TORONTO -- Given the injuries that have plagued the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nazem Kadri is just glad its not a lockout-shortened season. Marc Gasol Jersey . Kadris back from a one-game absence to attend his grandfathers funeral, but when the Leafs take the ice Thursday night against the Dallas Stars, they will be without centre Tyler Bozak and enforcer Colton Orr. Bozak will be out "an extended period of time" with an oblique strain, coach Randy Carlyle said. Bozak, who was placed on injured reserve, suffered the injury in Tuesday nights loss to the San Jose Sharks. Orr had a "procedure" on a bursa sac in his elbow, according to Carlyle. Star winger Phil Kessel will play despite leaving practice Wednesday with an undisclosed injury, Carlyle said. Kessel hasnt missed a game the past three-plus seasons, and Kadri called him the teams "iron man." "Thats a tribute to the player," Carlyle added. "He finds ways to get through the game and get through practice and get himself ready for the rigours of playing an NHL season. Those are things that wed like (from) every player on our team." But the Leafs dont have that. With Bozak and Orr out, the Leafs recalled Jerry DAmigo from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, and Carlyle called the winger an "option" to play against Dallas. "They need a spark, and hopefully I can be that spark," DAmigo said. Whether Amigo plays or not, Leafs will again have several holes in their lineup. Winger Joffrey Lupul is out with a groin injury, while centre Dave Bolland still hasnt resumed skating after suffering a severed tendon in his ankle in late October. "One of the adjustments to make when guys go down, you kind of change your game plan up a little bit," Kadri said. Carlyle chafed Thursday morning at continued discussion of injured players. His focus is on the players available to him. "The way we have to shift it is, the focus has to go on the players that are playing, not the players that arent playing," Carlyle said. "We cant change that. Thats our job and thats our mandate for our coaching staff is to focus on the things that we have control over, and thats what we have control over." Dillon Brooks Jersey . City has reached new heights under manager Manuel Pellegrini as they transition from big spending/immediate impact to perennial contender. Yaya Toures seeming discontent Tuesday may complicate that, as does the little issue of Financial Fair Play. Jaren Jackson Jr. Jersey . Mired in an offensive slump, Lowry - the NBAs leader in taking charges this season - did what he has learned to do best, standing his ground and drawing a crucial offensive foul on the Cavaliers all-star point guard. Fast forward 30 seconds to the Cavs next possession, with the home team still trailing by three, Spencer Hawes - one of the leagues best passing big men - threw an interception, intended for Tyler Zeller and picked off by DeMar DeRozan. http://www.grizzliesbasketballpro.info/Shareef-Abdur-Rahim-Grizzlies-Jersey/ .Those stars, most notably the top line of James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel, struggled against the Montreal Canadiens and must be better as the Leafs look ahead to facing the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers this weekend.The St. Louis Cardinals are having a flare for the dramatic and all the Pittsburgh Pirates can do is watch. The Cardinals target a series win over the NL Central-rival Pirates Wednesday in the third installment of a four-game set at Busch Stadium. Catch the game live on TSN starting at 8pm et/5pm pt. Matt Adams belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth of Mondays 2-0 victory, then it was Kolten Wongs turn Tuesday. Wong broke a 4-4 tie in the ninth with a two-out solo home run for the hosts and finished with two hits and three RBI. "When I hit it, I knew it was gone," Wong said of his clutch hit off Pirates reliever Ernesto Frieri. "For a moment I forgot to run. Just excited to get home and be the guy jumping into the dog pile. Its something Ill always remember." Matt Carpenter, Jhonny Peralta and Oscar Taveras ended with two hits apiece and helped the Cardinals pull within three games off the Milwaukee Brewers for first in the NL Central. Pittsburgh is 3 1/2 games behind the Brewers, who have lost three in a row. Carlos Martinez started on the mound for St. Louis last night and was reached for four and eight hits in six innings. Wongs home run made a winner out of Trevor Rosenthal, who worked around a hit and a walk in the ninth. The Cardinals, winners in five of seven games, announced that Jaime Garcia will undergo season-ending surgery due to thoracic outlet syndrome (shoulder), the same procedure former ace Chris Carpenter had back in 2012. The left- handed Garcia went 3-1 with a 4.12 ERA in seven starts. Lance Lynn is one of the healthy St. Louis starters and draws the start Wednesday. Lynn threw 6 2/3 shutout innings in last Fridays 3-2 win over Miami, struck out six and walked three. Lynn was blasted for seven runs (6 earned) in his previous start June 28 at Los Angeles. Lynn has alternated results in the past six trips to the hill and is 9-6 with a 3.17 earned run average. The right-hander is 5-2 in nine homme starts and 7-2 in 12 appearances at night. Bryant Reeves Grizzlies Jersey. Lynn has faced Pittsburgh 12 times (10 starts) in his career and owns a 4-3 record with a 5.13 ERA. He lost at Pittsburgh back on May 10 in a 4-3 setback, allowing all four runs in six innings. Pittsburgh will try to avoid its first three-game slide since June 15-18 when they gets back to work Wednesday. Justin Wilson gave up Adams home run on Monday and Frieri was the mound victim in last nights loss. Vance Worley allowed four runs and nine hits in five innings, while Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen each hit two-run homers for the Pirates, who are still 12-5 in the last 17 games. "Its not the first time weve had two tough losses and it probably wont be the last time," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. "One swing of the bat changed the game. You shower up and get ready to play tomorrow." The Pirates have lost three in a row on the road and had prevailed in five straight series as the visitor. In the last 29 games, Pittsburgh starting pitchers have combined to go 15-6 and it will be Brandon Cumptons turn in the rotation on Wednesday. Cumpton was sent to Triple-A Indianapolis when Gerrit Cole was activated off the disabled list, but is now replacing an injured Cole. Cumpton pitched against Louisville on July 4 and was reached for four runs, three of which were earned, and eight hits in six innings of a 7-6 loss in 11 innings. He is 3-2 with a 4.61 earned run average in nine starts this season and unbeaten (3-0) in the past five outings. In a 3-2 win over the New York Mets on June 27, Cumpton tossed seven innings of two-run ball in a no- decision. He has allowed two runs over 14 innings in his last two games. The right-hander won his only start against St. Louis last July 30, when he fired seven scoreless innings of a 6-0 win at PNC Park. St. Louis is 6-5 against Pittsburgh this season and each of the last five games in this series has been decided by two runs or less. ' ' '