01-17-2020, 05:23 AM
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Roberto Luongo prevented the San Jose Sharks from moving into sole possession of first place. Luongo made 28 of his 52 saves in a frenzied third period to help the Florida Panthers snap San Joses six-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory on Tuesday night. "We gave them the two points there," Sharks defenceman Jason Demers said. "Thats unacceptable." Marty Havlat and Brent Burns scored, but the Sharks were lackadaisical on defence in the second period and came up empty on four power plays in the third period to lose the game. That cost San Jose a chance to move past Anaheim for first place in the Pacific Division. The teams are tied with 97 points heading into Thursdays showdown at the Shark Tank, but the Ducks have a game in hand. The Sharks came in with the best home winning percentage in the NHL, but four of their nine losses at home have come against the bottom four teams in the inferior Eastern Conference -- Carolina, the Islanders, Florida and Buffalo. "Weve talked about this lesson a lot of times this year already with teams that are maybe not in the playoffs and we keep shooting ourselves in the foot," coach Todd McLellan said. "Until we fix that, well probably end up with the same results." Brandon Pirri scored one goal and set up Quinton Howden for another in a 17-second span of the second period and Scottie Upshall also scored for the Panthers, who had lost seven of their previous eight road games. But Luongo was the biggest reason for the win, especially in the third period when Florida was outshot 29-2 had to kill off four power plays, including 51 seconds of a two-man advantage. San Jose had the extra skater for all but 27 seconds in a span of 7:36 during the middle of the period but couldnt get anything by Luongo. "I havent seen a performance like that in a while," Howden said. "That was impressive. It was tough taking those penalties but you have confidence with the guy back there. He was our best penalty killer tonight." Burns finally broke through on San Joses 26th shot of the period when he knocked a puck past Luongo after a faceoff win by Joe Thornton with 3:03 remaining. But Luongo robbed Joe Pavelski in the final minute to preserve the win. San Jose has failed to score on 34 of its past 35 power plays at home since Feb. 3, with the only goal coming early in the second period when Havlat beat Luongo with a slap shot from the high slot. "Its not good enough, simple as that," Sharks forward Logan Couture said. "Its on us, the players who go out there and play the big power play minutes, myself included. It needs to be better, it needs to help win us games." The Panthers took over the game after Havlats goal and led 3-1 heading into the third. Pirri changed the tenor of the game on one shift. It started when he raced past Jason Demers and put a shot on goal that Niemi initially saved. But the puck popped in the air and landed behind Niemi, hit his skate and trickled into the net. "Its an opportunity here and, when you get those opportunities, you have to make them count," Pirri said. "We created some speed down the wings and maybe they didnt cover the gap as well as they would have liked. I just shot it." Just seconds later, Pirri got another shot on goal that trickled through Niemi and was sitting in the crease where Howden knocked it in for his third goal in four games this season. The Sharks put on heavy pressure in the closing minutes of the period, but Luongo was up to the task and the Panthers added an insurance goal with 14.8 seconds to play when Pavelski lost the puck near the boards and Joey Crabb slid a pass to Upshall, who beat Niemi with a one-timer. "In the second period, I dont think we used our head," Demers said. "We were working hard, but werent working smart." NOTES: F Jonathan Huberdeau (upper body) did not make the trip for the Panthers. ... Sam Tageson, a teenage hockey player with a life-threatening heart condition, practiced with the Sharks, skated through the shark head before the game and was introduced to a loud ovation before the game as part of a day arranged through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Sharks Foundation. Marcus Allen Super Bowl Jersey . Jeter doubled high off the left-field wall and scored on Jacoby Ellsburys first hit in pinstripes in the fifth. Hiroki Kuroda (1-1) pitched 6 1-3 sharp innings in the Yankees 112th opener in New York. In what manager Joe Girardi said would be a season-long lovefest for Jeter, the shortstop was cheered every step of the way by an adoring crowd of 48, 142 -- even when his double-play grounder back to Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez (0-2) scored Solarte in the third inning for the first run. Damien Williams Super Bowl Jersey . Here at TSN.ca we will take a look back at the season by bringing together a panel of experts to help pick the best 50 players of the season. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/Youth...fs-Jersey/ . Helwani said that Weidman has been dealing with recurring swelling and pain in his knees related to torn meniscus he suffered as a teenager and the problems came to a head last week when he suffered prolonged swelling and pain in his left knee, resulting in the decision to undergo an arthroscopic scope procedure to clean up the tear in both knees. Cameron Erving Super Bowl Jersey . -- Washingtons Bradley Beal seemed to make every shot he took in setting a career high with 37 points. Tyreek Hill Super Bowl Jersey . Murakami gracefully executed a double triple toe jump and a triple flip jump that put her at the top of a tightly contested race with 64.73 points, just ahead of Li Zijun of China on 62. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Adrian Beltre had the big hits after Texas manager Ron Washington made the right call on replay twice in a matter of minutes. Beltre singled home Shin-Soo Choo with the game winner in the ninth inning, drove in his new teammate with a tying double in the seventh, and the Rangers saved a run on a successful replay challenge in a 3-2 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night. "The system worked today," Beltre said. It worked with a little help from Washingtons instincts during Philadelphias two-run sixth inning. His first big decision was not to challenge a play at third when Jim Joyce called Cesar Hernandez safe on a sacrifice bunt by Ben Revere. Washington came out to talk to the crew chief but didnt challenge. Replay showed the call was correct. Moments later, Revere was called safe at second base by Cory Blaser on a pickoff attempt by Martin Perez. Washington asked for the review, which showed second baseman Donnie Murphys glove on Reveres back as he caught the ball before a diving Reveres hand was back on the bag. Revere would have scored on Ryan Howards double later in the inning, but instead only Jimmy Rollins came home for a 2-0 lead. Rollins broke the scoreless tie with a single. "From my vantage point, I thought he had him, really," Washington said. So did Murphy. "I knew that I caught the ball at the same time I was tagging him," Murphy said. "I had a gut feeling that he wasnt at the base yet. I think maybe what happened I blocked out the umpire a little bit just because of how the throw was." Choo reached base for the fourth time on a four-pitch walk to start the ninth against Phillies left-hander Mario Hollands (0-1), who was making his major league debut. After Elvis Andrus sacrifice bunt and walk to Prince Fielder on a full count, Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg went to right-hander B.J. Rosenberg. Beltre singled softly to rightt-centre field, scoring Choo without a throw.dddddddddddd "Yeah, thats a tough spot for him," Sandberg said of Hollands. "I thought he showed his stuff actually even though he walked two guys. He threw some effective pitches to Fielder there, might have been one strike away from getting him out." New Texas closer Joakim Soria got the win with a perfect ninth inning in his season debut. Mitch Morelands single got the Rangers within 2-1 in the sixth, and Beltre had a tying double with two outs in the seventh to score Choo, who had two singles and was hit by a pitch before his ninth-inning walk. "It was nice to get that win coming from behind and now the chance to win the series," Beltre said. Perez had seven strikeouts through five shutout innings but didnt make it through the sixth, giving up hits to four of the six batters he faced in the inning. Howard batted fifth for the Phillies, snapping a streak of 665 straight regular-season starts as the cleanup hitter dating to June 29, 2008, also against the Rangers. He went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts, including one with two runners on in the eighth inning after the Rangers intentionally walked Marlon Byrd. Philadelphias A.J. Burnett left with a 2-1 lead after six innings in the debut for his fifth team covering 16 seasons. The 37-year-old right-hander gave up seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts. NOTES: Rangers RHP Colby Lewis threw 92 pitches in a minor league exhibition game for Frisco as he continues his comeback from hip surgery. He gave up five runs in 5 1-3 innings. ... The Rangers tweeted an apology after a picture circulated from opening day showing dozens of empty beer cans and bottles at the base of a statue honouring Shannon Stone, the firefighter who died in a fall at the Rangers home stadium in 2011. The team said the debris was removed "in a timely manner but it should not have been allowed to be placed there in the first place. ' ' '