alez.Matz, who will be starting for the third time on the Mets season

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed forward Vladislav Namestnikov to a two-year, $3.875 million contract Wednesday.The 23-year-old appeared in 80 games last season, finishing with 14 goals and 35 points. He had one goal and four points while skating in 17 games during the playoffs. In 127 career NHL games, the Russian has 23 goals and 51 points.Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman announced the deal. Custom Toronto Raptors Jerseys . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. Patrick McCaw Raptors Jersey . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. http://www.nbaraptorsonline.com/Authentic-Patrick-McCaw-Jersey/ . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. Serge Ibaka Jersey . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. Fred VanVleet Jersey . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69. NEW YORK -- A series that began Thursday with the New York Mets hoping to close the gap on the Washington Nationals in the National League East will end Sunday with the Mets merely hoping to get back to where they were Thursday -- and the Nationals striving to return to where they were 12 days ago.The Mets and Nationals will close out the first half Sunday with the finale of a four-game series at Citi Field. Washington won its second straight game Saturday, when former New York second baseman Daniel Murphy went 3-for-4 with four RBI in a 6-1 victory.With the win, the National League East-leading Nationals (53-36) increased their lead over the second-place Mets (47-40) to five games. Even if New York wins Sunday, Washington will have the same four-game lead it maintained entering the series.Really excited about where were at right now, said Murphy, who belted his 16th homer of the season Saturday, two more than his previous career high set with the Mets last season. Try to finish the first half off the right way (Sunday).A win by the Nationals, meanwhile, will give them the six-game lead they had following a sweep of the Mets in Washington, D.C. on June 29. After Sunday, the Mets and Nationals have just six head-to-head games remaining, all in September.Theyre keyed up coming in here trying to open up a big lead, Mets manager Terry Collins said. Weve just got to get back (Sunday) and grind it out. Weve got one more chance tto finish up and even the series, which would be a good finish for us going into the break.dddddddddddd.A pair of slumping left-handers will take the mound Sunday, when Steven Matz pitches for the Mets against the Nationals Gio Gonzalez.Matz, who will be starting for the third time on the Mets season-long 11-game home stand, is winless in his last seven starts, a stretch in which he is 0-3 with a 4.58 ERA. He took a hard-luck loss in his most recent start Tuesday, when he carried a shutout into the seventh before giving up a two-run homer to Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton in what turned out to be a 5-2 defeat.Matz earned his most recent win in his lone career start against the Nationals on May 25, when he threw a career-high eight shutout innings in the Mets 2-0 victory.Gonzalez, meanwhile, is just 1-7 with a 7.66 ERA in his last nine starts. He took the defeat on Tuesday, when he gave up three runs over six innings as the Nationals lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-2.Fortunately for Gonzalez, he will be pitching in a place he has enjoyed plenty of success. Gonzalez is 7-1 with a 1.53 ERA in 12 career starts at Citi Field, where he allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings in earning the win in his most recent outing May 18.Gonzalez is 10-5 with a 3.04 ERA in 19 career starts against the Mets. ' ' '