LIVERPOOL, England -- Simon Mignolet saved a late penalty on his Liverpool debut to secure a 1-0 win over Stoke in the Premier League on Saturday, with Daniel Sturridge grabbing the winner to prove theres life to the teams strike-force after Luis Suarez. Red Auerbach Jersey . Sturridge smashed home from 25 yards in the 37th minute to score the first goal of the season in the English top flight, but Stoke was given a golden opportunity to snatch an undeserved point when Daniel Agger handled the ball in the area in the 88th minute. Jon Walters penalty was saved by Mignolet low down to the goalkeepers right, however, and Liverpool could celebrate its first opening-day win at Anfield since 2001. "You always pick the corner to go to and today I picked the right one," said Mignolet, who had some nervous moments between the posts in his first competitive start for Liverpool since joining from Sunderland in June. "I kept a clean sheet, which is the important thing. "We didnt manage to get a second goal but we deserved to win." The unsettled Suarez watched the game from an executive box high in the stands as he served the fifth match of a 10-game ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a league fixture last season. He may not have played even if he had been available after going public recently with his desire to leave Liverpool, in the wake of an offer of more than 40 million pounds ($62.5 million) from Arsenal. Suarezs attitude has upset Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers but the strikers return to first-team training Friday suggested their relationship has been patched up. The Uruguay international attended this match, taking to the field an hour before kickoff in his Liverpool strip and carrying daughter Delfina in his arms to a ripple of applause. He then took his place in the stands with his family and looked on as Sturridge collected a short pass from Iago Aspas -- another debutant, alongside Mignolet and Kolo Toure -- and fired a shot through the legs of defender Robert Huth and into the corner of the net. Stoke was showing no discernible change in style or approach under new manager Mark Hughes than there was under old boss Tony Pulis, who left early in the off-season, and Liverpool should have been many more goals ahead by halftime. As was often the case last season, Liverpool created a string of chances but a mixture of poor finishing and inspired goalkeeping by Asmir Begovic kept Stoke in the game. In the first half, Toure headed against the crossbar, and Jordan Henderson and Jose Enrique were also denied, while Philippe Coutinho curled just wide and Henderson struck a shot against the post after the break. At the other end, Huth volleyed against the bar in the eighth minute but the visitors were chasing shadows for much of a one-sided game. Despite all of Liverpools dominance, though, it needed Mignolets penalty save -- and then a block from the rebound off Kenwyne Jones -- to preserve all three points. "Its always a concern as a manager when you dominate the game so much and create so many chances but today we only scored one," Rodgers said. "I was so, so pleased for the players because they have worked tirelessly and starts our actual season on three points. "The fluidity and flow of our game was good, our passing and combination play was excellent. I thought our intensity from the off was outstanding." Larry Bird Jersey .C. -- Only two Syracuse teams have won their first 20 games, and C. Kyrie Irving Jersey .Y. - Major League Soccers independent review panel has taken back the fine and one-game suspension it placed on Toronto FC forward Luke Moore earlier this week. http://www.authenticcelticsproshop.com/ . The Mets made the announcement Sunday night. Parnell blew a save on opening day against Washington and the next day it was revealed he had partially torn right elbow ligament. Following their overtime victory in Game 1 last night, the Canadiens were back on the ice Thursday in Tampa, with the main focus of practice once again on special teams, as the team tries to crack an 0-for-25 power play slump over the past nine games, and 0-for-16 against the Lightning this season. Despite the lack of success with the man advantage, Montreal holds the series lead thanks in much part to the work of the fourth line, which features rookie Michael Bournival, grinder Dale Weise and playoff veteran Daniel Briere. That was the line which generated the game winning goal last night. It was a play where Weise still admits his eyes opened up when he saw the pass coming from Briere. The assist on the goal gives Briere 110 career playoff points, which ranks him third in career post-season points among players in this years playoffs; Marian Hossa has 113, while Henrik Zetterberg leads the way with 114. In a fun side note, Briere had an on-going battle all night with Lightning forward Cederic Paquette, who played junior hockey with the Blainvillle-Boisbriand Armada, a team in which Briere has a stake in ownership. Gordon Hayward Jersey. All four lines got in on the scoring for Montreal last night with goals from Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta, Thomas Vanek, Lars Eller and Weise. For Gionta, it marked his third career shorthanded playoff goal. He last scored shorthanded for the Devils in the 2006 playoffs. The Habs captain has 32 career playoff goals in 96 games. Eller recorded his first playoff goal and his second marker over his past three games. Michel Therrien moved into a tie for 58th all-time with Terry Crisp, Al MacNeil and Harry Sinden for playoff games coached, while tying Mike Milbury at 58th for all-time playoff wins with his 23. Travis Moen practiced with the team for the second time this week, but will not play in Game 2. The Canadiens arent expected to make any line-up changes for tomorrow night. Game 2 of the Canadiens-Lightning can be heard Live on TSN 690 Montreal, TSN 1050 Toronto, TSN 1200 Ottawa, TSN 1290 Winnipeg and Team 1410 Vancouver at 7pm ET/4pm PT. Cheap Canadiens Jerseys Cheap Predators Jerseys Cheap Devils Jerseys Cheap Islanders Jerseys Cheap Rangers Jerseys Cheap Senators Jerseys Cheap Flyers Jerseys Cheap Penguins Jerseys Cheap Sharks Jerseys Cheap Blues Jerseys Cheap Lightning Jerseys Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys Cheap Canucks Jerseys Cheap Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Capitals Jerseys Cheap Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '