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TAMPA, Fla. -- New York Yankees reliever David Robertson is not overanalyzing his role as Mariano Riveras replacement. Robertson is moving from an eighth-inning setup man to closer following Riveras retirement. "Its the same deal," Robertson said Tuesday after a pre-spring training workout at the Yankees minor league complex. "Throwing the eighth or ninth inning, youve still got to get three outs. Youve got to be effective. You cant give up a lead. Im not going to try to overthink the whole situation." Rivera has said that Robertson is the right man for the role. The former teammates spent time together last month at the New York baseball writers dinner. "First thing he said is, You scared?" Robertson recalled. "Im like, No. Its typical Mo. Hes all over my case already. I havent even thrown a pitch yet, and hes on me. He knows I can do it, and I think I know I can do it. Its just a matter of actually stepping out there and doing it." Given the chance to fill in as closer when Rivera injured a knee in 2012, Robertson strained muscle in his left ribcage. Rafael Soriano took over as closer for the rest of the season. Robertson went 5-1 with a 2.04 ERA in 70 games last year, striking out 77 in 66 1-3 innings. "Hes been in some huge situations here," Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. "Hes been around Mo. Hes in a good position to know what he has to do. Hes done everything that you could ask him to do to this point to become a closer. Now its just a matter of executing the pitches. Unless he gets overwhelmed by the situation, I dont anticipate major problems." Rothschild also said CC Sabathia has increased his throwing program during the off-season to build up arm strength and stamina. Coming off elbow surgery to remove a bone spur in October 2012, Sabathia was 14-13 with a 4.78 ERA last year. "The last couple winters, three or four really, he hasnt been able to do a lot with going back to his knee and then the elbow last winter," Rothschild said. "Hes been able to do a lot more this winter, so coming into spring training I think hell be in a little different place than he has been the last couple years." NOTES: Rothschild has had email communication with Japanese RHP Masahiro Tanaka. "Theres going to be adjustments hes going to have to make," Rothschild said. "Hes got the presence of mind to know what he needs to do to adjust when he gets here." ... SS Derek Jeter, limited to 17 games last season due to injuries, took 48 swings during his second day of batting practice. Jay Caufield Jersey .And although FIFAs investigators are preparing to release the findings of a World Cup corruption probe, Hassan Al Thawadi dismissed any chance of Qatar losing the showpiece event. Martin Straka Jersey . -- Canadas Milos Raonic defeated Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France on Saturday to advance to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/1841...y-penguins.html. Not that Durant cared. The only streak he cares about is still intact. Ken Wregget Jersey . He still wanted out. "It just seemed like the direction they were going didnt fit what I thought my career was going to be," Kesler said. "At the end of the day I want to win a championship and I want to win it now, and four years is a little too long for me. Chris Kunitz 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.As 2013 winds to a close, TSN.ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. TSN.cas writing staff reflects on the best hockey moments from the past 12 months including Alfie going to Detroit, Ovi finding another gear, Patrick Roy losing his cool and more. Daniel Alfredssons Motown Revue By: Shane McNeil Hockey fans had seen it before. The hero leaves the city where hes enjoyed years, sometimes decades of memories and successes in search of one or two years worth of hunting down a Championship ring. Ray Bourque, Mats Sundin, Jarome Iginla - It happens. Its no slight on the player and more often than not, the organization and the fans do nothing but wish them the best. But, Daniel Alfredsson? Did anyone see that coming? Here is the man that took a pay cut to keep the team afloat amidst bankruptcy. Alfie is a man who ascended to nearly religious standards in the Nations Capital after years of battling the Toronto Maple Leafs and getting the team to its only Stanley Cup Final. In the days (hours?) that followed Alfredssons signing in Motown, the Senators brass tried to foist the breakdown on their long-time captain and his agent J.P. Barry. The lines of communication, they believed, went silent at the most crucial time. Alfredssons decision to sign in Detroit appeared to be based on a player not being willing to settle for another discount deal. But whats more surprising than Alfredsson leaving Ottawa is that the Senators let it happen. Ovechkin makes fast work post-lockout By: Ken Rodney Nobody embodied the sprint mentality of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 NHL regular season quite like the Washington Capitals and more specifically their superstar Alexander Ovechkin. After not scoring in the first four games of the season, Ovechkin finished the first month of the schedule with only two goals and in those seven games, his team had only managed to pick up three points. However as their captain and leader caught fire so did the team Capitals, who rely on him for both an offensive and emotional boost. When the dust settled at the end of the 48 game regular season, Ovechkin had 32 goals, including 24 in the final 23 games and the Capitals had captured the Southeast Division and were the third seed heading into the playoffs. The Moscow native won the scoring race by three goals to earn his third Maurice Richard Trophy as the leagues top goal scorer, the only player to win as many since it was first awarded in 1998. Proving three is a charm for the man they call The Great Eight, he was also awarded with his third Hart Trophy as league MVP for his spectacular season. Patrick Roy blows up on his first night as Avalanche head coach By: Ryan Horne It didnt take long for Patrick Roy to make his mark as an NHL head coach. In fact, it only took one game. Roys Colorado Avalanche were pummeling the visiting Anaheim Ducks on the inaugural night of the regular season. When the first-year coach witnessed what he viewed as a cheap shot against his star rookie Nathan MacKinnon, he didnt hold back. Roy cursed and hollered at Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau and even pushed the plexiglass separating the two teams, almost knocking it down. He was hit with a game misconduct and fined $10, 000 for the incident. Not bad for your first night as a professional bench boss. A lot of people speculated this could happen with the fiery former goalie, but probably not this quickly. Regardless, the Avalanche players seem to be cool with it as they hold one of the better records in the Western Conference after being forecast as a non-playoff team before the season. Its yet to be seen whether Roys actions will get him into any further trouble, but theres a good chance hes not going to change for anybody. If the Quebec City native feels a certain way, he has no problem with expressing it. Just ask Ronald Corey. Martin St. Louis: One for the Ages By: Mike Beauvais There are a lot of things Martiin St.dddddddddddd. Louis probably shouldnt have been. Undrafted, the diminutive native of Laval, Quebecs stay in the NHL probably shouldnt have lasted for much longer than the cup of coffee he had with the Calgary Flames in the late 90s. Conventional wisdom also didnt see St. Louis developing into the offensive juggernaut, six-time All-Star, Hart Trophy-winning, Stanley Cup champion that St. Louis blossomed into while a member of the Lightning. With the list of things Martin St. Louis probably shouldnt have been already lengthy, he added yet another to the list in 2013. Alongside young sniper Steven Stamkos, the 37-year-old St. Louis was the Batman to his Robin in 2013. The cagey veteran partnered with the Boy Wonder. The NHL was their Gotham City in 2013 and they were the premier Dynamic Duo of offence. In the Lightnings April 27 season-ending 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers, St. Louis had a goal and assist to bring him to the 60-point plateau in the shortened 48-game season. That was three points more than Stamkos haul for the year and the most in the NHL, handing St. Louis his second Art Ross Trophy. When he did it before in 2003-2004, it was improbable, but when he did it again in 2013, he did it as the oldest player in NHL history. There are a lot of things Martin St. Louis probably shouldnt have been, but it should surprise nobody at all when he decides to add something else to that list. The Lockout ends, the fans flock back By: Barry Riz The NHLs arenas were empty. The lockout had dragged on some 100 days. The first week of 2013 saw some headway in negotiations but no deal yet. As fans described it, billionaire owners and millionaire players just couldnt figure out how to divide up $3.3 billion in revenue. And the fans had seen more than enough through a battle that dragged on through the fall and early winter. Fans were going to protest by returning season tickets. They were going to boycott games if any were ever played. They were going to stop buying NHL-branded merchandise. They were going to stop watching on television. But things turned quickly in the early days of 2013. A deal was struck Jan. 6, and after a speedy training camp the season opened Jan. 19. And the fans came back. Oh, did they ever. League attendance and TV numbers returned stronger than before. The 48-game season was fast-paced and quickly consumed, with a Bruins-Blackhawks Stanley Cup Final topping off the leagues return. Forgiven? Probably not. Forgotten, absolutely. And as someone tweeted on opening night: "Somewhere Gary Bettman is watching all this hoopla and making a note to himself, and is putting it in a file marked "NHL LOCKOUT 2020." MacKinnon lights it up at Memorial Cup, locks in at first overall By: Ryan Horne Saying Nathan MacKinnon earned the right to be drafted first overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft would be an understatement. In the finals of the Memorial Cup against Seth Jones, the other first overall hopeful, and the Portland Winterhawks, MacKinnon netted a hat-trick, added a couple assists and helped the Halifax Mooseheads win their first national championship in team history. He was named tournament MVP, scoring seven goals and six assists in just four games after a spectacular regular season tallying 75 points in 44 games. Going into the tournament, many thought the smooth skating Jones would be the man the Colorado Avalanche would end up taking with their No.1 selection, especially considering their lack of depth on defence. But on June 24, 2013, Joe Sakic stepped up to the podium in New Jersey and took the 18-year-old from Halifax. And with MacKinnons stellar play at both the Memorial Cup and in the QMJHL, you cant blame them. Jones, on the other hand, fell to the Nashville Predators at number four. Both are having solid rookie seasons, but it will be interesting to see if Colorado still likes their decision a few years down the road. ' ' '