welcome sight for head coach Jack Capuano, who

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson admits his side must lift in AFL finals if theyre to capture a record-equalling fourth straight premiership.The Hawks recorded a dramatic one-point victory over Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday, when they needed a win or draw to secure a top-four spot.They ticked it off in unconvincing fashion and will now face rivals Geelong in a qualifying final, having beaten the Magpies 17.10 (112) to 17.9 (111).Collingwood, who were a man down in the second half following James Aishs hamstring injury, booted four consecutive goals to hit the front with a tick under three minutes remaining.Jack Fitzpatrick, called into the Hawks side following ruckman Jon Ceglars season-ending knee injury, was the unlikely hero.Fitzpatrick, playing his first game for the club, burst through the middle and unloaded a bomb from over 55 metres out to level the scores before Paul Puopolo put the Hawks in front.Clarkson was relieved to seal a coveted double chance in finals but unhappy with many elements of the performance, particularly the ease at which Collingwood scored.We dont like giving up 17 goals and its not very often you win a game when you do, Clarkson said.So we were a bit lucky in that sense. It was a pretty open, free-flowing game - great for the fans but not so good for the heart rate of coaches.They (Geelong) were pretty impressive on Saturday. Well have to play a bit better than we did today if were going to (win).It was the sixth time this year Hawthorn have won by nine points or less.Once again the spirit of our group and resilience to just hang tough in the last five minutes and find a way to win was really important, Clarkson said.It was pretty frantic.The Hawks trailed by 16 points in the second quarter and were outplayed for much of the contest.Small forwards Cyril Rioli and Luke Breust led a spirited comeback and a snapped goal from veteran Jordan Lewis gave Hawthorn a 12-point buffer at three-quarter time.The Magpies continued to fight in front of a crowd of 52,968, levelling the scores early in the fourth term.The Hawks steadied thanks to clutch goals from James Sicily, Billy Hartung and Shaun Burgoyne, only for Collingwood to rally again.Josh Gibson could be scrutinised for a clumsy spoil on Levi Greenwood in the second quarter but AFL legend Wayne Carey expected the Hawks defender would be cleared by the match review panel.Thats no worse than Rory Sloane (who was suspended last week) but Greenwoods got no claret and thats what saves Gibson. I think hes fine, Carey said on radio station Triple M.Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley praised his sides effort.The only thing we didnt get to do was sing the song, Buckley said. NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap . The nimble-footed quarterback got his wish, dashing through the snow and a weary defence all the way into the NCAA record book. Cheap MLB Jerseys . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. http://www.cheapjerseysbaseball.com/ . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. Chap Baseball Jerseys . -- Stanford squashed Oregons national championship hopes again, schooling the Ducks in power football. Jerseys NFL Wholesale . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. NEW YORK -- Two teams looking to play a consistent 60 minutes will square off Sunday night when the New York Islanders continue a five-game homestand by hosting the Minnesota Wild at Barclays Center.The Wild are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils in which it had three shots in the first period, 17 in the second and six in the third period and beyond.Quiet first periods are nothing new for the Wild, who have taken just 25 of their 131 shots this season in the first period. Minnesota (3-1-1) has five or fewer shots in the first period in four of its five games.Im going to have to start telling them the games at 6:30, Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said Saturday night. We fall asleep and then we come back in the second and third and play really hard and really well. But weve got to be prepared to play the game. The first five games, the first periods, we havent been ready yet.The Islanders beat the Arizona Coyotes 3-2 on Friday despite taking 16 of their 31 shots during a scoreless second period. New York (2-3-0) has produced seven shots or fewer in six of the 15 full periods it has played this season.Ryan Strome, who scored for the Islanders on Friday, recognized the need to get into a flow during a season-opening stretch in which New York will play 10 of its first 13 games at Barclays Center.Home games are so important for us, Strome said. Our schedules so nice at the beginning of the season. Were home a lot so weve got to take advantage of it, try to get back in the drivers seat here, get back above .500 and get on our horses and go.Secondary storylines to follow Sunday include Wild left winger Zach Parises pursuit of his 300th career goal and the return of Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy.Parise began the season wiith 299 goals but has been held off the scoreboard thus far.dddddddddddd Boudreau admitted the Wild might be trying too hard to get Parise his milestone goal.You could tell, Boudreau said. There (were) two-on-ones all over the place. Instead of shooting, we were trying to force passes to him.Leddy, meanwhile, is expected to return from a rare injury-related absence. He missed Fridays game with an upper body injury -- the first game he missed because of injury since March 2015 -- but skated with the Islanders on Saturday morning.The return of the Islanders top defenseman will be a welcome sight for head coach Jack Capuano, who had to mix and match Friday after Leddys replacement, Ryan Pulock, suffered a lower body injury that is expected to sideline him for four to six weeks.Just seems like we cant catch a break right now, to be honest with you, Capuano said.Two backups -- the Islanders Thomas Greiss and the Wilds Darcy Kuemper -- are likely to do battle in net.New Yorks No. 1 goalie, Jaroslav Halak, has started the last three games, which should open the door for Greiss to make his second appearance of the season. Gneiss is 2-2-0 in four games against the Wild and claimed the win the last time he opposed Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2014, when he stopped 33 of 34 shots for the host Pittsburgh Penguins in a 4-1 victory at Xcel Energy Center.Wild starter Devan Dubnyk played Saturday night, so Kuemper will probably draw his second start of the season. In his lone career appearance against the Islanders on Feb. 2, Kuemper stopped all eight shots he faced in relief of Dubnyk in the Wilds 5-3 loss at Barclays Center. ' ' '