James Brown is currently a senior at Utica University, studying communications and media with a minor in sports communications. He serves as the Sports Director at WPNR 90.7 FM, the university's radio station, and aspires to be a sports broadcaster
Jeff Petry scored his first two goals of the season as the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Saturday night.
Petry hadn’t scored since April 11 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Meanwhile, goaltender Ville Husso earned his first win in over a year. Husso, who made 23 saves, had a record of 0-4-2 this season before Saturday’s game.
Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond also scored for the Red Wings, who won just their second game in the past eight. Raymond added an empty-net goal for his 10th goal in his last 12 games.
Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies scored for Toronto, and Joseph Woll made 22 saves.
Both teams missed power-play chances in the first period. The Red Wings took the lead at 9:07 when Petry fired a wrist shot from the right point that went past a screened Woll. Joe Veleno and Christian Fischer assisted on the goal.
The Maple Leafs seemed to tie the game with just under seven minutes left in the first period when Mitch Marner scored. However, the Red Wings challenged the play, and the goal was ruled offside.
Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
Toronto scored on their second power play of the game with 8:20 left in the second period. With Jonatan Berggren in the penalty box for cross-checking, Matthews fired a slap shot from the right side past Husso. Matthews now has 18 goals in 25 career games against Detroit.
Detroit regained the lead with 17.8 seconds remaining in the second period. Andrew Copp passed across the ice to Seider, who shot the puck over Woll’s left pad. Patrick Kane also assisted on the goal.
The Maple Leafs tied the game again at 1:07 of the third period when Knies redirected a Marner shot, which went past Husso.
Petry put the Red Wings back in front 44 seconds later, scoring on a rebound from a J.T. Compher shot to make it 3-2.
Raymond sealed the win for Detroit with a goal in the final seconds.
The Golden State Warriors will trade for point guard Dennis Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets, according to reports on Saturday.
In exchange, the Warriors will send injured guard De’Anthony Melton and three second-round picks to the Nets. Brooklyn will also send a second-round pick to Golden State.
Schroder, 31, is having a strong season with the Nets, averaging 18.4 points and a career-high 6.6 assists in 23 games. He is shooting 38.7 percent from three-point range and averaging 1.1 steals.
This will be Schroder’s eighth team in his 12-year NBA career. He began his career with the Atlanta Hawks and has since played for several teams.
The trade cannot be completed until Sunday, when Melton will be eligible to be traded.
Dennis Schroder takes the ball forward in the 2nd half
Melton, who had surgery on Dec. 4 to repair a partially torn ACL in his left knee, will miss the rest of this season. He is expected to fully recover before the 2025-26 season.
Melton was injured during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 12. In six games this season, Melton averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.
Over his career, Melton has played 356 games with the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, and Warriors, averaging 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.
The Athletics are shaping up a new pitching rotation as they prepare for their move to Sacramento.
On Saturday, the A’s strengthened their pitching staff by trading for Jeffrey Springs in a multi-player deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Along with Springs, the A’s also received left-hander Jacob Lopez from the Rays in exchange for right-handed pitchers Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, infielder Will Simpson, and a competitive balance pick in the 2025 amateur draft.
This trade is another significant step for the A’s as they get ready for their first season in West Sacramento. They will play at Sutter Health Park for the next three years before hoping to move into a new stadium in Las Vegas.
The A’s also finalized a $67 million, three-year contract with veteran right-hander Luis Severino this month. The team finished 69-93 this season and left Oakland after 57 years.
Oakland Athletics players in the dugout
“I’ve been pretty open about looking for starting pitching since the offseason started and the fact that hopefully signing Severino wasn’t going to be the only move we made,” said general manager David Forst.
“We’ve been exploring more options in free agency and having this trade discussion with the Rays probably since middle of October. It got a little momentum in the last couple days and couldn’t be more excited to add Jeffrey Springs to our rotation and also add Jacob Lopez who we see as another option for our rotation.”
Springs, 32, had Tommy John surgery on April 24, 2023. He returned to Tampa Bay in July, posting a 2-2 record with a 3.27 ERA in seven starts. He was shut down in September due to elbow fatigue.
Springs is set to earn $10.5 million each season for the next two years as part of a four-year, $31 million contract. There is also a $15 million team option for 2027 with a $750,000 buyout.
In 2022, Springs had his best season with the Rays, finishing with a 9-5 record and a 2.46 ERA in 33 games, including 25 starts. He also recorded 144 strikeouts in 135 1/3 innings.
Forst believes that Springs wouldn’t have been available in a trade if he had stayed healthy in the last two years.
“The way he started out 2023, he looked like he was on track to be one of if not the best pitcher in the big leagues that year with his first three starts,” Forst said.
“And then unfortunately he got hurt but was able to come back and make seven starts last year and pitch really well. It’s not easy going through that rehab and coming back and competing in the big leagues the following season. Those things were all factors.”
Lopez, 26, made his MLB debut in August 2023. He is 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA and one save in eight career games, including two starts.
Jeffrey Springs pitches in the 1st inning
Tampa Bay is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 80-82 finish this year. The Rays went 99-63 and made the AL playoffs as a wild card in 2023.
Boyle, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, was a fifth-round pick by Cincinnati in the 2020 amateur draft out of the University of Notre Dame. He was traded to the A’s in July 2023. Boyle, 25, has a strong arm but has struggled with control at times. He is 5-6 with a 5.23 ERA in 16 major league games, including 13 starts. He has struck out 71 and walked 45 in 63 2/3 innings.
Simpson, 23, batted .282 with 18 homers and 90 RBIs in 127 games over two minor league stops this year. He was a 15th-round pick in the 2023 draft.
Watters, 23, has a 9-12 record with a 5.86 ERA in 43 career minor league appearances. He was a fourth-round selection in 2022.
This Army-Navy game was unlike any before it. Both teams had a combined total of 19 wins going into their annual matchup, setting a record for the rivalry.
However, only one team could earn the 20th victory—the biggest win of them all.
“I think they’re like us. We want to be significant,” Navy coach Brian Newberry said. “I think we both were this year, and I think because of that maybe there was a little more significance, a little more interest maybe in this game.”
Blake Horvath outperformed Bryson Daily at quarterback, gaining 311 yards and scoring four touchdowns to help Navy defeat No. 19 Army 31-13 on Saturday. Horvath passed for 107 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Navy (9-3) ended a two-game losing streak in the series.
Daily, who finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting this year, threw a touchdown pass, but he was intercepted three times. Army (11-2) fell behind 14-0 in the second quarter and could never fully recover.
Navy players celebrate after a touchdown
The Black Knights had just come off a victory over Tulane in the American Athletic Conference title game, marking the first league championship in the program’s history.
Navy, which had won its first six games of the season and also spent time in the Top 25, completed a sweep of Air Force and Army to win the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy for the first time since 2019.
“As excited and proud we were eight days ago, we’re as disappointed as we’ve ever been,” Army coach Jeff Monken said. “It’s hard to lose that game. That one hurts a lot, especially when the trophy’s on the line and we’ve got a chance to keep that trophy at West Point. We didn’t do it.”
In front of a crowd that included President-elect Donald Trump at the Washington Commanders’ home stadium in Landover, Navy took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards, finishing with a 1-yard run by Horvath.
Daily, who had only been intercepted once all season, had a pass picked off by Dashaun Peele in the second quarter. Navy took advantage of the short field and went ahead 14-0 on an 18-yard pass from Horvath to Brandon Chatman. Daily responded with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Hayden Reed.
Both teams ran the ball heavily, as expected, but they also combined for 25 pass attempts. The biggest play of the game likely came in the third quarter.
Bryson Daily looks to pass in the 1st half
After a field goal made the score 14-10, Horvath connected with Eli Heidenreich, who ran down the left sideline for a 52-yard touchdown.
That was Horvath’s 13th touchdown pass of the season and Heidenreich’s sixth touchdown reception, both tying school records.
Daily missed an open Casey Reynolds in the end zone early in the fourth quarter, and Army had to settle for a field goal.
Navy faced a fourth down near midfield but ran a fake punt. Landon Robinson, usually a nose guard, ran 29 yards before fumbling the ball. However, the Midshipmen recovered the fumble.
Horvath’s 1-yard scoring run made it 28-13, and Daily was intercepted twice more before the game ended.
This was the first of two straight Army-Navy games in Navy’s home state of Maryland. Next year’s game will be in Baltimore.
Igor Shesterkin makes a pad save in the 1st period
Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin was taken out of the game early in the second period against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday afternoon after allowing five even-strength goals on 21 shots.
Shesterkin, who started the game with a 10-10-1 record and a 2.90 goals-against average, gave up two goals in the first period and three more within the first 5:04 of the second period.
The three goals in the second period — scored by Quinton Byfield, Adrian Kempe, and Phillip Danault in a span of 2:18 — caused Shesterkin to be replaced by backup goalie Jonathan Quick, who is a former King.
Shesterkin sat at the end of the Rangers’ bench with his mask still on after leaving the game, which the Rangers lost 5-1. This defeat marked the Kings’ seventh win in their last eight games.
“It was a horrendous first period,” said Rangers coach Peter Laviolette after the team lost for the ninth time in their last 12 games. “It’s frustrating. To start a game like that in our building is bad… You’re not going to win games if you start like that.”
Los Angeles Kings players react after a goal in the 2nd period
Shesterkin, who recently signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension, won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender in 2021-22 with a 36-13-4 record and a 2.07 goals-against average. He won 37 games in 2022-23 and 36 games last season, helping the Rangers finish with the NHL’s best record.
But the 28-year-old Russian goalie has had some struggles this season. He was also pulled after allowing five goals in a 6-1 loss to Buffalo at home on Nov. 7.
The Rangers, who had the league’s best record last season with 30 wins in 41 home games, are now 7-8-1 at Madison Square Garden.
They’ve allowed five or more goals in six of their last 10 home games. New York’s overall record is 15-13-1. The Rangers will play six of their next seven games on the road, where they have a record of 8-5-0.
“At the end of the day, you need to perform on the ice,” said Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck. “You need to make sure you show up and give it your all every shift. Right now, I feel like we’re not doing that.”
The Hawks had a real chance to keep their surprising run in the NBA Cup going and make it to the final on Tuesday. They needed just 12 strong minutes to make it happen.
But in the fourth quarter, the Hawks’ offense struggled, only scoring 19 points in the final period of their 110-102 semifinal loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
In that quarter, the Hawks were outscored by nine points, making only 5 of 16 shots and missing six of their last seven attempts.
“I know there were a few that were really good shots and we had to work for them,” said Hawks coach Quin Snyder. “That said, I think we know whatever that is — it could be on the margins — there are certain things that we need to do better.
But I think for us (just) to put ourselves in that situation, given we didn’t really make shots during the course of the game, either. I think the storyline for me is just how we competed.”
The Hawks got to Las Vegas by going 3-1 in group play, including a close 117-116 win over the defending champion Boston Celtics. They then beat New York 108-100 in a quarterfinal on Wednesday.
After defeating the Knicks, Trae Young made a playful gesture of rolling dice on the Madison Square Garden court.
However, there would be no such celebration in Las Vegas, even with a large Hawks crowd cheering them on.
Trae Young shoots in the 1st half
Despite the loss, the Hawks gained a lot from the experience as they try to show that the Eastern Conference isn’t just about the Celtics, Knicks, and the 22-4 Cavaliers — a team Atlanta also beat in group play.
“I think what we have done in this Cup was really, really special,” said Young, who came close to a triple-double with 35 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. “I think we’ve really found the way we want to play and figured out the tempo we want to play at and things like that.
I feel like this Cup was really good for us. For a young team to go as far as we did, we can really use this as hopefully momentum going into the rest of the season.”
But Young felt disappointed about the missed chances in the fourth quarter that could have made the NBA Cup even more special.
“We showed throughout this whole Cup that we belong,” said Jalen Johnson, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds. “We can compete with the best of them. Unfortunately, today we came up short. It’s just going to give us a lot to learn from moving forward.
‘Especially down the stretch in those last five, six minutes, I’ve definitely got to be better. Just as a team, we’ve got a lot of room to grow, but I’m proud of everybody. We defeated a lot of odds coming in, making it all the way to Vegas. There’s nothing to hang our heads about. We’ve just got to keep moving in the right direction.”
The San Jose Sharks are looking to secure back-to-back wins when they start a three-game homestand against the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday.
Rookie Macklin Celebrini scored two goals and added an assist to help the Sharks defeat St. Louis 4-3 on Thursday. This win ended a three-game losing streak and wrapped up their six-game road trip with a 3-3-0 record. Jake Walman and Tyler Toffoli also scored in the win.
Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev and forward Nikolai Kovalenko, who was traded from the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, made their debuts with the Sharks on Thursday and had an immediate impact. Georgiev stopped 17 shots, and Kovalenko recorded three assists.
Georgiev said, “I’m pretty happy with the effort. I need to track the goals on video, but I felt like I was in the right places a lot. … I tried to enjoy it a lot and just keep battling to the end here and got the job done.
I’m super happy for (Kovalenko). He’s such a skilled player. I’m glad he’s getting the opportunity and got the most out of it today, for sure. It’s going to be fun playing with him again here.”
Saturday’s game will be the second of three meetings between the Sharks and Utah HC. The first game, on October 28, saw the Sharks win 5-4 in overtime. Alex Wennberg scored the game-winner, while Fabian Zetterlund scored twice and Mikael Granlund added a goal and two assists.
Utah Hockey Club (NHL)
Granlund leads the Sharks with 21 assists and 31 points in 30 games. Toffoli has 12 goals, the most on the team, in 32 games. Celebrini, the first overall pick in this year’s draft, has 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 20 games.
Georgiev is 9-7-0 with a 3.36 goals-against average and a .873 save percentage in 19 games this season. He has not yet played against Utah.
Utah is also coming off a win, defeating the host Avalanche 4-1 on Thursday. Dylan Guenther scored two goals and added an assist, while Vladislav Kolyachonok and Kevin Stenlund also scored for Utah. The team has won three of its last four games.
Utah coach Andre Tourigny said, “I think we played really solid defensively. We were in the lanes, we had good sticks, we protected our slot really well, and we had great goaltending. Got the goals we needed, and we played solid without the puck.”
Guenther, who leads Utah with 12 goals and 28 points in 29 games, has points in four straight games, with two goals and five assists. Clayton Keller, the Utah captain, has nine goals and 26 points in 29 games. His three-game point streak was snapped in the win over the Avalanche.
Goaltender Karel Vejmelka is 5-7-2 this season with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in 16 games. In his five career games against the Sharks, Vejmelka has a 2-3-0 record with a .916 save percentage and a 2.86 GAA.
The Sharks and Utah will play their final game of the season series on January 10 in Salt Lake City.
After Alexandar Georgiev struggled, the Colorado Avalanche gave Justus Annunen a chance to be their goaltender, but inconsistent performance led to his trade to Nashville on November 30.
Two weeks later, Annunen could get the chance to face his former team when the Predators visit the Avalanche in Denver on Saturday night.
Annunen showed glimpses of the talent that led Colorado to select him 64th overall in the 2018 draft. He posted a 6-4-0 record for the Avalanche before the trade, but his .872 save percentage became a problem, and combined with Georgiev’s struggles, the team’s goaltending was among the worst in the NHL.
Annunen made 35 saves in Nashville’s 4-1 victory over Dallas on Thursday, his first win for the Predators. That win ended an eight-game losing streak for Nashville, which included three overtime losses.
Juuse Saros has been the main goalie for Nashville and has a 2.72 goals-against average despite the team’s poor record.
Nashville has some skilled players leading the team. Defenseman Roman Josi leads with 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists), followed by Filip Forsberg (nine goals, 10 assists) and former Avalanche center Ryan O’Reilly (seven goals, 10 assists).
Nashville’s defense and goaltending haven’t been the issue during its 1-5-3 stretch. Five of those eight losses were by one goal, and only twice did an opponent score more than three goals.
Thursday’s win was the first time in 10 games that Nashville scored at least four goals.
Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
“We want to be harder to play against, and kind of consistent with that,” said O’Reilly. “It’s not going to get any easier against Colorado.”
The Avalanche had a weak performance in their 4-1 loss to Utah on Thursday, partly because it was their first home game since November 30, and the team was dealing with an illness. Nathan MacKinnon scored the only goal and continues to lead the NHL with 47 points.
MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are the only teammates in the top five in scoring in the NHL. MacKinnon has 11 goals and a league-leading 36 assists, while Rantanen is tied for fourth in goals (18).
Ross Colton has nine goals and was leading the team in goals before suffering a fractured foot on October 28. He has scored a goal in four games since returning from the injured list.
Colorado’s offensive strength hasn’t been the problem, but they’ve struggled with keeping the puck out of their net. Coach Jared Bednar mentioned that the change in goaltenders—swapping Georgiev for Mackenzie Blackwood—has helped, especially on the penalty kill.
The Avalanche killed off 14 of 16 penalties during their 4-1 road trip before allowing one to Utah.
“Goaltending did not help that for a long portion of the season, and now that the goaltending is playing better, the penalty kill numbers are better,” said Bednar.
Blackwood, who was acquired in a four-player trade that sent Georgiev to the San Jose Sharks, could get the start in net on Saturday night, though he has also been sick.
Blackwood served as Scott Wedgewood’s backup on Thursday night, which suggests he might be feeling better.
The Detroit Red Wings are struggling to build momentum and are heading into their home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night with just one win in their last seven games.
The Red Wings ended a five-game losing streak on Monday by coming back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-5 in a shootout.
However, that brief spark of hope was followed by a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, a game that was closer than the final score suggests. Scott Laughton, who scored all of the Flyers’ goals, added two empty-net goals in the last minute of the game.
“Games like this are frustrating,” said Red Wings center Dylan Larkin after his team was outshot 36-26. “It was a winnable game. There wasn’t much energy in the building the first couple periods, but we allowed the fans to get into it with chances we gave them. I don’t know why we can’t build momentum and play a consistent hockey game. We’re looking for that and it’s really frustrating right now to not have an answer for that.”
The Red Wings have struggled to win more than two games in a row since their best stretch of the season, a three-game winning streak in October.
“We gave up too much, the odd-man rushes. This will be a different approach going into Saturday,” said Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde. “We’ll need to correct a little more than we have. It’s about finding ways to get points on the road and flip these tight games like we did the other night.”
Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
Detroit’s offense has not been strong enough to keep a winning streak going. Patrick Kane has only one goal in 17 games since October 26, and Vladimir Tarasenko has scored four goals in 28 games this season.
Saturday’s game starts a stretch where the Red Wings will play seven of their next eight games at home.
“We’ve tried a lot of different things,” said Larkin. “The guys in the room have to come together and start playing a consistent hockey game. We have a big homestand before Christmas here and hopefully we can take advantage.”
The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, are competing with Florida for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Toronto has won its last two games—2-1 in overtime at New Jersey on Tuesday and 3-2 at home against Anaheim on Thursday.
However, the Maple Leafs had some bad news this week when goaltender Anthony Stolarz left Thursday’s game in the first period with a lower-body injury. He was replaced by Joseph Woll, who made 19 saves.
“It’s kind of mixed emotions,” Woll said. “Obviously, I’m sad for him. I don’t want him to get hurt. At the same time, I’ve got a job to do. I hope he’ll be alright.”
Max Pacioretty, 36, had a standout performance with two goals and an assist in the game. Pacioretty, who has scored 334 career goals, struggled last season with Washington, scoring just four goals in 47 games.
“He’s scored in this league for a number of years,” said coach Craig Berube. “He’s a 30-goal scorer, you know. He’s strong around the net and he’s got a good stick and a good shot. Plays a heavy game.”
Toronto defeated Detroit 3-1 in their first meeting on November 8, with two goals from John Tavares.
The Chicago Blackhawks had one of their most frustrating third periods of the season on Thursday night. However, they also played one of their best third periods of the season.
The struggling Blackhawks will try to build on the positive moments when they wrap up a three-game road trip by facing the New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J., on Saturday afternoon.
Both teams had Friday off after playing the previous night in the New York area. The Blackhawks mounted a strong comeback, but it wasn’t enough in a 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y., while the Devils won 3-1 over the Los Angeles Kings at home.
The Blackhawks experienced some familiar problems in the third period when the Islanders scored three goals in just 2:19 to increase their lead to 5-1. However, Chicago responded with a strong effort, outshooting New York 11-2 for the rest of the game and scoring three times. Tyler Bertuzzi scored two of those goals in the final 70 seconds to bring the Blackhawks within one goal.
The three goals scored and allowed in the third period matched a season high for the Blackhawks, who have been outscored 39-21 in the final period this season.
“I thought we did some good things,” said Blackhawks interim head coach Anders Sorensen. “The mental lapses that we had there in the second and third, that’s something we have to clean up.”
New Jersey Devils (NHL)
The Blackhawks have lost six of their last seven games, even though they scored first in all but one of them. This season, Chicago has lost 11 times when scoring first.
“We’re all aware of what we need to do here,” Sorensen said. “It’s just a matter of working through it.”
The Devils also worked through their issues on Thursday, finishing strong with three unanswered goals in the last 21:04. This victory ended a two-game losing streak for New Jersey and snapped the Kings’ six-game winning streak.
Despite a strong effort, the Devils lost 6-1 to the Colorado Avalanche and 6-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs, even though they outshot their opponents 64-41 in those games. They also outshot Toronto 39-17 in a 2-1 overtime loss on Tuesday.
“The more you do good things and good habits, things fall your way,” said Devils coach Sheldon Keefe. “It’s just one of those things. I think if you stay with it, eventually it’s going to fall. How our team’s defending and playing that way and not getting discouraged with not scoring — that to me, that’s winning hockey and I’ve been really impressed with our guys’ buy-in in that regard.”
New Jersey outshot the Kings 26-14 on Thursday, with top players Ondrej Palat and Jack Hughes combining for five points (two goals, three assists) to reward the team’s defensive effort.
“We funneled a lot of pucks to the net against the Leafs, too,” Hughes said. “Two good efforts for us and we’d like to finish off the homestand with another good win on Saturday.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading into Saturday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators after achieving a couple of key milestones in their recent games, thanks to a strong performance on Thursday night.
A lot of this success can be credited to team captain Sidney Crosby, who played a big part in the Penguins’ 9-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Crosby recorded three assists and passed the legendary Gordie Howe for fifth place in all-time assists by a player with one team. With 1,026 assists, Crosby is just seven away from Mario Lemieux, who holds fourth place.
This three-assist game was the 65th of Crosby’s career. The 37-year-old has scored eight goals and provided 22 assists this season. He has also been very effective against the Senators, with an average of 1.16 points per game.
In 49 games against Ottawa, Crosby has earned 57 points, including 19 goals and 38 assists. He has scored points in eight of the last ten meetings with the Senators, registering three goals and 11 assists. His 57 career points against Ottawa tie him with Jaromir Jagr for the most by a Penguins player against the Senators.
Crosby assisted on two of Bryan Rust’s three goals, helping Rust achieve his sixth career hat trick in a four-point night. Rust said, “Definitely one I’m going to remember… Some nights it feels good, and sometimes the puck just finds you, and that’s how it goes… We were on our toes and scored a lot of goals.”
Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Rust has 12 goals and eight assists in 24 games this season. Meanwhile, defenseman Kris Letang has been productive, collecting eight points (four goals and four assists) in the last six games.
The Penguins have scored 36 goals in their last eight games (6-2-0), though Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have combined for just one goal in that stretch.
When the Penguins and Senators face off in Ottawa on Saturday, there’s a good chance the game could go into overtime, as the past three matchups between the teams have ended in OT, with Ottawa winning all three. The Senators have also won the last four games against Pittsburgh and five of the last six dating back to the 2022-23 season.
Like the Penguins, the Senators have a star player on the right wing in Drake Batherson, who had a great week with three goals and an assist. Batherson recorded his second career hat trick in Ottawa’s 5-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.
He became the first Senator to score a natural hat trick since captain Brady Tkachuk did so on December 11, 2021. Batherson has 12 goals and 20 assists in 29 games this season.
Fans threw hats onto the ice, and Ottawa coach Travis Green praised the tradition, saying, “Being a fan of the game, I love it… Being a coach, you’re trying to keep your team moving in the right direction and keep momentum going, but I think it’s awesome.”
At home, center Tim Stutzle has been performing well, with seven goals and 18 assists in 16 games this season. In Friday’s NHL game, Shane Pinto scored twice, and goalie Linus Ullmark made 32 saves in Ottawa’s 3-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, recording his second shutout of the season and the 10th of his career.
Victor Wembanyama made two free throws with 2.4 seconds left, and the San Antonio Spurs came from behind to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-116 on Friday night. Wembanyama was perfect at the free-throw line, hitting all 10 attempts, and finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
Devin Vassell added 23 points off the bench, Julian Champagnie scored 19 points, and Jeremy Sochan had 15 points. San Antonio won with a 24-4 run in the final quarter.
Jerami Grant matched his career-high with eight 3-pointers and scored 32 points, but Portland lost its fifth straight game and has now dropped nine of its last 11 games. Anfernee Simons finished with 30 points and seven assists, and Deni Avdija contributed 19 points off the bench.
Suns 134, Jazz 126
Devin Booker scored a game-high 34 points, and Kevin Durant returned from injury to add 30 points, helping Phoenix secure a win over Utah in Salt Lake City. Tyus Jones also had 19 points and 11 assists, and Royce O’Neale chipped in with 17 points as the Suns snapped a three-game losing streak during their four-game road trip.
Jordan Clarkson led Utah with 23 points, John Collins scored 22 points with six rebounds and six assists, Lauri Markkanen added 19 points, and Keyonte George finished with 18 points, nine assists, and six rebounds. However, Utah lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Cavaliers 115, Wizards 105
Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points, and Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, and Jarrett Allen combined for 24 free throws as Cleveland held off a surprising challenge from Washington. Garland led the team with 24 points, Allen scored 21, and LeVert added 14, with most of his points coming from free throws. Garland was 9-of-10, and Allen was 7-of-10 from the line.
Bilal Coulibaly led Washington with a career-high-tying 27 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Jordan Poole had 17 points, six assists, and three steals, while Justin Champagnie added 16 points and eight rebounds. Alexandre Sarr scored 14 points.
Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards
Pacers 121, 76ers 107
Tyrese Haliburton scored 32 points, leading Indiana to a road win over Philadelphia. Pascal Siakam added 23 points and eight rebounds, and Obi Toppin contributed 20 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Haliburton was 7-of-15 from three-point range and also had 11 assists.
Joel Embiid left the game late in the second quarter after taking an accidental hit to the face and did not return. He finished with 12 points and five assists in 17 minutes. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 22 points, while Kelly Oubre Jr. had 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Timberwolves 97, Lakers 87
Anthony Edwards scored 23 points on 9-for-20 shooting, and Minnesota held off Los Angeles for a wire-to-wire win in Minneapolis. Julius Randle finished with 21 points for the Timberwolves, who won five of their last six games. Jaden McDaniels scored 18 points, and Rudy Gobert posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Anthony Davis led Los Angeles with 23 points and 11 rebounds, but the Lakers lost for the eighth time in 11 games. Austin Reaves contributed 18 points, and Max Christie scored 15. LeBron James missed the game due to left foot soreness, his second absence of the season.
Grizzlies 135, Nets 119
Ja Morant scored 28 points with 10 assists and seven rebounds as Memphis won its fourth straight game, defeating Brooklyn. Desmond Bane added 21 points and eight assists, and Santi Aldama made five 3-pointers to score 20 points off the bench. Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed 20 points, while Brandon Clarke had 14 points, and Jaylen Wells scored 12 points.
Dorian Finney-Smith led Brooklyn with 19 points, and the Nets committed 18 turnovers in their fifth loss in six games. Dennis Schroder and Jalen Wilson each scored 15 points, and Noah Clowney, Shake Milton, Day’Ron Sharpe, Cameron Johnson, and Keon Johnson each scored 12 points.
Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets
Nuggets 120, Clippers 98
Jamal Murray scored 20 points in his return from a hamstring injury, and Michael Porter Jr. added 17 points as Denver beat Los Angeles to win consecutive games for the first time in a month. Nikola Jokic scored 16 points, while Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson each had 14 points, as the Nuggets won their first game against the Clippers this season after two losses.
Kevin Porter Jr. and Norman Powell each scored 16 points for Los Angeles, which lost its third straight game.
Bulls 109, Hornets 95
Chicago led Charlotte almost from start to finish with strong defense, winning the final game of a three-game homestand. The Bulls began with a 12-2 run, with Ayo Dosunmu scoring a team-high 19 points, including seven consecutive points during that run. Dosunmu was one of six Chicago players to score in double figures, including all five starters.
Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 21 points, but he also had a game-high seven turnovers and made just 3 of 15 three-point attempts. Mark Williams shot 6-for-7 from the field and grabbed nine rebounds, finishing with 15 points in the loss, which was Charlotte’s ninth in its last 10 games.
