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Vito Mannone says helping secure Sunderlands survival would be special - just months after he wanted out of the club. The goalkeeper went almost three months without a game under Sam Allardyce and was ready to walk away from Wearside in the January transfer window.But he was recalled for a Boxing Day trip to Manchester City, and despite a heavy defeat it was the Italians rival for the No 1 spot Costel Pantilimon who was sold weeks later. Now Mannone is a fixture in the side as Sunderland aim to pull off a fourth great escape in as many seasons, and they go to Stoke this weekend outside the bottom three on goal difference after three clean sheets in four games. Mannone welcomes pressure Vito Mannone has welcomed the pressure to avoid relegation from the Premier League We are really fighting for each other and you can tell that by watching our performances, he told Sky Sports News HQ. Its working - lets hope its enough to gain the points to survive.Since the manager came in we had a good relationship. He gave me that chance finally before the transfer window when I was really thinking if Im not playing Im going.Its great to be back between the sticks and trying to do the best I can to help the team survive.When youre fighting at the bottom its heavy with the pressure, but if you turn it the other way its nice to do something special for yourself, your family. the club, the fans, everybody involved.Its something we want to achieve and hopefully we can do it. Also See: Mannone welcomes pressure Norwich and Sunderland fined Newcastle have it all to do Sunderland out of bottom three Rostislav Olesz Jersey . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. Nick Bjugstad Jersey . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. https://www.panthersjerseycheap.com/1618f-mackenzie-weegar-jersey-panthers.html . They reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games, bested the visiting Trail Blazers by 34 in the paint and scored 19 of the final 25 points in regulation. Florida Panthers Gear .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. Denis Shvidki Jersey . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Charlotte HornetsOverall: 27 Title track: 104 Ownership: 54 Coaching: 42 Players: 37 Fan relations: 40 Affordability: 8 Stadium experience: 58 Bang for the buck: 18 Change from last year:?+56The buzz is officially back. In the second season since they reclaimed their bug-eyed identity from New Orleans, the Hornets finished with the highest win total (48) since pro basketball returned to Charlotte more than a decade ago. Their playoff run lasted but one round, but the future remains bright, and the teams jump of 56 spots from last year was the second-largest in sports.Whats goodThe Hornets missed out on being the cheapest ticket in basketball by a measly 40 cents (at $30.60 a ticket, theyre a hair more expensive than the Pelicans). But add $5 parking and a free program, and the Hornets are the best deal in the sport, especially considering they went 30-11 at home last year (good for a bang for the buck ranking of 18th overall and fifth in the NBA). Although the team still doesnt feature a true superstar, it does have Steve Clifford, who has pieced together a top-10 defense in each of his three seasons and has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the brightest minds in coaching (at 42nd overall, hes up 46 spots).Whats badThe on-court product is finally worth the modest price of admission, and the fan base has warmly embraced the return of Hugo & Co., but fans still arent convinced this team has a title in it (104th in title track).dddddddddddd Twenty-two other NBA fan bases gave their squads better scores than the Hornets in expectancy to win a title during their lifetimes. Another blow to the Hornets fan relations and stadium experience (40th and 58th, respectively): The NBA pulled the 2017 All-Star Game over objections to North Carolinas House Bill 2.Whats newIn the summer of 2015, the Hornets took heed of the machine forming out in Oakland and loaded up on players boasting similar profiles: offensively skilled, versatile shooters. The resulting roster -- ranked 37th overall by the fans, up an astonishing 64 spots -- didnt place the team on quite the same fast track to a title, but this squad was right on the cusp of a breakthrough postseason before it squandered a 3-2 series lead to the Miami Heat. A 25-spot jump in stadium experience is in part thanks to a new, state-of-the-art scoreboard above center court that is both pricey ($7 million) and enormous (42.8 feet wide and 25.2 feet tall on the sideline, 31.3 feet wide and 18 feet tall on the baseline). The Hive will now be the biggest living room, likely, in Charlotte, Pete Guelli, the teams executive vice president and chief marketing officer, recently told the Charlotte Observer.Next: Boston Celtics?| Full rankings ' ' '