Spam und Fun » a shrug and a sheepish smile. Murray lost the dis

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Now that the Los Angeles Kings have made it halfway to a historic comeback, the task actually seems even more difficult now that they know how close they are. Jonathan Quick made 30 saves to shut out San Jose for the fourth time in his career in the post-season and the Kings staved off elimination for a second straight game by beating the Sharks 3-0 on Saturday night in Game 5 of their first-round series. "If anything, it seems a little more daunting because we came this far to get two, now we need to take two more," defenceman Drew Doughty said. "It puts more pressure on us because we can kind of smell it. We cant get ahead of ourselves. We have a lot of work ahead of us." Tyler Toffoli, Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter scored for the Kings, who have rebounded after losing the first three games of the series. Quick allowed 16 goals in those losses, but once again is starting to look like the goalie who stymied the Sharks in a second-round series a year ago. Antti Niemi allowed three goals on 19 shots and got pulled for the second straight game for the Sharks. Perhaps more importantly, San Jose also lost star defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic to an upper-body injury after he was elbowed in the head by Jarret Stoll late in the first period. "We did a lot of good things for 3 1/2 games. Tonight was red rotten," coach Todd McLellan said. "Thats simply put. When we started the series, we talked about leaving games behind, closing the book on it. Theres no doubt well look at it. We have to improve. But its put in the bank and well move on." They may have to do it without Vlasic. He is questionable for Game 6 on Monday night in Los Angeles as the Kings are looking to become just the fourth NHL team to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series. They finally broke through in San Jose after losing five playoff games here the past two seasons and 12 of 13 games here overall. But they will need to win here again to complete the comeback as Game 7 will be in San Jose on Wednesday, if necessary. The Kings came out looking like a desperate team and dominated from the start against the listless Sharks, who were unable to feed off the energy from a frenzied crowd hoping to see a fierce rival get eliminated. "We had a good start," Quick said. "We got a few shifts and we just tried to keep building on it. They came with a lot, too. They had a big pushback. Its not easy to win against this team. Theyre a great team for a reason." Los Angeles controlled the game on the ice, the shot clock and the scoreboard to take a 2-0 lead in the first period and mostly silence the crowd. The Kings opened the scoring when Tanner Pearson outraced Vlasic to a loose puck and fed a rushing Toffoli, who patiently skated around James Sheppard and beat Niemi with a shot from the slot to make it 1-0. The Kings made it 2-0 shortly after Joe Thornton was unable to bat a cross-ice pass from Brent Burns into an empty net. That fueled a 3-on-2 rush the other way and Kopitar knocked in a rebound of Dustin Browns shot. "Usually, we have really fast starts in this building and that wasnt the case tonight," Thornton said. "They started faster than us. Really, its a rarity around here. We just have to have better starts. Thats the bottom line." The Sharks responded to a 2-0 deficit in Game 2 that deficit with seven straight goals, but it was quickly clear that would not repeat when Carter banked a shot off Brad Stuarts skate for a power-play goal 22 seconds into the second period to end Niemis night. Alex Stalock came in and stopped 22 shots, but it was too late to save the Sharks in this game although it could make McLellan consider starting him in Game 6. "Well have to make some decisions throughout our lineup at every position because we werent obviously near good enough tonight," McLellan said. San Jose finally showed some life late in the second period, but by then Quick was on his game, robbing Brent Burns with a pad save on the power play late in the period. "I thought tonight was probably our best defensive game so far this series," Doughty said. "We dont want Quicky to have to stand on his head every night. We want to play well in front of him. We want to do things to make it a little easier for him. I thought we did that tonight but when he was called upon he was huge." NOTES: Niemi has been pulled four times in 38 playoff starts for San Jose, all against Los Angeles. ... Carter has points in nine straight playoff games dating to last season. Taron Johnson Bills Jersey . In the opener of the World Group first-round series, world No. 18 Kei Nishikori defeated Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont. Tremaine Edmunds Jersey . This weeks Raptors Report puts a bow on Gays brief, 10-month tenure in Toronto and ponders how his absence will affect the teams offence. Are they a better team without him? In addition to acquiring some valuable cap flexibility, what impact will the four incoming players have this season and beyond? Click here for the Dec. http://www.billsnflgears.com/Black-Star-....html?cat=983.J. -- All those records, all for naught. Jim Kelly Bills Jersey . -- During a players meeting following the All-Star break, Jermaine ONeal promised his teammates to play the rest of the regular season like he would never play again -- because he very well might not. Taron Johnson Jersey .C. -- Lucy Li made two double bogeys, a triple bogey and finished her historic round at the U.KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Novak Djokovic benefited from an erroneous call and claimed he didnt realize he had broken the rules. When Andy Murray walked to the net and challenged him about it, Djokovic responded with a shrug and a sheepish smile. Murray lost the dispute, and the match. The pivotal ruling against the defending champion helped Djokovic win 7-5, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Sony Open. Roger Federer was up a service break twice in the second set but lost to No. 20-seeded Kei Nishikori 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. Nishikori will play Djokovic on Friday. The point that aggravated Murray occurred at the start of the 12th game, when he was serving at 5-6. Djokovic charged forward to volley a short ball and hit it for a winner. Murray argued -- and TV replays confirmed -- he should have been awarded the point because Djokovics racket was on the far side of the net when he hit the ball. Chair umpire Damian Steiner declined to change his call, and such rulings cant be appealed for video review. Murray briefly discussed the matter with Djokovic. "I went and asked Novak, and he told me he was over the net," Murray said. "Look, it might be my mistake," Djokovic said. "I think I crossed the net with the racket. I didnt touch the net. Maybe the rule is that you are not allowed to pass on his side with the racket. Im not sure. You tell me." That is indeed the rule. Djokovic said that if he had understood it correctly, he would have conceded the point. A flustered Murray committed unforced backhand errors on the next three points to lose the game and the set. "Obviously, that distracted him mentally, and after that he gave the set away," Djokovic said. Murray took a lead in the second set but lost the final four games and the last 12 points. Afterward, he downplayed the bad call. "Im not angry," he said. "It maybe had a slight bearing on that game, but I was still up a break in the second set." Nishikori will be playing in only his second ATP Masters 1000 semifinal, and his first in 2 1/2 years. "I thought I really played well, especially in the third set," Nishikori said. "I was hitting balls deep and striking well. Everything was going well..dddddddddddd" Federer was the runner-up to Djokovic at Indian Wells two weeks ago, and said hes pleased with his start to the year despite the latest loss. "I just couldnt find my rhythm on the serve today, which was surprising," Federer said. "Its a bit frustrating, but Kei did well to stay with me. He was more consistent in the second and third, and in the end its to his credit." Li Na became the first Chinese woman to reach the Key Biscayne semifinals when she beat Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 7-5. Lis opponent Thursday night will be Dominika Cibulkova, who erased three match points in the second set -- one when a call was overturned via replay -- and beat Agnieszka Radwanska 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3. Six-time champion Serena Williams will play five-time runner-up Maria Sharapova in the other womens semifinal. Williams has beaten Sharapova 14 consecutive times. Murray won the Key Biscayne title in 2009 and 2013 but wasnt at his best against Djokovic. The Scotsman committed five double-faults and 32 unforced errors, including a flurry down the stretch. He took a 3-2 lead in the second set with his only service break, then double-faulted twice to give it right back. But it all might have been different if not for the call that made one point stand out from the other 125. Djokovic had won praise for his sportsmanship when he conceded a point following an erroneous call in his match Tuesday, but against good friend Murray, he left the verdict to the umpire. A sideline reporter told Murray that TV replays showed he was correct about the call, and during the ensuing changeover he questioned Steiner. "His racket was over the net," Murray said. "Its quite clear. You can see it on the replay." "I have to make a decision at the moment," Steiner replied. Any hard feelings on Murrays part didnt carry over after the match, when he shook hands with Djokovic and Steiner. "Its a hard one for the umpire to call," Murray said. "Just frustrating." And Djokovic said the call was the umpires to make. "Its not my fault," he said. "I mean, I was never lying on the court. I always try to be fair to whoever I play against." 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