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NASHVILLE -- Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne cant wait to test himself in a game. The Predators, who announced Wednesday that they are sending Rinne to their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee, are cautiously waiting to see if the two-time Vezina Trophy finalist can help them chase down a playoff berth. Both Rinne and the team will have a better idea of where he is after the conditioning assignment for games Friday and likely Sunday in this latest step in his recovery from an E. coli infection in his surgically repaired left hip. Rinne has been limited to only nine games this season. Coach Barry Trotz said the Predators will be monitoring Rinne after each practice and game. "Hes at a point where weve got to find out where he is game-wise and also body and mind," Trotz said of Rinne. The Predators start a five-game home stand Thursday night hosting Tampa Bay just four points back of the Western Conferences eighth and final playoff spot with 23 games remaining. They missed the playoffs last year for only the second time in nine seasons. How quickly Rinne rejoins them depends on how he fares in Milwaukee. Rinne practiced with the Predators on Wednesday before travelling to Milwaukee, and he called this a big day with doctors giving him the green light for the latest step in his long recovery. He has been sidelined since Oct. 24 for an infection in the hip surgically repaired May 9, and Rinne said hes focusing on getting his game back and help the Predators. "So far I feel really comfortable," Rinne said. "Im happy how things have gone in practice and how things have gone so far. I think Im actually a little bit surprised its been going so well. But like I said, its still a process but for sure I feel like Im really close to game shape and now its just a final couple of games before I jump on the ice with the Nashville team." Rinne, 31, is sixth in the NHL with 152 wins since the 2008-09 season and has 30 shutouts since 2008-09, which leads all goalies during that time. He hasnt played since Oct. 22 in a 2-0 loss at Minnesota. He is 4-4-1 with a 2.31 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. The Predators have played four other goalies this season trying to make up for Rinnes absence. Currently, Carter Hutton is their starter, and he is 13-9-4 with a .904 save percentage and 2.87 goals-against average. Trotz said what theyve been missing without Rinne is a game-changer who can mean the difference in as many as 20 points in the standings each season. "Hes an elite goaltender and steals games maybe when you dont deserve it," Trotz said. "He can steal points." Trotz said theyre not sure what theyll see from Rinne. "Its not about Pekka coming back and being a saviour," Trotz said. "I think its Pekka coming back and adding to our mix. And if he can get his game to the level close to what hes capable of, were a better hockey team plain and simple. To me, its about Pekka for hopefully the next five or six years. Hes a difference maker." Captain Shea Weber, who practiced with the Predators on Wednesday after helping Canada win the Olympic gold medal Sunday in Sochi, said the Predators are definitely excited about the prospect of Rinne returning to the lineup as they try to chase down a playoff spot. "Weve been through a lot this year and to see what position we put ourselves in here four points out coming in its not going to be easy by any means," Weber said. "If anyone can do it, we can." Goedkope Nike Air Max . The Italian side scored twice in a four-minute span in the second half to defeat former stars from S. Nike Air Max Sale Outlet . The D-Backs came into being in 1998 and appear destined to finish second in the AL West after the Tsunami that is the Los Angeles Dodgers swept over them. I thought it might be interesting to see what the D-backs have done over their 16 years compared to what the Blue Jays have done over their past 16 campaigns. http://www.goedkopeairmaxsale.nl/ . Grilli hasnt pitched since straining his left oblique in late April. Manager Clint Hurdle says the right-hander will make a couple of appearances in middle relief before the team determines whether to return Grilli to the back end of the bullpen. Korting Nike Air Max . -- The Oakland Raiders expect to have starting right tackle Tony Pashos back for Sundays game against the Houston Texans. Air Max Sale Outlet .Y. -- The New York Islanders were seeking a positive finish to a frustrating season on home ice.CALGARY - Bo Levi Mitchell will be looking for his CFL record eighth straight victory to start his career when he leads the Calgary Stampeders against the B.C. Lions. Mitchell is currently tied with former Stampeders quarterback Jeff Garcia as his team looks to go 5-0 for the first time since 1995. You can catch the action live on TSN at 10pm et/7pm pt. The Stampeders take pride in their culture of "plug-in-and-play". When injury forces a player from the lineup, the replacement is expected to excel and help the team win. And with Calgarys star running back Jon Cornish and backup tailback Matt Walter out with concussion symptoms, it appears former CFL rookie of the year Martell Mallett will play in his first football game since 2009. The 28-year-old from Pine Bluff, Ark., rushed for 1,240 yards for the Lions in 2009, including a 136-yard performance in a game against the Stampeders, to earn that rookie award. Mallett then headed to the NFL where he got looks on practice rosters in Philadelphia, Cleveland and New York, but no games. The six-foot, 208-pound running back returned to Canada in 2012 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. A torn Achilles tendon suffered in training camp wiped out the season and the Tiger-Cats released him prior to training camp the following year. Signed as a free agent in January, Mallett came off Calgarys practise roster this week for some first-team reps. The Stampeders picked up running back Hugh Charles as insurance Monday following his release from the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Mallett has been with the Stampeders since training camp and is more familiar with Calgarys offensive schemes. "I look at it as a blessing," Mallett said Tuesday. "Its been a while since I played football. Ive been here, learning the playbook, learning the system and it just came down to my time to go. Thats why Im here, for depth." Cornish, the CFLs most valuable player last season and rushing leader the past two, went on the six-game injured list last week still suffering the effects of getting knocked out in the season opener. In his absence, regular returner Jock Sanders led Calgary in rushing yards with 86 on 16 carries in last Thursdays 26-22 win over Edmonton. Walters left that game in the first quarter. Mallett has a degree in agriculture business from Arkansas-Pine Bluff. His post-football ambition is to work for U.dddddddddddd. Fish and Wildlife as a special agent chasing down poachers. "I grew up in a country town. I love hunting and I love fishing, but I hate it when people break the rules," he said. Malletts brother Michael was shot and killed in their home town in 2012 while Mallett was recovering from his Achilles surgery. Michael is one reason Mallett isnt done with football and moving onto to his next career. "If my brother was here, he would want me to continue to play football," Mallett said. "With that in consideration and my youth, I just feel like I can do it. I have a lot of miles left on me. I havent played a whole lot." The Stampeders went 14-4 in 2013 with a three-man rotation at starting quarterback and receivers constantly in and out of the lineup. "Thats been in our biggest thing the last couple of years. Guys plug in and play," defensive back Keon Raymond said. "Weve probably been one of the most injury-prone teams over the last couple years Ive been here, but we havent missed a beat. One of Calgarys three starting quarterbacks last season returns to McMahon Stadium on Friday in a Lions uniform. Kevin Glenn went 10-3 for the Stampeders before he was taken in the expansion draft by the Ottawa Redblacks and subsequently traded to the Lions. Charles has taken reps and worked with the return team in two practices since his arrival in Calgary. Hes been cut this season by both the Roughriders and the Edmonton Eskimos, for whom hes played a combined 55 career games. The Eskimos released him from training camp. The 28-year-old from Tulsa, Okla., compiled 86 yards on 13 carries in his one game July 12 for Saskatchewan, but a fumble that led to a Lions field goal likely cost him his job there. "That was the majority of it. I was there to prove a point and I just didnt get it done," Charles said. "They put me in that spot for a reason and I didnt come through and they pulled the plug. "Its nice to be wanted. Its been a roller-coast this year and a trying year for sure. We all go through it as a pro athlete and in this business. Im old enough to not take anything personal and to know the deal and the situation when things go down. "My whole career has been about proving and myself. Its nothing new." 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