DENVER - Nathan MacKinnon finally found his shooting touch on a night when his goalie turned back everything. Lonnie Walker Jersey .Just what the frustrated MacKinnon needed. Same goes for Semyon Varlamov, a hard-luck loser in his last few starts.MacKinnon scored his first two goals of the season, and Varlamov stopped 40 shots for his 14th NHL shutout, lifting the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-0 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday.The 19-year-old MacKinnon has struggled to get on track this season. He scored both of his goals in the second period, one on a power play — hopping up and down on his skates to celebrate — and the other when he tipped a shot past goalie Chad Johnson.I figured (a goal) would come sooner or later, said MacKinnon, the reigning NHL rookie of the year. Obviously, a little later than I wanted, but its all in the past now.Varlamov was sharp against the Islanders, one of the leagues highest scoring teams. It was his first shutout since April 5 at St. Louis.The Russian showed no signs of fatigue after making 49 saves in a shootout loss to San Jose two nights earlier. He has stopped 89 shots in his last two games.Hes one of the best, if not the best, in the game right now, Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said.No argument from Islanders coach Jack Capuano.Pretty good to me, Capuano said. Give him credit.This was a big boost for Varlamovs psyche, especially after a rough start early in the season and then missing time because of a groin injury.Right now, its very important for me to get my confidence back, Varlamov said. We scored a lot of goals, too. We get our confidence back for our offence.Cody McLeod and Marc-Andre Cliche also netted their first goals of the season. Erik Johnson added another in the third period.The Avalanche took command with a three-goal second period, turning the game into a rout. That is a departure for these teams in Denver, where the last seven meetings had been decided by one goal.Tempers flared late, with New Yorks Cal Clutterbuck and McLeod shoving each other near the Avalanche bench. Both were sent to the penalty box for roughing. Seconds later, Johnson scored on a power play to make it 5-0. The defenceman also added an assist.The Islanders struggled on the power play, going 0-for-6.Couldnt capitalize, Capuano said. Weve got to score goals. In this league, every night, got to score two to three to win. If you dont, youre not going to win hockey games.At the morning skate, MacKinnon said his scoring slump wasnt weighing on him and that he wouldnt change anything about his play.Ill get a bounce one of these nights, MacKinnon said.He did. There was a collision in front of the Islanders net with three players falling on top of Gabriel Landeskog near the crease. Johnson tried to stand tall, but fell. MacKinnon skated backward with the puck to create some separation and then lined a shot into the upper corner.His eyes grew wide when the puck went in, and he raised his arms. He then hopped around as his teammates engulfed him.Later, Jarome Iginla corralled a puck on the side and sent a pass that MacKinnon tipped to the right of Johnsons stick.MacKinnon had 24 goals and 39 assists last season in helping the Avalanche return to the playoffs. His slow start mirrored that of last season, though, when he had one goal through the opening 11 games.McLeod scored 2:34 into the game on a feed from Matt Duchene, who was left alone behind the net.Islanders captain John Tavares almost tied it, but his shot just before the buzzer to end the first clanged off the crossbar.Got to find a way to get a little bit more gritty, Tavares said. Find a way to get an ugly one, get a bounce to go your way. Its obviously a frustrating loss.NOTES: New York D Travis Hamonic missed his fourth straight game because of an upper-body injury. ... Islanders RW Kyle Okposo played in his 400th career game. ... The Islanders next stop on their five-game trip is Saturday at San Jose. ... F Maxime Talbot and Duchene each had two assists. LaMarcus Aldridge Jersey . The rest of the team was already on the field stretching before batting practice while Puig was getting dressed in the clubhouse. He had been slated to start in right field for the afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants, who beat the Dodgers 8-4. Chimezie Metu Jersey .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness.BEREA, Ohio -- As he discussed the possibility of quarterback Johnny Manziel being picked by Cleveland in the upcoming draft, Browns linebacker Quentin Groves made a small sign of the cross. A prayer that hes coming? A plea that he stays away? Groves intentions with his gesture werent clear. Like just about everything around Johnny Football, theres no definite answer. The most polarizing player to enter the NFL in a while, Manziel, is being closely linked to the Browns, who own the No. 4 overall pick in next weeks draft and have been seeking a franchise quarterback for more than a decade. Clevelands inability to land a QB either in the draft or via free agency or blind luck may be the single biggest reason the Browns have only made the playoffs once since 1999 and seem to change coaches every year. There are those who believe Manziel can save the Browns. Others feel the Texas A&M quarterbacks dazzling skills -- and size -- wont translate to the pro game. Hes dynamic. Hes too small. Hes a game-changer. Hes self-absorbed. Hes a hard worker. Hes a head case. Hes charismatic. Everyone has an opinion on Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner who has been projected as being picked anywhere from the top 5 to the bottom of the first round. "If Johnny Manziel came through, if he beats out the other quarterbacks that are here, its all good," Browns Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden said. "I like Johnny Manziel. I like him a whole lot." Hadens not alone. Sports radio talk shows here are crammed with callers screaming for the Browns to choose Manziel, one of several QBs in this years class expected to go in the early rounds. Cleveland hasnt used a pick higher than No. 22 on a quarterback since taking Tim Couch first overall 15 years ago. The Browns have done their homework on Manziel. The team recently worked him out privately in College Station, Texas, and brought him to Cleveland to visit their training facility and headquarters. As they consider taking him, Browns general manager Ray Farmer and owner Jimmy Haslam wanted to get to better know Manziel, who served a suspension last season for violating an NCAA rule involving signing autographs, as a person. Theyve seen him on film. Nothing beats the real thing. "I dont think I have any reservations with who Johnny is," Farmer said. "Hes a good young man. I think the interesting part about Johnny is that, much like a lot of us, you dont get a handbook for how to operate in certain instances. Jakob Poeltl Jersey. "When you go from being a kid from Tyler, Texas, to being Johnny Football and winning the Heisman Trophy really quickly, they dont hand you a manual and tell you how to handle the media swarm, how to handle the paparazzi, how to handle people coming up to you at dinners. "He would tell you very candidly that its probably not how he would have written it up now that hes at the end of it or getting towards the end of his college career, but you live and you learn." Manziel would certainly put Cleveland back on the football map and revitalize a flagging franchise. Hed sell tickets and move merchandise. But is that enough? Groves called one of his college coaches now at Texas A&M for a scouting report. "I asked him, How is Johnny? Is he a football guy?" Groves said. "He said, Honestly, hes the most competitive guy youll ever meet. He is a guy that will come in, be the first in, last to leave. thats just him. I know you have the flashy lifestyle (Groves mimics Manziels signature finger rub), (rapper) Drake and all that stuff, and at the end of the day the guy wins ballgames. "He makes plays. He extends drives and wins ballgames." Browns offensive co-ordinator Kyle Shanahan, who coached quarterback Robert Griffin III in Washington, thinks Manziels unorthodox style can win in the pros. "If you can make those plays in college, you can do it in the NFL," he said. "The one thing about the NFL, theres a lot of tape out there. Youve got to be able to do everything. "Whatever you do very good, theyre going to eventually be able to shut that down and youre going to have to do something else. Hes going to be able to make plays in this league. Eventually when they try to contain him, hes going to have to do everything he didnt always have to do in college." The Browns must also consider all that comes along with Manziel. Number 2 brings a three-ring circus. Groves, for one, believes the Browns are suited to add Manziel. "Were a mature enough team to handle it," he said. "Weve had some individual success here and people have handled it well. Josh Gordon and (Alex) Mack going to the Pro Bowl, Joe Thomas going to the Pro Bowl. Joe Haden and Jordan Cameron making their first Pro Bowls, things like that. I think we can handle it." Cheap Brewers Jerseys Cheap Twins Jerseys Cheap Mets Jerseys Cheap Yankees Jerseys Cheap Athletics Jerseys Cheap Phillies Jerseys Cheap Pirates Jerseys Cheap Padres Jerseys Cheap Giants Jerseys Cheap Mariners JerseysCheap Cardinals Jerseys Cheap Rays Jerseys Cheap Rangers Jerseys Cheap Blue Jays Jerseys Cheap Nationals Jerseys ' ' '