The World of Sports

New on Sports Illustrated: Struggling Sharks return to action at home against Blues

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300619">
The San Jose Sharks will return from their brief pandemic pause to host the St. Louis Blues Saturday night.
The NHL postponed the Sharks' game against the Vegas Golden Knights Thursday after San Jose forward Tomas Hertl landed on the league's COVID-19 protocol list.
No other Sharks player had a positive test, though, so the team returned to work Friday to prepare for the Blues.
The Sharks have lost four of their last six games (2-3-1), but they got three points in St. Louis last week with a 5-4 victory and a 3-2 overtime loss. They are 2-1-1 against the Blues this season.
San Jose will play without Hertl, who is the team's third-leading scorer (11 points) and the No. 2 forward in ice time (over 19 minutes per game).
The Sharks are coming off a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild Monday night.
"We weren't good enough offensively," center Logan Couture said. "We had spurts, but I didn't think there was much sustained pressure. ... There's goals out there for us to score, there's opportunities. ... We have to work a little bit harder to find those goals."
Sharks goaltender Martin Jones allowed four goals in that game before getting replaced. He has allowed three or more goals in 10 of his 12 starts this season.
The Sharks will catch the Blues short-handed. St. Louis recently added forward Ivan Barbashev (cracked ankle) and defenseman Carl Gunnarsson (season-ending knee surgery) to injured reserve.
The Blues were already missing defenseman Colton Parayko (back injury) and forwards Vladimir Tarasenko (offseason shoulder surgery), Jaden Schwartz (lower-body injury), Tyler Bozak (upper-body injury) and Robert Thomas (broken thumb).
Tarasenko resumed practicing at full speed Friday. Defenseman Marco Scandella also practiced after leaving Wednesday's game with a facial injury.
The casualties have caught up to them. The Blues have lost three consecutive games and four of their last five. They suffered two shutouts during that span.
St. Louis is just 3-6-1 in its last 10 games.
"There's a lot of frustration in there, you can see it, you can feel it on guys," Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly said after the Blues lost to the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 Wednesday night. "You could tell we get down a couple of goals, we're tight. You look at (the Kings), they get up and they're kind of loose, pucks are bouncing their way.
"The mental part of the game is obviously a huge thing and when you just kind of try to play a little safe and don't trust yourself, it's not going to go well and that's kind of going through the room."
On the plus side, goaltender Jordan Binnington has played well for the Blues. He has a 2.49 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
"We have guys playing great hockey and defending well and (Binnington's) playing outstanding," O'Reilly said. "It just comes down to putting the puck in the net and trusting our game plan is going to work."
On the negative side, the Blues have struggled with their special teams all season. Their power-play conversion rate, 12.9 percent, is the fourth-worst in the NHL entering Friday. They have killed off 73.9 percent of their penalties, which is the league's sixth-worst rate.
--Field Level Media
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New on Sports Illustrated: Struggling Sharks return to action at home against Blues

The San Jose Sharks will return from their brief pandemic pause to host the St. Louis Blues Saturday night. The NHL postponed the Sharks...

New on Sports Illustrated: Avalanche face Coyotes again, seeking similar success

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300317">
Friday night was the opening act of a seven-games-in-11-days stretch for the Colorado Avalanche, and it worked out well on multiple fronts.
The Avalanche came away with a hard-fought, 3-2 win over the host Arizona Coyotes, and the two teams will meet again Saturday in Glendale, Ariz.
Colorado ended a two-game skid thanks to a strong third period, scoring twice to break out of an offensive funk. The Avalanche succeeded in the last 20 minutes without having to rely on Nathan MacKinnon, the team leader with 19 points who collected his 15th assist in the second period Friday night.
This time, Nazem Kadri was the offensive star, producing a goal and two assists on the night.
"For the most part, we were in control of that game," Kadri said.
Mikko Rantanen added a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, and Andre Burakovsky also scored.
Just as big for Colorado was that No. 1 goaltender Philipp Grubauer got a night off while Hunter Miska had a quiet game -- until the final 96 seconds -- in earning his first NHL win. He made 16 saves, though he did allow two goals in the late going.
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar knew he needed to sit Grubauer in one of the two back-to-back games, and he chose a good one for him to rest ahead of a busy schedule.
"I think it is just time to give him some rest, and this is the best way to do it," Bednar said of Grubauer after the team's Friday morning skate. "Give him a few days off here and then he'll be ready for us the rest of the trip."
The Avalanche are relatively whole again after injuries ravaged the lineup. Backup goaltender Pavel Francouz is out for an extended time with a lower-body injury and defenseman Erik Johnson is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, but over the past week, Colorado has seen three forwards and three defensemen return from injury and illness.
Brandon Saad was back Friday after missing the Avalanche's loss to the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday so he could be with his wife for the birth of the couple's second child.
The Coyotes had their two-game winning streak stopped Friday night. Each win was by a 4-3 count over the Anaheim Ducks, with both requiring a rally from three goals down. The first was accomplished in regulation on Monday while the second came in a shootout on Wednesday.
Those wins have helped Arizona, a team that wasn't projected to be in the top four of the West Division, stay within reach of the upper half.
"It's one of those things where you never stop believing, but we can't have a steady dose of this," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said after Wednesday's win.
Arizona ran out of comebacks on Friday, although it made some noise late to spoil a shutout. Phil Kessel scored with 1:36 remaining in the game, and after they Coyotes pulled the goaltender, Drake Caggiula scored with 53 seconds left.
The near-comeback may give the Coyotes momentum for Saturday, but it might be tougher going against Colorado's top goaltender. Grubauer owns a 2.01 goals-against average that was inflated when he gave up five goals against Minnesota in a 6-2 loss on Wednesday. He has a .923 save percentage.
--Field Level Media
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New on Sports Illustrated: Avalanche face Coyotes again, seeking similar success

Friday night was the opening act of a seven-games-in-11-days stretch for the Colorado Avalanche, and it worked out well on multiple fronts....

New on Sports Illustrated: Rory McIlroy Among Golfers to Wear Red Shirt, Black Pants in Honor of Tiger Woods on Sunday

<a href="https://www.si.com/golf/2021/02/28/rory-mcllroy-golfers-red-shirt-black-pants-tiger-woods">
Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed and Collin Morikawa said they would wear red shirt and black pants to honor Woods.
Rory Mcllroy and other golfers are planning to honor Tiger Woods,
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/golf/2021/02/23/tiger-woods-car-accident-los-angeles">who was injured in a single-vehicle car accident on Tuesday</a>, by wearing his signature red shirt and black pants during the final round of the WGC-Workday Championship in Florida on Sunday. 
Patrick Reed also said he is "definitely" going to wear the combination of clothes on Sunday, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ToddLewisGC/status/1365798656528515072?s=20">Golf Channel's Todd Lewis</a>. In addition, Collin Morikawa will also join and honor Woods. Morikawa idolized the 45-year-old icon while growing up in Southern California and is currently leading the pack in the 54-hole event. 
<a href="https://twitter.com/maxhoma23/status/1365806464321937414?s=20">Max Homa tweeted</a> that he wouldn't be participating with the other golfers to honor Woods because he didn't pack a red shirt or black pants to the event as he didn't learn of the accident until he arrived, but still showed support for the gesture. 
"Hope to see a lot of red and black out there," Homa said in a tweet.
The final round starts at 8 a.m. EST.

New on Sports Illustrated: Rory McIlroy Among Golfers to Wear Red Shirt, Black Pants in Honor of Tiger Woods on Sunday

Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed and Collin Morikawa said they would wear red shirt and black pants to honor Woods. Rory Mcllroy and other golfe...

New on Sports Illustrated: Streaking Wild aim to complete sweep of Kings

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300259">
The Minnesota Wild will try to run their winning streak to six games when they host the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night in Minneapolis.
The Wild beat the Kings 3-1 on Friday night behind 27 saves from Cam Talbot and first-period goals from Kirill Kaprizov, Nick Bjugstad and Joel Eriksson Ek.
Minnesota has scored 23 goals during its five-game winning streak.
"It's a lot more fun when you're creating offense and everyone is feeling it," said Bjugstad, who scored the 100th goal of his NHL career in the Friday victory. "This is a good Los Angeles team, so it's hard to put up goals against them."
The Kings will try to rebound after their six-game win streak was snapped Friday.
Los Angeles had opened its six-game road trip with two-game sweeps against the Arizona Coyotes and St. Louis Blues.
"Our details in St. Louis weren't real good, and it carried over in (Friday's) game," Kings coach Todd McLellan said. "When do we get them back, how quick do we get them back? To the point where they become real important again, that's what we'll be looking for (Saturday)."
Calvin Petersen will start in goal for Los Angeles on Saturday after Jonathan Quick stopped 27 of 30 shots on Friday night.
Petersen has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his past three starts to lower his goals-against average to 2.28 on the season. He stopped 32 of 33 shots in a 2-1 win against the Wild on Jan. 26.
Petersen most recently made 35 saves in a 2-1 win against the Blues on Wednesday.
Minnesota is expected to start Kaapo Kahkonen in goal.
Kahkonen has surrendered two goals or fewer in each of his past four outings. He has made three starts against the Kings this season, going 1-2-0 with a 2.74 GAA.
He will hope for more offensive support from Kaprizov, who continues to be a menace to the Kings.
Kaprizov scored his first NHL goal in overtime to beat Los Angeles in the season opener on Jan. 14, after he notched two assists in regulation. He scored the first goal Friday on a dazzling wraparound, giving him three goals and three assists in six games against Los Angeles this season.
"Honestly, the first practice I saw him skate I knew he was something special," Bjugstad said of Kaprizov.
McLellan has been equally impressed with the 23-year rookie from Russia.
"If he isn't the top rookie in the league, he's got to be one of the top two or three," McLellan said. "This is what, Game 6 or 7 against them already, and every night he's gotten better.
"He's a factor. His line is very good right now. ... I see him along the boards and in piles, he's not the biggest man, but he always seems to roll off and come out. He's a very slippery player."
Bjugstad said another big key to the Wild's recent success has been the arrival of Mats Zuccarello, who missed the first 11 games after undergoing offseason arm surgery.
Zuccarello has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) during the five-game winning streak.
"He brought his swagger, and we've all kind of followed," Bjugstad said of Zuccarello.
--Field Level Media
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New on Sports Illustrated: Streaking Wild aim to complete sweep of Kings

The Minnesota Wild will try to run their winning streak to six games when they host the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night in Minneapolis....

New on Sports Illustrated: Blackhawks look to maintain mastery of Red Wings

<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/game/2300142">
The Chicago Blackhawks will shoot for their third win in a row when they host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night in the first game of a back-to-back set.
Chicago is coming off a pair of road wins against the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier in the week. The Blackhawks posted a 6-5 shootout victory on Tuesday, then added a 2-0 win on Thursday.
Strong goaltending has been a key to the Blackhawks' success this season. Rookie Kevin Lankinen has produced an 8-3-3 record to go along with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, and Malcolm Subban has shined as a backup by going 3-1-1 with a 2.13 GAA and a .930 save percentage.
Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton praised both players after the latest win, in which Subban stopped all 26 shots he faced to record the second shutout of his career.
"We've got to say we're pleasantly surprised," Colliton said. "They've both been very good. They've given us a chance to win every night. That's what you hope for when you give young guys opportunity: You hope they're going to seize it and take advantage of it, and that's what they're doing."
Chicago's top players on offense are much less of a surprise. Patrick Kane leads the way with 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists), while Alex DeBrincat ranks second with 20 points (nine, 11) and Dominik Kubalik is third with 16 points (six, 10).
As for the Red Wings, they are looking to post back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Detroit won only four of its first 19 games but has recorded two victories in its past three contests.
In its most recent game, Detroit pulled away for a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday. Sam Gagner notched a hat trick in the victory while Luke Glendening and Adam Erne had one goal apiece.
Jonathan Bernier stopped 37 of 39 shots to earn the victory.
"We see where we are in the standings, which is frustrating, but a win like this can help the confidence and get us moving forward, hopefully," Glendening said. "We played OK last game, our special teams wasn't up to snuff. We let one in early on the (penalty kill on Thursday) but battled back.
"That's what this team has to continue to do, show up and work hard and keep battling every night."
Bobby Ryan will look to stay involved after assisting on Gagner's first two goals on Thursday. The veteran has five goals and six assists in 21 games during his first season with Detroit.
"I think Bobby has been around it, he's been creating a lot," Gagner said.
The Saturday matchup will be the fifth of the season between the teams. Chicago owns a perfect 4-0-0 record in the season series, including two wins at home and two on the road.
In the most recent matchups earlier this month, both in Detroit, Chicago earned a 3-2 overtime victory on Feb. 15 and a 2-0 win on Feb. 17. Lankinen stopped all 29 shots he faced to earn the shutout.
--Field Level Media
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New on Sports Illustrated: Blackhawks look to maintain mastery of Red Wings

The Chicago Blackhawks will shoot for their third win in a row when they host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night in the first game of ...

The World of Sports

New on Sports Illustrated: Struggling Sharks return to action at home against Blues

New on Sports Illustrated: Avalanche face Coyotes again, seeking similar success

New on Sports Illustrated: Rory McIlroy Among Golfers to Wear Red Shirt, Black Pants in Honor of Tiger Woods on Sunday

New on Sports Illustrated: Streaking Wild aim to complete sweep of Kings

New on Sports Illustrated: Blackhawks look to maintain mastery of Red Wings

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