Former St. Louis Blues captain David Backes said he got goosebumps thinking about joining a team that already includes centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.These guys get it, the free-agent forward said Friday after signing with the Boston Bruins in the first 30 minutes of NHL free agency. They know what its going to take to win. Thats what sold me on it. ... If you have prominent players that are putting team first, the rest of the guys really have no choice.A two-time U.S. Olympian, Backes agreed to a five-year, $30 million deal with the Bruins and said he hoped to help the Original Six club return to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Listing off some of the players already on the roster, Backes said it was more of a retooling than a rebuilding.Some guys would have looked at it like, Youve already got Bergeron and Krejci, where will I play? David said, Boy, I get to play with Bergeron and Krejci, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said. These guys are going to be the leading core to get us where we want to go. The younger guys are going to have to get on board.Backes, 32, is the first major addition this offseason for a team that won the 2011 Stanley Cup and returned to the finals two years later. The team re-signed defenseman Torey Krug and bought out the contract of defenseman Dennis Seidenberg on Thursday. Free agents Loui Eriksson and Lee Stempniak agreed to deals with the Canucks and Carolina, respectively.Also signing with Boston on the first day of free agency were defensemen Tommy Cross and John-Michael Liles, goalie Anton Khudobin, and forwards Riley Nash, Tyler Randell and Tim Schaller.Theyre trying to get pieces back that will get them over the hump, Backes said. They barely missed the playoffs last year, and if they had [made it] I dont think anyone would have wanted to play them.Backes had 21 goals and 24 assists last season for the Blues. In a 10-year NHL career -- all with St. Louis -- he has 206 goals and 254 assists in 727 regular-season games.Backes, whos from Minneapolis, said it was difficult for his family to leave St. Louis, the team that selected him in the second round of the 2003 draft.It was tough in that its all Ive known, he said in a conference call with reporters. It happens a lot in this business, it hasnt happened to us. But change is good.Backes bid farewell to St. Louis in a lengthy Twitter post:Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said talks with his captain broke down over the length of the deal.I had no problem bringing David Backes back, and I wish we could have, he said. I wasnt comfortable with the term. It was problematic for me, personally, to [sign] out that far with players. Theres analytical data [that] shows where players play at their peak, and we wanted to try and stay within a window. We were ready to stretch that window but only to a certain level.But Backes said he has a lot left.Im 32, not 52, he said. I think theres plenty of legs and energy left in me. I expect to still be at the top of my game.The Associated Press contributed to this report. Custom Houston Astros Jerseys . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Nolan Ryan Jersey . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69. http://www.baseballastrosproshop.com/roy-oswalt-astros-jersey/ . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. Alex Bregman Jersey . Newcastle dominated in the early stages but City weathered the storm and then raised its game in extra time. Negredo broke the deadlock from close range after a simple move in the 99th minute before Dzeko took the ball round goalkeeper Tim Krul to seal the victory in the 105th. J. R. Richard Jersey . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. In a story Oct. 8 on the Michigan-Rutgers game, The Associated Press misspelled the first name of Michigans quarterback. It is Wilton Speight, not Wilson Speight.A corrected version of the story is below:Peppers runs No. 4 Michigan past Rutgers in 78-0 routJabrill Peppers ran for a career-high two touchdowns and set up another with a 63-yard scamper in his return to his native New Jersey and No. 4 Michigan routed Rutgers 78-0 Saturday night in a game in which the Scarlet Knights were limited to 39 yards total yards and two first downs.By TOM CANAVANAP Sports WriterJabrill Peppers might be more than Mr. Everything for Michigan. He could be Mr. Heisman, too.Peppers ran for a career-high two touchdowns and set up another score with a 63-yard scamper in his return to his native New Jersey and No. 4 Michigan routed Rutgers 78-0 on Saturday night in a game in which the Scarlet Knights were limited to 22 yards total yards and two first downs.If theres a better player in the country I dont know who it is, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said after the Wolverines (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) matched their best start since 2011 and had their largest margin of victory since an 85-0 victory in 1939 over Chicago University.Harbaugh then went all in for the junior who has played 12 positions for the Wolverines this season.In my humble opinion youre looking at a Heisman Trophy winner, Harbaugh said. After a pause and half a smile, he added the word candidate.Peppers had scoring runs of 7 and 4 yards after taking direct snaps, and his career-long run midway through the first quarter paved the way to a 4-yard touchdown run by Ty Isaac for the first score of the game.A lot of my friends came out today who hadnt seen my play in person since high school so I definitely wanted to put my best put foot forward, said Peppers, who pointed to his mom in the stands after the game and yelled that `he loved her.It could have been a better day for Peppers. He had a 44-yard punt return for a first-quarter touchdown nullified by an illegal block.One of his touchdown runs came on a broken play, quarterback Wilton Speight said.He wasnt there so he just took off, Speight said. As he was running I thought this kid looks like a guy I created in NCAA football on my Xbox.Rutgers (2-4, 0-3) has lost three straight, with the last two being embarrassing for new coach Chris Ash. No. 2 Ohio State beat the Scarlet Knights 58-0 last weekend, holding them to 116 yards in total offense.This was worse, and seeing Peppers come home and put up a highlight reel added to the woe for the ccrowd of 53,292.dddddddddddd Michigan had 600 yards in total offense and held the Scarlet Knights to 0 for 17 on third downRutgers senior safety Anthony Cioffi felt numb after the game.It just feels like playing a video game, he said. Just got spanked.Rutgers did not get a first down until Trey Sneed had a 12-yard run with 9:06 left in the fourth quarter.The 78-0 loss was Rutgers worst since an 82-0 setback against Princeton in 1888.We had a tough stretch -- three great teams we had, but theres no excuse for it, Cioffi said.Khalid Hill tallied twice from a yard out and caught an 11-yard pass from backup quarterback John OKorn early in the third quarter. Jehu Chesson had the best catch of the rainy night, diving to catch a 30-yard touchdown pass from Speight in the first quarter.Karan Higdon added touchdown runs of 15 and 44 yards, Bobby Henderson tallied from 13 and Isaac capped the scoring with a 34-yarder for his second of the game.TAKEAWAYMichigan: If Michigan wanted to make a statement to New Jersey recruits of where to play, coach Jim Harbaugh is going to get a ton of players from the Garden State. He has nine already. Peppers also made a statement for the Heisman rushing for a career high 74 yards on three carries and finishing with two tackles and a quarterback pressure.Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights are making a run for the worst team in the Power Five. Instead of getting better as the season progresses, the offense has gone downhill since Janarion Grant was hurt against Iowa. This was so bad Michael Cintron punted 16 times.ALMOST: Rutgers thought it scored on the final play of the third quarter on a 75-yard interception return by Deonte Roberts. A review showed the ball hit the ground and it was overturned.FISTS: About eight Michigan players raised their fists during the national anthem.WOWS: Michigans nine rushing touchdowns are tied for the most in program history (1939 vs. Chicago). This was the Wolverines second-largest margin of victory since 1920 (78 points) and its third-highest in program history. It is the largest margin of victory in a conference game, replacing a 69-point win against Northwestern in 1975.POINTS: It was the most points given up by Rutgers since an 80-7 loss to West Virginia in 2001UP NEXTMichigan: has a bye before playing at home against Illinois on Oct. 22.Rutgers: The competition level dips as Illinois comes to the birthplace of college football on Oct. 15. ' ' '