MONTREAL - Defence was the hot topic for Montreal Impact this week and it was only fitting with the Columbus Crew in town. The Crew scored nine goals in three games - a pair of wins and a loss - during a recently completed three-game homestand. Now they face an Impact team that is tied with Houston with an MLS-worst 45 goals conceded this season. Listen to the match live on TSN Radio 690 Montreal tonight at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The last-place Impact (4-15-5) face the fourth-place Crew (8-8-9) at Saputo Stadium on Saturday night looking to improve their overall defensive play, not just the back line anchored by veteran Matteo Ferrari. The Impact were feeling good about last week, which started with a 1-0 win at home over Chicago to end a seven-game losing run and a 3-2 victory in El Salvador in CONCACAF Champions League play. But it ended with a 4-2 defeat on the road to the New York Red Bulls that had coach Frank Klopas stressing defence at practice this week. "Weve got to keep working without the ball," said Klopas, whose team left gaping holes for the Red Bulls attack once it relinquished the lead. "The more compact we are defensively, it will make things more difficult for other teams. "Thats why, when we fell behind (to New York), it didnt play to our strengths." Red Bulls star Thierry Henrys brilliance was the main cause for that, as he erased the 1-0 lead Dilly Duka produced with his first goal for Montreal with a prescient header. Henry calmly poked in another and MLS scoring leader Bradley Wright-Phillips added two more around Andres Romeros late goal. Fatigue was a factor with the Impact playing three times in eight days, but defensive lapses have been a problem all season for Montreal. Klopas said when he was named coach last winter that the aim was to allow 10 fewer goals than the 49 conceded in 2013. That objective wont be met, and there are 10 games left in the regular season. And now they face Columbus, which has gifted nine-goal scorer Federico Higuain masterminding an attack that gets goals from many sources, including Ethan Finlay (six goals) and Justin Meram (five). There is also six-foot-seven forward Adam Bedell to contend with. "Players like Henry and Higuain, you cant stop them, you can just try to control them," said Impact captain Patrice Bernier. "You just need to be aware of them on the field and dont let them hurt you." The Impact are 1-5-1 against the Crew, including a 2-1 loss in Columbus in July, in three MLS seasons. The teams are 1-1-1 in Montreal. The Impact hope their game is picking up as the end of the season nears. New designed player Ignacio (Nacho) Piatti was promising in his first week with the club, and 38-year-old striker Marco Di Vaio is finding his range with three goals in his last three games. With Andres Romeo, who has scored in consecutive games, having a solid season at midfield, the Impact see themselves as a better team than their record shows. "I still believe we have a really good team, we just havent got the results this year," said defender Heath Pearce. "And with 10 games remaining in the season, we want to go on a run and put up a significant amount of points." Crew defender Eric Gehrig thinks so, too. "Were not going to look at the points they have or the stats they have," Gehrig told his teams website. "Were going to look at what they have on the field. On their best day, theyre a very good team, one of the best teams in the League." While the Impact have scored only 25 goals in 24 games, second lowest ahead of Chivas USAs 21, they feel that Piattis arrival gives them a dynamic offence. "We have more attacking options, with more players who are dangerous around the goal," said Di Vaio. "The hardest part is to try to control the game now. "If we can stop the other team from scoring, we know now that we can find the goals." The Impact may have Pearce and fullback Eric Miller back from injury to give them extra options at the back. They also signed Nigerian centreback Gege Soriola this week. Romero is to play his 50th game for Montreal. The Crew lost a top player last week when Costa Rican international defender Giancarlo Gonzalez was sold to Palermo of Italys Serie-A. Hydro Flask Kaffe .J. -- Having Ondrej Pavelec earn his 100th NHL win and seeing Mark Scheifele and Evander Kane break goal droughts were nice highlights for the Winnipeg Jets. Hydro Flask Rea . Observant Muslims avoid food and liquids from dawn to dusk during Ramadan but can, and often do, skip it if travelling or doing hard physical labour. Some devout Muslim athletes choose to fast during training or competition, but it can create selection difficulties for the coaches in team sports. http://www.sverigehydroflask.com/ . This week they discuss Russias mens hockey team, the ineptitude of the IOC handling the Nicklas Backstrom situation, John Tortorellas many apologies, and Canadas strong showing in curling. Hydro Flask 32 OZ .ca. Hi Mr. Fraser, When I was watching the Heritage Classic in Vancouver there was a play midway through the third where Ottawa crashed the Canucks net and it came off its moorings. Hydro Flask Coffee .Y. - Through three quarters, the Brooklyn Nets could not shake the NBAs worst team.With the Los Angeles Kings on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup with a 3-0 series lead over the New York Rangers, the debate has begun as to whom should win the Conn Smythe Trophy for this years playoffs. Unlike in 2012 when the Kings last won the Cup, there is no obvious choice for the most valuable player in the playoffs. That year, goaltender Jonathan Quick posted a 16-4 record with a .946 save percentage, 1.41 goals-against-average and three shutouts en route to winning the award. Quick is again a candidate to win this year, however he may not be the favourite. In 24 playoff games, Quick has a 15-9 record, a .910 save percentage and 2.69 goals against average. He also has two shutouts in the playoffs, including one against the Rangers in Game 3. The Kings have used a high-scoring offence to get within a game of winning the Stanley Cup this season. Their 84 goals in the playoffs are 24 more than the next-best Rangers. Leading the way on offence is Anze Kopitar, who leads in scoring with 26 points in 24 playoff games. Kopitars 21 assists in this years run sits second in Kings history, behind only Wayne Gretzkys 25 helpers in 1993. However, Kopitar has just five goals, while nine of his assists have come on Marion Gaborik goals. Gaborik, acquired by the Kings on trade deadline day from the Columbus Blue Jackets, leads the playoffs in goals with 13. His finest game of the playoffs ccame in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks, when he scored with seven seconds left in regulation to tie the game and scored again in overtime to take the series opener.dddddddddddd "Mr. Game 7," Justin Williams, also has an overtime winner on his playoff resume this year. Williams scored to lift the Kings over the Rangers in Game 1 -- one of eight goals hes scored in the playoffs. An emotional leader for the team, Williams is tied for second in playoff scoring with 24 points and leads the team with a plus-14 rating. He also has six points through three Stanley Cup Final games. Tied with Williams at 24 points is forward Jeff Carter, who played a similar role to Gaborik in 2012 after being acquired mid-season from the Blue Jackets. Carter has 10 goals in these playoffs, including a team-high four on the power play. However, hurting Carters campaign is his plus-five rating. If any defenceman is to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for the Kings, it would likely be Drew Doughty, who leads the Kings blue line with 17 points and has been their top defenceman throughout the playoffs, averaging over 28 minutes of ice-time per game. With multiple options available, the Conn Smythe Trophy debate may come down to the Kings final victory. Until then, who do you believe will be named the most valuable player should the Kings defeat the Rangers? As always, its Your! Call. ' ' '