San Jose Sharks coach Peter DeBoer is concerned that focus exhibited by his team might not always be where it should. The matchup against their next opponent should grab their attention in more ways than one.Looking to avoid their first three-game skid of the season, the Sharks meet red-hot Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final time in the regular season on Saturday night.San Jose (6-5-0) held its opponents to a total of three goals while winning three straight in a five-day span but stumbled this week with a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday before returning home and falling to the Calgary Flames by the same score on Thursday.DeBoer said the teams sustained effort for an entire contest is lacking.The desperation level of the teams were playing is very high, and ours is high for stages of the game, but not for 60 minutes, and you know, this is a league where if you dont play desperate for 60 minutes, youre really limiting your opportunities to win, and thats where were at right now, he said after the loss to Calgary. We lost because of the lack of a 60-minute commitment by everybody.If the Sharks need a boost to reaffirm that commitment, then playing with urgency and beating the Penguins would provide it. San Jose lost in six games to Pittsburgh in last seasons Stanley Cup Final -- with the clincher coming at SAP Center. In their first rematch this season, San Jose squandered a two-goal lead heading into the third period and lost 3-2 on Oct. 20 at the newly re-named PPG Paints Arena.Joe Pavelski, who leads San Jose with 12 points (four goals, eight assists), said the Sharks may be making things harder for themselves.I think our work ethic can go up a little bit, he said. There (are) moments where its good. Im not calling anyone out by any means, but its just on a nightly basis, its everybody, its a simple game that we play.... From our foundations of hard work and forechecking and certain things, we can get creative, and at times, when that hard work goes away, it makes it a little tougher, but I think we can do a little better job at times.Including postseason play, Pavelski has failed to score a goal in seven straight games against Pittsburgh while recording four assists.As for the Penguins, theyve barely skipped a beat after winning the Stanley Cup -- and that was without having Crosby available for the first six games as he recovered from a concussion.While its difficult to find much fault, if any, with the Penguins play this season, their recent efforts in the second period have been poor. Through the first four games of the season, theyve outscored the opposition 4-2 in the second. But through the last seven contests, starting with last months win over the Sharks, Pittsburgh (7-2-2) has been outscored 12-2 in the middle frame.Despite those recent struggles, Pittsburgh is 5-1-1 in its last seven, and could wrap up this four-game road trip with six or seven out of a possible eight points.Crosby has shown no ill effects from being concussed. In five games since returning to the ice, hes registered at least one point per contest, totaling six goals and two assists. Crosby had his second multi-goal game of the season in Pittsburghs 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.Crosby is an offensive force, but Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said the Penguins captain is not a one-dimensional player.We marvel at him sometimes with how good he is, with what he does each and every night, Sullivan told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Hes a threat most every shift. He plays at both ends of the rink. We use him in a lot of situations, both offensively and defensively. Hes playing inspiring hockey right now.Crosby, who didnt score a goal in last seasons finals, will almost certainly be trying to add to his points total at the expense of Sharks goaltender Martin Jones, whos thriving at home. Jones is 5-5-0 with a 2.34 goals-against average and .909 save percentage overall, but 4-1-0 with a 1.40 GAA and .940 save percentage at SAP Center.Jones may also have his hands full trying to keep defenseman Kris Letang off the scoresheet. After sitting out five games with an upper body injury, Letang returned Wednesday with a goal and assist in a win over the Anaheim Ducks and drew helpers on both of Crosbys goals against the Kings.Letang had a team-high five points (goal, four assists) against San Jose in last seasons playoffs. Dallas Stars Gear . A big centre with all the tools to be an elite player, Johansen paced the Blue Jackets with a standout game Saturday night. He had a goal and two assists for a career-high three points as Columbus beat the New York Islanders 5-2 to snap a five-game losing streak. Wholesale Stars Jerseys . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. https://www.cheapstarsonline.com/ . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. Stars Jerseys 2020 .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Stars Jerseys China . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Spain got its first victory of the Olympics, and almost nobody saw the beginning of it.The mens basketball silver medalists in the last two Olympics held off Nigeria 96-87 Thursday night in a game that started in a nearly entirely empty arena while police exploded a suspicious backpack.The public address announcer welcomed fans, players were introduced and national anthems were played, a standard pregame scene except for people in the seats.We thought, I guess nobody came to watch the game, Pau Gasol said.They had come, but couldnt get in.Security officials prevented fans from entering while police exploded the backpack left near a public restroom. The explosion reverberated inside and outside of Carioca Arena 1.Gasol was startled by the boom as he was walking onto the floor near the Spain bench.We heard an explosion but we didnt know exactly what it was or how big it was, Gasol said. We thought it was fireworks or, I dont know. The arena was pretty much dead empty at the beginning.Spain had started the Olympics with narrow losses to Croatia and Brazil and needed a victory with unbeatens Lithuania and Argentina still on their schedule in the preliminary stage.But with their fans unable to get in to provide an energy boost, coach Sergio Scariolo was worried his team might start slowly. Instead, -- with the squeaking of the players sneakers echoing in the eerie silence of the empty gym -- Span jumped to an 11-2 lead and was ahead 25-11 after one quarter.I was delighted from our first quarter, Scariolo said, how we started the game, how serious we were at the beginning, how intense we were defensively, how we moved the ball together. I think it was a great first quarter, but its true, I was concerned. I was worried aboout that.ddddddddddddhe Spanish players noticed the empty crowd while warming up, but werent aware what caused it. Inspectors had determined the game could start as scheduled and allowed media and volunteers -- who werent informed of the situation -- to remain in the building while the ticket holders were kept outside.Nigeria coach William Voigt had been briefed, but said it wasnt the reason for his teams slow start.I decided not to really say anything to anyone else, he said. I didnt want it to be a distraction, but I knew and certainly when whatever was detonated went off I think it was something everybody noticed.Fans were allowed in later in the first quarter and the Nigerians rallied to take a one-point lead into the fourth. But Gasol finished with 24 points to help Spain pull away.He had a potential tying shot blocked by Croatias Dario Saric to end the opener and then missed two crucial free throws in the closing seconds of the loss to Brazil. Frustration seemed to be setting in during this game, as Gasol picked up a technical foul in the second half for screaming at a referee after not getting a foul call.Now with two games left against the teams ahead of them, the Spanish can still put themselves in good position heading to the quarterfinals. Spain was 1-2 at this point of last summers EuroBasket tournament and rallied to win it, so the team still believes in its chances.Basically we normally went from bottom to top throughout the competitions, Scariolo said. We always did that. Always. Hopefully we will do the same thing here.---Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney ' ' '