Plauderecke » Rookie Quinn Sharp had a tough CFL debut

TORONTO -- In Arland Bruce IIIs mind, theres no such thing as a bad win. Bruces 37-yard TD catch with 2:47 remaining rallied the Montreal Alouettes to a 23-20 win over a short-handed Toronto Argonauts squad Friday night in the regular-season finale for both teams. "Any time you can go home at night and know youve won as a pro athlete, its a great feeling," Bruce said. "If we had been sitting here saying it didnt mean anything, thats a co pout and I dont think any of these guys are looking for a way out. "I know Im not and I dont want anyone around me thinking like that. This is a good win." The game had no bearing on the East Division standings as Toronto (11-7) had cemented top spot to secure home-field advantage for the conference final Nov. 17. Montreal (8-10) was already assured of finishing third and will face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in semifinal action next weekend in Guelph, Ont. So both teams took vastly different approaches to the contest. Montreal, looking to establish much-needed momentum heading into the playoffs, went with all of its starters while Toronto sat 17 regulars, including quarterback Ricky Ray, as backups Zach Collaros, Trevor Harris and Mitchell Gale all played. But it was Toronto that consistently won the field-position battle and led 19-15 on a conceded safety to start the fourth. Harris erased a 15-11 half-time deficit with an 11-yard TD strike to Darvin Adams at 7:18 of the third but the convert was blocked. "This is pro football, we get paid to play," Bruce said. "Whoever is out there, second string or third string theyre not thinking, Im going to let him do whatever. "Were not even looking who is out there. Theres an opponent out there with a different coloured jersey on. We cant get caught up in that. Now we have to get prepared to go out on the road -- again." Montreal quarterback Troy Smith finished 15-of-28 passing for 197 yards with three TDs and an interception that was returned for a touchdown. For the second straight week the former Heisman Trophy winner struggled in the second half -- completing 7-of-12 passes for 87 yards -- but found an open Bruce to cap a three-play, 71-yard scoring drive, then ran in for two-point convert to give the Als a three-point lead before a Rogers Centre gathering of 22,589. Toronto was poised to get the ball back with just over a minute remaining but Argo Hugo Lopez was penalized for hitting Montreal punter Burke Dales, allowing the Alouettes to maintain possession and run out the clock. "As a quarterback you have to have a short memory," Smith said. "I dont like throwing interceptions, that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. "Even though we got a win, I harp on things like that and I need not do that next time." Montreal interim coach Jim Popp admitted his club played poorly but was buoyed by its ability to erase an early 10-point deficit, then rally late for the victory. "We"ve won here twice this year no matter how people want to look at it," Popp said. "I keep saying it, you need to score 30 points and youre fortunate when you dont and still win. "Bottom line is we won. Two, we came back. Three, we held on to a lead. Those are all positives." So is Montreal playoff ready? "Every game is different," Popp said. "The way our season has gone, who knows next week? "We may be playing great, I have no idea." Toronto was looking for 12 regular-season wins for the first time since 97. A bright spot was running back Jerious Norwood, who ran for 102 yards on eight carries and added four catches for 62 yards despite still adjusting to Canadian football. "The hardest thing for me is the extra defender," Norwood said. "You get into the secondary and you have to beat that extra man." Harris was Torontos most productive quarterback, completing 6-of-9 passes for 110 yards and the TD. John Chiles had four catches for 79 yards. "It was a hard-played game by both teams," Argos coach Scott Milanovich said. "Obviously they made more plays at the end to get the win. "Now we have to focus on being ready for Nov. 17." Matt Black had Torontos other touchdown. Rookie Quinn Sharp had a tough CFL debut, hitting one-of-two converts and one-of-three field goals with two singles. Duron Carter and Bo Bowling scored Montreals touchdowns. Sean Whyte booted two converts and a single. Smiths two second-quarter TD strikes rallied Montreal to a 15-11 half-time advantage. Smith hit Carter, the son of Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter, on a 71-yard touchdown pass at 2:07 to cut Torontos lead to 10-7 at 2:07 before Nicolas Boulay recovered Torontos fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Smith then found Bowling from two yards out at 5:19 to put Montreal ahead 14-10. Whyte, whose miss from 42 yards out was returned 107 yards for the winning TD in last weekends 27-24 loss to Hamilton, missed from 39 yards at 12:25 for the single. Toronto opened the scoring with Black returning a Smith interception 62 yards for the TD at 4:26 of the first. After plunking his first attempt from 28 yards out off the upright, Sharp connected from 42 yards out at 13:18 to put the Argos ahead 10-0. Montreal lost linebacker Juries Hebert, defensive backs Geoff Tisdale and Byron Parker and running back Terrell Sutton all to injury. Popp said he didnt think any of the players would miss the conference semifinal. NOTES: Prior to the game, former CFL star quarterback Russ Jackson helped swear in approximately 100 new Canadians . . . . Montreals Chip Cox registered his club-record 111th tackle of the season with a sack on Torontos opening possession . . . Among the Argos who didnt dress were slotback Andre Durie and linebacker Robert McCune. Durie will finish 14 yards shy of his first career 1,000-yard season while McCune ended up one tackle short of 100 . . . The Alouettes have qualified for the CFL playoffs in 18 straight years, the leagues longest current streak. Toronto is in the post-season for the third time in four seasons . . . Ray is just two completions short of becoming the most accurate passer in CFL history. Calgary offensive co-ordinator Dave Dickenson holds that distinction at 67.534 per cent while Ray is at 67.524 per cent. Wholesale Nike React Shoes . After not scoring 40 points in the opening quarter in the last five seasons, the Rockets have done it five times this season and twice in the last three games. Nike React Cheap Wholesale . - Suspended Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon has voluntarily checked into a treatment facility and seems to be doing well. http://www.wholesalenikereact.com/ .com) - Nicolas Colsaerts fired an 11-under 60 on Thursday and grabbed a 3-stroke lead with the opening round of the Portugal Masters suspended by rain. New Nike React Shoes . Felix Pie had an RBI double earlier in the inning, as Baltimore rallied for three runs to overcome a 3-2 deficit. J.J. Hardy had two hits and Matt Wieters chipped in with an RBI double for the Orioles, who pushed their winning streak to three games. Cheap Nike React Shoes . With the Pirates in the thick of the race in the NL Central, the timing couldnt be better. Liriano struck out a season-high 11 in seven innings to win consecutive starts for the first time this season and Pittsburgh beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 on Tuesday night.Buffalo, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Chris VandeVelde and Michael Raffl scored in the third period and Rob Zepp came up with 24 saves, as Philadelphia extended Buffalos recent misery with a 4-3 result at HSBC Arena. R.J. Umberger and Mark Streit also tallied while Michael Del Zotto netted two assists for the Flyers, who had been shut out in back-to-back games coming in and picked up their first road win of 2015. Zemgus Girgensons produced a pair of markers for the Sabres, whose franchise- record losing streak reached 10 games. Tyler Ennis added a goal while Chris Stewart posted two helpers. Michal Neuvirth allowed all four Philadelphia scores on 32 shots. VandeVelde took a Vincent Lecavalier lead pass up the middle, beat a Sabres defender and though he fanned on his shot from the slot, it managed to slide between Neuvirths pads at 5:54 of the third to give Philly a 3-2 advantage. Raffl made it 4-2 at 8:39 when he skated to the right side and flipped home a Luke Schenn rebound chance off a Del Zotto shot from the left point. Neuvirth was pulled for an extra skater with more than two minutes to play and Lecavalier in the box for a stick-holding infraction, and Girgensons snuck a high shot home from the left side as 1:09 remained in regulation. The host Sabres didnt manage a quality chance from there. Girgensons gave Buffalo an early lead with 1:09 to play in the first, a shot which knuckled off the ice and beat Zepp inside the left post. The puck appeared to change direction once it hit Flyers defenseman Nick Schultz, who provided a an inadvertent soft screen. On Philadelphias first man advanttage in the second period, Matt Reads left- circle drive deflected off Umbergers stick to tie the game at 3:51.dddddddddddd That marker ended a scoreless string of 168 minutes, 50 seconds that stands fourth in franchise history. The visitors struck again on the power play at 7:49, as Streits point blast eluded Neuvirth thanks to a Wayne Simmonds screen. Zepp then stoned Girgensons on a short-handed breakaway as the clock ticked below 8 1/2 minutes left in the period, and he had to close off the left post to stop Brian Flynn moments later. Buffalo tied the score at 2-2 with 54.6 remaining before the second intermission. A Rasmus Ristolainen point shot hit the post, and Ennis followed up Matt Moulsons stab at the loose puck and lifted a backhander under the crossbar. Game Notes Philadelphia last won on the road Dec. 23 at Minnesota ... Flyers captain Claude Giroux picked up an assist and was 16-for-25 on faceoffs, but finished a minus-2 ... The Sabres became the first NHL team to lose 10 in a row in regulation since the Pittsburgh Penguins did so from Jan. 6-23, 2006 ... Buffalo had given up the first goal in 10 straight games before scoring first on Saturday ... Prior to the contest, the Flyers recalled forward Jason Akeson from Lehigh Valley (AHL) but scratched him anyway ... The Flyers also revealed that at blood clots found in defenseman Kimmo Timonens lungs during the preseason have dissolved, but the ones in his legs have not. It is still undetermined if the 39-year-old will be allowed to resume his career. ' ' '