Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Semyon Varlamov stopped all 40 shots he faced to record his first shutout of the season, and Nathan MacKinnon added a pair of second-period goals as Colorado posted a 5-0 victory over the Islanders at Pepsi Center. Erik Johnson, Marc-Andre Cliche and Cody McLeod also provided offense for the Avalanche, who closed out the seasons first month by snapping a two-game slide. Tonight was a huge win. And our goaltender was an MVP tonight, MacKinnon said. Chad Johnson was on the hook for all five goals on 23 shots for the Islanders, who have lost four of six. We started really well tonight, we dominated play early, Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said. We have to start scoring three or four goals to win in this league. McLeod opened the scoring 2:34 after the opening faceoff, cutting to the front of the crease and tapping home a Matt Duchene centering feed. Colorado effectively put the game away with a three-goal second-period burst. MacKinnon doubled the home advantage with a power-play strike just shy of the 3 1/2-minute mark of the second, Cliche deposited his first goal of the season one second shy of nine minutes played, then MacKinnon added another on a redirection of a Jarome Iginla pass 1:15 later. Johnsons point drive with 6:20 remaining in the contest provided a five-goal margin for the Avalanche. The blistering shot was set up by a right-circle faceoff win by Duchene. Game Notes Varlamov authored his 14th career clean sheet and also reached the 80-win plateau with Colorado ... The Avs improved to 9-4-1 all-time at home against the Islanders, and recorded their second home shutout against them since moving to Denver in 1995. Cheap Cubs Jerseys .com) - Pittsburgh Steelers running back LeVeon Bell, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Elvis Dumervil and New England Patriots punter Ryan Allen were selected as the AFCs top players for Week 14 of the NFL season. Chicago Cubs Pro Shop .com) - Its fair to call Mike McCarthy one of the best coaches in the NFL but its also more than objective to point out that the veteran mentor bookended the Green Bay Packers season with two, truly awful game plans in Seattle. https://www.cheapcubs.com/. -- ETwaun Moore had 14 points in 30 minutes, and the Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons 87-86 on Sunday night. Fake Cubs Jerseys . You can watch the game on TSN at 7pm et/4pm pt and listen to the game on TSN Radio 690 in Montreal. After starting the month of November on an 0-3-1 slide, the Canadiens have recorded wins in three of their last five outings (3-1-1). Chicago Cubs Gear . The deals were announced on Friday. Beckham will receive $4.175 million in base salary, while De Aza will receive $4.25 million. Beckham hit .267 with five home runs and 24 RBIs over 103 games last season, his fifth with the White Sox.Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week, they discuss preparations for the Rio Olympics, the exciting first round of the NBA playoffs, Mike Keenan victorious in Russia and the prolonged wait for the NFL Draft finally coming to an end. Bruce Arthur, Toronto Star My thumb is down to the International Olympic Committee and…I know, I know…you feel like weve been here before, but this is a new frontier because the concept of an Olympics in Rio was new when the IOC awarded Brazil the 2016 games seven years ago. Concerns about readiness, inequality and about the way the country might react? Dont worry! Rio! Now with two years to go, the IOC is shocked…shocked…to find that they gambled on a country that hasnt built the establishment. Seriously, Rio is in major organization trouble with whole complexes unbuilt and with public unrest still simmering, the IOC is lamenting the fact that they cant employ Beijing-style slave labour. Theyre blaming it on Rio. Guess who they should be blaming instead? Steve Simmons, Toronto Sun My thumb is up to the first round of the playoffs and Im not talking about the Stanley Cup playoffs, which have been marvelous, as usual. Im talking about the NBA playoffs, where, normally, the first round is about favourites winning and not much else, but not this year. A last-second three by the sensational Damian Lillard of Portland meant there were five Game 7s in the first round, instead of a record-breaking six. There have been eight overtime games and the road team has won 21 of the first 36 playoff games - this from a league that usually sees the home teams win 70 per cent of the time.ddddddddddddAnd, of course, there is Game 7 in Toronto today with the possibility of 2 million people watching on TV. If this isnt fun, I dont know what is. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated My thumb is up to Mike Keenan, who reminds us that a coach is a coach is a coach, no matter the team or the time zone. Keenan always dreamed of winning a Cup, although probably not the Gagarin Cup. Two decades after the New York Rangers memorable Stanley Cup run, Iron Mike did it again on the far side of the erstwhile Iron Curtain, coaching the KHLs Metallurg Magnitogorsk to a Game 7 win over Lev Prague. Note one striking similarity in the championships: as he did after beating the Vancouver Canucks in 94, Keenan celebrated in the dressing room by singing karaoke - this time in Russian, of course. The Red Army choir is not giving up its day job. Dave Hodge, TSN My thumb is up to May 8, which is coming soon - on Thursday - and thats why my thumb is up, because when May 8 finally arrives, it brings with it the National Football League Draft…finally. Did I say "finally?" When the NFL moved the draft from April to May, we might have known wed be sick of mock drafts by now. There is actual analysis that proclaims winners and losers of mock drafts! Ive heard so much about Jadeveon Clowneys awesome talent and alleged laziness that Im sure there are two Jadeveon Clowneys. Im not sure if the Houston Texans will take one of them or which one or if the Texans will take Johnny Manziel or if theyll trade down - I only know they cant trade up and I dont care anymore what they do, I just want them to do it. On May 8. ' ' '