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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- John McCarthy and Tommy Wingels sent the San Jose Sharks into a nearly three-week Olympic break on a winning note. McCarthy scored his first goal since 2010 and Wingels had the game-winner for the second straight night to help the Sharks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Friday. "You feel the atmosphere now," San Jose captain Joe Thornton said. "Guys are excited for the break. Its always nice to win before things like this or Christmas. The guys will enjoy the break and come back ready to work for the second half." Patrick Marleau also scored for the Sharks, who won three of four following a three-game losing streak to reach the break in second place in the Pacific Division. Antti Niemi made 19 saves. The Sharks will be a different team when they next play Feb. 28 in Philadelphia, with the expected return of injured players Logan Couture, Raffi Torres, Matt Nieto and Tyler Kennedy. "Were 80 points at the Olympic break," coach Todd McLellan said. "We would have been probably pleased with that at the beginning of the season considering some of the players we lost over and throughout the year. We go into the break satisfied. Coming out of it we have work to do." McLellan also broke Darryl Sutters franchise record by coaching in his 435th game. He already is the franchise leader in wins with 257. Ryan Johansen and Boone Jenner scored for the Blue Jackets, who trail Philadelphia by one point for third place in the Metropolitan Division after losing tight games on consecutive nights in San Jose and Los Angeles. Sergei Bobrovsky made 44 saves. "Obviously, you dont want to go into a break with a loss but we have been playing great hockey the past few games," Johansen said. "The boys battled hard and we just fell a little short." Columbus got worn down in the third against the more-rested Sharks, especially on an extended shift early in the period that led to Wingels goal. With the Blue Jackets unable to change a tiring unit under relentless pressure from San Jose, Wingels knocked in a rebound of Jason Demers shot for his second goal in two games to make it 3-1. "The third goal was obviously the big one," Columbus coach Todd Richards said. "They had momentum at that point. If its a one-shot lead, its something we can do." Jenner scored midway through the period on Columbus second shot of the third when Johansen set him up following a turnover by Demers. Columbus took advantage of a San Jose turnover to get on the board 18 seconds into the second. Thorntons clearing attempt from the corner was knocked down just inside the blue line by Johansen, who quickly flipped a wrist shot past Niemi before he could react to cut the Sharks lead to 2-1. Bobrovsky, starting on back-to-back nights for the first time since the opening two games of the season, fell into a 2-0 hole less than halfway through the first period. McCarthy, who cleared waivers and was sent to the minors last week, made the most of his opportunity in his return after an injury to Nieto. McCarthy won an offensive zone faceoff against Brandon Dubinsky to start his second shift of the night and went straight toward the net. James Sheppard came up with the loose puck and fired a shot from the faceoff circle that deflected off McCarthys stick and past Bobrovsky for the opening goal. It was McCarthys first since Nov. 6, 2010, against Tampa Bay, ending a drought of 73 games. "Its been a long time and it felt really good to get one," McCarthy said. Marleau struck less than 5 minutes later with his first goal in seven games. Bobrovsky made a sprawling save to rob Brent Burns in front, but the rebound went to Scott Hannan at the point. He fired a slap shot that Marleau deflected for his 23rd goal. The Blue Jackets had their chances in the first period, but Johansen missed the net on an early breakaway and they failed to convert a pair of power-play chances. They also had an apparent goal waved off when Jenner knocked in a rebound with a high stick. NOTES: Referee Mike Hasenfranz left the game with an apparent injury, and the third period was played with only one referee. ... The Sharks lead the NHL with 60 goals in the first period. ... Demers returned to the lineup after missing three games with a lower-body injury. Adidas NMD Uitverkoop . So much so that even a simple foul pop up to the first baseman turned into a run. Houstons four-run rally in the ninth inning to beat the Seattle Mariners 6-4 on Monday night was capped by a bizarre play that started as Crowe fouled out to first baseman Justin Smoak with runners on second and third. Adidas NMD Kopen . The 24-year-old right winger has one assist in nine games this season with the Sabres. In his career, he has three goals and six assists in 43 NHL games. http://www.nmdbelgie.com/kopen-adidas-zx-flux-sale.html .com) - Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight was carted off the field in the fourth quarter of 16th-ranked Sooners 48-14 loss to No. Adidas NMD R1 Heren . Darren Collison and Blake Griffin scored 23 points apiece and the Clippers beat the Suns 112-108 Wednesday night, their fourth win in a row and 17th in the last 19 games. Adidas NMD Heren . "After consultation with the Team USA medical staff and officials, it was determined that he should return to Winnipeg as a precaution due to his previous injury history," Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said Wednesday in a statement.TORONTO -- Toronto FC will be without star striker Jermain Defoe and defensive lynchpin Steven Caldwell for Saturdays game against the Columbus Crew. Defoe, who has scored all three of Torontos goals this season, has been sidelined by a slight hamstring strain while Caldwell must serve a suspension. And the injury list could be longer with midfielder Jonathan Osorio facing a second week out with his own hamstring issue. Manager Ryan Nelsen says Defoe, who had a scan Tuesday after leaving Saturdays game in Salt Lake City early, will be out "for the short-term." "Not a major thing but definitely unavailable this weekend," he said. The 31-year-old England striker was substituted in the 61st minute Saturday favouring the back of his left thigh as he went to the dressing room. Caldwell was suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount Wednesday for what MLS called "serious foul play that endangers the safety of an opponent." The hard-nosed Scottish centre back -- TFCs captain -- was yellow-carded for a studs-up tackle on midfielder Ned Grabavoy in the 3-0 loss to Real Salt Lake. Toronto had hoped to avoid a ban, arguing that the referee had seen the incident and decided on the appropriate punishment. But the leagues disciplinary committee disagreed. While Caldwell insisted he was just trying to win the ball, it was an ugly challenge that could have merited a straight red card, which carries with it a minimum one-game suspension. Caldwell is the second Toronto FC player to receive supplemental discipline. Brazilian midfielder Jackson missed the Salt Lake game after getting a one-game ban for an elbow thrown away from the ball in a 1-0 win over D.C. United. The latest suspension is especially worrying because Doneil Henry, Caldwells partner in central defence, has not trained this week because of a jarred knee suffered in Salt Lake City. "There could be a few guys unavailable," said Nelsen, who has repeatedly noted that the teams that succeed in MLS are the ones with the depth to cover such absences. The Toronto manager, who brought in as many as eight new starters in the off-season, is on the lookout for such reserve talent. "They normally play under the radar, they dont get any publicity or anything like that. Theyre the most valuable players on MLS teams and Toronto hasnt had those type of guys. Were trying to build them, were trying to get them, were trying to bring them (in), were trying to develop them ourselves. "For me, (the time) well get very, very, very good is when we can have a number of those guys who throw out seven of 10 (performances) every week." Goalkeeper Julio Cesar, who also took a knock to the knee on the weekend, was back in training Wednesday. And Toronto has Jackson back from suspension. Nelsen declined to say who will partner Brazilian striker Gilberto on Saturday against the unbeaten Crew (3-0-0).dddddddddddd Nelsen played Canadian international Dwayne De Rosario up front with Defoe in the opening game of the season in Seattle when Gilberto was not ready. He pointed to De Rosario, Jackson, Andrew Wiedeman and newly signed Issey Nakajima-Farran as possible options. There was no "woe is me" from Nelsen. "Jermains come in and done really well obviously. But he got a slight strain and we move on. Thats life." On the backline, Nelsen has Gale Agbossoumonde and rookie Nick Hagglund at his disposal. American Justin Morrow could also move in from the left flank. Reserve fullback Ashtone Morgan is also dealing with a sore hip. Nelsen has spoken at length the last two days on the leagues supplemental discipline, arguing that it can undermine referees when the league rules on incidents that the on-field officials have already ruled on. "I dont know why the league needs to get involved, to tell you the truth," he said Wednesday. Still he seemed to want to have his cake and eat it too when, awaiting word last week on the Jackson suspension, he argued that Real Salt Lake forward Alvaro Saborio deserved a ban for his foul on A.J. DeLaGarza of the Los Angeles Galaxy the previous week. "That could have broken his leg," Nelsen said at the time of the Saborio challenge. "So if Jackson gets suspended, then youd like to hope that a guy whos nearly broken a guys leg is probably going to get suspended as well. "But I dont know, you never know. I dont make those rules." Nelsen was no doubt aware that RSL was already facing a glut of injuries at forward. His argument is that such supplemental discipline sets a precedent, effectively prompting all clubs to seek justice. "So do we slow down all elbows that were hit on Jackson before he did one or the elbow on Steven before that tackle?" he asked. "Its a slippery slope isnt it when you start overturning referees and taking away the human element of it, then every single team will have cases every single week." Unlike the NHL, MLS players are still paid while suspended. Also Wednesday, the leagues disciplinary committee fined Colorado Rapids defender Drew Moor an undisclosed amount for swinging his arm at the back of Sporting Kansas City forward Claudio Bielers head. According to the league, the disciplinary committees mission statement is "to preserve the integrity and reputation of the game and Major League Soccer, and to assist in ensuring player safety." The committee can take further action when the referee has seen or ruled on an incident on the field, if there is unanimous opinion that the play deserved a red card or was of "an egregious or reckless nature, such that the committee must act to protect player safety or the integrity of the game." ' ' '
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