CALGARY, Alberta -- The Dallas Stars have come to Calgary banged up physically to face an opponent that, like them, is fragile emotionally.The Stars and Flames square off Thursday with each hoping the evening is the beginning of better times.Dallas is coming off an 8-2 pasting by the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday for its sixth loss in seven games. The Flames, meanwhile, have lost four of their past five.This is pretty much rock bottom, Stars captain Jamie Benn told the Dallas Morning News after the lopsided loss.We all have to look in the mirror and figure it out.The Stars continue a five-game road trip that began with an overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks and followed with a rout at the hands of the Jets that leaves them at 4-6-3 and in sixth place in the Central Division.The Flames are 5-8-1 and also sixth in the Pacific Division. They return from a four-game road trip that saw them drop three contests and get outscored 16-5.One big excuse for the Stars woes is injuries and illnesses. Against Winnipeg they were missing six forwards, including Jason Spezza, who has missed two games with a lower body injury but could return against Calgary. Patrick Sharp, Ales Hemsky, Jiri Hudler, Mattias Janmark and Cody Eakin are also sidelined.Spezza skated in Winnipeg Tuesday morning but head coach Lindy Ruff opted to keep him out for at least one more night.He skated but hes not close to 100 percent, Ruff told the Dallas Morning News. But hes back on the ice, which is a good sign.Things havent been much better lately for Calgary under new coach Glen Gulutzen, who is already occupying a hot seat after only one month on the job in place of the fired Bob Hartley.The rough start prompted Flames president Brian Burke to agree to a rare radio interview on Tuesday. Known in the past for his high profile in the media, Burke has remained somewhat in the background in Calgary the past two seasons. That changed this week when he offered his assessment of the current state of affairs.Our top guys are not getting it done. Im not one for calling players out, but our top guys are not playing up to their level. Its that simple, he said.Those top guys are winger Johnny Gaudreau and his center Sean Monahan, who both signed lucrative six-year contracts prior to 2016-17 but have thus far not delivered the goods. Gaudreau has two goals, eight points and a minus-11 rating through 14 games while Monahan has four goals, one lone assist and is a minus-10.Right now were not good enough, Monahan told the Flames website. Me and Johnny know that. Weve got to find a way to help this team produce offence. I mean, when you play big minutes, get opportunities on the power play and stuff like that, youve got to find a way to get it done. Cheap Authentic Adidas Shoes . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void. Adidas Shoes Outlet . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. http://www.discountadidasshoes.com/ . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at . Cheap Adidas Shoes USA . - Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a fan of his teams use of the wildcat formation, saying "it makes you look like a high school offence. Wholesale Adidas Shoes China . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. CLEVELAND -- Hillary Clinton is pulling out all the stops for her final swing through the crucial battleground state of Ohio. Or at least the very, very tall ones.Cleveland Cavaliers forward?LeBron James joined Clinton at a campaign event in Cleveland on Sunday, dwarfing the Democratic presidential nominee as he pushed Ohioans to support her at the polls.As a child growing up in inner-city Akron, the 6-foot-8 NBA star said he believed our vote doesnt matter.But it really does, he said.Standing beside -- and somewhat below -- James, Clinton praised his work on the court and for improving the lives of children through his foundation.What he does off the court is to care for every child as though that child is his own, she said.Clinton added: I will be on your side. I will fight for you.Though she has spent most of her campaign running as President Barack Obamas successor, vowing to continue the first black presidents legacy, Clinton has struggled to motivate black voters. In early voting, they have turned out in lower numbers than the record black turnout in 2008 and 2012 that helped fuel Obamas historic candidacy. The slump could hurt her in swing states, like Ohio and Pennsylvania, where urban, black turnout is crucial for Democrats.On Sunday morning, Clinton stopped by an African-American church in solidly Democratic northwest Philadelphia to warn parishioners that everything they care about is on the balllot.ddddddddddddThis election is about doing everything we can to stop a movement to destroy President Obamas legacy, she told voters at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ.But her team feels particularly concerned about Ohio, where polls show her in a dead heat with her Republican rival, Donald Trump. On Friday, she appeared at a free concert featuring rapper Jay Z and his wife, Beyonce Carter Knowles, in Cleveland.LeBron, who helped end Clevelands championship drought earlier this summer by winning a title with the Cavaliers, endorsed Clinton last month in an op-ed article in which he argued she would be a champion for children and improve life for African-Americans. A father of three, James said he returned to Ohio from the Miami Heat in 2014 with two missions: to win a championship and help area children.Only one person running truly understands the struggles of an Akron child born into poverty, wrote James, who grew up poor in that city and has started a foundation to improve educational outcomes for at-risk children in his hometown.He campaigned for Obama in 2008.James isnt the only athlete weighing in on the 2016 race. Golfer John Daly, former football star Herschel Walker, former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan and former basketball coach Bob Knight have endorsed Trump. ' ' '