The San Jose Sharks are glad to be back home for an extended period. Perhaps it will get their struggling offense going.San Jose opens a five-game homestand and a stretch of seven of eight at SAP Center on Monday night against the New Jersey Devils, who are dealing with their own problems trying to generate offense.The Sharks are coming off a 3-3-0 road trip -- their longest of the season. Things started well with 10 goals scored in wins over the Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. They followed by tallying only four goals in losses to the Carolina Hurricanes, St. Louis Blues and Arizona Coyotes.Joe Pavelski, who had two goals and two assists on the trip, said playing at home for the first time since Nov. 5 and for a long period will be good for the team.(Well) spend a little bit of time (at home) and try to create that home-ice advantage, he told the CSN Bay Area website. We havent had much time there. Theres a little bit of disconnect from the fans just because weve been gone.We want to get back there, we want to get the crowd going where we score a goal and the place erupts on your side. Those are good feelings.That was certainly the case early in the season when San Jose won four in a row, but open this homestand trying to avoid a third consecutive loss in northern California.San Jose (9-8-1) is near the top of the Pacific Division despite having one of the more lackluster offensive units in the league. San Jose has scored just 41 goals so far, one more than New Jersey.Pavelski is tied with Brent Burns for the team lead with six goals, but Burns has failed to score in four straight. Joe Thornton has only two goals and none in his last five games, and Patrick Marleau has scored four goals with one coming in his past eight games. Thornton and Marleau have combined for 16 goals, including five game-winners, and 18 assists versus the Devils.I think all the guys in here have high expectations as far as how we want to play. I think guys put a lot of pressure on themselves, Sharks defenseman Paul Martin told CSN Bay Area.Another player whos struggled is Tomas Hertl, who set career highs with 21 goals and 25 assists last season, but has only four goals and five assists through 17 games. Hertl suffered an injury against the Blues, and may need knee surgery.The Devils are 1-2-0 on their four-game road trip and will be trying to leave California with a win. After defeating the Dallas Stars in overtime on Tuesday, New Jersey dropped a one-goal decision to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday before falling 4-2 to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.New Jersey (9-5-3) has failed to score more than 197 goals in each of the last four seasons and is on pace for about 172 this season. The addition of Taylor Hall from the Edmonton Oilers was meant to address the lack of goal scoring, but a knee injury is expected to sideline him until mid-December. Michael Cammalleri (three goals) remains day-to-day for personal reasons.With Hall and Cammalleri out, that leaves journeyman P.A. Parenteau as the teams leading goal scorer with five. Defenseman Damon Severson also leads the Devils with nine assists and 12 points.We need more performances from the players who are here, Devils coach John Hynes said after the loss to the Kings.One player Hynes could be targeting with that statement is Kyle Palmieri. Playing in his first season with the Devils in 2015-16, Palmieri had career bests with 30 goals and 27 assists in 82 games. Hes slumped to three goals and four assists in 17 games, and played just 15 shifts against Los Angeles -- his fewest this season.New Jersey also has failed to score a power-play goal in its last eight games, going 0-for-26 in that stretch.On the bright side, New Jersey has won two straight at SAP Center by a combined 8-2 score. That includes a 30-save shutout by Keith Kinkaid in the Devils 3-0 win on March 10.Kinkaid, who has not played since Nov. 11, is 2-0-1 with a 1.65 goals-against average as Cory Schneiders backup. . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony Davis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. NORMAN, Okla. -- With his best receiver sidelined, Baker Mayfield still boosted his Heisman Trophy resume.Mayfield passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 7 Oklahoma defeated No. 11 Oklahoma State 38-20 on Saturday in a matchup that decided the Big 12 champion and likely guaranteed the Sooners a trip to the Sugar Bowl.Mayfield performed well throughout, despite finishing the game without Biletnikoff Award finalist Dede Westbrook. The speedster caught four passes for 111 yards before being knocked out of the game in the second quarter on a crushing hit by Oklahoma State safety Jordan Sterns. Mayfield threw two touchdown passes after Westbrook left the game, and the offense didnt miss a beat, finishing with 629 yards.He was just fantastic, he was just exactly what he needed to be, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said of Mayfield. He gave our guys chances to make plays, he handled the ball great himself, had a few key runs for us, threw the ball. The guys really, really talented. To be able to do what he did, theres not many guys who could do what he did today.Mayfield finished fourth in the Heisman balloting last year, but he didnt get an invitation to New York for the ceremony. He wants to go this year, and he wants Westbrook to get an invitation, too.After the game, Mayfield wore a pin from the school with both his and Westbrooks names on it. Mayfield crossed out his own name with a marker to make sure Westbrook wasnt forgotten.Dede is the best player in the country, Mayfield said. I still want to hold Dedes hand all the way to New York.Mayfield should be a Heisman front-runner heading into next season, too. He said after the game that he plans to return for his senior season.Coming back, be here for another year, he said. Opportunity for a three-peat (Big 12). The ultimate goal is why I came here -- to win a national title.Samaje Perine rambled for 239 yards on a career-high 37 carries and Joe Mixon caught a touchdown pass and busted a 79-yard touchdown run for the Sooners (10-2, 9-0 Big 12, No.dddddddddddd 9 College Football Playoff).It was the second straight time the teams met in the regular-season finale to determine the conference champion. Oklahoma beat the Cowboys 58-23 last season.In this years showdown, Mason Rudolph completed just 11 of 25 passes for 186 yards for Oklahoma State (9-3, 7-2, No. 10 CFP). His top target for the season, James Washington, caught just two passes for 50 yards on eight targets.Just a rough day, Rudolph said. Ill take all the responsibility for the lack of production, especially in the second half. Obviously, it needed to be better.THE TAKEAWAYOKLAHOMA STATE: It was an especially bitter defeat for the Cowboys, who have become so close to turning the tide against their biggest rival. The Cowboys, who last won the Big 12 in 2011, fell to 2-10 against the Sooners under coach Mike Gundy. Even with Westbrook out and Perine being knocked out briefly after a helmet-to-helmet hit, the Cowboys couldnt keep the momentum.They made too many big plays, Sterns said. Thats a great football team with big playmakers.OKLAHOMA: The Sooners added a second straight win over a highly ranked opponent, but it likely wasnt enough to get them into the College Football playoff for the second straight year.Probably, realistically, more needed to happen last week to give ourselves a better opportunity, but thats past, Stoops said. Whatever theyre going to decide, theyll decide.POLL IMPLICATIONSOKLAHOMA STATE: Likely wont fall too far with a road loss against a Top 10 team , especially with so many other top teams playing each other.OKLAHOMA: Not much space to move up. The Sooners were already ahead of Colorado, which lost to Washington on Friday.UP NEXTOKLAHOMA STATE: Bowl game to be determined.OKLAHOMA: The Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2 unless the Sooners make the College Football Playoff.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP . ' ' '
