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NEWARK, N. Tracy Mcgrady Raptors .J. -- Two days after being a healthy scratch against Buffalo, Matt Nieto had the perfect response for San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan. Nieto returned to the lineup and scored the game-winning goal at 6:20 of the third period and the Sharks defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Sunday. "Whenever you get a chance to be in the lineup, you have to have a positive impact and thats something I try to do whenever I am in," Nieto said. Nieto not only returned to the lineup, he replaced Brent Burns on the top line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. It worked out just fine, with Nieto also getting a great chance in the first period, breaking in from the left boards. "Its so easy playing with those guys," said Nieto, who now has seven goals in 48 games and also played a key role as the Sharks killed off all four Devils power plays. "I just have to retrieve pucks for them, and when I get it to them, go to the net and get open." The winner came on a counterattack after goaltender Alex Stalock made five of his 21 saves, including a two-on-none save against Patrik Elias. Thornton made a pass from the left boards to Pavelski in the middle of the ice. He found Nieto coming down the right side and the forward ripped a shot into the top corner of the net. "I had a couple of chances in the first period and wasnt able to elevate the puck," Nieto said. "We knew in the pre-scout that we needed to get pucks high on this guy so I shot it high, and luckily it went by." McLellan said he was not sending Nieto a message by sitting him the previous game. He just wanted to get some other players in the lineup. The coach admitted, he got the message, if Nieto was sending him one. "We have to listen, too," he said. "He played well." Logan Couture and Raffi Torres also scored and U.S. Olympian Joe Pavelski had the primary assists on the tying and winning goals as the Sharks won for the fifth time in six games. They were 2-1 on the road trip after the Olympics. Patrick Marleau iced the game with a breakaway goal with 2:25 to play, his 25th of the season. Adam Henrique and Patrik Elias scored for the Devils, who had a two-game, post-Olympic break winning streak snapped. Cory Schneider had 18 saves for New Jersey, which was playing its third game in four days. "We did a lot of good stuff," Devils coach Pete DeBoer said. "We gave ourselves a chance under a tough circumstance to get points and it didnt happen." The Sharks and Devils took turns taking the lead in the second period that featured four goals. Couture and Torres, who returned to the Sharks lineup after the Olympic break, scored in the second period and each has three goals since returning. Henrique, who has four goals since the break, and Elias, who has two, tallied for the Devils. Couture snapped a scoreless tie at 3:26 of the period, putting in the rebound of a Marleau deflection into an open net. Schneider contributed to the goal by playing the puck poorly behind his own net to set up a point shot by Jason Demers. Henrique tied the score a little more than a minute later, depositing a nice cross-ice pass from the right corner by Steve Bernier into an open net for his career-best 18th goal. Elias put New Jersey ahead about 10 minutes later, deflecting a point shot by rookie defenceman Jon Merrill past Stalock. The lead stood for 92 seconds as Torres and Pavelski worked a beautiful give-and-go on a 2-on-1 break that led to Torres third goal. He missed the Sharks first 59 games while recovering from knee surgery. He scored twice in his debut against Philadelphia on Thursday and sat out Fridays game against Buffalo. NOTES: This was Larry Robinsons first game back at the Prudential Center since the former Devils assistant and head coach left to join Todd McLellens staff in San Jose. ... This was LW Ryane Clowes first game against the team that drafted him in 2001. ... Devils captain Bryce Salvador (collarbone) and RW Damien Brunner (leg) each missed their second straight game after being hurt on Thursday. Tracy Mcgrady Raptors Jersey . Mathis injured the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in Sundays 34-17 win over Jacksonville. Hell be eligible to practice with the team in six weeks and play in eight weeks. Barbre injured an ankle, and Goode tore a pectoral muscle. Bruno Caboclo Raptors Jersey . -- Kansas Citys Omar Infante has a sprained jaw and needed six stitches to close a cut opened when he was hit by a Heath Bell pitch.BOSTON -- Michael Wacha had a funny way of preparing for his World Series start thats supposed to save the season for the St. Louis Cardinals. The 22-year-old October ace spent Tuesday afternoon on the tarmac at the St. Louis airport when the team plane got grounded by mechanical problems. It took all day before the Cardinals finally arrived in Boston, trailing the Red Sox 3-2 going into Game 6 on Wednesday night. Their flight took off about 9:10 p.m. EDT after a delay that appeared to last around 6 hours and landed shortly after 11 p.m. "Everyone is just watching movies," Wacha said from the plane, a couple of hours into the delay. "Theyve got dinner on here for us and stuff. Everyone is just walking around. Nobody is in a bad mood or anything like that. The attitude is pretty good." His teammates were probably confident, too, considering what the rookie has done this post-season. Hes 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in four starts, including a win over John Lackey and the Red Sox in Game 2. Lackey will again oppose the tall right-hander. "I dont think anything will be much different," Wacha said. "I just try to approach every game the same. I dont think its going to be too much different. We know the next two games are must-wins. It all starts with me tomorrow night." Heady stuff for a guy who was pitching at Texas A&M less than a year and a half ago, a guy who began this season in Triple-A. Then again, look at what hes done. He came within an out of a no-hitter against Washington in his final start of the regular season, only to give up an infield single. With the Cardinals facing a 2-1 deficit in the best-of-five division series, he took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning to win at Pittsburgh. He twice outpitched Cy Young Award favourite Clayton Kershaw to win MVP honours in the NL championship series, then beat Boston with his family in the seats at Fenway Park. Quite a run, by any standards. "I think its been one of those thats been fun for us to watch," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said from tthe idle plane. Jonas Valanciunas Raptors. "Taking everything into consideration, how this kid was in school, in college 18 months or so ago, and watch the maturity, and watch the progress, too." "Not just Michael, but a group of other young players that have been able to do something very similar. But Michaels done a nice job. We just want him to really not focus on the big picture of what exactly is going on. What we want him to do is go out, make one pitch at a time. Theres time for summations later." Lackey said he could appreciate what Wacha is going through. The Red Sox righty was a rookie with the Angels in 2002 when he started Game 7 of the World Series and beat the San Francisco Giants. "Probably similar to the way I was feeling. I think I was 23 or whatever that year," Lackey said. "I dont know what kind of guy he is. But personally, I was more excited about it than anything else as far as nerves." The Red Sox are trying to clinch a World Series title on their own field for the first time since 1918. Anticipation is high in Boston, and prices on the secondary market for even a standing-room ticket were approaching $1,000. "I imagine its going to be crazy, but Im not going to pay any attention to it," Wacha said. "Ill keep going about my business the way I have been in all my starts this year. And not worry about the crowd, and just get locked in with Yadi behind the plate and just make my pitches." Star catcher Yadier Molina helped settle down Wacha in Game 2. Wacha matched a season high with four walks, but allowed only three hits in six innings. David Ortiz did the most damage against him, sending a two-run homer over the Green Monster. The big-hitting Ortiz was ready for a rematch with Wacha, provided the plane problems got resolved. "I thought I saw them leaving last night. Thats crazy. Everything happens for a reason," Ortiz said. "Me, normally, when I have a delay on a flight, I dont get mad. You dont play around with that stuff. Hopefully they get here safe." Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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