got this far. Its also that classic matchup that so excites fans, media and, yes, players. The Seahawks cant wait for the chance to test themselves against Manning, seeking his second ring in an almost-certain Hall of Fame career. "Its going to be a great challenge," middle linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "Theyre talented all across the board. They protect Peyton well and they run the ball well. Hes definitely passed the ball well. Its up to us to do our jobs and make sure that we come ready to play." Expect both sides to be very ready. Denver (15-3, No. 2 in the AP Pro32) is a 2 1-2-point favourite over Seattle (also 15-3, but top-ranked in the AP Pro32). The main reason for that spread: In the points-crazed NFL, fans who bet early dive headfirst into the offence. With their wallets open. Plus, the biggest star in this game, and pretty much any time he is in uniform, is Manning. That draws more support for the Broncos. But not here. Pro Picks sees the Seahawks quick, relentless and heady defence putting more pressure on Manning than he has seen all season. Yes, hes been sacked only 20 times, and he might not go down a whole bunch in the Jersey Meadowlands on Sunday. But he will be forced to throw before he wants to or before his four outstanding receivers -- Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Eric Decker and tight end Julius Thomas -- shake free from the tight coverage of the NFLs best secondary led by All-Pros Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas. Seattle also brings the heat with the deepest rotation of linemen in the league, and some savvy, versatile linebackers. The Seahawks dont take their foot off the gas, either. For the Broncos to prosper, theyll need a huge contribution from Knowshon Moreno and the running game. It could happen, particularly if the Seahawks are overly protective of not letting Manning get on track. But hardly anyone dominates on the ground against Seattle. For those who believe the Seahawks will need to light up the scoreboard to beat the Broncos, we think a couple of touchdowns and a few field goals will do the job. Silent man Marshawn Lynch running the ball in Beast Mode, and some improvisation from quarterback Russell Wilson -- along with the best defence since the 2000 Ravens -- will be enough. Athletics Jerseys 2020 . The 40-year-old midfielder was put in charge on Tuesday when David Moyes reign ended after 10 months with the defending champions in seventh place in the English Premier League. Oakland Athletics Store ." One game is checked off, 15 remain and the next one to get crossed out could come Tuesday night when the defending champion Heat host the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series. https://www.cheapathleticsonline.com/ . The Calgary skip fell 10-8 to Swedens Oskar Eriksson in semifinal action Saturday and will face Switzerlands Peter de Cruz for the bronze medal (Saturday at 10pm et/7pm pt on TSN2).Sidney Crosby showed why he is the reigning Hart Trophy winner in Thursdays season-opening win over Anaheim. Now he steps into the spotlight again as the Penguins visit the Toronto Maple Leafs in tonights battle at Air Canada Centre. Listen to the Penguins vs. Maple Leafs live on TSN Radio Toronto 1050 starting at 5pm et. While Pittsburgh picked up a win in its first try, the Maple Leafs will try to rebound from a season-opening loss to Montreal when they play their second home game tonight. Toronto dropped a 4-3 decision to the visiting Canadiens on Wednesday, with Tomas Plekanec scoring the game-winning goal with just 42.9 seconds remaining. Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly each scored for the Maple Leafs, who had a streak of four straight season-opening wins over Montreal snapped. Obviously well try to put (Wednesday) behind us, said Bozak. Were looking toward Pittsburgh and all the talent they have in their lineup, its going to be a tough game for us. Jonathan Bernier stopped 28 shots in the loss. He makes his second straight start in goal tonight, with James Reimer likely to follow in New York on Sunday. Defenceman Cody Franson has been activated from Injured Reserve and will likely make his season debut tonight. Franson missed the opener with a bruised left knee and while head coach Randy Carlyle would only say he is an option, Franson himself said he was ready to play. Stuart Percy would likely come out in Fransons place. The Maple Leafs made some roster moves on Thursday, picking up Richard Panik off waivers from Tampa Bay while assigning fellow forwards Troy Bodie and Josh Leivo to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. The 23-year-old Panik played 50 games for the Lightning in 2013-14 and recorded three goals and 10 assists. Oakland Athletics Gear. Panik is expected to make his Leafs debut this evening. Pittsburgh has won four of five and five of its last seven meetings with the Maple Leafs. However, Toronto has fared well recently as the host against the Penguins, taking four of the past six encounters at Air Canada Centre. Crosby, who won his second NHL MVP award in 2013-14, recorded two goals and an assist to help the Penguins down the visiting Ducks by a 6-4 score. The 27- year-old Pittsburgh captain led the NHL with 104 points last season, and his three-point night on Thursday was a good way to begin 2014-15. Pascal Dupuis chipped in a goal and three assists for a Pittsburgh team that was rolling offensively in new head coach Mike Johnstons first game behind the bench. Patric Hornqvist added a goal and one assist in his Penguins debut, while Olli Maatta had three helpers in the win. Johnston took over the coaching job after Dan Bylsma was fired following a second-round loss to the New York Rangers in last years playoffs. Its certainly exciting, Johnston said of the result. The first game out of 82 games, its good to get the win. Now weve got some building blocks going forward and we faced a very good team tonight. The Penguins put up 39 shots on Pittsburgh native John Gibson, who let up all six goals in a rough homecoming that spoiled a hat trick from Anaheim teammate Corey Perry. Marc-Andre Fleury, meanwhile, turned aside 25 chances for the Penguins. Evgeni Malkin sat out training camp with an undisclosed injury, but was able to play in the opener for Pittsburgh. The Russian star recorded an assist in just under 17 minutes of ice time. ' ' '