okovic can grab it back if the second-ranked Serb does better at the seas

LOS ANGELES -- Jeff Carter is powering the Kings while they wait for the return of Anze Kopitar.Carter scored his team-high seventh goal, helping Los Angeles beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Saturday.Peter Budaj had 21 saves, and Los Angeles also got goals from Tanner Pearson, Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin.Kopitar has missed four games with an upper-body injury, but the Kings are 2-1-1 in that span thanks largely to Carter. He has goals in consecutive games and five in his past eight, and he leads the team with 14 points.Hes carried the team on his back, Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. Hes shown a lot of leadership and been really, really good for us.John Moore and Nick Lappin scored for New Jersey, which has lost two straight since ending a five-game winning streak. Cory Schneider made 24 saves and has allowed six goals on 50 shots over his past two starts.We werent ready, at certain times in the game, to have the right type of intensity we needed to be able to control the territory like we wanted to, Devils coach John Hynes said.With 2:32 left, Lappin scored during a goalmouth scramble to cut the lead to 3-2, but Muzzin got an empty-net goal with 28 seconds left.We pressed and got it within one and had a chance to tie it, Schneider said. I think we know that wasnt a full 60-minute effort from us. But you have to give some credit to the Kings. I thought we responded the way we were supposed to, but against that team, its hard to get down and come back.Just 45 seconds into the third, Carter scored on a 2-on-1 rush by grabbing his own rebound and pushing it under the goalie for a 3-1 edge.Pearson gave the Kings a 2-1 lead with 1:40 left in the second period. The Devils turned over the puck trying to clear the zone, and Pearson caught it and teed off from the left circle, sending it off Schneider and into the net.Nic Dowd set up Martinezs goal 4:58 into the second period. Dowd faked a shot, spun around and found Martinez in the high slot. Martinez beat Schneider with a hard shot through traffic to make it 1-1.Moore scored in a similar manner 3:38 into the first, launching a long shot past a screened Budaj.One thing weve got to be good at is coming out stronger in that first period, Pearson said. We let another first one in, but we battled back and were able to get the win at home.Game notesThe Kings honored former goaltender Rogie Vachon before the game for his recent induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. ... Kopitar missed his fourth straight game. ... Martinezs goal was his third goal of the season and 42nd of his career, surpassing Robert Murdoch for ninth on the Kings all-time goals list among defensemen. ... The Devils are 0 for 25 on the power play in the last eight games. . Kings D Tom Gilbert was a healthy scratch. ... Devils LW Mike Cammalleri and C Jacob Josefson were a healthy scratch. ... Devils D Yohann Auvitu missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury.UP NEXTDevils: Finish a four-game trip in San Jose on Monday night.Kings: At Anaheim on Sunday.Eli Manning Womens Jersey . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Carl Banks Giants Jersey .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. http://www.giantsrookiestore.com/ . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. Julian Love Youth Jersey . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Phil McConkey Youth Jersey . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged.FANTASY SPORTSBOSTON -- Daily fantasy sports rivals DraftKings and FanDuel have agreed to merge after months of speculation and increasing regulatory scrutiny.The two companies made the announcement, saying the combined organization would be able to reduce costs as they work to become profitable and battle with regulators across the country to remain legal.In a matter of a few short years, the two have raised millions of dollars through investors and sponsorship deals, drawing the attention of policymakers across the country.Some view the online games -- in which players pick teams of real life athletes and vie for cash and other prizes based on how those athletes do in actual games -as amounting to illegal sports betting.NFLCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly has been placed in the NFLs concussion protocol and his status for the teams Nov. 27 game against Oakland is uncertain.Coach Ron Rivera updated Kuechlys status and said that the linebacker has no other known injuries.The 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year was carted off the field in an emotional moment during the fourth quarter of Carolinas 23-20 win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night. Kuechly appeared to be gasping for breath as he was helped to the cart, and tears rolled down his face. Players from both sides came over to offer their well wishes to Kuechly.AUTO RACINGHOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski crashed the championship and swept the front row in qualifying for the NASCAR finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, 2015 Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch and six-time champ Jimmie Johnson are racing for the championship in Sundays race. The championship four all failed to start in the top five. Busch starts ninth, Edwards 10th, Logano 13th and Johnson 14th.Busch started third last season, won the race and the title.Tony Stewart starts 11th in the final race of his NASCAR career. Stewart is trying to race to his 50th career Cup victory.HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Johnny Sauter won his first NASCAR championship by edging three other contenders in the inaugural Chase for the Camping World Truck Series.Sauter finished third at Homestead-Miami Speedway to win the championship.William Byron won the race -- his seventh victory of the season -- to wrap up the owner championship for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Byron was headed toward the win last weekend at Phoenix that would have put him in the final four, but his engine blew in the closing laps.BASEBALLARLINGTON, Texas -- Right-hander Andrew Cashner is going home for a spot in the Texas Rangeers rotation.dddddddddddd person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that the free agent pitcher and the team had reached an agreement on a $10 million, one-year deal. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical and wasnt finalized, and the AL West champions had not made an official announcement.Cashner, a Texas native who was a first-round draft pick out of TCU in 2008, finished last season with the Miami Marlins after the San Diego Padres traded him July 29. He was 5-11 with a 5.25 ERA in 28 games last season.TENNISLONDON -- Andy Murray kept hold of the No. 1 ranking for at least another day.The Wimbledon champion qualified for the semifinals of the ATP finals by beating Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2.Murray, who needs to do better than Novak Djokovic this weekend to finish the season as the top-ranked player, broke Wawrinka late in the first set and twice at the start of the second.Murray took over the No. 1 ranking at the Paris Masters this month, but Djokovic can grab it back if the second-ranked Serb does better at the season-ending tournament. Djokovic has already qualified for the semifinals.GOLFST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Five tournaments into his rookie season on the PGA Tour, Mackenzie Hughes has the 36-hole lead at Sea Island and expects a few nerves.That weekend he spent with Phil Mickelson should at least help.Hughes had another bogey-free round and took care of the par 5s on the Plantation Course for a 5-under 67, giving him a two-shot lead over C.T. Pan going into the weekend of the RSM Classic, the final PGA Tour event of the year. Hughes at was at 14-under 128.NAPLES, Fla. -- Lydia Ko shot a tournament-record 10-under 62 to take a three-stroke lead in the CME Group Tour Championship, putting the top-ranked New Zealander in position to win the player of the year award with a victory Sunday.The 2014 winner at Tiburon Golf Club, Ko birdied four of the first six holes and had seven birdies and a bogey on the back nine to get to 12-under 132 in the season finale. Ryann OToole (67) and So Yeon Ryu (68) were tied for second, and Sei Young Kim (68) and Beatriz Recari (68) followed at 8 under.Ko needs a victory to top Ariya Jutanugarn in the player of the year race, and also would take the season points title and $1 million bonus with a win. The points in the CME Globe standings were reset for the finale, so Ko, Jutanugarn and Brooke Henderson all control their destinies. ' ' '