Weve officially started the run to the finals and its clear some top eight sides are struggling.The Hawks inflicted back-to-back SCG losses on Sydney after prevailing in a thrilling Thursday night contest. The Swans could have snatched top spot with a win, but now after dropping out of the top four, they sit fifth on percentage.On the other side of the country Geelong had to fight until the very end to hold off a Fremantle side desperate for a win. Patrick Dangerfield continued his march towards a maiden Brownlow Medal after racking up 31 disposals and booting four goals.North Melbournes mid-season dip in form has gone from bad to worse after being stunned by the Power?The Kangaroos have now lost six of their last seven matches after starting the season 9-0. If their shaky form continues, a top eight finish is no certainty.Speaking of shaky, the West Coast Eagles were far from convincing against a wasteful Carlton side on Sunday. If the contest had run five minutes longer, the Blues may well have run over the top of them, but as it was they crucially secured the four points.However, in Scott Thompsons big milestone, Adelaide swept their way to eight straight wins with their victory over Collingwood and now occupy second spot on the ladder behind Hawthorn.HEROESShaun Burgoynes final term:?What can you say about Burgoyne that hasnt already been said? The 300-plus gamer inspired his team to victory after being thrust into the midfield in the final quarter against the Swans. Burgoyne was dominant in the last, racking up 11 disposals and kicking two crucial goals to steer the Hawks to a terrific top-of-the table clash win. For so much of his career he has been able to play the Mr-fix-it role at the most desperate of times and Thursday night was no exception. Cyril Riolis long bomb from outside 50 on his birthday also deserves a mention, and capped off a memorable night for Hawthorn. The reigning premiers now have a four-point cushion at the top of the table; could a fourth straight flag be on the cards?Koby Stevens: Influential in the middle and dangerous when forward, Stevens is emerging as yet another valuable member of the Western Bulldogs squad after arguably his career-best match against the Suns on Saturday. The former Eagle had 34 disposals, eight clearances and kicked back-to-back goals for the Dogs in the opening quarter of the 48-point win. In a game that was overshadowed by the return of prized forward Tom Boyd, it was the smaller forwards and midfielders that got the job done with Clay Smith, Marcus Bontempelli and Mitch Wallis also prominent in front of goals. After a wretched run with injuries lets hope Stevens can string more than a handful of games together as the Dogs look to do some damage in September.Jackson Trengove: Since Matthew Lobbe went down with a knee injury, Trengove has stepped up enormously in whats been a mid-season revival for the Power. Up against the games most dominant ruckman Todd Goldstein on Saturday, many would have excused Trengove for being unable to contain him, but the defender-turned-ruckman was outstanding, particularly in the first term when Port Adelaide motored to a five-goal lead. Trengove finished the day with 22 disposals (10 more than Goldstein) and six tackles. Is the shorter, more versatile ruckman the way of the future?VILLAINSMelbournes record at Etihad Stadium: Theres only one word that springs to mind when describing Melbournes recent record at Etihad Stadium: dreadful. The Demons have lost 24 of their past 25 games at Docklands and again on Sunday were well beaten by the Saints. If that wasnt humiliating enough, Sundays loss stretched the Dees losing streak against St Kilda to 14 straight matches. It was a day to forget for Melbourne -- who had been playing good football heading into the clash -- after Jesse Hogan was reported for striking Jarryn Geary in a marking contest.Tom Hawkins: Hes such an important player for the Cats and at his best could prove the difference between a mediocre Geelong and one thats a serious premiership threat. However, just one disposal in the first half against Freo is simply inexcusable. Full credit to Zac Dawson who played a terrific game on the Geelong star forward, but Hawkins was guilty of a plethora of forgettable moments, most notably spilled marks and poor positioning. Despite improving in the second half, Hawkins still failed to have any impact on the contest. He looked relieved to finish up with one goal, but against a bottom four side thats simply not good enough. If Geelongs indifferent form is to be eradicated, they need the big man firing -- especially with two tough challenges against Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs in the next fortnight.50m penalties:?To the letter of the law, I believe both 50m penalties against Swans duo Kieren Jack and Ben McGlynn against Hawthorn were there. However, in a tight, low-scoring contest, decisions like that have the ability to drastically change momentum, as we all witnessed at the SCG on Thursday night and against Kade Simpson versus the Eagles on Sunday. The Jack decision was of particular concern as he was clearly in the protected zone and should be afforded the opportunity to exit the area without being pinged and costing his side a goal. It is worth noting that Jack was also on the boundary side of the Hawk in possession, Jono ORourke, in these types of instances we need to take a more lenient approach as it is not stopping the ball from moving quickly through the corridor. Fake Vapormax 2020 . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Nike Air VaporMax Black+Anthracite . 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. http://www.clearancevapormax.com/cheap-vapormax-95-clearance.html . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. Fake Vapormax 3 . - NASCAR announced a 33-race schedule for the 2014 Nationwide Series with virtually no changes from this years slate. Cheap Vapormax 2019 China . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. What happened last night that you need to know about? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best performances. This is where we say, Morning, Joe.Not so deep in Texas: The Dallas Stars numerous injuries to key players doesnt bode well this early in the season. Forwards Jason Spezza (lower-body injury), Patrick Sharp (concussion), Jiri Hudler (illness), Ales Hemsky (groin), Cody Eakin (knee) and Mattias Janmark (knee) are all sidelined. The Stars are a good team but they will find themselves dropping into the middle of the pack because of all the injuries. Superstar winger Tyler Seguin has four goals and three assists for seven points in seven games, but hes not at full strength after dealing with a leg injury that forced him to miss the World Cup of Hockey for Team Canada. Captain Jamie Benn hasnt regained his form after offseason core surgery that also caused him to miss the World Cup. If hes not sharp, it will have a serious impact. These injuries underscore the value of veteran depth, which the Stars lack after forward Vernon Fiddler?signed with the New Jersey Devils in the offseason after five seasons in Dallas. The Stars defense is suspect and their goaltending has always been an issue. All that adds up to meaning the Stars are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the seventh time in the last nine seasons. Plain and simple: As we saw in their 4-1 loss to the division-rival Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night, its going to be a major dog fight for the Stars.Having a Wild time: Two weeks into the season, the Central Division landscape is changing. As many as five teams in the division could again earn a postseason berth, and count the Wild as an early favorite to secure one of those spots. Its a strong division and the teams do a good job of beating up on each other throughout the season. Minnesota is off to a strong start after numerous offseason changes, and is atop the Central with 11 points. New coach Bruce Bouudreau has guided the Wild to a 5-2-1 start, including back-to-back shutout victories over the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres, whom the Wild beat 4-0 on Thursday.dddddddddddd They have scored nine goals in the last two games -- Minnesota leads the league in goals, with 28 -- while goalie Devan Dubnyk has been perfect in that span. The Wild players are having fun at the rink again after offseason changes to the coaching staff and the roster. Team chemistry is a big reason for the good play and the Wild are built to sustain this success. The experience of the last few seasons will pay off with the Wild reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs for a fifth consecutive time.Back in the saddle: The Anaheim Ducks (3-3-2) didnt play but the organization enjoyed a successful day on Thursday as it finally came to a contract agreement with restricted free-agent defenseman Hampus Lindholm on a six-year deal worth $31.5 million. The 22-year-old blueliner missed training camp and the first eight games of the season during negotiations. Lindholm is a solid defenseman, a terrific puck-possession player who will quickly add another dynamic to the Ducks. He is part of the Ducks future core, so it was important for them to get this deal done. Although offer sheets to restricted free agents dont happen all that often, its amazing another team didnt have the guts to make an offer to Lindholm. The Bruins and the Devils, in particular, should have looked into it because they both desperately need help on defense. If a team did make an offer to Lindholm, the Ducks would have had seven days to match and in that time could have cleared cap space. Offer sheets rarely work, especially if a team is looking to make a deal down the road with Anaheim. At this point, its moot since the Lindholm and the Ducks finally came to an agreement. ' ' '