ilers coach Todd McLellan said. Its a really good sign for

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Danica Patrick is grateful and humbled by the popularity and platform she has had over four seasons of Sprint Cup racing. She desperately wishes for success to go with it.Patrick expressed frustration this week at her inability so far to become a consistent top-15 finisher.I feel a certain amount of responsibility slash guilt when things dont go better, Patrick said. Its always fun to cheer when someone is doing well. There are times I dont feel like Im delivering that.I want to give them something to cheer for, she said.The hard-driving Patrick remains one of the series most popular and marketable figures. When Go Daddy ended its sponsorship of Patricks Stewart-Haas Racing car, Natures Bakery quickly took over as primary backer this season. Patrick enjoys seeing young girls at races in her T-shirts and understands she has probably convinced plenty of dads its okay to let their daughters dream and pursue racing glory.Now, after almost four seasons of mostly middle-of-the-pack finishes, she wants some for herself.Patrick had success in open wheel racing, winning the Indy Japan 300 in 2008. She jumped to NASCAR and the new Stewart-Haas program after 2010, cutting her teeth in the Xfinity Series with a few tries in Sprint Cup before making the full-time jump in 2013.But things havent always gone well for the ultra-competitive Patrick.She had a career-best finish of sixth in 2014 in Atlanta, but has not qualified for NASCARs season-ending playoffs or ended better than 24th in the driver standings. Patrick sits 24th again this season without a top 10-finish with five races left before the championship Chase.Were in that phase now where were finishing 20th every weekend and I wish I were delivering more, she said.Team owner Tony Stewart told Patrick when she joined NASCAR it would take longer than she thought to get up to speed.Is she getting close?I mean, somedays yes and somedays you are like, `What happened? said Stewart, a three-time series champion who is retiring after the season. But you look at my career. I was on top and won a championship in 2011 and I couldnt even find the gate to get out of the racetrack in the years after that. So many things can change and its just not as easy as everybody thinks.Patrick was in Darlington on Tuesday to show off her culinary skills -- she helped prepare lunch at South of Pearl restaurant, complete with a black Darlington apron -- and stuff back-to-school backpacks with supplies for area children.Patrick has her outside interests. Shes launching an activewear clothing line next year -- It started because of merchandise sales at NASCAR, drivers make so little money off merchandise sales, she says -- and hopes to publish a cookbook of her favorite recipes. She detailed a domestic side, of how shell wake up first at racetracks to make breakfast for herself, then her dogs, then boyfriend-driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Its fun for me, she said.Patrick, 34, has thought about a family and what it might mean for her career. She has seen her friends have children and wondered about it herself.Of course, Im a girl, Patrick said. But its not anything in the urgent department yet.But, she added, Im not married and I have a job.Id like to have some great years in NASCAR and I feel like I havent had them yet, she said.New Darlington President Kerry Tharp has seen Patricks poise grow during her NASCAR stint.Its a big learning curve coming to stock car racing and she embraced that, wasnt afraid of that and has worked very hard at that, he said.Patrick will return to the area in a month for the Southern 500, one of the sports most difficult tracks where shes struggled to get around because of its slippery surface and misshapen corners.Patrick believes her best performances are ahead and that her communication with her No. 10 team and crew chief Billy Scott are as strong as ever. Her immediate goal is getting fast enough to make the jump to a top-15 finisher. Patrick knows if she accomplishes that, her opportunities to win would increase.That would make a huge difference on the overall year, Patrick said. That can and will happen. But nobodys patient -- including me.---AP Sports Writer Steve Reed from Charlotte, North Carolina, contributed to this report. Discount Air Max 90 NZ Shoes . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. Wholesale Air Max 90 NZ . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. http://www.discountairmax90nz.com/ . The parade and rally were held to celebrate the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the CFLs championship game. Cheap Air Max 90 NZ Outlet . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Wholesale Air Max NZ Fast Shipping . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Edmonton Oilers hope they are finally out of their funk.Leon Draisaitl scored twice and Cam Talbot made 31 saves for his third shutout of the season, helping Edmonton beat the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks 5-0 on Monday night.Theyve been playing some good hockey lately so its not an easy team to shut out by any means, Talbot said. We played a great team game. Thats a huge statement win for us tonight.Oscar Klefbom, Andrej Sekera and Anton Slepyshev also scored for the Oilers, who have won two straight since ending a five-game skid.Connor McDavid had two assists to move into the NHL scoring lead with 24 points in 20 games.Theyve been playing really well and for us to get a win like that is definitely big for the confidence moving forward, McDavid said. Weve been able to snap out of a bit of a funk and were looking to go on a run now. Once you get out of one of those, it is important you take off from there.The 19-year-old McDavid set up a goal 2:39 in by skating the length of the ice before centering the puck for Klefbom, who blasted a shot past Crawford.McDavid also assisted late in the first when Draisaitl tipped in Klefboms shot from the point on a power play for a 2-0 lead.Corey Crawford made 22 saves in the loss as the Blackhawks had a two-game winning streak snapped.That wasnt our team, it was a tough loss and we just have to forget about it and worry about the next game, Crawford said. I dont take anything away from this one. We created a few good chances, but it was one of those games where nothing was going right.ddddddddddddTalbot kept Chicago from getting on the board four minutes into the second when he stopped Duncan Keith on a point-blank power-play shot.Sekera scored on a long wrist shot with just 7.6 seconds left in the second shortly after a power play expired to make it 3-0.Edmonton took a 4-0 lead seven minutes into the third period when Slepyshevs deceptive shot from a bad angle handcuffed Crawford.Draisaitl scored his second of the game late in the third on the power play to put the game away.Thats the closest weve come to a complete game, Oilers coach Todd McLellan said. Its a really good sign for our team going forward.Game notes It was the first of three games between the two teams this season. Chicago swept the season series last year, with McDavid missing all three contests for the Oilers due to injury. ... Despite their 13-5-2 record, the Blackhawks were last in the NHL on the penalty kill at just 69.5 percent coming into the game. ... Veterans Benoit Pouliot, Mark Letestu and Eric Gryba remained healthy scratches for the Oilers. ... The lone injury listed for Chicago is Trevor van Riemsdyk (upper body), while Edmonton is still without Iiro Pakarinen (knee), Brandon Davidson (upper body) and Mark Fayne (lower body).UP NEXTBlackhawks: Play the fifth in a season-high seven-game road trip in San Jose on Wednesday night.Oilers: Start a two-game trip at Colorado on Wednesday night. ' ' '