NEWS » y.Johnson, a part-owner of the Sparks, wore

A return to home ice appears to have done wonders for the San Jose Sharks while the New York Islanders are still trying experience sustained success on the road.The Sharks will try to sweep the season series from the Islanders on Friday when the teams meet at SAP Center.The Sharks (11-8-1) appear re-energized playing in front of the home fans after losing the final three games during to split their longest road trip this season. San Jose opened a five-game homestand Monday with a 4-0 win over the New Jersey Devils, and followed by getting a power-play goal from Logan Couture and a short-handed tally from Joel Ward in Wednesdays 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.While they may be happy not to travel, scoring continues to be an issue for the Sharks, who are in the bottom third of the league with an average of 2.35 goals per game -- and just behind the Islanders at 2.42.Sometimes the goals are there, sometimes theyre not right now. You know, youre always looking for that extra one to get a little breathing room and we havent found it on a nightly basis, captain Joe Pavelski said after the win over Chicago.San Jose is 8-1-0 when scoring at least three goals a game, but 3-7-1 when it fails to reach that mark. Defense is whats keeping the club near the top of the Pacific Division -- the Sharks 2.15 goals per game allowed is second in the league behind the Minnesota Wild (1.89).San Jose is 7-2-2 in its last 11 matchups with the Islanders, including a 3-2 win on Oct. 18 in New York behind Pavelskis game-winning goal with 2:11 to play and 21 saves from backup goaltender Aaron Dell -- his first NHL win and only one in three games this season despite a 1.90 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.Pavelski has a goal and three assists in a four-game points streak, but has been held without a point in three of five games against the Islanders in San Jose.Martin Jones has stopped 59 of 60 shots on the homestand and is 6-2-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .940 save percentage at SAP Center. Hes surrendered just five goals in the six home wins, but tagged for six goals in the two losses.Im not doing anything different. I dont feel any different, Jones said Wednesday night.Jones last faced the Islanders on Nov. 10, 2015, and it didnt go well. He stopped just one of three shots and was pulled after 3:30 of the first period in the Sharks 4-2 loss.The Islanders (6-9-4) are wrapping up a three-game swing through California looking for their second win in seven games overall.New York, currently last in the Metropolitan Division, dropped to 1-5-1 on the road this season after a 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. With less than three minutes to play and the score tied 1-1, the Islanders surrendered three straight goals, including an empty-netter, in just 44 seconds.New York has managed just 13 goals on the road with two each from Nick Leddy, Anders Lee and Brock Nelson. Both of Lees goals came in the loss to the Kings.Whether you shake your head or say screw it, you have to keep going, Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic told Newsday. You have to find a way to move forward. Weve got no choice.One player whos struggled away from Brooklyn is John Tavares. The Isles captain has taken 20 shots over seven games, but has managed only two assists and is a minus-6.Tavares has a team-leading 14 points, but has only five goals in 19 games, putting him on pace for only 22 this season. His career low is 24, set as a rookie in 2009-10 and matched in 2013-14 when a knee injury limited him to 59 games.Backup goaltender Thomas Griess, a healthy scratch against Los Angeles, may get the chance to face his former team. A third-round pick by the Sharks in the 2004 NHL Draft, Greiss had 17 wins over four seasons with San Jose between 2007 and 2013.Griess opened this road trip by making 39 saves and surviving a 14-round shootout in a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. He is 3-3-0 with a 2.66 GAA and .919 save percentage in six starts this season.If Jaroslav Halak gets the start between the pipes, hell again seek his first win since Nov. 7. Halak has given up at least three goals in each of his last five starts, posting an 0-3-2 record.Halak was in net for the Isles 3-2 loss to the Sharks on Oct. 18 in New York. Hes 1-2-0 with a 3.58 GAA and .876 save percentage in four career starts at the SAP Center.The San Jose Mercury News reported that center Melker Karlsson could return to the Sharks for this game or Saturday against the Ducks. Karlsson, who injured his left foot in a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 12, has two goals and two assists in 15 games this season.Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Wholesale China Jerseys . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. http://www.wholesalejerseysnfl.net/ . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. 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Hawkins, who turns 41 in December, will compete with Rex Brothers for the closers role at spring training.MINNEAPOLIS -- Candace Parker and the Sparks jumped with joy on the court, joined in celebration by a guy named Magic Johnson who once made basketball championships a habit in Los Angeles.Parkers old college coach, the late Pat Summitt, was there in spirit, too.Nneka Ogwumikes short jumper with 3.1 seconds left, off the rebound of her blocked shot, gave the Sparks a 77-76 victory over the defending champion Minnesota Lynx in the deciding Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday night for the franchises first title in 14 years.Parker had 28 points and 12 rebounds to earn MVP honors of the Finals and her first WNBA title, capping a trying year marked by the death of the beloved Summitt, with whom she won two NCAA championships at Tennessee. Parker also was left off the U.S. Olympic team after helping them to a gold medal in the previous two Games.The journey to get here, I wouldnt have wanted to do it with anybody else, Parker said. Its amazing, when you surround yourself with good people, how fun it is.Sparks coach Brian Agler started his postgame news conference by playing a recording of the Tennessee fight song, Rocky Top, from a phone in front of him at the podium. Parker cried as she leaned over to hug her coach.Ive never been around somebody that has been critiqued so hard, Agler said, and Ive never been around anyone Im happy for than Candace.Said Ogwumike: Shes been through so much. Shes probably the most misunderstood person in the league. I told her I wanted her to get one.Parker said she heard Summitts voice in her head, recalling the time-worn advice to focus on defense and rebounding.You cant control if shots go in or shots dont, but what you can control is defense and rebounding, Parker said.Rebekkah Brunson made one of two free throws with 23.4 seconds left to give the Lynx a 74-73 lead. Parker answered with a layup on the other end that Maya Moore countered with a jumper. Then Ogwumike hustled her way over to the loose ball after Sylvia Fowles blocked her first attempt. She coolly swished it.Lindsay Whalens heave from just inside halfcourt bounced high off the backboard, setting off the celebration for the Sparks and silencing the sellout crowd of 19,423.Moore had 23 points and 11 assists for the Lynx, who fell short of matching the WNBA record of four championships. The Houston Comets won four straight titles from 1997-2000. The Lynx played in the finals for the fifth time in the last six years. They won three.The team that won this game deserved to win the game, Moore said, so its just hard to have it come that close.Chelsea Gray reeled off 11 consecutive points for the Sparks, capping that ruun with a smooth up-and-under layup to put them in front 60-59 early in the fourth quarter.ddddddddddddParkers putback with 3:06 left gave L.A. a 71-63 lead.But Moore seized the moment with a 3-pointer that brought Minnesota within four points, and Parker forced an off-balance 3 on the other end. Whalen stole the ball from Kristi Toliver and finished the fast break with a layup to tie the game at 71, setting up the final flurry.On the next play, Ogwumike hit a jumper that appeared to come after the shot clock expired. The officials signaled for a review but never looked at the basket. Los Angeles led 73-71 with just over a minute left. Seimone Augustus answered with a jumper, but those points proved to be critical.Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, making sure to credit the Sparks for their performance, was livid about the non-call afterward.Its not enough just to apologize and send out a memo that they got something wrong, OK? These players are so invested, and something must be done about the officiating in this league. Because it is not fair to these great players that we have, Reeve said.The WNBAs new postseason seeding format based on overall record regardless of conference worked well, leading to this classic matchup between the two teams that fought all summer for the top seed and featuring several of the leagues biggest stars.I hope that we gained a lot of fans from around the world and around this country, Augustus said.The game was remarkably close, with 24 lead changes, 11 ties and no team ever leading by double digits.CHAMPIONSHIP ATMOSPHEREThe sea of green T-shirts donned by almost everyone in the crowd produced a deafening soundtrack from start to finish, befitting a game for the WNBA trophy.Johnson, a part-owner of the Sparks, wore all black while sitting courtside to root for his team. The Hall of Famer gave the players a pep talk after their loss at home in Game 4 on Sunday. His presence was all the more impressive considering the Dodgers, the other pro club hes invested in, also played Thursday night in Los Angeles in Game 5 of their National League championship series.They had to believe they could do it on a tough home court. This team Minnesota is tremendous, Johnson said. We just beat the champions, so I give them a lot of credit, too.WOLF TRACKSThe Lynx had celebrity backing, too. Timberwolves players at the game included Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio, Cole Aldrich and Nemanja Belica.---This story has corrected spelling to Fowles in 11th paragraph. ' ' '