ITTING STANTONMarlins RF Giancarlo Stanton was out of the starting lineup Saturday, and will be on Sunday, too, manager Don Mattingly said, to make sure the slugger does not enter the offseason hurt. Stanton

The Los Angeles Kings are limping to the end of their five-game road trip, but theyre not alone in injury woes.The Colorado Avalanche are nursing some key injuries as well.The Kings (7-8-1) are expected to be without Anze Kopitar due to an upper-body injury while the Avalanches leading scorer, Matt Duchene, is still out with concussion-like symptoms. That means two of the most important players for both teams wont be on the ice when they meet at Pepsi Center on Tuesday night.Kopitar is not officially ruled out for the game but according to the team website, he is taking anti-inflammatories and is in a holding pattern, and until the area improves he wont be able to do much.Thats a tough break for a team that is already without its No. 1 goaltender, Jonathan Quick, for a significant stretch. Backup Jeff Zatkoff left Fridays game with groin spasms so veteran and former Avalanche top goalie Peter Budaj, who started the season in the American Hockey League, will probably start against Colorado.Budaj has been in net for all seven of the Kings victories, and hes looking forward to playing against Colorado.Its great to come back, he told the teams website. I think Montreal is definitely a special place. Id been there three years but Colorado is more like my home -- I mean obviously Im Slovakian so thats my home -- but I lived here, I started my professional NHL career here, so its a very special place.Budaj will face a team struggling in coach Jared Bednars first season at the helm. The Avalanche (6-8-0) are coming off a 2-0 home loss to Boston on Sunday in which they were outshot 44-21. It was the fourth time this season Colorado has been shut out, and the second time at home.The Avalanche have just 17 goals in their last 12 games and are 3-for-25 on the power play in the last five games.Not having Duchene for the second straight game will hurt. He was scheduled to skate Monday but didnt feel well enough to get on the ice. The hope is he can be out for the morning skate Tuesday.He didnt feel he was ready to skate (Monday) morning with the group, so (the training staff) gave him the morning (off) to see what comes of it (Tuesday), Bednar told HockeyBuzz.com Monday.Colorado is going to have lineup changes for the game against Los Angeles. Forward Blake Comeau is back after missing four games with a groin injury and A.J. Greer, who made his NHL debut Sunday as an emergency call-up, will be back in San Antonio of the AHL.In addition, defenseman Patrick Wiercioch is expected to replace Eric Gelinas in the lineup, but Colorado still has to fix its offensive woes.Were not getting enough shots through to the net is one issue from our blue line, Bednar told HockeyBuzz.com. We can do a better job of finding some lanes and getting some playable pucks down to the net. A lot of it is some fancy plays, east-west plays, when we can be driving the net more. Its what teams are doing against us and having success.After Sundays shootout loss in Winnipeg, the Kings are 1-2-1 on their road trip and could finish .500 with a win Tuesday.The Avalanche are trying to even their record on this four-game homestand before heading out for three games. Getting the offense going might be as simple as scoring a few goals to get the confidence back.Sometimes when you go through scoring slumps you start to maybe press a little more, Comeau told HockeyBuzz.com. I think its going to take one game where everythings clicking, where we get some greasy goals, get the confidence back and go from there. Mikko Rantanen Avalanche Jersey . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. Erik Johnson Avalanche Jersey . The move comes after the Canadiens were approached by the Buffalo Sabres for permission to speak to Dudley - a former Sabres player and head coach. "The Sabres called for permission and I appreciate that, Im flattered, Dudley told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. http://www.hockeyavalanche.com/authentic-a-j-greer-avalanche-jersey/ . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. A.J. Greer Avalanche Jersey . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. Samuel Girard Jersey . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. WASHINGTON -- Home-field advantage in the NL Division Series assured while his teams game was in progress, Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker called upon closer Mark Melancon in the eighth inning.It was only the second time all season -- and first since April -- that Melancon was asked to get more than three outs for a save. Just getting prepped for what could happen in the postseason.Melancon got the final four outs for his 46th save, Bryce Harper provided an RBI single and rookie Trea Turner hit his 13th homer and stole his 32nd base, helping the Nationals beat the Miami Marlins on Saturday.I havent done it much in the past, Melancon said about his extended outing. But I expect that to happen in the playoffs.Baker said his ace, Max Scherzer, came up to him in the dugout after Melancon was inserted with two outs in the eighth to protect a one-run lead.He goes, `I see what youre doing. I said, `What you talking about? And he said, `I see youre practicing for Game 1 of the playoffs -- when, indeed, that same situation could come up, Baker recounted.NL East champion Washingtons third trip to the postseason in five years will begin Friday in the nations capital against the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with Scherzer slated to face Clayton Kershaw. Game 2 is the following day, before the best-of-five NLDS shifts to L.A.The Nationals, it turned out, didnt need to beat the Marlins. The Dodgers 3-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants, assuring Washington a better record than Los Angeles, was announced before the bottom of the seventh to the Nationals Park crowd of 31,635, which responded with a standing ovation.While home field might not seem like a big deal in a short series, Baker figured it was important in this instance.Thats because the Dodgers went 53-28 at home, a .654 winning percentage, but are only 38-42 on the road, .475.Theyre under .500 on the road and way over .500 at home. So which one would you suggest? Baker said. Im not a numbers man, exactly, but I think it would be to our best interest -- give us the best chance -- to have them come here, versus us going there.Roarrk (16-10), lined up to pitch Game 2 against the Dodgers, went 5 2/3 innings and allowed Miami only one run and three hits, including Chris Johnsons RBI single to right in the sixth.ddddddddddddTurner singled and came around to score on Harpers line drive up the middle in the first inning, then delivered a solo shot off Wei-Yin Chen (5-5) in the fifth.Harper struck out twice, giving him six Ks in two nights after missing four games with a sore left thumb. Fans booed when he was walked intentionally in the eighth.SITTING STANTONMarlins RF Giancarlo Stanton was out of the starting lineup Saturday, and will be on Sunday, too, manager Don Mattingly said, to make sure the slugger does not enter the offseason hurt. Stanton was sidelined with a groin injury into September. He may get an at-bat, a pinch-hit, or something like that. He still wasnt playing at 100 percent, Mattingly explained, and once the games were meaningless, its harder to take a chance on him having to rehab during the winter.TRAINERS ROOMNationals: LF Jayson Werth was out of the lineup, a day after leaving the game because of a tight back that he said was not a serious injury. Baker called the decision to hold out Werth on Saturday more precaution than anything. ... 2B Daniel Murphy sat out again with an injured glute muscle.UP NEXTMarlins: Wrap up the season, sending RHP Tom Koehler (9-13, 4.15 ERA) to the mound.Nationals: In what will be Washingtons first -- and last -- entirely meaningless game of 2016, RHP Scherzer takes a 19-7 record, 2.82 ERA and career-high 277 Ks into the regular-season finale, chasing an NL Cy Young Award to add to the 2013 AL honor he won for Detroit while going 21-3. Thats been the pinnacle for pitchers ever since I was in the game -- and long before me. It would be forever: `Hes a 20-game winner, Baker said. Expounding on how he views pitchers stats, Baker said: People put a lot of emphasis on ERA, which is good, but I put emphasis on wins for a guy that knows how to win. ' ' '