The San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche will face off one more time this season, with Game 7 set for 9 p.m. ET Wednesday in San Jose. We debate the key factors that will determine the outcome and make our picks.

Who or what will be the X factor for Game 7 of Sharks vs. Avalanche, and who ya got?

Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer: I like the Sharks in Game 7. They were the better team in Game 6, and the job they've done defensively on the Nathan MacKinnon line should continue for another game. They've been in this position (too) many times, and getting this one at home is huge. My ultimate X factor is Joe Pavelski, who is a game-time decision. He hasn't played since his horrific head injury in Game 7 against the Vegas Golden Knights, but he has skated with the Sharks, accompanied them to Denver and has spoken with reporters on multiple occasions. So he's close. If he plays ... well, the emotional dynamic of Game 7 changes immensely. Heck, Pavelski just showing up to wave to the crowd in Game 5 produced the loudest ovation of the night.

But if Pavelski can't go, I'll go with Tomas Hertl of the Sharks. He has seven goals and four assists in seven home games in this postseason. He had a goal and an assist in Game 7 against the Golden Knights. Hertl had his best campaign as a pro this season, and that momentum has continued in the playoffs.

Emily Kaplan, national NHL reporter: Seeing how frisky these playoffs have been so far, I'm picking the Avalanche for the upset -- in another overtime game. The Avs' top line is my X factor. MacKinnon is the No. 1 superstar remaining in these playoffs; MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen rival Boston's David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand line as the best left playing this spring. Even with Landeskog's overtime goal in Game 6, the Avs' top line hasn't been its usual self the past two games. It was most obvious in Game 5, when MacKinnon and Rantanen combined for just three shots on goal. MacKinnon is playing monster minutes (including a team-high 26:32 in Game 6), which is forcing the Sharks to use their top defensemen plenty (Brent Burns was over 30 minutes in Game 6; Marc-Edouard Vlasic was at 26:10). Eventually, I think he's going to wear on them and capitalize on his scoring chances.

Chris Peters, NHL draft and prospects writer: Watching the way Colorado zipped around the ice in Game 6 and the way the Avs weathered each response from the Sharks impressed me. Yet I can't escape the fact that San Jose is more experienced and deeper and knows how to close a series, so I have to lean San Jose here. The X factor for me in this one is Logan Couture. Of all players in this Game 7, he has been the most productive with six points in five career Game 7 situations. He's one of the few guys who can make things at least difficult for MacKinnon, and his ability to raise his level of play throughout his career in the postseason is notable. With the potential return of Pavelski, I think there's an emotional edge swinging San Jose's way on top of home ice and the opportunity to maximize matchups.

Before I heap too much praise on the Sharks, however, I just want to note that this postseason run the Avs put together feels like a touchstone moment in this organization's redevelopment. The addition of Cale Makar and the potential to deepen the prospect pool in the upcoming draft to support the incredible core of MacKinnon & Co. is going to set this team up for a long time to have some success in a difficult division. Whether the Avs win or lose this Game 7, they have awoken a fan base that has been starving for a team like this for quite some time. And they're not just going to be perennial Cup contenders; they're going to be fun to watch, too.

Dimitri Filipovic, hockey analytics writer: It pains me to say this because I've thoroughly enjoyed watching Colorado's infectious playing style this postseason and I'm not quite ready for my time with them to end, but I'll take the Sharks. The thing that ultimately swings this deciding game in their favor is the home-ice advantage they earned throughout regular season. A big part of the reason this series has been so fun has been the chess match going on between the two coaches, as Jared Bednar tries to free up MacKinnon to run wild offensively while Pete DeBoer does everything in his power to slow him down by blanketing him with his best defensive weapons.

With the benefit of last change in the games played at home, DeBoer has done a masterful job of immediately sending the combination of Couture and Vlasic out on the ice the second he has seen MacKinnon hop over the boards. In those games played at San Jose, Couture and Vlasic have respectively been out there for 58.3 percent and 75.7 percent of MacKinnon's total 5-on-5 minutes. In the games played in Colorado, those totals have dipped to 42.9 percent and 59.9 percent, respectively. No one is going to be able to fully stop MacKinnon, but those two at least give the Sharks a fighting chance of at least making Colorado's best player work for every chance he gets. Given how tight this series has been, that extra little bit of leverage could very well be the difference between advancing to the Western Conference finals and going home early.

Sachin Chandan, ESPN The Magazine researcher: The X factor for the Sharks is goalie Martin Jones. The Sharks regularly give up a lot of shots so far in the playoffs, and Jones has faced 49 high-danger shots in the second round, most of any goalie. The average shot against Jones has come from 30.4 feet out, the closest distance in the second round as well. To make it worse, the Sharks have been short-handed 20 times in the second round, worst in the league. As Emily wrote above, Colorado's top line can put up shots in a hurry, and if Jones falters early, the Sharks may not be able to climb back without another four-goal Game 7 power play. Jones has turned it around after a tough regular season, so if he can pull another strong effort, like in Game 6 vs. Vegas or Game 5 of this series, then I see San Jose advancing to face St. Louis.

Injured striker Harry Kane hopes to return to Tottenham Hotspur's lineup in time for their Champions League final match with Liverpool on June 1 in Madrid.

Kane sprinted onto the pitch to celebrate with his teammates at the final whistle of their dramatic 3-2 semifinal win at Ajax Amsterdam, and could possibly return for what would be the biggest game in the club's history.

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Kane has been sidelined with an ankle injury since last month's quarterfinal first leg against Manchester City.

"Rehab is going well. I start straight line running this week which is why I was okay to run on at the end," Kane said after the match.

England skipper Kane says he would take nothing for granted, however, even if he was fit.

"We beat Manchester City and Ajax so I have to start training even harder to prove myself to the gaffer [Maurico Pochettino]," he said.

"We've just got to take all this in and then look forward to the final."

Tottenham looked down and out at the break as they trailed 2-0, 3-0 on aggregate, but were transformed in the second half with Brazilian Lucas Moura, Kane's stand-in, scoring a hat trick to send the Londoners through on away goals.

A halftime visit to the Tottenham Hotspur dressing room by Kane helped inspire his side to the remarkable win.

Defender Kieran Trippier said Kane had not minced his words at halftime with Spurs trailing to an inspired Dutch side and heading for a fourth successive defeat in all competitions.

Whatever Kane said, it clearly worked a treat.

"It was a disappointing first half and we let them play. I went into the dressing room at half time and we knew it wasn't good enough," Kane said.

"We said we had 45 minutes to give everything. I'm a fan first and foremost and I know how much it means to the club.

"The lads dug deep and showed passion and that is all you can ask for. We had to wait to get the third in the last minute and we found a way. I'm just speechless. I'm a fan, I want to win and I know how much it means to everyone at the club.

"I'm looking at the game and thinking about what I'd be doing out there. You can't switch out of that mode but the lads showed passion, spirit and heart."

Duke struck early in the 2020 class Wednesday, landing a commitment from five-star point guard Jeremy Roach.

Roach announced his decision on Twitter.

My decision... pic.twitter.com/SPjkPnVqP9

— iam_jr20 (@Jeremyroach10) May 8, 2019

Roach, a 6-foot-2 product of Paul VI High School (Virginia), is ranked No. 14 in the ESPN 100 for 2020. He tore his ACL in a preseason scrimmage in November and missed his junior season. Playing for Team Takeover on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer, Roach averaged 6.6 points and 3.1 assists per game.

He also has won two gold medals with USA Basketball, at the 2017 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship and 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup. Last summer, he averaged 6.4 points and 2.7 assists as the starting point guard on the U17 World Cup team.

Roach is Duke's first commitment in the 2020 class and the first five-star junior to make a college decision.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski has landed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country three years in a row and five times in the past six years.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs said they have identified and now banned the fan who was observed on camera making what appeared to be a hand gesture associated with racism during Tuesday night's broadcast of a home game against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field.

Wearing a gray Cubs sweatshirt and blue pants, the fan made an upside-down "OK" sign near Doug Glanville's head while he was giving a report for NBC Sports Chicago from the stands. The gesture is associated with the juvenile "circle game," where someone tries to trick a friend or sibling into looking at it, then punches them in the shoulder. But the symbol has also become a white supremacy sign.

Glanville, who is black, played nine seasons in the majors, including three with the Cubs. He also is an analyst for ESPN.

In a statement Wednesday, the Cubs said they reviewed the footage and decided that the fan's actions violated the team's guest code of conduct. The team said it is not disclosing the name of the fan.

"It doesn't matter either way,'' Cubs spokesman Julian Green said. "This was bad judgment on the part of the individual. Whether sophomoric behavior or some other stunt, to use that in connection with a respected journalist, who happens to be African American, and doing his job to deliver enjoyment to our fans is ignorant. It has no place [at] Wrigley Field.''

Glanville praised the Cubs' handling of the situation on Wednesday, saying it has "displayed sensitivity as to how the implications of this would affect me as a person of color."

Team president Theo Epstein was adamant about his disgust in seeing the gesture.

"It gave me shivers to watch that," he said Wednesday afternoon. "It's important to send a strong message that this is a place of inclusion. We value diversity. We value inclusion."

In a statement, Major League Baseball noted it has a policy that bans derogatory language and actions at its ballparks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw has long felt a connection to the Dominican Republic.

"It's obviously a significant place for baseball," said the three-time Cy Young winner, noting that several of his teammates have hailed from the country. When Kershaw and his wife, Ellen, learned of the rampant child trafficking in the Dominican Republic, they looked for ways to help.

During the offseason, the Kershaws -- along with former major leaguer Adam LaRoche and his wife, Jennifer -- traveled to Santo Domingo to meet with officials from the International Justice Mission (IJM), a faith-based organization that fights slavery and sex trafficking, particularly child exploitation. The group had an audience with Dominican Republic president Danilo Medina, visited the city's red-light district with investigators and spent an afternoon playing baseball with survivors of sex trafficking.

"They looked and acted like any other kids," Kershaw said. "But what they had been through was anything but normal."

The Kershaws flew coach from Miami to Santo Domingo, and fellow passengers didn't recognize the 6-foot-4 hurler.

"Ellen and I have always talked about what our giving mission is or what we feel most called to do, and kids are right at the forefront of that," Kershaw said.

As they toured the Dominican Republic's National Palace, the Kershaws admitted they were "nervous" about meeting President Medina.

Kershaw, a Texas native, wasn't shy about showing off his Lone Star State pride, however. Two years ago, he reached out to IJM's office in Dallas, where the Kershaws live in the winter. Last year, IJM became an official beneficiary of Kershaw's Challenge, the pitcher's foundation, which focuses on helping children.

Kershaw's meeting with the president was featured on TV news programs and in newspapers in the DR. After Kershaw shared his concerns about child sex trafficking in the country, Medina assured him that his office would support IJM's efforts.

"I'm excited to meet the people on the front lines who have dedicated their lives to fighting the trafficking and slavery in the DR," Kershaw said after his meeting. "You can write checks, which is awesome. Every nonprofit needs the support. But to put boots on the ground and go see it can change your heart."

That night, Kershaw and his group went undercover in Boca Chica, an area known as a hotbed for prostitution in Santo Domingo. Investigators explained how they work with local authorities to find and free victims -- and to arrest the perpetrators. "If I didn't have that knowledge going in, I would have wondered, 'Why can't we just get these girls out of here?'" Kershaw said. "You have to uproot the [traffickers]. That's how you effect change."

"Talking about sex trafficking is not comfortable," Kershaw said. "That's part of the reason to get the word out about it: Because exposing it will bring people out of the darkness. The more people who know about it, the less likely that it will continue to be such a widespread problem."

The bus pulled up on a side street adjacent to Boca China, a three-block stretch of restaurants and bars closed off to vehicles. "Two girls came up to us almost immediately," Kershaw said. "One of them spoke pretty decent English. [We] learned she wasn't from the Dominican Republic. She had come here ... and there were possible signs of trafficking. Once she sat down and realized that we weren't interested in what she was after, you kind of just saw a sadness come back over her, like she didn't do her job. It was heartbreaking to see what the girls have to go through on a day-in, day-out basis. They've been beat down for so long that they need help to get out."

Child sex trafficking, which IJM describes as "a form of modern slavery in which someone coerces or deceives another person into commercial sex exploitation for profit," remains a significant problem in the DR. According to IJM, nearly five million of the estimated 40 million enslaved children worldwide are believed to be the prey of sex traffickers. Tens of thousands of those victims are Dominican girls.

The next day, Kershaw headed to Manny Mota's Campo de Sueños (Field of Dreams) stadium to get in a workout and bullpen session and to celebrate a "day of joy" with survivors.

Kershaw spent an afternoon playing catch with survivors and sharing stories. "To hear what they've been through is heart­breaking," he said.

In 2017, IJM helped Dominican authorities convict a man who exploited six boys. Four of those boys took the field, along with other survivors, to play catch with Kershaw and LaRoche. "It was amazing to watch them come to life," Kershaw said. "To hear the horror they have lived through and to see their resilient spirit put everything in perspective."

Kershaw provided pitching tips in halting Spanish, but his message got through. "Baseball is a universal language here," he said. "It was awesome to see them just being kids and having fun."

Rain didn't deter the survivors, who ranged in age from 9 to 14, from a pickup game at Campo de Sueños. LaRoche hit fly balls to outfielders, and Kershaw shagged fouls and shouted encouragement.

On their last day in the country, the LaRoches and Kershaws visited Lily House, a home for victims of sexual exploitation and their children where survivors receive therapy and vocational training. "This whole trip, I've just been thinking about our kids back home and how they get to have a safe place to call home at night," Ellen Kershaw said. "It's pretty heart-wrenching to be over here and to just want to do that for everybody else."

"Cómo se dice 'hope' en Español?'" Kershaw asked the survivors. "Esperanza," they replied in unison.

LaRoche began working with IJM, which is based in Washington, when he played for the Nationals. "Today we got to hear the story of a survivor," Kershaw said. "To hear the one story helps you keep going. If it's one kid, then that's a big difference."

Rafael Nadal beat Canadian teenager Felix Auger Aliassime 6-3 6-3 to reach the Madrid Open third round.

The 32-year-old world number two, who has been struggling with a virus, won the first break point of the match in the eighth game before taking a tight first set.

Aliassime, 18, saved five match points on his own serve in the second set but Nadal won the sixth to seal victory.

Nadal, seeking his sixth Madrid title, will play American Frances Tiafoe next.

The Spaniard has yet to win a title this season and went into the tournament on the back of semi-final defeats in Barcelona and Monte Carlo.

"I've had a tough few days with a stomach virus so the main thing was the victory," said Nadal, who had a bye into the second round.

"Felix is a great opponent; he will be a great champion. It was a tough first round so I'm very happy to go through."

Spaniard David Ferrer brought a close to his 19-year career as a professional as he bowed out at the second-round stage with a 6-4 6-1 defeat by third seed Alexander Zverev.

The 37-year-old shared a warm moment with the German at the end of the match before addressing the crowd inside the Manolo Santana court.

In the men's doubles, Britain's Jamie Murray and Brazilian partner Bruno Soares moved into the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 win against Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro and Japan's Kei Nishikori.

However, the other British men's pair of Kyle Edmund and Neal Skupski went down 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 10-5 to Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer and Romania's Horia Tecau in their second-round match.

Rob Howley is "Wales' most decorated coach" and will be a loss if he follows Robin McBryde to Irish rugby, says Martyn Williams.

McBryde has been appointed Leinster scrum coach, while Howley has been touted as Munster attack coach.

Williams wishes both coaches were kept within the Welsh system after the 2019 World Cup.

"If he [Howley] ends up in Munster it is great for them, not for the Welsh regions," said Williams.

The pair have been key members of Wales boss Warren Gatland's coaching team for more than a decade.

Howley has been Gatland's assistant in three Grand Slam triumphs and a British and Irish Lions 2013 series win in Australia and draw in New Zealand four years later.

The former Lions scrum-half was also acting head coach when Wales won the 2013 Six Nations title with Gatland on a sabbatical.

Munster attack coach Felix Jones will leave the province in June and Howley has reportedly had an interview with the Irish province.

"Ultimately he is the most decorated Welsh coach in the history of the game," said former Wales flanker Williams.

"You show me a Welsh coach who has a better CV than Rob Howley. You are judged on what you win, your trophies.

"Rob has been there and won Grand Slams and Six Nations Championships and been part of successful Lions tours.

"He has been an easy target and copped a bit of flak but he has come through all that."

Williams believes Welsh rugby cannot afford to lose Howley and McBryde with no Welsh permanent head coaches at any of the four regions.

"I still think it's a shame that we might be losing Robin and Rob," Williams told the Scrum V podcast.

"They should still be in the system in Wales and they are better than a lot of coaches that are in the system in Wales.

"All of the stuff they have learned and picked up, just to let that go across to Ireland, there has to be some way of keeping them involved.

"That is where our system falls down and it frustrates me.

"I played with and was coached by both of them. They have learned on the job because they did not have much coaching experience going into the international environment.

"But I understand if they want to get out of the goldfish bowl of Welsh rugby.

"They might be looking at wanting to go to Munster and Leinster because there is more chance of winning things there."

Wayne Pivac replaces Gatland as the new Wales boss after the World Cup with defence coach Shaun Edwards turning down a new contract as he prepares to join France from next year.

Gloucester fly-half Danny Cipriani has been voted Player of the Year by the Rugby Players Association.

The 31-year-old has helped Gloucester reach the Premiership play-offs during his first season with the club, but has not played for England since June 2018.

Having been voted the RPA's Young Player of the Year in 2008, he is only the third man to win both awards, after Christian Wade and Jonny Wilkinson.

Cipriani's Gloucester team-mate Ollie Thorley won Young Player of the Year.

Following his move from Wasps last summer, Cipriani endured a difficult start to his time at Kingsholm, being fined for an assault in a Jersey nightclub in August and receiving a three-week ban for a high tackle against Munster in October.

But he has also produced a string of eye-catching performances, including providing spectacular try assists in the Premiership matches against Bath and Northampton Saints.

In April, Gloucester coach Johan Ackerman said he felt "sorry" that Cipriani - capped 16 times by England - had not made more appearances at international level.

He spent five and a half years out of the England side between November 2008 and June 2014, and almost a further three between August 2015 and June last year.

Cipriani signed a new three-year contract with Gloucester on 2 April.

Thorley completes Gloucester double

Winger Thorley completed a Gloucester double when he was named Young Player of the Year at the RPA awards ceremony, which were held at Twickenham.

Former Gloucester wing Jonny May, now with Leicester, was named England Men's Player of the Year, while Tigers stalwart Mathew Tait, who was forced to retire in February, won the RPA Special Merit award.

Prop Sarah Bern took the England Women's Player of the Year accolade for her part in their Grand Slam triumph, with the Sevens award going to Alex Matthews.

Will Muir won the men's Sevens award, while Northampton Saints' Jamie Gibson (RPA Gain Line award) and retired Saint Rob Horne (RPA Blythe Spirit Award) were also honoured.