Matt Bradleys recent critique of Alexander Semin and his previous employer is being backed by another former Capital. New Jersey Devils forward David Steckel, who spent the majority of last season with the Capitals before being traded in February, defended the comments of his former teammate. Speaking to the Washington media, the 29-year-old did not dispute Bradleys statements, which described a lack of effort from Semin and a lack of discipline from the team on the ice and in the playoffs. "Its not like he went out and told lies," Steckel told reporters. "(He) didnt really say anything bad about anybody. He just stated what he felt." Bradley, who signed with the Florida Panthers after six seasons in Washington, caused a stir with comments that he made in an interview with the Team 1200 radio station in Ottawa. Among the targets of Bradleys words were Semins effort level and the teams lack of discipline. "I dont mind saying Alexander Semins name because hes one guy who has so much talent, he could easily be the best player in the league, and for whatever reason just doesnt care," said Bradley at the time. "When youve got a guy like that you need him to be your best player, or one of your best players, and when he doesnt show up, you almost get the sense that he wants to be back in Russia." Steckel believes that Bradleys experience in the league gives him the right to speak his mind on the topic. "First reaction was like, Brads, what did you do?" said Steckel. "Then I read the transcript and, I mean, its Brads. Its not like hes somebody breaking into the league telling things that nobody knows about already. Hes an elder statesman in the league; hes been around and hes in a different organization now." Bradley wasnt all negative when he spoke about his former squad. He also shared some praise for the teams superstar, Alexander Ovechkin. "I never worry about Ovi," said Bradley. "Hes an all-in guy. Hes young; he makes his mistakes the same as anyone would. I often try to put myself in his position. And youve got to remember, hes 25 years old, hes got a guaranteed $120 million, hes on top of the world, and he still for the most part makes the right decisions. While not willing to respond himself, Steckel once again agreed with Bradleys assessment of the situation. wholesale nfl jerseys .cas 2013 Play of the Year Showdown is the battle of the 2004 NHL entry draft. cheap jerseys . Second-seeded Sloane Stephens of the United States made lighter work of her day as she beat 2009 champion and Swiss wild card Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-3. Two seeds fell: No. 4 Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium lost to Katarzyna Piter of Poland 6-4, 6-2, and No. http://www.jerseyscheapnfl.us.com/ . Therrien was Bouillons coach in junior hockey when they won the Memorial Cup with the Granby Predateurs and was coaching him again when the stocky Montreal Canadiens defenceman celebrated his 38th birthday on Thursday. cheap nfl jerseys . So, down by a run in the sixth inning, the Orioles switched to beat-the-rain mode and used the elements to their advantage in a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night. jerseys cheap nfl . Leino scored twice in the games first 3:44 and Miller was solid, finishing with 32 saves, as Buffalo chased Roberto Luongo from the game early en route to a 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.WARKA, Poland -- Croatia coach Slaven Bilic breathed a huge sigh of relief Friday on hearing that defender Vedran Corluka has been given the all-clear by doctors to play in the European Championship. Corluka, regarded as Croatias best defender, complained of an injury to his left hamstring at training on Thursday, but doctors in Warsaw cleared him to play in Croatias Group C opener against Ireland on Sunday. "Theyve done a scan this morning, and the scan showed, thank God, nothing, no rupture ... so we are expecting him to play on Sunday," Bilic said. "It is a relief because Corluka is one of our generals, like a senator, and hes the leader of the defence and hes one of the most important players for us." Croatias hopes for the tournament are largely built around its attacking potential with playmaker Luka Modric and striker Nikica Jelavic. By contrast, the defence is seen as slightly shaky. Players like Domagoj Vida and Ivan Strinic have yet to prove themselves on the big stage, while Josip Simunic, at 34, has started to show signs of wear and tear. Though hes a proven tournament player and just a handful of caps away from making his 100th appearance for Croatia, Simunic may not even make the starting lineup on Sunday. Thats why Corlukas availability is so important for a team that faces one of the toughest groupss at Euro 2012, with games against the last two world champions -- Spain and Italy -- to follow.dddddddddddd The 26-year-old Corluka, who has been on loan at Bayer Leverkusen from Tottenham, can play anywhere along the back line. He prefers playing right back, a position that allows him to link up with Darijo Srna, Croatias captain, and with Modric as he drifts back to engineer an attack. His all-clear from doctors was also a welcome change of news on the injury front, with Croatia having lost striker Ivica Olic and midfielder Ivo Ilicevic to injuries since last weekend. Bilic denied that the Ireland game was make-or-break for his team, but acknowledged that it represents Croatias best opportunity for making progress in the tournament. "Nothing will be decided after the first game. We can come closer to pass the group stage or make our chances lesser, but still everything is going to be open after the game," Bilic said. "Weve proved in history, and theyve proved in history as well, we can beat those big guns as well." Croatia has proven since declaring independence in 1991 that its national team can defy the odds. At Euro 2008, Croatia beat Germany and went through to the quarterfinals with a 100 per cent record in the group stage. It also finished a surprise third at the 1998 World Cup in France. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '