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

OTTAWA -- The offensively challenged Buffalo Sabres are expected to get a boost with the return of center Jack Eichel to the lineup when they visit the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday.The 20-year old star missed the teams first 21 games with a high ankle sprain suffered the day before the season opener.You just want to get back to playing, Eichel told The Buffalo News after practice Monday. Thats what you trained for all summer. You prepared for it, and its tough that the season starts a little bit later for me. Im just excited for it.The Sabres (7-9-5) have lost their last two games while continuing to have troubles putting the puck in the net, averaging a league-low 1.81 goals per game. Eichel, who scored 24 times and added 32 assists as a rookie last season, will likely take a regular shift between wingers Evander Kane and Sam Reinhart.The Senators (14-7-1) are not exactly what the doctor orders for teams will scoring deficiencies these days. Theyre coming off a 2-0 victory in New York against a Rangers team that leads the league with 3.70 goals per game. It was Ottawas fourth win in a row, all with goalie Craig Anderson working between the pipes.Anderson allowed just five goals in the four games to capture the NHLs first star of the week honors for the second time this month.There is a strong chance hell miss Tuesdays game to be with his wife Nicholle, who is battling throat cancer. That would mean Mike Condon would likely get the start against Buffalo.You use (playing) as a moment in time to do something positive with your teammates, Anderson told reporters at Madison Square Garden after Sundays shutout, the 36th of his career. Hockey is one of those things where its the same as if a (person) is feeling frustrated and they go to the gym to get a hard workout in. This is my way to vent and take all my energy and use it to do something good. Its staying in the moment. At that moment time stops and worry about life and other stuff after.Former Senators goalie Robin Lehner is expected to get the start in goal for Buffalo. In five games against his old team, Lehner has a 2-0-2 record with a .956 save percentage and a 1.30 goals against average.This will be the teams third meeting this month. The Sabres defeated the Senators 2-1 in Ottawa on November 5, when wingers Kyle Okposo and Reinhart scored third period goals.The Senators won 2-1 in Buffalo on Nov. 9 when winger Bobby Ryan scored the decisive goal in a shootout.Along with Andersons sterling play, the Senators have shown a new dedication to playing defense this season. As of Monday, they were third in the league in blocked shots, a stat that pleases coach Guy Boucher to no end.When youve got Erik Karlsson, who is the best offensive defenseman in the world, being No. 1 in shot-blocking in the NHL, you know your team is going in the right direction, said Boucher.Wholesale Vapormax Womens . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. Cheap Vapormax 2 China . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. http://www.clearancevapormax.com/cheap-vapormax-2019-clearance.html . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. Nike Air VaporMax 2019 White-Metallic Gold .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. Vapormax 97 Clearance . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead.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. ' ' '