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New on Sports Illustrated: Patrick Reed Co-Leader at Farmers Insurance Open Amid Rules Controversy

<a href="https://www.si.com/golf/2021/01/31/patrick-reed-shares-lead-rules-controversy-farmers-insurance-open">
Reed found himself in a rules controversy involving an embedded ball on the 10th hole. He finished the round in a tie for the 54-hole lead with Carlos Ortiz.
Patrick Reed was involved in another rules controversy Saturday in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He also had a share of the lead with Carlos Ortiz.
On the par-4 10th, Reed hit a 190-yard shot out of a bunker with a TV replay showing the ball bounced once before settling into the rough. Believing the ball didn’t bounce, Reed picked it up to see if it was embedded before a rules official arrived. Reed told the official that no one in his group, as well as a nearby volunteer, saw it bounce.
Reed was awarded a free drop and saved par. He bogeyed four of the next holes before birdieing No. 18 for a 2-under 70 and a share of the lead with Ortiz at 10 under. Ortiz had a 66 on the South Course.
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTc4NjA4ODg1OTM2OTU3MjE2/patrick-reed.jpg" width="620" /></figure>
In December 2019 in Tiger Woods’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, Reed was penalized two strokes for appearing to deliberately improve his lie in a bunker.
“It’s an unfortunate situation obviously, but at the end of the day when you finish a round and the head rules official comes up to you and has the video and shows everything that went down to the whole group and says that you’ve done this perfectly, you did this the exact right way, the protocols you did were spot on, at that point, you know, I feel great about it,” Reed said.
“The ball just disappeared. None of us saw it bounce,” said Reed, who added that a nearby volunteer told him that it did not bounce. “I looked at my group and said, ‘Guys, she didn’t see it bounce it, either, so I’m going to mark this ball and see if it’s embedded.’
“Once I marked it, the first thing I wanted to do was make sure I got the ball out of my hand because you don’t want to clean it or anything because you don’t know if it’s embedded yet. When I put my finger down there and felt like it has broken ground, the first thing you do is call the rules official... The rules official said, ‘Yes, this ball has broken the plane.’”
The ground was soft because of rain overnight Thursday and during the second round Friday, when play was suspended for nearly an hour because of a storm.
“At that point we go with what the rules official said and also with what the volunteers and what we see,” Reed said. “When we’re out there, we can’t see everything and when that happens you have to go with what the volunteers say and what the rules officials say and when all comes push and shove we felt like we did the right thing and the rules official said we did absolutely perfectly.”
PGA Tour rules official Ken Tackett said Reed “did all the things we ask to do of a player. It’s obviously difficult and you get to second-guessing when see video; soft conditions, there’s a lot of variables out there.”
The incident on 10 overshadowed Reed’s eagle on the par-5 sixth when he reached in two and made a 40-foot putt to get to 12 under. He reached 13 under with a birdie on No. 9.
Reed shared the lead with Alex Noren after the first round and was one shot off the lead after 36 holes.
Sam Burns (70), Lanto Griffin (72), Viktor Hovland (73), Jon Rahm (72) and Adam Scott (72) were two shots back at 8 under. Rory McIlroy (70) was in a group of four at 7 under.
Scott’s round included an eagle, a double bogey, five birdies and five bogeys.
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Patrick Reed Co-Leader at Farmers Insurance Open Amid Rules Controversy

Reed found himself in a rules controversy involving an embedded ball on the 10th hole. He finished the round in a tie for the 54-hole lead ...

New on Sports Illustrated: Korpisalo makes 31 stops, Blue Jackets beat Blackhawks 2-1

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300136">
CHICAGO (AP) The Columbus Blue Jackets had tired legs and a fresh Joonas Korpisalo.
On Friday night, at least, it was enough.
Korpisalo made 31 saves and Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and an assist, sending Columbus to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
''We weren't as sharp as we like to be, but Korpisalo was easily our best player,'' coach John Tortorella said.
The Blue Jackets have one of the NHL's best goaltender tandems in Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins, and that duo played a key role in consecutive wins. A night after Merzlikins had 33 saves in a 3-2 shootout victory over Florida, Korpisalo took over.
He stepped up as Chicago pushed for the tying goal, denying Patrick Kane in front about seven minutes into the third. He also caught a break when Carl Soderberg's shot through the goaltender's legs was just wide with a couple minutes left.
''Korpy made some huge saves,'' Bjorkstrand said.
Eric Robinson also scored for Columbus, helping Korpisalo get the win against good friend and fellow Finn Kevin Lankinen. The Blue Jackets extended their point streak to seven.
Lankinen made 25 saves in his fifth career start - all this season.
''That was really fun,'' Korpisalo said. ''I think it's been like six or seven years since we played against each other. He won that one, so that was great to win today.''
Dylan Strome scored for Chicago, which had recorded at least one point in five straight games.
''It's tough to come from behind against a team like that and they've got really good goaltending,'' coach Jeremy Colliton said. ''But I thought we did a lot of good things, and we did more than enough to score more than one goal.''
The Blue Jackets jumped in front on Bjorkstrand's power-play goal 8:53 into the first period. Mattias Janmark had a chance to clear the puck out for Chicago, but Columbus kept it in and Cam Atkinson found Bjorkstrand in the left circle for a one-timer.
The Blackhawks pushed for the tying goal early in the second, but Strome had a wraparound attempt knocked away by Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.
''It was a game I thought we played well enough to win,'' Strome said. ''Did a lot of good things and felt like we had the puck quite a bit but came up short.''
After Chicago had an extended stay in Columbus' zone, the Blue Jackets got it out and the speedy Robinson skated out on a breakaway. He beat Lankinen on the glove side for his second goal of the season and a 2-0 lead at 3:39.
Bjorkstrand got the only assist on the play. He has three goals and five assists in his last seven games. He almost picked up another goal in the third, but Lankinen used his glove to push away his shot from right in front.
Chicago got on the board when Kane found Strome in the slot for the center's third goal, making it 2-1 midway through the second. The connection gave the Blackhawks at least one power-play goal in eight of their nine games this season.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Columbus forward Jack Roslovic played 14 minutes on his 24th birthday. The Columbus native was acquired in a blockbuster trade with Winnipeg last week that also moved Patrik Laine to the Blue Jackets in exchange for Pierre Luc-Dubois and a third-round draft pick.
UP NEXT
The teams play again Sunday night. Then Columbus opens a four-game homestand against Dallas on Tuesday night, and Chicago hosts Carolina on Tuesday night.
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Jay Cohen can be reached at https://twitter.com/jcohenap
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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
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New on Sports Illustrated: Korpisalo makes 31 stops, Blue Jackets beat Blackhawks 2-1

CHICAGO (AP) The Columbus Blue Jackets had tired legs and a fresh Joonas Korpisalo. On Friday night, at least, it was enough. Korpisalo m...

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New on Sports Illustrated: Red-hot Stars look to keep soaring against Carolina

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2299998">
The Dallas Stars are making up for lost time after coronavirus complications delayed the start of their season.
The Stars aim to improve to 5-0-0 for just the third time in franchise history on Saturday when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C. If victorious, Dallas would match the mark of the 2006-07 club and reside one win shy of the 1996-97 team.
A potent power play is one of the primary reasons that coach Rick Bowness' club is without a loss this season. Dallas leads the league with a 52.6 percent power-play efficiency, and their 10 goals with the man advantage represent a franchise record through the first four games of the season.
"We're very happy with (the 4-0-0 start) considering what we went through in training camp and the number of injuries we have to key players," Bowness said. "You give the credit to the guys that stepped and filled in the void of the injured players. Every one of them has done a wonderful job. Every man we've asked to step in and do a job has done that for us.
"We couldn't have had the homestand we had with the injuries we had without everyone stepping up and doing their job."
Denis Gurianov (goal, two assists) and defenseman Miro Heiskanen (three assists) each recorded three-point performances as the Stars cruised to a 7-3 romp over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.
Anton Khudobin, 34, was given the night off in that contest, but last season's playoff darling is expected to return to the crease on Saturday. He has won all three of his starts thus far this season and has registered an 0.99 goals-against average and .958 save percentage.
"We're not surprised with what we're seeing, because we've seen it the whole time he's been with the organization," Bowness said.
"People who don't watch our team play a lot might say 'Who's Khudobin?' But, to us, that's what we expect from him. We're not surprised."
Khudobin, who played two seasons with Carolina (2013-15), sports a 6-1-1 record with a 1.72 goals-against average and .939 save percentage in eight career encounters with the Hurricanes.
Like Dallas, Carolina has seen its schedule interrupted because of coronavirus issues. The Hurricanes returned to the ice with a 1-0 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
Martin Necas scored 1:12 into overtime and Petr Mrazek made 32 saves for his second shutout in three starts for Carolina, which was playing its first game since Jan. 18.
"It felt like the start of the season all over again," captain Jordan Staal said. "It was a weird feeling going into the game. (Credit coach Rod Brind'Amour with) a good job of making sure we were on the attack to get after them right away."
Mrazek yielded three goals in his lone meeting with Dallas last season, a 4-1 loss on Feb. 11. He owns a 2-3-1 record with one shutout, a 2.30 GAA and .923 save percentage in seven career appearances (six starts) against the Stars.
Dallas also skated to a 4-1 win on Feb. 25 to complete a sweep of the series.
Gurianov collected two goals and an assist against Carolina last season.
--Field Level Media
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New on Sports Illustrated: Red-hot Stars look to keep soaring against Carolina

The Dallas Stars are making up for lost time after coronavirus complications delayed the start of their season. The Stars aim to improve t...

New on Sports Illustrated: Islanders bring three-game losing streak into Philly

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2299909">
The Philadelphia Flyers will be looking for their third consecutive victory when they host the New York Islanders on Saturday.
The Flyers swept a pair of games on the road against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday and Thursday.
Philadelphia's 3-1 win on Thursday had to be especially satisfying with arguably its best defensive effort of the season and stellar goaltending by Carter Hart.
Hart struggled mightily in his previous start, a 6-1 setback against the Boston Bruins. Soon after that game ended, a visibly shaken Hart shattered his stick into hundreds of pieces on the goal before leaving the ice.
"When you face the puck early, it definitely helps you get into the game," said Hart, who made 33 saves against the Devils.
"The first two periods were probably our worst and he kept us in the game," captain Claude Giroux said of Hart. "In the third, I think we played better, but he saved our game in the first and second."
The short-handed Flyers continue to play without key players such as Sean Couturier, Morgan Frost and Phil Myers. However, Myers skated Thursday and head coach Alain Vigneault said that the defenseman continues to progress. It's possible that Myers could play against the Islanders.
Philadelphia received an unexpected lift from 34-year-old Nate Prosser, who helped a depleted roster.
Prosser scored a goal, only the 11th of his career and his first since 2018.
"I just needed to get the first two shifts out of the way, then I found my way," Prosser said.
The Flyers fell to the Islanders in seven games in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Islanders will be hoping to avoid a fourth consecutive loss when they visit the Flyers.
New York relinquished a 3-0 lead and lost 6-3 to the Washington Capitals on Thursday thanks in large part to a number of defensive breakdowns in the second period.
In that second, the Islanders gave up five goals, only the second time that had occurred under coach Barry Trotz.
"It's a tough one because we didn't play that poorly for 50 minutes of that game, but a two-, three-minute span we were below average," Trotz said. "I didn't think we were as bad as that, but it all happened all at once and you get into stunned mode. Our poise, our confidence has been rattled and we need to pull that together. We're not going to get outside help. It's the group has to pull together."
The Islanders' struggles are alarming, considering they're coming off a season where they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 27 years.
It's still early, but in this condensed 56-game season, there must be a sense of urgency.
"Everyone on the team has to find a way to dig a little deeper and find a way to win games," Matt Martin said. "We're kind of falling behind right now, but the good thing is that we're going to play the same teams over and over again. We have the utmost confidence in ourselves, that we're going to figure it out, start winning games and climb right back into it."
--Field Level Media
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New on Sports Illustrated: Islanders bring three-game losing streak into Philly

The Philadelphia Flyers will be looking for their third consecutive victory when they host the New York Islanders on Saturday. The Flyers ...

New on Sports Illustrated: Rangers hope to build on rookie's breakthrough vs. Penguins

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2299872">
Heading into Thursday night's game against the Buffalo Sabres, coach David Quinn believed his New York Rangers were better than their early-season record.
On Saturday night, the Rangers hope to find out if their path has been redirected thanks to a milestone goal by their player with the brightest future when New York hosts Pittsburgh in a battle of longtime rivals.
Both teams were off Friday following eventful road games Thursday.
The Rangers snapped a four-game losing streak in dramatic fashion when rookie Alexis Lafreniere made his first NHL goal a memorable one by scoring in overtime to lift New York to a 3-2 win over the Sabres.
The Rangers outplayed the Sabres for most of the first 60 minutes Thursday night but were in danger of suffering their fifth straight one-goal loss before Lafreniere, the No. 1 pick in October's draft, teamed up with Colin Blackwell for a 2-on-1 that began with Blackwell stealing the puck from Jack Eichel and passing to Lafreniere, who fired a shot beyond the extended stick of Buffalo goalie Linus Ullmark at the 2:47 mark.
The goal made Lafreniere the first No. 1 pick to score his first career goal in overtime.
"Overtime, game-winning goal, it was really special," Lafreniere said. "I'll never forget this moment, for sure."
The big goal by Lafreniere provided a much-needed boost for the Rangers, who outshot the Sabres 39-25 after outshooting their opponents 140-99 during the four-game losing streak.
"We needed this because we had done a lot of good things," Quinn said. "I look at the standings and I see our point total regarding the rest of the league and I'm shaking my head. I know what we're capable of doing. These players know what we're capable of doing."
Meanwhile Sidney Crosby had a rare second-straight subpar game as the Penguins fell to Boston, 4-1, on Thursday.
Few players and teams have done more over the last 15 years than Crosby and the Penguins, who have won three Stanley Cups since selecting Crosby with the No. 1 pick of the 2005 draft.
But Crosby endured some atypical struggles as the Penguins dropped both games of a series in Boston against the Bruins. Crosby was scoreless with a plus/minus rating of minus-2 in both losses. It was just the fourth time he's gone scoreless while registering a plus/minus of minus-2 or worse in back-to-back games and the first time since Nov. 4-7, 2019, when he had a minus-4 and a minus-2 against the Bruins and New York Islanders, respectively.
Crosby was far from the only Penguins player to scuffle against the Bruins, who limited Pittsburgh to a season-low 17 shots on Thursday.
"We need just to look in the mirror and fight every shift," Penguins center Evgeni Malkin said. "It's not a pretty game right now. ... We need to try to play simple and need to just work, work, work."
--Field Level Media
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New on Sports Illustrated: Rangers hope to build on rookie's breakthrough vs. Penguins

Heading into Thursday night's game against the Buffalo Sabres, coach David Quinn believed his New York Rangers were better than their e...

New on Sports Illustrated: Struggling Red Wings look for turnaround vs. Panthers

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300110">
The Detroit Red Wings see signs of history repeating itself. That's not a good thing.
The Red Wings had by far the worst record in the NHL last season. After eight games this season, they're in last place in the makeshift Central Division and have gone 0-3-1 in their last four outings.
They'll try to set a new course with back-to-back home games against the Florida Panthers on Saturday and Sunday.
This week, the Red Wings lost at Dallas in overtime 2-1 on Tuesday, then gave up four third-period goals in a 7-3 loss to the Stars on Thursday.
"We took a real step back," coach Jeff Blashill said. "We have to regroup. It's not going to be easy. We're getting home late and we have to turn around and play on Saturday but we have to find a way to regroup. Dig deeper and ultimately we have to have a lot of guys play a lot better. We have individuals who can play better hockey, for sure."
The Stars gave up their bodies much more than the Wings on Thursday, blocking 21 shots compared to seven by the visitors. Detroit had plenty of man-advantages but converted on just one of seven power plays.
"We're fighting against ourselves, not actually fighting, but we have the puck on the stick and we're nervous to make plays and we don't want it on our stick," team captain Dylan Larkin said. "We're second-guessing everything and not moving around. Every power-play goal we scored this year, we kept it simple and threw it on net, and it's not the prettiest goal, but it's in the net. We didn't do that nearly enough and it has to find a way to get going."
When the Wings have scored on the power play, Tyler Bertuzzi has been the finisher. He's tallied three power-play goals in the last three games off rebounds.
The Red Wings are playing short-handed. They have five players on the league's COVID-19 protocols list. That group includes two of their better offensive threats, Filip Zadina and Robby Fabbri.
That's not going to earn them any sympathy.
"We can't keep letting two points slip away here," Larkin said. "Every game is important, being against our own division."
The Panthers have played just four games due to COVID-19 issues. They won their first three games before Thursday's 3-2 road shootout loss to Columbus.
"I don't think we're walking out of here licking our wounds by any means, but we obviously have to know we can beat a team like this and take a lead in games," defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. "There's a lot to work on, no doubt. Be happy about it, but never satisfied."
Carter Verhaeghe and Patric Hornqvist have gotten off to hot starts, scoring four goals apiece. Anthony Duclair has five assists.
Hornqvist forced overtime on a goal with three seconds left in regulation during a shootout victory over Columbus. In the rematch, Eetu Luostarinen scored a third-period goal to force overtime.
"On the road against a team we know works hard, we came in and had two great comebacks in the third period," Ekblad said. "We really showed our resiliency as a team. A lot of positives to take out of it, and a lot of things we can work on. All in all, we're really excited to get to Detroit."
--Field Level Media
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New on Sports Illustrated: Struggling Red Wings look for turnaround vs. Panthers

The Detroit Red Wings see signs of history repeating itself. That's not a good thing. The Red Wings had by far the worst record in the...

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New on Sports Illustrated: Predators, Lightning expecting a tight contest

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300026">
The Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning are discovering that playing more than 60 minutes is a way of life in the NHL's Central Division.
For the first time this season, the two division opponents will meet Saturday night on Florida's west coast, and they know there's a good likelihood overtime or the shootout may have to decide the winner.
Over a stretch of six straight games in the division from Tuesday through Thursday, every contest was either settled in overtime or a shootout -- all three-point contests. The streak was snapped Thursday in the division's final game of the night when the Stars beat Detroit 7-3 in Dallas.
The Predators hosted Chicago in back-to-back tilts Tuesday and Wednesday, and the results -- both requiring extra time -- were good for Nashville over their former Western Conference foe.
In Tuesday's 3-2 overtime victory, captain Roman Josi tallied to put away the Blackhawks, helping Nashville cast aside the bad memories from a tough two-game stint in Texas.
Dallas blasted the Predators 7-0 in its first hockey game this season last Friday after a delayed start due to COVID-19 protocol. The score was more competitive two days later -- a 3-2 loss in regulation to the Stars -- but the damage had been done.
Nashville returned home with little to show for the effort and struggling with a penalty-kill unit that allowed five power-play goals in the blowout loss and three more in the one-goal defeat.
In the two games, the Stars tied an NHL record for most power-play goals over a two-game span, succeeding on 8 of 12 chances.
"That's not who we are as a team, and that was unacceptable," said Nick Cousins, who scored his first goal in a Nashville uniform in Wednesday's 2-1 shootout win. "Coming back home was kind of a chance to reset and play Chicago back-to-back."
Matt Duchene registered the only tally in the shootout, and goalie Juuse Saros was rock solid in denying Chicago's shooters anything in the one-on-one session that gave Nashville its second straight victory and some momentum heading to Florida.
The Predators will also play Monday in Tampa before traveling south to face the Florida Panthers in back-to-back matches on Thursday and Friday.
After an unexpected four-day break due to Carolina's COVID-19 concerns, Tampa Bay returned to play Thursday and lost 1-0 to the Hurricanes on Martin Necas' marker 1:12 into overtime.
Petr Mrazek's 32-save shutout -- the Hurricanes' first game action in 10 days -- marked the first time Tampa Bay had been held scoreless in 88 consecutive regular-season contests.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper said the way the Central is set up will create plenty of close competition, perhaps needing extra time to determine a winner on most nights.
"We were talking about that last night -- all these three-point games," said Cooper. "There's a lot of defense in our division. It's going to be tough to score (against) all these teams.
"I think you're going to see a lot more games go to overtime than probably in a lot of these other divisions."
Starting his 31st straight game dating back to the 2019-20 regular season, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded 35 saves, but it wasn't enough to keep him from losing to Carolina for the first time in eight career games (7-0-1).
--Field Level Media
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Predators, Lightning expecting a tight contest

The Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning are discovering that playing more than 60 minutes is a way of life in the NHL's Central...

New on Sports Illustrated: Oilers looking to cool off streaking Maple Leafs

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300535">
The Toronto Maple Leafs will be going for a four-game Western Canada sweep Saturday night when they complete a two-game set against the host Edmonton Oilers.
The Maple Leafs, who defeated the Oilers 4-3 Thursday night, also will be trying to stretch their overall winning streak to five games.
After defeating the Oilers in Toronto on Jan. 22, the Maple Leafs won twice over the Flames in Calgary.
"I like the way that we've found ways to come out on the positive side of it when it counts the most," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. "Whether it's how many games now we've had a really big penalty kill very late in the game with the game on the line, we find our way through those. We gave up the lead and then we bounce right back and get it and then make sure we finish the job. That's been a theme. I like that.
"I think the thing I like most of all, for the most part, we've defended really well as a team, not perfect, but we've defended -- I guess, well maybe is not the right term, we've defended hard."
The Oilers are 1-3-0 since defeating the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Jan. 20.
"Well, we're nine games in (3-6-0)," said Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who had two assists Thursday.
"I think we're done figuring it out here. We need to start putting together games. One night it's the power play. One night it's a little bit of a lull. One night it's another thing. So we have to collectively come together and put together 60 full minutes. It sounds so cliche but all areas need to be riding together and that hasn't happened for us yet."
Leon Draisaitl had two goals for Edmonton on Thursday. He has scored in five straight games and has six goals.
The Oilers twice tied the game Thursday after the Maple Leafs took a 2-0 lead. Auston Matthews scored the winning goal on a power play at 13:37 of the third period.
The Leafs have won five games by one goal, with the other two wins coming by two goals when they scored into an empty net.
"We got the win, that's all that matters," said Matthews, who has five goals. "We're taking too many penalties. We had big penalty kills, big power-play goals. Sometimes that's the way the game goes, special teams come through. Obviously, we squeaked out this one."
The Oilers are 1-4-0 at home and the Maple Leafs are 4-1-0 on the road.
"You've got to find ways to win and find ways to lose, right?" Oilers coach Dave Tippett said. "That's what bothers me. We're making mistakes that are taking away from our chance to win. It feels at times we've played better than our record, but we've got that record because we've brought a lot of that trouble on ourselves."
Despite the fast start, Keefe feels that his team has room to improve.
"We're not even close to being the team that I think we can be and the team that we would need to be," he said. "But a lot of positive things that have gotten us to be 7-2. I think the greatest news of all is that none of the games have been perfect and there's lots of room for growth still."
--Field Level Media
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Oilers looking to cool off streaking Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be going for a four-game Western Canada sweep Saturday night when they complete a two-game set against the hos...

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New on Sports Illustrated: Zdeno Chara in spotlight as Bruins face Capitals

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2299942">
Boston's Brad Marchand has made a career out of pestering opponents.
But expect him to be on his best behavior Saturday when the Bruins travel to Washington to face longtime teammate Zdeno Chara for the first time.
"You don't want to poke the bear," Marchand said. "He's the guy that when you're on the ice with him, you're an opponent. ... It'll be weird to see him in a different uniform."
Chara, 43, spent 14 seasons patrolling the Boston blue line and wearing the "C" on his jersey as the team captain, guiding the Bruins to three Stanley Cup Finals and a championship in 2011 as well as the Presidents' Trophy last season as the team with the most regular-season points.
But with his role in Boston diminishing and his contract up, he decided to sign a one-year deal with the Capitals in the offseason.
"I think he'll come out and we'll see his best," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said after a 4-1 victory against visiting Pittsburgh on Thursday, the team's fourth win in a row. "He bled black and gold here for the Bruins for years, and I think he's gonna wanna show his teammates, and everyone in the organization, that he can still bring it. I would expect nothing less."
Chara scored his first goal for the Capitals and added an assist Thursday as they rallied from a three-goal deficit to defeat the New York Islanders 6-3.
Following his tally on a slap shot from just above the left faceoff circle, which capped a five-goal second period, Chara was mobbed by his new teammates at the door to the Capitals' bench.
"I returned to the bench to the guys right away because I just wanted to share the joy and excitement with them," Chara said. "Since Day 1, they've really done an amazing job welcoming me and making the transition as easy and simple as possible for me."
Capitals coach Peter Laviolette was even taken in by the celebration.
"It was pretty awesome," Laviolette said. "It was one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time with regard to a team."
Chara was asked after the game about the upcoming matchup against the Bruins but refrained from any sentimentality.
"It's all about the team ..." he said. "Obviously, we know we're going to be facing a really good team (in the Bruins) and we're going to have to prepare ourselves and play our best to have a chance."
The Capitals have set a franchise record by starting the season with an eight-game point streak (5-0-3). They did so despite captain Alex Ovechkin, forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, defenseman Dmitry Orlov and goaltender Ilya Samsonov missing the past four games because of COVID-19 protocols. None of the four skated Friday in optional practice and they remain day-to-day.
It was originally thought they would be eligible to return Saturday, but there has been no official announcement regarding their status.
The Bruins might get top-line winger David Pastrnak back following offseason hip surgery.
But it'll mostly be about Chara.
"It's gonna be really weird seeing him on the other side of the ice," said the Bruins' Charlie McAvoy, who spent his first two NHL seasons with Chara as his defensive partner. "I don't know if that's gonna be something I'll really be kind of able to get over -- seeing him in a Capitals jersey.
"I think his presence is pretty irreplaceable, completely irreplaceable. The magnitude of who he is as a player and a person, people like him don't come around every day. That is obviously different, not having him here."
--Field Level Media
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Zdeno Chara in spotlight as Bruins face Capitals

Boston's Brad Marchand has made a career out of pestering opponents. But expect him to be on his best behavior Saturday when the Bruin...

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New on Sports Illustrated: Red-hot Habs look to douse the Flames

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300419">
Three-game losing streaks happen in the NHL, so the losses on their own aren't specifically disturbing the Calgary Flames as they prepare for Saturday's road clash against the high-flying Montreal Canadiens.
It's how the Flames are losing which is troubling, especially their last couple of outings.
Going back to the second defeat during their mini-swoon, the Flames were guilty of a dreadful first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs, in which they were outshot 10-1 before putting their game in order in a 4-3 loss.
Calgary's 4-2 defeat in Montreal in the first half of this two-game set is a final score that flatters the Flames. They had a better first period, but trailed 2-0 thanks to a pair of Montreal power-play goals, and then lost all interest in the game when it became a 3-0 deficit.
A pair of goals in the final two minutes after it was already 4-0 made the final result semi-respectable, but is a prime example of putting lipstick on a pig.
"The third goal took a little bit of steam out of us," coach Geoff Ward said. "We played a good first period down a couple goals on the power play, but we were still good, but the third goal put a sag in us and the fourth one did it a little bit more. You have to find moments in the game where you can garner emotion, especially when there's no crowd."
The Flames had best find the right formula soon in the competitive North Division.
"We've got a tight team, so we've got to regroup here real quick," forward Sean Monahan said. "We've got to be invested a lot harder and playing a lot harder, and when you're invested and playing for each other, that's when you get results."
The Canadiens are on the other side of the spectrum these days. Montreal has won three straight games, has not lost in regulation time yet this season and is rolling in all areas -- especially on special teams. Not only are the Canadians lighting it up with their power play, but just seven games into the campaign they have already scored five short-handed goals, including Tyler Toffoli's tally that made it a 4-0 game against Calgary on Thursday.
"We work hard on special teams. We spend a lot of time on them in practice," coach Claude Julien said. "We talked about our power play from last season and we wanted to improve it. I think we have more elements on the penalty kill this year. It also helps to use players that are rested when we're short-handed."
Heading into the season hopes were high for the Canadiens, but the early success exceeds the expectations of even the most optimistic fans. On top of their special team success, the Canadiens have been an offensive juggernaut with a plethora of players showing great offensive touch.
As a case in point, defenseman Jeff Petry already has eight points, Toffoli has netted six goals and a team-high nine points, and second-year forward Nick Suzuki has a point in every game (two goals, five assists).
Even so, the leadership group is warning about complacency settling in.
"I think we've got a lot of room to improve here, and that's a good sign because we're playing well enough to win and we're capitalizing," defenseman Shea Weber said. "I think we just need to tighten up a few areas and we definitely need to be better on Saturday."
--Field Level Media
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New on Sports Illustrated: Red-hot Habs look to douse the Flames

Three-game losing streaks happen in the NHL, so the losses on their own aren't specifically disturbing the Calgary Flames as they prepa...

New on Sports Illustrated: No title

New on Sports Illustrated: Blue Jackets-Blackhawks rematch in COVID-19 limbo

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300137">
The Columbus Blue Jackets will go for their third win in a row when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night.
The game will mark the second time in three days that the teams have played each other. In the opener of a two-game set Friday night, Columbus held on for a 2-1 win behind goals from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eric Robinson.
The Blackhawks planned to practice Saturday between games, but they called off the practice session because of possible exposure to COVID-19. The team later announced that forward Ryan Carpenter and defenseman Nicolas Beaudin had been added to the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list, increasing the tally to five Chicago players on the list.
Carpenter and Beaudin played Friday against the Blue Jackets. Blackhawks forward Alex DeBrincat, defenseman Adam Boqvist and forward Lucas Wallmark remain on the list.
Players can be placed on the list if they test positive for the coronavirus, have shown symptoms or had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
"The Chicago Blackhawks organization has, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines to protect the health and safety of players and staff as set by the NHL as well as local and state agencies," the Blackhawks said in a statement. "The Blackhawks will not comment further at this time and information on Sunday's schedule will be announced at a later time."
If the game goes on as scheduled, Chicago will have to find a way to solve Columbus' goaltending. Joonas Korpisalo shined in Friday's opener, stopping 31 of 32 shots to improve to 2-1-2 with a 2.17 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage.
The Blue Jackets' other option in net, Elvis Merzlikins, is 2-1-1 with a 2.94 GAA and .906 save percentage on the season.
"I like the way it's worked out," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "The schedule, I think, forces it this way, and we're very fortunate to have the two goalies that we do have."
The Blackhawks have not enjoyed the same level of success in net, but rookie Kevin Lankinen has emerged recently to grab control of the No. 1 role. The 25-year-old is 2-1-2 with a 2.16 GAA and .930 save percentage on the season, which is notably better than teammates Collin Delia (0-2-0, 5.00, .863) and Malcolm Subban (0-1-1, 3.95, .889).
Lankinen's solid play has been squandered by a quiet Blackhawks offense, which has four goals in the last three games.
"We want to score more, for sure," Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. "We're creating chances. We're generating more in the offensive zone than we have in the past. (The) transition chances I feel will be there with the group we have.
"(But we're) missing a little bit of execution when we have the opportunity off the rush. Just not quite finishing, not quite making that last pass. But I believe that will come, too."
The Blue Jackets, who have eight goals in their past three games, are led by Bjorkstrand with eight points (three goals, five assists) in his first nine games. Alexandre Texier is second on the scoring list with six points (four goals, two assists).
Patrick Kane leads the Blackhawks with eight points (three goals, five assists) in nine contests.
--Field Level Media
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Blue Jackets-Blackhawks rematch in COVID-19 limbo

The Columbus Blue Jackets will go for their third win in a row when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. The game will mark ...

New on Sports Illustrated: Red-hot Nuggets look for sixth straight win vs. Spurs

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292511">
The Denver Nuggets look to complete a perfect road trip as they take a five-game winning streak into San Antonio on Friday for their first matchup of the season with the surging Spurs.
The Nuggets head to the Alamo City off a rousing 109-82 win in Miami over the COVID-19 depleted Heat. San Antonio is also playing well, beating Boston 110-106 at home on Wednesday to capture its second straight game.
Denver was up by 25 points at the half against Miami on Wednesday (the Nuggets' biggest halftime lead this season) but allowed the Heat to claw to within 74-65 early in the final quarter. But that's when the Nuggets were at their best, with reserves Michael Porter Jr. and JaMychal Green finding their range over and around Miami's zone defense.
"(Miami) sat in that zone the whole second half," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "One of the reasons I got those guys in (to the game) was to just to give us more shooting, to space the floor, to try to beat that zone."
Nikola Jokic finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds for his 18th consecutive double-double. Porter Jr. scored 17 points, Green added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Jamal Murray had 14 points for Denver despite going just 4 of 11 from the floor.
Paul Millsap, with 11, and Will Barton, with 10 points, gave the Nuggets six players in double-figure scoring.
The Nuggets have won 10 of their 13 games since beginning the season 1-4.
"When we were 1-4, there was no panic," Murray said. "It was just five games -- we turned things around pretty quick."
Denver has won the first four games on its five-game road trip, marking the first four-victory trip for the Nuggets since December 2013.
"I don't know if we're as good as we played tonight," Malone said.
As for the Spurs, they have the firepower to go toe-to-toe with any team in the league, as evidenced by their win Wednesday against Boston. DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points, and a late steal and dunk by Dejounte Murray helped close out the thrilling, back-and-forth tussle with the Celtics.
"We go out there, especially against these big teams, and compete to the best of our abilities," DeRozan said. "It's fun for us, and we take on the challenge."
San Antonio is an interesting mix of older and younger players who are coming together. LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 points for the Spurs in Wednesday's win, with Keldon Johnson adding 18 points and 10 rebounds, Lonnie Walker IV scoring 14 points, Patty Mills hitting for 12, and Murray tallying 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Spurs were fantastic over the final six minutes of the second quarter, a stretch in which they made their final 10 shots in a 29-6 run that included back-to-back steals and layups in the last 2.8 seconds to take a 61-47 advantage to halftime.
After giving back most of that margin and more by early in the fourth quarter, San Antonio's defense made the plays it needed down the stretch.
The Spurs found a way to win despite a season-high 19 turnovers, nine more than their per-game average heading into Wednesday's contest.
"That hasn't been our problem this year, but tonight it was," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after the victory. "In the fourth quarter we played solid D, and we attacked the rim pretty good for ourselves and for teammates."
-- Field Level Media
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Red-hot Nuggets look for sixth straight win vs. Spurs

The Denver Nuggets look to complete a perfect road trip as they take a five-game winning streak into San Antonio on Friday for their first ...

New on Sports Illustrated: Clippers' stars likely out again for visit to Orlando

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292387">
The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to be without starters Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverley for a third straight game when they visit the Orlando Magic on Friday night.
Leonard and George are sidelined because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols, and Beverley is out due to right knee soreness.
None of the players accompanied the team at the start of the current six-game road trip, which began with a 108-99 loss at the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, snapping the Clippers' seven-game win streak. The trek took a turn for the better when Los Angeles earned a 109-105 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday.
The Clippers trailed by 18 in the first quarter against Miami before outscoring the Heat 29-17 in the second and 40-19 in the third.
Los Angeles made nine 3-pointers in the third quarter but had to hold off a late surge from the Heat.
"We missed three big key players the last two games," Clippers forward Nicolas Batum said. "The (Atlanta) game, we had to adjust, it wasn't easy on offense, but we did a good job (Thursday) night. Guys stepped up."
The Clippers have won 13 straight against Orlando, a stretch that began in January 2014.
Orlando most recently lost to the visiting Sacramento Kings 121-107 on Wednesday night, the type of performance that has caused the Magic to lose nine of 11 following a 6-2 start.
"We have a good enough team to have a good season, but we need everybody every night," Magic coach Steve Clifford said. "There's not a lot of room for error. We can't have five guys play well and four guys not, or six and three or whatever, and that's not easy but that's just the way it is."
Nikola Vucevic continues to be the most consistent player for Orlando. He has scored at least 22 points in each of the past seven games, reaching double figures in rebounds in five of those contests.
The Magic's Evan Fournier is averaging 23 points and 5.4 assists in the five games since returning from a nine-game absence caused of a back injury. Khem Birch collected a career-high 14 rebounds against the Kings, including 10 on the offensive end.
Still, it wasn't enough to beat Sacramento.
"The good thing about this league is that there's a next game up," Birch said. "Hopefully, we can come with more urgency next time."
The Magic continue to be without Michael Carter-Williams (foot), Chuma Okeke (knee) and Al-Farouq Aminu (knee).
The Clippers are expected to start the same players in the backcourt for a third game in a row.
Reggie Jackson, subbing for Beverley at point guard, scored a season-high 20 points against the Hawks, then came back with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists against the Heat.
Luke Kennard and Terance Mann have also moved into the starting lineup and made key contributions the past two games.
Mann, who played four seasons at Florida State, made half his shots and scored in double figures both Tuesday and Thursday. Kennard produced 13 points and four steals at Atlanta, then added nine points at Miami.
"Of course, we miss Kawhi, PG and Pat Bev, but we're still pro basketball players," Batum said. "We have to show up and show some pride."
--Field Level Media
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Clippers' stars likely out again for visit to Orlando

The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to be without starters Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverley for a third straight game when...

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Nets to Sign Veteran Guard Iman Shumpert

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2021/01/31/brooklyn-nets-sign-veteran-iman-shumpert">
Shumpert, 30, played 13 games for the Nets last during the 2019-20 season, averaging 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
In need of players to fill vacant roster spots following the James Harden trade, the Brooklyn Nets are reportedly signing veteran wing Iman Shumpert,
</a><a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1355663610954076162">according to Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
Shumpert, 30, played 13 games for the Nets last season, averaging 4.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. He'll join a guard group that includes Harden, Joe Harris, Landry Shamet, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Bruce Brown.
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTc4NjA4MDAwMDk5OTUyNDE2/iman-shumpert.jpg" width="620" /></figure>
Shumpert has played for five teams during his 10-year career, most notably spending parts of four seasons each with the Knicks and Cavaliers. He won a championship with Cleveland in 2016, appearing in all 21 postseason games while shooting 38.2% on three-point attempts in 17.5 minutes per game. He's a 33.8% career shooter from three-point range and has a reputation as a strong perimeter defender.
After dropping two straight games to the Cavaliers, the Nets have won four in a row and will play the Wizards next on the road on Sunday.

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Nets to Sign Veteran Guard Iman Shumpert

Shumpert, 30, played 13 games for the Nets last during the 2019-20 season, averaging 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. In need of play...

New on Sports Illustrated: Texas A&M Quarterback Kellen Mond Named Senior Bowl MVP

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/2021/01/31/texas-am-quarterback-kellen-mond-named-senior-bowl-mvp">
Mond threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the loss
Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond was named the Reese's Senior Bowl MVP after his final performance of his collegiate career on Saturday. Mond, who was playing for the American team, was 13-for-25 and threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the 27-24 losing effort against the National team. 
Mond also converted on a two-point conversion in the midst of the American team's comeback attempt when down 13-0 in the second quarter. The team would go on to take a 16-13 lead but never regained it after the National team answered with a touchdown to end the third quarter. 
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"It's a huge sign of everything I've worked for," Mond said. "Obviously I've had some ups and downs during my career, but to finally come out here on a huge stage and perform the way I wanted to and execute, it was definitely huge."
Mond is a record-breaking quarterback that Texas A&M will surely miss in 2021. The six-foot-three senior led the Aggies to a 9-1 record with their only loss coming to eventual national champion Alabama 52-24 back in October and holds the school record for passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions and attempts.
Mond's MVP performance will surely help his draft stock. <a href="https://www.profootballnetwork.com/kellen-mond-nfl-draft-player-profile-texas-am-quarterback/">Pro Football Network's Ian Cummings</a> has Mond going in day two of the NFL Draft, but by no means will he hear his named called during day one. Still, Mond's illustrious career ended on a high note. 
With the Reese's senior bowl MVP under his belt, the 217-pounder finds himself as the sixth consecutive quarterback to win the award and joins the ranks of NFL starters like Daniel Jones, Dak Prescott and Justin Herbert who have recently won the award.

New on Sports Illustrated: Texas A&M Quarterback Kellen Mond Named Senior Bowl MVP

Mond threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the loss Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond was named the Reese's Senior Bowl MVP af...

New on Sports Illustrated: Bergeron (2 goals) leads Bruins to 4-1 win over Penguins

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2299751">
BOSTON (AP) Anders Bjork's pass deflected off a defender's rear end and Sean Kuraly's leg to break a second-period tie and help the Boston Bruins win their fourth straight game, 4-1 over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.
''It was an ugly one, so I didn't even know if I wanted to take credit for it,'' Bjork said. ''You saw that ugly one go in, but our line was battling and that's kind of what happens when you play the right way.''
Patrice Bergeron had two goals and Chris Wagner also scored for Boston. Jaroslav Halak stopped 16 shots for the Bruins' second victory over Pittsburgh in three days. It was Bergeron's fourth and fifth goals of the season and the first for Kuraly and Wagner.
''We knew the floodgates were going to open eventually,'' Wagner said.
Cody Ceci scored his first and Tristan Jarry had 16 saves for the Penguins, who arrived in Boston with a four-game winning streak but have now lost two in a row.
''They're fast, they're hungry, they win every battle in the corner. We need to look into the mirror,'' Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin said. ''It's not a pretty game right now. We need to play simple and just work, work, work.''
Wagner gave the Bruins the lead early in the first, but Ceci tied it for the Penguins with five minutes left in the period. With about a minute to go in the first, Bjork made a nice move to get past a stickless defender at the point, then flipped the puck toward the net.
It bounced off of Teddy Blueger's bottom, through another defender's legs before deflecting Kuraly's leg into the net.
Bergeron made it 3-1 in the second, getting the rebound after his first attempt hit a skate and sliding the puck over to his backhand then past Jarry. The Bruins captain added another on the power play early in the third.
SHAKEUP
It was the first game for the Penguins since general manager Jim Rutherford abruptly stepped down on Wednesday. Rutherford, who built the teams that won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and '17, cited personal reasons and declined to get into specifics with anyone, including his stars.
''I want to say thank you to Jim, for sure,'' Malkin said. ''He won two Cups, it's amazing. He's a great person, great GM. It's a surprise.''
PRAYERS UP
Before the game, Bruins forward Brad Marchand hung a jersey behind the bench for A.J. Quetta, a senior at Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro who was in critical condition after crashing headfirst into the boards in a game this week.
''We're all praying for A.J.,'' Wagner said. ''Makes us think how fragile life is.''
The Bruins, their owners and their charitable foundation have pledged at least $100,000 toward his recovery.
WHAT'S NEXT
Penguins: Visit the Rangers for back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday.
Bruins: Travel to Washington for their first two games against former captain Zdeno Chara, Saturday and Sunday.
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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Bergeron (2 goals) leads Bruins to 4-1 win over Penguins

BOSTON (AP) Anders Bjork's pass deflected off a defender's rear end and Sean Kuraly's leg to break a second-period tie and help...

New on Sports Illustrated: Hart makes 33 saves, Raffl breaks tie as Flyers beat Devils

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2299808">
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Carter Hart made 33 saves and fourth-line forward Michael Raffl scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period in the Philadelphia Flyers' 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
Captain Claude Giroux scored his first of the year and defenseman Nate Prosser had his first since April 2018 to help the Flyers sweep the two-game series in New Jersey against their Turnpike rivals.
''They say never critique a win,'' said Flyers coach Alain Vigneault, whose team was outshot 24-8 in the first 40 minutes. ''At the end of the day we played one period where we played with energy and the way you're supposed to play on the ice.''
Defenseman Damon Severson scored for New Jersey, and Scott Wedgewood made 14 saves. The Devils are without top goalie Mackenzie Blackwood after a positive COVID-19 test.
''The effort, energy, and the way we skated, that's probably as good, as good as we can play in the first 40 minutes,'' Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. ''And still had some good looks in the third period, too.''
Hart, who broke his stick in frustration after giving up six goals to Boston over the weekend, was the difference in the first two periods. He downplayed his performance, calling it just another game
''You have to be prepared to do all the right thing but definitely feels good to come back,'' he said.
The Flyers found their game in the third period, scoring twice on nine shots. Raffl broke a 1-all tie by poking the rebound of Connor Bunnaman's shot that hit the goalpost into an open net at 2:10.
Giroux made it 3-1 a little more than four minutes later, deflecting a point shot by Erik Gustafsson past Wedgewood, who was making his fourth straight start.
Severson gave the Devils with early lead with a great shot after a rush from his own end. Prosser, who spent last season in the AHL, scored on a rebound in close to tie the contest. The veteran was playing in his first NHL game since Jan. 17, 2019 with Minnesota.
''I mean it was unreal, words can't really describe it,'' Prosser said about his goal. ''I never gave up hope over the last few years. Last year was down (in the minors) all year and the year ended in March and not playing a game until tonight was an eye-opening experience for me.''
MILESTONES
Ruff coached in a 1,500th game in the NHL.
New Jersey center Travis Zajac played in his 998th regular-season game. The 15-year veteran, who has spent his entire career with the Devils, is expected to play in his 1,000th game on Sunday.
BRATT BACK
Jesper Bratt, who signed a new contract recently, played in his first game. He missed the first six after spending a week in Sweden getting his visa and then isolates after arriving in New Jersey. He played on the Devils top line with Jack Hughes and fellow Swede Andreas Johnsson.
FACEOFFS
The Flyers won 39 of 53 faceoffs, 74%.
''We've got to keep working at it,'' Ruff said. ''The only way you're going to get better is to know the little nuances that the other center is going to going to use, and try to combat against that.''
UP NEXT
Flyers: Host New York Islanders on Saturday and Sunday.
Devils: At Buffalo on Saturday and Sunday.
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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
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New on Sports Illustrated: Hart makes 33 saves, Raffl breaks tie as Flyers beat Devils

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Carter Hart made 33 saves and fourth-line forward Michael Raffl scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period in the...

New on Sports Illustrated: Kaprizov caps big 1st period, Wild beat Kings 5-3

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300251">
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Kirill Kaprizov scored the second goal of his rookie season to cap Minnesota's three-goal first period and the Wild beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-3 on Thursday night.
Marcus Johansson had a goal and an assist, and Kevin Fiala, Nick Bjugstad and Joel Eriksson Ek also scored for Minnesota, which had lost two in a row. Kaapo Kahkonen made 32 saves for the Wild.
''It had everything from the get-go,'' Bjugstad said. ''We had good energy from all around the lineup.''
Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty and Alex Iafallo scored for Los Angeles in the second straight and fourth overall meeting between the two teams this season. Jonathan Quick stopped 23 shots for the Kings, who lost two defensemen to scary-looking injuries.
Matt Roy left after going headfirst into the boards, and Sean Walker was hit in the face by a slap shot.
''There's going to be lots of bad blood this season because we're playing teams so much,'' Doughty said. ''In the past, I don't think there's a ton of bad blood with Minnesota. But, yeah, I guess tonight some of that started.''
The familiarity between the teams might be leading to some early tension. Minnesota forward Marcus Foligno and Los Angeles defenseman Kurtis MacDermid, who scored in the Kings' 5-3 win on Tuesday, started a fight off the opening draw.
The Wild then took control.
Johansson opened the scoring just 3:33 into the first with his second goal of the season.
Los Angeles had a chance to tie it when Kahknonen was knocked out of his net as Austin Wagner and Jared Spurgeon collided with the goaltender. The Kings missed a shot on the open net and Fiala blocked a shot to spring himself for a breakaway that he snapped past Quick. It was Fiala's third goal in four games.
Johansson then set up Kaprizov with a nifty, cross-ice pass to cap the scoring in the first.
''Well, two games ago I just thought it was our worst start probably,'' Wild coach Dean Evason said. ''Last game we felt we got taken out of the game with some penalties in the first. But I think our group from the start of the season has been ready to go right from the drop of the puck.''
Minnesota allowed Los Angeles back into the game in the second by making a series of trips to the penalty box. The Wild were called for 11 minutes worth of penalties in the first 12:09 of the period.
Fiala was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct after he pushed Roy going into the boards. Roy tried to stop and his skates went out from underneath him, causing him to go headfirst into the boards.
Roy was down for several minutes before being helped off the ice.
''It will be on multiple videos, teaching clips for young players, older players, junior players, pro players on basically what not to do,'' Kings coach Todd McLellan said. ''I feel bad for Roysie. I don't even know if there's any intent on the Fiala thing, it just happened. But we have to know by now that we can't do that.''
Brown and Doughty's goals both came on the power play.
SCARY GAME
Along with Roy leaving the game, Walker was hit in the face by Matt Dumba's slap shot in the third. Walker dropped to the ice and left a trail of blood as he tried to skate back to the bench.
McLellan said both were being seen by doctors and he expected them to travel with the team back to Los Angeles.
ATHANASIOU OUT DUE TO COVID
Before the game, Los Angeles put forward Andreas Athanasiou on the COVID-19 protocol list. The announcement came after the team's morning skate.
''It's been a messed up day since minute one, to tell you the truth,'' McLellan said. ''I got a call at about 6:30 this morning, notified that Andreas was positive and then the whole thing kicked into play. So, our pregame skate was screwed up because there was a number of other guys through contact tracing that had to get retested. We had the taxi squad ready to go. We found out late that the players were going to be available to us.''
DAY TO DAY?
Wild goaltender Cam Talbot participated in the team's morning skate, but he missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury. Kahkonen started his third straight game and played in his fifth straight.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Kings: Return home and get a short break before hosting Anaheim on Feb. 2.
Wild: Host the Colorado Avalanche for two games back-to-back starting on Saturday as part of a season-long, six-game homestand.
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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Kaprizov caps big 1st period, Wild beat Kings 5-3

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Kirill Kaprizov scored the second goal of his rookie season to cap Minnesota's three-goal first period and the Wil...

New on Sports Illustrated: Lafreniere's 1st goal seals Rangers' 3-2 OT win at Buffalo

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2299779">
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Alexis Lafreniere became accustomed to being patient last year, when the playmaking forward from Quebec had to wait until October to be selected with the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft by the New York Rangers.
Another long wait ended Thursday for Lafreniere, who scored his first career goal 2:47 into overtime to secure a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
''It's pretty crazy. Overtime, game-winning goal, it was really special,'' Lafreniere said. ''I'll never forget this moment, for sure.''
The goal was historic as well, as he became the first No. 1 pick to score his first goal in OT.
It happened in a game the Rangers squandered two one-goal leads, snapped an 0-3-1 skid, and Lafreniere was robbed of a goal in the opening minute of the third period. Set up alone at the left post, Lafreniere's shot was stopped when Linus Ullmark kicked out his right pad.
Rangers coach David Quinn continued to be impressed by the 19-year-old forward's persistence by noting how Lafreniere returned to the bench laughing after being stopped.
''He was laughing about it. The thing I loved about him is he never got frustrated,'' Quinn said, referring to Lafreniere's drought.
Quinn was confident Lafreniere was ready for the moment, knowing what he went through last year following a junior season in which he became the first to win consecutive Quebec Major Junior Hockey League MVP honors since Sidney Crosby in 2004 and '05.
Aside from the draft being delayed four months because of the coronavirus pandemic, the event was also held remotely. That led to Lafreniere watching TV from his living room rather than taking the stage in his hometown of Montreal, where the draft was supposed to take place.
''He shakes it off, is not bothered by it,'' Quinn said. ''I don't care if he's the first pick or the 271st pick, he's a kid you want to be around. For him to get his first goal in that moment, under that situation, under those circumstances, I couldn't be happier for him.''
Artemi Panarin had a goal and set up Ryan Strome's game-opening goal. Igor Shesterkin stopped 23 shots for his first win since taking over the starting duties following Henrik Lunqvist's offseason departure.
Sam Reinhart had a goal and assist and Jack Eichel also scored for Buffalo, which dropped to 3-3-2. Linus Ullmark finished with 36 saves in a game the Sabres were outshot 24-9 through two periods and 39-25 overall.
''That's about as bad as we've played this year,'' Eichel said. ''We find a way to get a point, thankfully, from good goaltending and our penalty kill coming up big. But we've got to find a way to play a lot better than that.''
Lafreniere's goal came after Eichel turned the puck over in his own zone. Colin Blackwell collected the loose puck and drove up the right side before flipping a pass through the middle to Lafreniere, who one-timed the puck inside the near post.
''Nice pass by Blacky, and I had an open net,'' said Lafreniere, who didn't feel any additional pressure being on the ice for the extra frame. ''I thought I was playing a good game, so I was ready. I took my chance and it went in. It was pretty fun.''
The Sabres rallied to earn a point in a game they overcame two one-goal deficits, with Reinhart tying the game at 2 by tipping in Victor Olofsson's pass from the right circle five minutes into the third period. It came on the power play, 20 seconds after Ryan Lindgren was penalized for cross-checking Kyle Okposo into the end boards of the Rangers zone.
Okposo briefly went up the tunnel before returning to the bench after appearing to hurt his left ankle.
Strome did not return late in the game after sustaining what Quinn called a lower body injury. ''We think he'll be fine,'' the coach said.
20-SPOT
Sabres coach Ralph Krueger's objective in a shortened season is making sure Buffalo remains in the playoff hunt through 36 games and then see how the final 20 shake out.
''That's our definite No. 1 goal is to get more than halfway into the season right in the middle of everything and then be one of the teams that rises to the top,'' Krueger said Thursday morning. ''We don't expect to necessarily rise there right off the hop.''
Krueger's more comfortable with the Sabres dealing with early season challenges, such as their 1-3 start, as opposed to last season when Buffalo opened with a 9-2-2 before fading to miss the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season.
''I really felt everything came way too easy for us early,'' he said.
SCRATCHES
Rangers: D Jack Johnson is out with a groin injury, which Quinn termed short term. He was replaced by Brendan Smith, who sat out two of the past three games.
Sabres: D Henri Jokiharju missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury. C Tage Thompson was a healthy scratch for a third-consecutive game.
UP NEXT
Rangers: Two-game homestand against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday and Monday.
Sabres: Two-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday and Sunday.
---
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New on Sports Illustrated: Lafreniere's 1st goal seals Rangers' 3-2 OT win at Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Alexis Lafreniere became accustomed to being patient last year, when the playmaking forward from Quebec had to wait unti...

New on Sports Illustrated: No title

New on Sports Illustrated: Christian Dvorak scores twice in Coyotes' 3-2 win over Ducks

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300309">
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) Christian Dvorak scored his second goal late in the third period, Darcy Kuemper stopped 14 shots and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on Thursday night.
Dvorak scored Arizona's first goal in nearly 190 minutes in the second period and put the Coyotes ahead on a power-play goal with 4 1/2 minutes left.
Kuemper stopped Kevin Shattenkirk on a short-handed breakaway just before Dvorak's second goal and helped Arizona withstand a late power play. Conor Garland also scored in Arizona's second win in six games.
''I thought we had a lot of energy,'' Dvorak said. ''Obviously, we knew it was a big game for us. We didn't want to lose again here at home. We brought everything we had tonight.''
Danton Heinen scored for the second straight game with Anaheim's first power-play goal of the season. Jakob Silfverberg also scored and John Gibson had 31 saves for the Ducks. Two of the three goals allowed by Gibson went off Anaheim players.
''Coaches say it on every team: put pucks on net, puck on net,'' Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said. ''Get it into that red zone and you're going to get bounces sometimes.''
Arizona managed just 16 shots against Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury on Sunday, but generated 31 against Gibson on Tuesday. None got through, leading to a second straight 1-0 loss.
The Coyotes also had trouble with turnovers the last game against the Ducks, including one that led to the winning goal by Heinen. Silfverberg took advantage of an early one Thursday night, beating Kuemper with a quick shot after Nick Schmlatz couldn't control an ill-advised pass from Jordan Gross between the circles.
Gibson kept the shutout streak going by blocking a shot by Clayton Keller off the post and stuffing Christian Fischer on a late 2-on-1.
The Coyotes dominated the second period - 12-1 in shots - and finally broke their long scoreless streak midway through. Dvorak got it on a shot from behind the goal that hit Anaheim defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk's skate.
It was Arizona's first goal since Jordan Oesterle scored with 59 seconds left of a 5-2 win over Vegas last Friday.
''Whenever you go through a little stretch like that, everyone kind of holds their stick a little tighter, so it's nice to get an ugly one,'' Dvorak said. ''Everyone seems to have a little more confidence and you could see we were all over them.''
The Coyotes needed 52 seconds of the third period to take their first lead in three games when Garland had a shot go off a stick out front after shaking Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler.
Heinen followed with Anaheim's first power-play goal in 18 tries this season, squeezing a shot from the left circle under Kuemper's stick arm on a long rebound.
Dvorak answered with a power-play goal of his own, one-timing a one-touch pass from Phil Kessel in the slot shortly after Kuemper's shorthanded stop on Shattenkirk. Kuemper also had a snatching glove save on Ryan Getzlaf in the second period to preserve Arizona's momentum.
''To be able to not have that much action and then those two grade-A's, that says a lot about good Darcy Kuemper for me,'' Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said.
LONG DUCK SHIFTS
Anaheim had a good road period in the first, limiting its shifts and creating some good scoring chances.
The Ducks were on their heels in the second period, unable to get out of their own for long stretches. They played better in the third period, but the extra time on the ice took a toll.
''We had a solid first period and then for whatever reason, we went blank in the second,'' Eakins said. ''We got it back a little in the third, but this league is when you only play 40 minutes.''
NUMBERS
Coyotes D Niklas Hjalmarsson blocked tied Dion Phaneuf (1,550) for 19th place on the NHL's all-time blocked shots list (since 2005-06). ... Anaheim managed three combined shots in the second period the past two games. ... Dvorak's multi-goal game was his eighth career and first since No. 27, 2019 against Anaheim. ... The Ducks had killed 14 straight penalties before Dvorak's second goal. Anaheim is 24 for 27 on the penalty kill this season.
UP NEXT
Ducks: Host St. Louis on Saturday and Sunday nights.
Arizona: At St. Louis on Tuesday night.
---
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New on Sports Illustrated: Christian Dvorak scores twice in Coyotes' 3-2 win over Ducks

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) Christian Dvorak scored his second goal late in the third period, Darcy Kuemper stopped 14 shots and the Arizona Coyot...

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New on Sports Illustrated: Dallas Stars beat Red Wings 7-3 to improve to 4-0 on season

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300193">
DALLAS (AP) Joe Pavelski scored his fourth goal of the season, Jake Oettinger stopped 20 shots in his first NHL start and the Dallas Stars beat the Detroit Red Wings 7-3 on Thursday night to finish undefeated in their season-opening four-game homestand.
Denis Gurianov had a goal and two assists while Ty Dellandrea had his first NHL goal and first assist - both coming in the final 5:08 when Dallas stretched out a one-goal lead. Seven Stars scored.
''That's Jake's first win of many to come in his career, and Ty's first goal of many to come in his career. It's nice that they both got them on the same night,'' coach Rick Bowness said of the two first-round picks. ''They deserve it, they worked hard to get here, and they're great prospects.''
Andrew Cogliano, Jamie Oleksiak, Justin Dowling and John Klingberg added goals for the defending Western Conference champion Stars, who last season didn't win until their fourth game during a 1-7-1 start, and now are 4-0 for the first time in 10 seasons. Miro Heiskanen, their standout young defenseman, had three assists.
Valtteri Filppula knocked in a rebound for his first goal for the Red Wings (2-5-1). Tyler Bertuzzi added a power-play goal in the third period, and Danny DeKeyser made it a one-goal game with 6:56 left.
''Made it 4-3 there, and it got away from us,'' Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said. ''I think we were in it, but again we just let it slip it away.''
Dellandrea then got his goal on a power player after a nifty pass from Heiskanen, then Dowling scored an empty-netter and Dellandrea assisted Klingberg.
''Yeah, it was a lot of emotion. Once I saw it going in, I was pretty pumped and it was an unbelievable play by Miro,'' Dellandrea, the 13th overall pick in 2018. ''That was special.''
Oettinger, who turned 22 last month, was the 26th overall pick in the first round by the Stars in the 2017 draft - they got Heiskanen with the third pick that year.
''The ones that went in, he had absolutely zero chance,'' Bowness said. ''He made the saves he had to make.''
The goalie made his NHL debut in the playoffs last season, stopping all eight shots faced in two games after relieving Anton Khudobin. Oettinger was the backup through the postseason because of a knee injury to Ben Bishop, the veteran still out until at least late March while rehabbing from a second surgery.
Detroit starting goalie Jonathan Bernier allowed three goals on 19 shots before Thomas Griess gave up three goals on nine shots.
PAVS POINTS
Pavelski is off to a fast start in the second of his three-season contract with the Stars, with four goals and five assists. The 36-year-old center is the oldest player in NHL history to record nine points through their first four games of a season. In 67 regular-season games last season, he had only 14 goals and didn't reach four goals and nine points until his 19th game The 14 goals matched his career low set in 46 games as rookie for San Jose in 2006-07. Pavelski then had 13 goals in 27 playoff games for Dallas.
HE SAID IT
''We spent so much time in the game under siege it felt like, where they were on top of us everywhere we looked,'' Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. ''They were just flat-out a step quicker than us all over the ice.''
POWER PLAYS
Dallas has 10 power-play goals, one short of the 1987-88 New York Rangers for the most in the first four games of an NHL season. It is only the third time in franchise history, and the first time moving to Dallas before the 1993-94 season, the Stars have 10 power-play goals over a four-game span.
WATCH IT AGAIN
Gurianov's unassisted goal in the second period was confirmed on a replay review after Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha slid through the crease, taking Bernier with him and knocking the net loose. The puck crossed the line just before the Red Wings did.
WHAT'S NEXT
Both teams play back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday, the Red Wings at home against Florida, and the Stars on the road for the first time this season at Carolina. Dallas was initially supposed to open with four road games before those games were postponed because of COVID-19 protocols.
---
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</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Dallas Stars beat Red Wings 7-3 to improve to 4-0 on season

DALLAS (AP) Joe Pavelski scored his fourth goal of the season, Jake Oettinger stopped 20 shots in his first NHL start and the Dallas Stars ...

New on Sports Illustrated: Kadri scores 2 goals, Avalanche beat Sharks 3-0

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300279">
DENVER (AP) Nazem Kadri had two goals, one midway through the third period to snap a scoreless tie, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the San Jose Sharks 3-0 on Thursday night.
Kadri also had an assist, Philipp Grubauer had 21 saves and Andre Burakovsky scored for the Avalanche.
''It's a nice character win for us,'' Kadri said. ''We stayed patient and really bore down in the last part of the game.''
Colorado swept a two-game set for the first time this season.
''Playing in these tight games is a benefit for us because if we skate and play our game there's not many teams that can beat us,'' Grubauer said.
The Avalanche scored 15 goals over its previous two home games, including seven in Tuesday's win against San Jose, but offense was hard to come by Thursday. The Avalanche had just 18 shots on goal through two periods and also hit the post a few times.
''I didn't sense any frustration from our guys after the first two periods,'' Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. ''The message was simple: just stick with it and let's not pass up on any of our shots.''
Devan Dubnyk had 35 saves for San Jose, which finished 3-5 on its eight-game trip to open the season.
Colorado played most of the game with only 11 forwards after fourth-line center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare suffered a left leg injury when Ryan Donato skid into him late in the first period. Bellemare went to the locker room and didn't return.
The Avalanche then lost defenseman Devon Toews early in the third period when he took a puck to the skate and limped off the ice. He returned later in the period and took a penalty.
Soon after Toews went to the locker room, Colorado broke the tie. Kadri put an initial shot on net, and after a couple of saves by Dubnyk and a scrum in front of the net, Kadri knocked in a loose puck at 9:55.
''I think we had a strong first, second and then third, and next thing you know a scramble out in front, hits off a couple of skates, couple of sticks and ends up on an Avs' player stick,'' San Jose forward Kevin Labanc said. ''I thought we played really good. Sometimes you don't get the right bounces. They got the right bounces tonight.''
Less than two minutes later, Kadri fed Burakovsky as he came down the slot, and Burakovsky redirected it at 11:53. Kadri added a power-play goal, his third of the season, at 18:54.
''I felt good tonight, just disappointed that I gave up the third one on the power play, with PK working so hard all night, but at the end of the day it didn't matter,'' Dubnyk said.
San Jose forward Sasha Chmelevski was slated to make his NHL debut Thursday night but was ruled out before the opening faceoff due to roster issues with the taxi squad. Marcus Sorensen took his place on the fourth line.
''From what I know just the transaction wasn't completed in time,'' Sharks coach Bob Boughner said of the roster issue.
LONG ROAD HOME
San Jose's hasn't been at home in more than a month, and Boughner said that had an impact on Thursday's game.
''We looked like a tired team and we didn't have a lot of gas in the tank in the second half of the game,'' he said, adding ''this is our 34th or 35th day on the road; it looks like a team that's been on the road for 35 days.''
UP NEXT:
Sharks: Scheduled to play their first home game - in Arizona - against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday.
Avalanche: At the Wild on Monday for the first of two games in St. Paul.
---
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</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Kadri scores 2 goals, Avalanche beat Sharks 3-0

DENVER (AP) Nazem Kadri had two goals, one midway through the third period to snap a scoreless tie, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the San...

New on Sports Illustrated: No title

New on Sports Illustrated: Necas lifts returning Hurricanes past Lightning 1-0 in OT

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2299997">
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Rod Brind'Amour got the tough and determined performance he wanted from his Carolina Hurricanes as they returned from a pause due to COVID-19 concerns.
It helped to have a goaltender who stopped everything that came his way.
Martin Necas beat Andrei Vasilevskiy at 1:12 of overtime and Petr Mrazek had 32 saves to help the Hurricanes beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 1-0 on Thursday night after having four straight games postponed.
''I was really, really impressed with the way we played,'' Brind'Amour said. ''Came out just hard, and for 60 minutes, we were good. ... I had expected actually more rust to be honest with you, so I was pretty happy with everything.''
Necas scored off a perfect feed from Jordan Staal on the left side, with Staal starting a shift by sending the puck slipping by defenseman Victor Hedman. Necas came charging in on the right and put the pack past Vasilevskiy's outscretched glove - the only blemish on what had been strong performances in net at both ends.
The Hurricanes had played just three games before having to shut down workouts with the league postponing four games, the first coming nine days ago. The Hurricanes ultimately had six players go on the NHL's daily unavailability list, with Staal returning in time to play this game but five others - including forward Teuvo Teravainen and defenseman Jaccob Slavin - still sidelined.
Brind'Amour had been worried about players having to juggle roles with a short-handed roster, as well as conditioning issues. But Carolina got off to a fast start, firing 15 shots at Vasilevskiy in the opening period with little sign of rust.
And Mrazek was up to the challenge against the reigning Stanley Cup champions the rest of the night.
''It felt like kind of the start of the season all over again,'' Staal said. ''It was a weird feeling kind of going into the game. (Brind'Amour) I thought did a great job of making sure we were on the attack. We wanted to get into it right away and get after them.''
Vasilevskiy made 34 saves, and Mrazek had 32. Both also caught a bit of fortune, too, with Carolina's Sebastian Aho firing a shot off the post in the first period while Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos pinged the crossbar with 3:14 left in the third after getting loose for a clean look.
''That was a goaltending duel tonight,'' Tampa Bay forward Brayden Point said. ''I thought they both played great. Vasie made some huge saves to keep us in that, especially late to even force us to get a point. ... We've got to try to tighten things up for him and try to limit those Grade-A scoring chances.''
STATUS QUO
There were no changes to Thursday's COVID-19 unavailability list from the league for the Hurricanes. Teravainen and Slavin have been on the list along with forwards Warren Foegele and Jordan Martinook since Jan. 19, when the league called off the Hurricanes' second game with the Predators for its first in-season postponement.
Jesper Fast, an offseason signee from the New York Rangers, was added Saturday.
Tampa Bay goaltender Curtis McElhinney remained the only Lightning player on Thursday's list.
ROSTER MOVES
The short-handed Hurricanes recalled five players to the active roster for the game.
Four - forwards Morgan Geekie, Steven Lorentz and Max McCormick, and defenseman Jake Bean - were taxi-squad recalls, while the team also recalled forward Sheldon Rempal from Chicago of the American Hockey League.
It was the NHL debut for Lorentz, a seventh-round pick by Carolina in 2015.
UP NEXT
Lightning: Tampa Bay visits Nashville on Saturday to start a two-game set.
Hurricanes: Carolina hosts Dallas on Saturday in the first of two games against the Stars, who had a delayed start to their season due to their own COVID-19 issues.
---
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---
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</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Necas lifts returning Hurricanes past Lightning 1-0 in OT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Rod Brind'Amour got the tough and determined performance he wanted from his Carolina Hurricanes as they returned fro...

New on Sports Illustrated: Texier's shootout goal lifts Blue Jackets over Panthers 3-2

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300081">
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Alexandre Texier slickly beat Chris Driedger five-hole in the fourth round of a shootout to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Thursday night.
Texier skated slowly in on Chris Driedger and poked the puck between his pads with the back of his stick. Columbus' Elvis Merzlikins sealed it by denying Patric Hornqvist, who scored the winning goal in a shootout between the teams Tuesday night.
''I mean, it's like gambling,'' said Merzlikins, who improved to 2-1-1. ''Either you're lucky or you're not, so tonight luck was on my side, so I'm happy about that. I like (shootouts) when I win. When I lose, I hate them.''
Besides getting the shootout winner, Texier has started strong with four goals and two assists in the first eight games.
''Probably our most consistent guy,'' coach John Tortorella said. ''He turns one over and it costs us a goal (in the second period). I'm glad he got an opportunity to redeem himself. It was a great goal (in the shootout).''
Florida's Eetu Luostarinen tied it in the third period, and Carter Verhaeghe also had a goal for the Panthers. Driedger finished with 29 saves.
Mikko Koivu and Max Domi scored and Merzlikins had 33 saves as Columbus dealt the Panthers their first loss in four games this season. Columbus rebounded after giving up a tying goal with 3 seconds left in regulation Tuesday night and then losing the shootout in the fifth round.
Koivu got his first goal as a Blue Jacket late in the first period. Eric Robinson got to the loose puck behind the net, brought it around and set up Koivu with a pass across the crease.
Verhaeghe took the puck away from Texier in Florida's zone late in the second and ended up poking it in from the doorstep past the glove of a falling Merzlikins.
Domi got his first goal of the season - also his first as a Blue Jacket - when he beat Driedger on a power play at 6:19 of the third period. The Panthers tied it again at 12:56 when Luostarinen tapped in a rebound that had trickled into the blue paint.
The Blue Jackets showed more jump after managing just 22 shots in the first game against Florida.
''That was a gritty effort there,'' Dreidger said. ''They came out harder than they did (Tuesday). They definitely upped their game.''
SAVE YOUR ENERGY
Tortorella said that it's been difficult to work on problem areas because with the way the games are bunched together in the 54-game schedule, he can't afford to sap the players' energy with strenuous practices. The coaching staff has to rely mostly on showing video clips in meetings to make adjustments. Consistency has been an issue for the Blue Jackets early, along with a struggling power play.
''We're trying to stabilize ourselves and not go up and down - one good game and a lousy game,'' Tortorella said.
QUOTABLE
''I don't think we're walking out of here licking our wounds by any means,'' Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. ''But we obviously have to know that we can beat a team like this and know (we) can take the lead in games. But there's a lot to work on, no doubt.''
ICE CHIPS
Panthers: F Brett Connolly played in his 500th NHL game. ... Verhaeghe has four goals in the last three games and has points in all four of Florida's games. ... Longtime Blue Jacket Markus Nutivaara had the secondary assist on Luostarinen's goal. ... F Anthony Duclair has five assists in the last three games.
Blue Jackets: Jack Roslovic, who grew up in Columbus rooting for the Blue Jackets, made his debut with the team after coming in the trade with Winnipeg for Pierre-Luc Dubois. ... Koivu, who is playing his first season in Columbus after 15 in Minnesota, has points in the last two games.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Move on to Detroit for a two-game set on Saturday and Sunday before heading home for a string of six.
Blue Jackets: Play at Chicago on Friday and Sunday.
---
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
---
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</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Texier's shootout goal lifts Blue Jackets over Panthers 3-2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Alexandre Texier slickly beat Chris Driedger five-hole in the fourth round of a shootout to lift the Columbus Blue Jack...

New on Sports Illustrated: Predators, Lightning expecting a tight contest

New on Sports Illustrated: Predators, Lightning expecting a tight contest

The Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning are discovering that playing more than 60 minutes is a way of life in the NHL's Central...

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New on Sports Illustrated: New-look Rockets host short-handed Trail Blazers

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292182">
For the first time since the trade that sent seven-time All-NBA guard James Harden to Brooklyn, the Houston Rockets on Tuesday featured both John Wall and Victor Oladipo in their backcourt.
The early results, as to be expected, were uneven. But down the stretch, Wall and Oladipo teamed to lead Houston to a 107-88 victory over the Washington Wizards that extended the Rockets' winning streak to a season-best three games.
The Rockets will be seeking more of the same from Wall and Oladipo -- who combined for 44 points, seven rebounds and six assists -- on Thursday at Toyota Center when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.
Their first foray together showcased plenty of reasons for optimism. With Houston clinging to a four-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Wizards, Wall and Oladipo combined to spearhead a 10-0 run that enabled the Rockets to finally seize control.
"It takes guys a minute to learn how to play together," said Rockets coach Stephen Silas, who used the word "disjointed" to describe the early moments for Wall and Oladipo. "This was just game one. It took them three quarters to figure it out a little bit. The fourth quarter was good.
"They were figuring out how they could make each other better and how they could let each other play to each other's strengths. Getting the ball up the floor a little quicker I think helps both guys. If we have options ahead of the ball and aren't playing against a set defense or if they can have some sort of action where they're playing together, that is good stuff for us."
The Rockets needing a handful of games together to mesh comes as little surprise. Houston turned over its roster during the offseason and moving Harden to the Nets only exacerbated the challenge of developing a new style of play with new players under a first-year head coach.
Establishing a different identity requires time. From the outside looking in, the Rockets resemble a team unfamiliar to those accustomed to watching Harden dominate the ball over the years.
"Houston's a different team now than they were before when they had James Harden," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "It seems like offensively there's more movement, there's more passing.
"It just seems like they're playing with more enthusiasm. So I know they got off to a slow start; there was a lot of drama. But now it seems like they're playing really well together."
Injuries have knocked the Trail Blazers off their early stride, with both Jusuf Nurkic and CJ McCollum sidelined for extended periods. Portland is 2-3 following a four-game winning streak and will open a six-game road trip in Houston with additional roster uncertainty as Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. are listed as questionable to play against Houston.
The Rockets appear to be ascending. Portland can't be all too concerned with that fact.
"The only thing we're doing is we're not worried about anyone else," Portland center Enes Kanter said. "We're worried about us. We're going to go out there and play our game and focus on what we need to focus on and just go out there and start the road (trip) right."
--Field Level Media
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: New-look Rockets host short-handed Trail Blazers

For the first time since the trade that sent seven-time All-NBA guard James Harden to Brooklyn, the Houston Rockets on Tuesday featured bot...

New on Sports Illustrated: Clippers visit Heat in matchup of short-handed teams

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/game/2292272">
"Depleted" is a word that applies to both the Miami Heat and the visiting Los Angeles Clippers going into their Thursday night matchup.
The Clippers, who lost to the host Atlanta Hawks 108-99 on Tuesday, were without their two biggest stars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, because of health and safety protocols. In addition, Clippers guard Patrick Beverley missed the game due to right knee soreness.
Miami, which lost 109-82 to the visiting Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, also played short-handed. The Heat were without three key players: Jimmy Butler (COVID-19 protocols), Tyler Herro (neck) and Goran Dragic (groin).
Butler, a five-time All-Star, has missed nine straight games but was on the sideline on Wednesday and is nearing a return. Wednesday was the first time in more than two weeks that he was allowed to be with the team.
"It was great to see everybody," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said in a question about Butler's presence, "even though everybody wasn't available."
Herro, Miami's second-leading scorer, was a game-time decision on Wednesday and could possibly return on Thursday.
Dragic missed his third game of the season and joined Meyers Leonard (shoulder) on the injured list. Leonard has started two of the three games he has played this season.
The good news for Miami, however, was that Avery Bradley (COVID-19 protocols) returned for his first action since Jan. 9. He scored eight points, making 3 of 6 shots, including 2 of 4 from 3-point range.
"Even though we came up short," Bradley said, "it felt great to be back out there."
The matchup with the Clippers is the second of six straight home games for Miami. The Heat have lost four in a row overall.
Los Angeles' defeat to Atlanta marked the start of a six-game road trip.
"It's tough," Clippers center Ivica Zubac said of the team playing short-handed. "It's just how this year is going to go for everyone. We're not the exception.
"We've been lucky to have everyone available (prior to Tuesday). We've got to adjust."
The Clippers are getting impressive production from Kawhi Leonard, who is averaging team highs in points (25.9 per game), assists (5.7) and steals (2.0). George is second in points (23.9), rebounds (6.2) and assists (5.4). Nobody else on the team is averaging more than 12.4 points, leaving the Clippers very ... well, depleted.
"Hopefully they can get back and join the team soon," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said of the missing stars.
In the meantime, the Clippers will look to players such as Terance Mann, Reggie Jackson and Luke Kennard.
Mann, a second-round pick in 2019, made his seventh career start and his first of the season on Tuesday. He scored 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting, including 1-for-3 on 3-point attempts, and grabbed nine rebounds.
Jackson had team highs in points (20) and assists (eight). The veteran guard is a proven scorer, and the Clippers likely will rely on him against the Heat.
Kennard, the former Duke star who was Detroit's first-round pick (12th overall) in 2017, averaged a career-high 15.8 points last season. He scored 13 points on Tuesday in his fourth start of the season.
--Field Level Media
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New on Sports Illustrated: Clippers visit Heat in matchup of short-handed teams

"Depleted" is a word that applies to both the Miami Heat and the visiting Los Angeles Clippers going into their Thursday night ma...

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New on Sports Illustrated: No. 7 Iowa meets No. 19 Illinois in battle of bigs

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/college-basketball/game/2287046">
As basketball has become more position-less, a matchup of legitimate back-to-the-basket centers has gone the way of black-and-white TVs or civility in politics.
One might want to refer to Friday night's Big Ten Conference showdown between No. 7 Iowa and No. 19 Illinois in Champaign, Ill., as a blast from the past. With 6-foot-11, 265-pound Hawkeye Luka Garza banging bodies against 7-foot, 285-pound Kofi Cockburn, the paint will be the place to watch.
Garza is the consensus favorite to win national player of the year honors. The senior leads the Big Ten with an average of 26.9 points per game while adding 8.9 rebounds and blocking nearly two shots per game. Garza is scoring efficiently, hitting 61 percent from the field and 75.5 percent at the foul line.
Cockburn averaged 13.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last season as a freshman, although he was just as capable of landing in foul trouble as he was to go for 20 and 10. This season, he is scoring 17.4 points and grabbing 10.3 rebounds a night, canning 70.1 percent of his shots and flashing more consistency.
While Cockburn's immense size advantage leads to its share of thunderous dunks and warmup layups, he also has showed the ability to use the glass as though he were Tim Duncan 2.0.
Cockburn has also displayed a soft fallaway jumper, a weapon his future NBA coach might prefer to stay under wraps.
Iowa coach Fran McCaffery has noticed the obvious improvement in Cockburn's game.
"He was more one-dimensional last year," McCaffery said. "He's not so much this year. He was always big and strong, but I think his stamina is much better. He's more comfortable with the guys that play with him."
Who wouldn't be comfortable with a threat such as Ayo Dosunmu, whose average of 21.7 points per game ranks only behind Garza in the conference?
Dosunmu is canning 49 percent of his shots while finding time to chip in 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
Even on nights like Jan. 19, when Penn State ran double-teams at Dosunmu all night and held him to 13 points in the Fighting Illini's 79-65 win, he still affects the texture of a game. He turned distributor, bagging a team-high five assists.
Illinois (10-5, 6-3 Big Ten) drew assists on 18 of 26 field goals in that game as it snapped a two-game losing streak, playing with more intensity than it had displayed in weeks.
"We had 18 assists in one basketball game. That's really great," Cockburn said, according to the (Champaign, Ill.) News-Gazette. "We elevated each other ... playing for each other, trusting each other to make the shot, making an extra pass. Give up a good shot for a great shot."
The Hawkeyes (12-3, 6-2) haven't played since an 81-69 upset home loss on Jan. 21 to Indiana, which wiped out a second-half deficit with a stunning 23-3 run. Garza supplied 28 points and 12 rebounds, but Iowa clanged away to the tune of 26.5 percent after halftime.
The Friday game will be the season's only meeting between the teams. Illinois and Iowa split two matchups last season, each winning at home.
--Field Level Media
</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: No. 7 Iowa meets No. 19 Illinois in battle of bigs

As basketball has become more position-less, a matchup of legitimate back-to-the-basket centers has gone the way of black-and-white TVs or ...