championshipIf Western Michigan does lose, the win

NEW YORK -- Travis Hamonic got New York off to a fast start, and then Brock Nelson and Shane Prince helped the Islanders pull away in the third period for a big win.Prince and Nelson each had a goal and an assist, and Casey Cizikas and Josh Bailey also scored to help New York beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 Sunday night to snap a two-game skid.Hamonic put the Islanders ahead just 1:01 into the game, and Prince and Nelson scored 2:39 apart in the third after the Maple Leafs had pulled within one.We had a real good start, Prince said. We laid back a little bit there end of the first, into the second.Thomas Greiss stopped 33 shots, and Nikolay Kulemin, Nick Leddy and Dennis Seidenberg each had two assists for New York.Greiss has been playing really well all year for us, Prince said. He made some big saves for us. He kept us in it. He just held off long enough for us to get a couple of insurance goals.Jake Gardiner scored for the Maple Leafs and Jhonas Enroth finished with 30 saves. Toronto lost its second straight overall and sixth in a row on the road (0-3-3).Its not the goal scoring. Its the goals you give up, Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said.After Gardiner scored 50 seconds into the third to pull the Maple Leafs to 2-1, Prince and Nelson scored 2:39 apart to stretch New Yorks lead to three.Prince was the beneficiary of a fortunate carom of the puck off the boards to give the Islanders a 3-1 lead. Enroth misjudged the puck leaving Prince alone in front of the net with the scoring chance.Obviously a good bounce. I am just trying to skate hard, said Prince, who scored in his second straight game after missing the previous five with a lower-body injury. When you are moving your feet and playing well, good things happen.Prince then forced a turnover and had the primary assist on Nelsons goal. Seidenberg had assists on both goals.We have been in so many tight games all season. Getting that cushion helps, Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey said. I think there is a level of comfort you can get to when you have a lead. Its not always the right comfort but we really havent had a lead like that this year.Bailey capped the scoring in the final minute.The Islanders honored former fan-favorite Matt Martin with a video tribute during a stoppage in the opening period. It was the first time Martin played against them since signing a four-year, $10 million deal with Toronto in the offseason. Martin played the first 438 games of his career with New York, and is 34th on the franchises games played list.It was a little odd. You see him on the other side in a different uniform, Cal Clutterbuck said. But then when the game starts you dont really think about it too much.Hamonics opening goal was the eighth in the last five games for New York defensemen, who have nine goals and 10 assists on the season.Cizikas got his first of the season, burying a rebound of Clutterbucks shot at 7:22 of the first to make it 2-0. Kulemin, who replaced Martin on the Islanders fourth line, had assists on each of the first two goals.Toronto rookie sensation Auston Matthews, the top pick in the 2016 NHL draft, registered four shots in his first career appearance against the Islanders.Martin and Andrew Ladd got into a skirmish near the end of the second period. Ladd, who signed a seven-year $38.5 million contract with the Islanders in the offseason, has just one assist in nine games.Game notes Jaroslav Halak backed up Greiss after he was reportedly put on the trade block. Halaks agent, Allan Walsh, voiced his displeasure on Twitter on Friday. ... The Islanders wore purple jerseys during warmups as part of the NHL Hockey Fights Cancer campaign. ... The Islanders scratched C Mathew Barzal, G Jean-Francois Berube and RW Alan Quine. ... Gardiner scored his first goal of the regular season and is three assists shy of 100 for his career. ... Toronto scratched D Matt Hunwick (lower body), D Frank Corrando and C Peter Holland.UP NEXTMaple Leafs: Host Edmonton on Tuesday night in the first NHL matchup between Matthews and the Oilers Connor McDavid -- the last two No. 1 draft picks.Islanders: Host Tampa Bay on Tuesday night in the teams first meeting since the Lightning eliminated the Islanders in the Eastern Conference semifinals last spring. Sammy Sosa Jersey Manny Trillo Jersey . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. https://www.cheapcubs.com/2820t-adbert-alzolay-jersey-cubs.html . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. Robel Garcia Cubs Jersey . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. John Lackey Cubs Jersey . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. The trophies could be the only prizes for the winners in several games during championship weekend.This is not the NCAA basketball tournament. Those titles dont automatically come with playoff spots, and in some cases, the wrong winner could ruin things for a conference.No more so than the Atlantic Coast Conference, where No. 19 Virginia Tech can only play spoiler to No. 3 Clemson. Not only would a victory by the Hokies likely cost Clemson and the ACC a chance to win the national championship, but it could also cost the conference $2 million.The College Football Playoff revenue distribution plan pays each conference $6 million for each team placed in the semifinals. The net loss would only be $2 million because Virginia Tech would be guaranteed a spot in the Orange Bowl as ACC champion (worth $4 million) and Clemson would be a good bet to be ranked high enough to end up in the Cotton Bowl and earn another $4 million for the conference.A rundown of what is on the line beyond playoff spots this weekend:SEC -- Florida would earn a Sugar Bowl bid by beating Alabama.Pac-12 -- If the winner of No. 4 Washington and No. 9 Colorado does not get into the playoff, it goes to the Rose Bowl. And if the winner does get into the playoff, the loser could very well end up in the Rose Bowl as the next highest ranked Pac-12 team in the last selection committee rankings.Big Ten -- Worst-case scenario for the winner of No. 8 Penn State vs. No. 6 Wisconsin is the Rose Bowl.Big 12 -- No. 11 Oklahoma State is at No. 7 Oklahoma in a de facto conference title game. The winner gets a Sugar Bowl bid and can hold out some very long shot playoff hopes.PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONSFRIDAYNo. 4 Washington (minus 7) vs. No. 9 Colorado, Pac-12 championship at Santa Clara, CaliforniaThe Huskies are tied for tops in the country in turnover margin at plus-18; the Buffaloes are plus-10 ... WASHINGTON 31-21.SATURDAYNo. 1 Alabama (minus 24) vs. No. 15 Florida, SEC championship at AtlantaYes, the Crimson Tide can lose and still make the playoff. Just dont tell Nick Saban ... ALABAMA 38-10.No. 3 Clemson (minus 10) vs. No. 119 Virginia Tech, ACC championship at Orlando, FloridaThe Tigers (8.dddddddddddd67 per game) and Hokies (8.17) both rank in the top six in the country in tackles for loss ... CLEMSON 32-24.No. 6 Wisconsin (minus 2+) vs. No. 8 Penn State, Big Ten championship at IndianapolisThe Nittany Lions have become a big-play, quick strike team; Badger-ball is slow and steady and tops in the country in time of possession (35:14 per game) ... PENN STATE 27-21.NEW YEARS SIX IMPLICATIONSFRIDAYNo. 13 Western Michigan (minus 19) vs. Ohio, MAC championship at DetroitIf the undefeated Broncos get to the Cotton Bowl, will P.J. Fleck still be their coach? ... WESTERN MICHIGAN 35-17.SATURDAYNo. 11 Oklahoma State (plus 11) at No. 7 OklahomaThe folks in Stillwater are still seething about that Central Michigan loss and if the Cowboys do win this game, expect that to elevate to full-on screaming ... OKLAHOMA 48-35.Temple (plus 3) at No. 20 Navy, AAC championshipIf Western Michigan does lose, the winner here is likely to get that Cotton Bowl bid, though the selection committee would have to wait until Navy plays Army to make its final decision ... NAVY 28-24.CHAMPIONSHIP GAMESSATURDAYLouisiana Tech (plus 10) at Western Kentucky, Conference USA championshipThe Hilltoppers are trying to become the first repeat C-USA champs since East Carolina in 2008 and 09 ... WESTERN KENTUCKY 42-35.San Diego State (minus 7) at Wyoming, Mountain West Conference championshipAztecs star Donnel Pumphrey is 92 yards away from 2,000 on the season and 218 from breaking Ron Daynes FBS career record (6,397) ... SAN DIEGO STATE 28-23.LEFTOVERSBaylor (plus 17+) at No. 14 West VirginiaBears are trying to avoid a six-game losing streak after a 6-0 start ... WEST VIRGINIA 38-17.---Record: Last week 13-8 straight; 6-14 vs. points.Season: 192-85; 120-151-3.Upset specials: 4-9.Best bets: 4-9.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '