Chicago Bears owner Virginia Halas McCaskey, after the Bears' win over the New Orleans Saints in the 2007 NFC Championship
Virginia Halas McCaskey, the principal owner of the Chicago Bears, passed away at the age of 102, the team announced on Thursday.
McCaskey was the eldest daughter of Bears founder George Halas. Her brother, George “Mugs” Halas, became team president in 1963 but died of a heart attack in 1979. After their father’s death in 1983, McCaskey took over the team with her husband, Ed. Their son, George McCaskey, is the current chairman of the team.
McCaskey celebrated her 102nd birthday on January 5 and passed away just three days before Super Bowl LIX.
“While we are sad, we are comforted knowing Virginia Halas McCaskey lived a long, full, faith-filled life and is now with the love of her life on earth,” said the family in a statement. “She guided the Bears for four decades and based every business decision on what was best for Bears players, coaches, staff and fans.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell praised McCaskey’s legacy, stating that she “leaves a legacy of class, dignity, and humanity.”
“Faith, family, and football — in that order — were her north stars, and she lived by the simple adage to always ‘do the right thing.’ The Bears that her father started meant the world to her, and he would be proud of the way she continued the family business with such dedication and passion,” Goodell wrote.
McCaskey had a unique perspective on NFL history as she watched the league grow. She attended Drexel University with plans to be her father’s secretary but ended up leading the team for more than four decades.
Chicago Bears players celebrate after an interception
During McCaskey’s time as owner, the Bears went to two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XX in 1986. They also reached the NFC Championship and won her father’s namesake trophy against the New Orleans Saints in 2007, though they lost to the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI.
She saw the team hire 10 head coaches in her 42 years as owner, with her last hire being Ben Johnson. Her final Bears game was a 24-22 win over the Packers, a rare victory in recent years.
McCaskey was a devout Catholic and kept a private life, living modestly in the Chicago suburbs while attending almost every Bears game.
Before her passing, McCaskey was the oldest and longest-serving owner in the NFL and one of 10 female owners in the league. She and her family owned 80% of the franchise.
McCaskey had 11 children, more than 40 grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her eldest son, Michael, was team president from 1983 until 1999, when she removed him from the position. He became chairman of the Bears’ board until stepping down in 2011. Michael McCaskey passed away in 2020.
Her husband, Ed McCaskey, who was once chairman and treasurer of the Bears, died in 2003.
Victor Wembanyama made a crucial free throw with 2.9 seconds left, and De’Aaron Fox had an impressive debut with the Spurs as San Antonio pulled out a 126-125 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
Fox, who was traded from the Sacramento Kings on Monday in a three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls, scored 24 points on 11-of-22 shooting and made 13 assists. One of his missed shots led to a Wembanyama dunk that gave the Spurs a 125-123 lead with 30.4 seconds left.
Trae Young from Atlanta scored a floater with 8.5 seconds left to tie the game, but Onyeka Okongwu fouled Wembanyama during the next possession. Wembanyama purposely missed his second free throw, and Young missed a 45-foot shot as time expired.
Wembanyama finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs, who won despite being outshot from the field (52.7 percent to 50.5 percent). Devin Vassell added 20 points, and Jeremy Sochan contributed 15 points off the bench as San Antonio won for the third time in 10 games.
Young led all scorers with 32 points, added 12 assists but had nine turnovers. Okongwu scored 30 points, De’Andre Hunter added 22, and Dyson Daniels scored 19 as Atlanta lost for the ninth time in 10 games.
Thunder 140, Suns 109
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 50 points to lead Oklahoma City to a home victory over Phoenix.
It was the third 50-point game in Gilgeous-Alexander’s career, all within the last seven games. Oklahoma City also got 17 points from Aaron Wiggins and 13 from Jalen Williams.
Bradley Beal, a key player for Phoenix early in the game, scored 25 points off the bench. Devin Booker scored 19 points, and Royce O’Neale added 18 points.
Timberwolves 127, Bulls 108
Anthony Edwards scored 49 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Minnesota earned a victory over Chicago in Minneapolis.
Naz Reid added 22 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Rudy Gobert had 10 points and 15 rebounds, while Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker each scored 12 points.
Coby White led the Bulls with 20 points, who played on short rest after beating the Miami Heat the previous night. Josh Giddey scored 19 points, and Nikola Vucevic added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Wizards 119, Nets 102
Bilal Coulibaly achieved his first career triple-double in a solid performance as Washington beat Brooklyn for its first three-game winning streak of the season.
Coulibaly finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high 11 assists. He was part of a balanced team effort, with seven Wizards players scoring in double figures, led by Jordan Poole with 19 points.
Washington Wizards (NBA)
Washington made 40 of their 44 field goals with assists to help the team’s offense. Poole had eight assists, and Bub Carrington contributed a career-high 10 assists with 16 points.
The Nets had their three-game winning streak broken. Keon Johnson led them with 25 points, while Cameron Johnson scored 17 points in his first game back after an ankle injury.
Jazz 131, Warriors 128
Jordan Clarkson scored 31 points, and Keyonte George added 26 points as Utah made a strong comeback to defeat Golden State in Salt Lake City.
Golden State had a 122-111 lead with three minutes left, but Utah scored on 10 straight possessions and made several key defensive plays to win the game.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 32 points.
Nuggets 144, Pelicans 119
Michael Porter Jr. tied his career high with 39 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Nikola Jokic finished with 38 points and 10 assists in Denver’s big win over New Orleans.
Christian Braun scored 23 points for Denver, which tied its season high in points and won both home games against New Orleans.
Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 28 points, and Trey Murphy III added 25 points and nine assists, but New Orleans lost their seventh straight game.
Magic 130, Kings 111
Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero combined for 54 points to help Orlando beat Sacramento and spoil Zach LaVine’s debut with the Kings.
Wagner scored 31 points, including five 3-pointers, and Banchero added 23 points with nine assists. Orlando ended a four-game losing streak with the win.
Domantas Sabonis had 21 points and 13 rebounds for Sacramento, where LaVine, who was recently traded from the Chicago Bulls, scored 13 points on 4-for-13 shooting.
Bucks 112, Hornets 102
Damian Lillard scored 29 points, and Bobby Portis added 23 points as Milwaukee ended its four-game losing streak by defeating Charlotte.
Brook Lopez contributed 14 points, Gary Trent Jr. had 13 points, and Taurean Prince added 11 points. The Bucks shot 50.6 percent from the field and played without their leading scorer and rebounder, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Hornets lost their sixth straight game despite 23 points from Nick Smith Jr. Miles Bridges and KJ Simpson each scored 15 points, while Moussa Diabate grabbed 13 rebounds.
Cavaliers 118, Pistons 115
Darius Garland made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Cleveland a win over Detroit, continuing their streak of victories against the Pistons.
Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)
Garland’s basket came after Cleveland almost let an eight-point lead slip away in the final minute. Garland finished with 25 points, and Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with 30 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and four blocks. Craig Porter Jr. added 16 points, and Max Strus had 15.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 38 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, while Tim Hardaway Jr. added 20 points.
Grizzlies 138, Raptors 107
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 14 of his 32 points in the second quarter as Memphis beat Toronto.
Ja Morant added 26 points for Memphis, who has won four in a row and 10 of 11. Zach Edey, a Toronto-born rookie, had 13 points and 15 rebounds for Memphis. GG Jackson scored 17 points, Brandon Clarke had 13, and Scotty Pippen Jr. added 12 points.
Scottie Barnes had 11 points and nine assists for Toronto, who has lost two straight games.
Heat 108, 76ers 101
Tyler Herro scored 30 points, and Nikola Jovic added 23 points as Miami beat Philadelphia despite major changes to their roster.
The Heat had reportedly agreed to trade star Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors during the first half. Even with this news, Miami held off Philadelphia to earn their fourth win in six games.
Jovic shot 8-of-9 from the field, and Bam Adebayo added 18 points and 13 rebounds for Miami. Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points for Philadelphia.
Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero scored a combined 54 points, leading the Orlando Magic to a 130-111 win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night, spoiling Zach LaVine’s debut with his new team.
Wagner hit five 3-pointers to finish with 31 points, while Banchero added 23 points and nine assists. The Magic ended a four-game losing streak with this win.
Domantas Sabonis contributed 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Kings, who started LaVine just two days after trading for him from the Chicago Bulls. LaVine finished with 13 points but struggled, shooting 4-for-13 and missing all four of his 3-point attempts. Sacramento shot 37 percent from beyond the arc, hitting just 10 of 27.
The Magic, playing their fifth straight road game, briefly trailed before a strong 37-point first quarter gave them an early lead. Wagner and Banchero combined for 18 points in that period.
Leading by just two points at halftime, the Magic exploded for 42 points in the third quarter. Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit 3-pointers early in the period to help Orlando extend its lead.
Zach LaVine (NBA)
Anthony finished with 14 points, while Goga Bitadze added 14 points as well. Anthony Black scored 15 and Tristan da Silva had 11 for Orlando, which shot 56.8 percent from the field and 51.6 percent from 3-point range, hitting 16 of 31.
Wendell Carter Jr. contributed eight points, eight rebounds, and two steals. The Magic will finish their Western road trip with a game in Denver on Thursday night.
For Sacramento, DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points, while Keon Ellis added 12 points and Malik Monk had 10. Newly acquired Sidy Cissoko was not in action for the Kings, who traded him to the Washington Wizards along with two second-round picks for Jonas Valanciunas.
Devin Carter came off the bench for Sacramento, scoring nine points with four assists and two steals. The Kings lost for the fifth time in their last seven games.
The Minnesota Timberwolves will look for their second straight win when they face the Houston Rockets on Thursday night in Minneapolis.
Minnesota comes off a 127-108 victory against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Anthony Edwards scored 49 points, including 30 in the second half, helping the Timberwolves end a two-game losing streak.
The win showed that the Timberwolves can still score without Julius Randle, their second-highest scorer this season. Randle is expected to miss at least two more weeks due to a right adductor strain.
Minnesota might get some help soon, as rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. has returned to practice after missing over a month due to a right foot sprain. He could be a strong candidate for more playing time in Randle’s absence.
Coach Chris Finch said, “He’s certainly on the fringe right now of getting into the rotation at any point. He plays with a lot of force (and) physicality, too, something that we need back in the lineup somehow with (Randle) out. I would say he’s extremely close. He’s ready to go. I think he’s kind of close to breaking through.”
Two other rookies, Rob Dillingham and Jaylen Clark, have earned more playing time recently. Clark, in particular, has impressed with his defensive play and hard-nosed approach.
The Rockets are trying to snap a four-game losing streak. Houston has lost to the Brooklyn Nets twice, and the New York Knicks and Memphis Grizzlies once each.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (NBA)
Houston is also dealing with injuries to important players like Jabari Smith (hand) and Tari Eason (leg). Veteran guard Fred VanVleet missed Houston’s last game because of an ankle injury and could be out for another week or more.
VanVleet, 30, is averaging 14.6 points and 5.8 assists this season.
Houston coach Ime Udoka said he doesn’t want to use injuries as an excuse for the team’s struggles. He is looking for better defense, especially against Edwards.
After a 99-97 loss to the Nets on Tuesday, Udoka challenged his players’ competitiveness, saying, “Very soft and uncompetitive defensively. Just going at us 1-on-1, we’re complaining about offensive fouls, not boxing out, not doing our assignments. Even our supposed defenders got cooked (against the Nets).”
Thursday’s game will be the third of four regular-season meetings between the two teams. Houston won the first matchup 117-111 in overtime on Nov. 26 in Minneapolis. VanVleet led the Rockets with 27 points, and Alperen Sengun and Dillon Brooks scored 22 each.
Minnesota won 113-112 in the second game on Dec. 27 in Houston. Randle led the Timberwolves with 27 points, and Edwards added 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting.
The Denver Nuggets have been dominant when playing on the second night of back-to-back games, and they will look to continue that success when they host the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.
This marks the 11th time this season that Denver has played on consecutive nights, and they have performed well, with a 9-1 record in those games. The only loss came against Houston on Jan. 15, when Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon were not playing.
Denver is coming off a 144-119 victory against New Orleans on Wednesday night. The Nuggets have won four straight games, with Michael Porter Jr. leading the way in their last two victories over the Pelicans.
Porter scored 36 points on Monday, then followed that with 39 points on Wednesday, tying his career high. Porter has made 12 of his last 21 three-point attempts and has been playing strong amid trade rumors surrounding him.
Coach Michael Malone stated this week that the team is not trading Porter.
“We know what Michael gives us from the offensive end — the shooting, the efficiency,” Malone said. “Two games in a row he put up amazing numbers, and doing so at a very efficient manner to go with 12 boards (on Wednesday). It’s great to see him playing at a high level as we approach the All-Star break.”
Porter ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 18.7 points per game. Jamal Murray is second with 20.2 points, and Jokic leads the team in scoring (29.7), rebounds (12.8), and assists (10.3).
Orlando Magic (NBA)
Thursday’s game will be the second and final matchup of the season between the Nuggets and Magic. Denver won the first game 113-100 in Orlando on Jan. 19, a game in which the Magic were without guard Jalen Suggs due to a back strain. Suggs missed Orlando’s 130-111 win against Sacramento on Wednesday night with a quad contusion.
Franz Wagner, who also missed the Jan. 19 matchup, scored 31 points in Orlando’s win over the Kings. Wagner leads the Magic with an average of 25.1 points per game, followed by Paolo Banchero at 22.6 and Suggs at 16.2.
Wednesday’s win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Magic and marked their first victory on their six-game road trip, which will wrap up on Thursday night.
Orlando has struggled with a 6-15 record since their last back-to-back wins on Dec. 21-23, but they remain optimistic.
“The spirit can be better,” Banchero said recently. “That’s part of the reason why I think we’ve lost some of these games. But [as] I said, it’s on us to take initiative and fix it. No one outside the locker room is going to fix it. We have to depend on each other and look out for each other in these moments.”
Thursday’s game will also be the first time Kentavious Caldwell-Pope plays in Denver since signing with the Magic. Caldwell-Pope helped the Nuggets win the 2023 NBA title and played for them for two seasons before leaving for Orlando last summer.
The Los Angeles Lakers made a big move on Saturday by acquiring Luka Doncic, while the Golden State Warriors completed a trade for Jimmy Butler on Wednesday. However, neither of these players will be playing when the Warriors face the Lakers on Thursday night.
Both teams made these trades before Thursday’s deadline to improve their chances in the Western Conference playoffs. The Lakers traded Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Doncic, while the Warriors sent Andrew Wiggins to the Miami Heat for Butler.
Doncic hasn’t played since Christmas due to a calf injury, but Lakers coach JJ Redick said he might play in one of the next two games, either on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers or on Monday against the Utah Jazz. Doncic participated in a practice session with reserves and coaches on Wednesday. Redick mentioned that they are taking it day by day and hope to have him back soon.
The Butler trade still needs NBA approval. Warriors coach Steve Kerr couldn’t comment on the deal since it wasn’t final, but he expressed how difficult it was to lose Wiggins. Kerr wished the trade deadline could be moved to the All-Star break to ease the timing.
Jimmy Butler stands on the court in the 2nd half
Kerr informed his players about the deal an hour before their game against the Utah Jazz. Along with Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, and Lindy Waters III were also traded, and Jonathan Kuminga and Marcus Moody were out due to injuries.
Brandin Podziemski, one of the remaining Warriors players, expressed how emotional it was to lose four teammates, but emphasized the importance of stepping up. Podziemski scored a career-high 29 points, just behind Stephen Curry’s 32 points, in the Warriors’ 131-128 loss to the Jazz. Golden State led by 11 points with three minutes left but allowed Utah to finish with a 20-6 run.
The Lakers have won all their matchups against the Warriors this season, including a 118-108 victory in San Francisco on January 25. They are on a three-game winning streak and have won nine of their last 11 games.
In their most recent win, a 122-97 blowout of the Clippers, LeBron James posted 26 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura each contributed 20 points.
The Lakers are reportedly close to acquiring center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish.
Sacramento Kings interim coach Doug Christie was direct about his team’s performance before their game against the in-form Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.
The Kings were beaten 130-111 at home by the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, which was the first game in a back-to-back set.
Christie was unhappy with how his team played on both ends of the court. He knows the Kings will need to improve in several areas when they face the Blazers, who are currently on a five-game winning streak.
“Unacceptable in a lot of different ways, especially on the defensive end,” Christie said. “Must, must be better. Must, must play with the level of energy, intensity, physicality, and aggressiveness that I want to see and (that) I think they’ve begun to expect from themselves. That wasn’t it.”
“You can use all the different excuses. I’m not going to do that — 19 turnovers for 28 points (conceded) — unacceptable. (Shooting) 51 percent for them from the 3-point line — unacceptable.”
Zach LaVine scored 13 points in his Sacramento debut, making 4-of-13 shots from the field, after being traded from Chicago.
Christie acknowledged that there would be an adjustment period for LaVine, but he wasn’t using LaVine’s first game with the team as an excuse for the Kings’ poor performance.
“That’s part of what’s going to happen,” Christie said. “We have to find our way. As a unit, they have to feel Zach out, Zach has to feel them out. But I’m not using any of that as an excuse.”
On Wednesday, Sacramento acquired backup center Jonas Valanciunas from Washington in exchange for Sidy Cissoko and two second-round picks.
Valanciunas had previously played with DeMar DeRozan in Toronto and with Domantas Sabonis on Lithuania’s 2016 Olympic team.
Portland Trail Blazers vs Sacramento Kings (NBA)
“It’s great. I’m excited,” said Sabonis, who had 21 points and 13 rebounds against the Magic.
“A fellow countryman with me. He’s all about this culture — he’s tough, he plays every game, I think he’s going to help us a lot off the bench. I know he’s going to play his heart out.”
Valanciunas could make his Kings debut against Portland, who will be without guard Matisse Thybulle due to an ankle injury.
The Blazers have won nine of their last 10 games, most recently defeating Indiana 112-89 on Tuesday. Anfernee Simons scored 22 points and Jerami Grant added 20 in the win.
Portland led by six points midway through the fourth quarter before finishing strong, outscoring the Pacers 30-13.
“Leads like this that are 10-12 points, they go away so fast in the NBA,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “But the way our defense is humming, when teams are playing against us — at least in particular now – that lead probably feels like a 20-something-point lead. It’s been tough to score on us.”
“That’s been my vision the entire time. I want to be that team that nobody wants to play against. Even when you come in and play well and win, you’ve had to fight so hard for that win, you have to go earn that. That’s what I want us to be at all times, home or on the road. I want teams to earn their keep against us. And we’re doing that right now.”
Zakai Zeigler scored a season-high 21 points and added eight assists to lead No. 4 Tennessee to an 85-81 win over No. 15 Missouri on Wednesday night in Southeastern Conference play at Knoxville, Tenn.
Igor Milicic Jr. also scored 21 points and recorded a season-high four blocked shots, along with 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals for Tennessee (19-4, 6-4 SEC), which won its second consecutive game.
Tamar Bates scored 22 points, and Tony Perkins added 16 for Missouri (17-5, 6-3), which lost for the second time in eight games. Caleb Grill had 11 points for the Tigers, who committed only three turnovers and forced 11 Tennessee mistakes.
The Volunteers were hot from behind the arc, making 10 of 15 3-point attempts, and shot 50 percent overall from the field. The Tigers shot 41.7 percent from the field and made 12 of 30 3-point attempts.
No. 2 Duke 83, Syracuse 54
Tyrese Proctor scored 16 points, Kon Knueppel added 12, and the Blue Devils extended their nation-leading winning streak with a dominant win over the host Syracuse.
Cooper Flagg scored 11 points for Duke (20-2, 12-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), which never trailed and secured its 16th straight win. The Blue Devils are off to their best start in ACC play since the 2005-06 season (14-0).
Jyare Davis and J.J. Starling each scored 12 points, and Naheem McLeod had 10 for Syracuse (10-13, 4-8), who lost for the fourth time in five games. The Orange finished with their lowest point total of the season.
No. 17 Memphis 83, Tulsa 71
PJ Haggerty scored a game-high 23 points, leading the Tigers to a win over the visiting Golden Hurricane, keeping them at the top of the American Athletic Conference.
Dain Dainja contributed with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, four blocked shots, and three steals for Memphis (19-4, 9-1 AAC), which shot 56.7 percent from the field in their sixth straight win.
No. 19 Memphis and Tulane
Tyshawn Archie scored 17 points off the bench for Tulsa (9-14, 3-7). The Golden Hurricane made 53.6 percent of their shots but suffered their third consecutive loss.
Rutgers 82, No. 23 Illinois 73
Dylan Harper returned from a two-game injury absence to score 28 points, grab six rebounds, and dish out five assists in Rutgers’ 82-73 win over Illinois in Piscataway, N.J.
Ace Bailey added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Jeremiah Williams scored 13 for Rutgers (12-11, 5-7 Big Ten). After losing a 17-point lead, the Scarlet Knights finished strong with a 15-5 run to seal the win.
Will Riley led Illinois (15-8, 7-6) with 18 points and six assists off the bench, but the Fighting Illini lost for the fifth time in their last eight games.
No. 24 Michigan 80, Oregon 76
Will Tschetter scored 17 points off the bench to help Michigan beat Oregon 80-76 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Danny Wolf had 15 points and 12 rebounds, Vladislav Goldin added 15 points, Nimari Burnett scored 13, and Tre Donaldson had 12 points for Michigan (17-5, 9-2 Big Ten), which won its third straight game.
Jackson Shelstad led Oregon (16-7, 5-7) with 18 points, Nate Bittle scored 16, Keeshawn Barthelemy had 15, and TJ Bamba contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds. Oregon has lost four straight games and five of its last six.
Chris Kreider scored a go-ahead short-handed goal with 8:06 left, helping the New York Rangers complete a third-period comeback for a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.
The Rangers earned their third victory this season after trailing through two periods and won their second straight game. Kreider’s short-handed goal was his third of the season, and the Rangers improved to 9-3-3 in their last 15 games.
Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin also scored for New York. Mika Zibanejad recorded two assists, and Igor Shesterkin made 15 saves.
David Pastrnak scored his 11th goal during a 12-game points streak, and Elias Lindholm added a goal for the Bruins, who lost for the first time in regulation (16-1-4) when leading entering the third period. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 19 shots.
Oilers 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT)
Zach Hyman scored in overtime on a power play, and Leon Draisaitl and Jeff Skinner each had a goal and an assist to lead the Edmonton Oilers past the Chicago Blackhawks.
Calvin Pickard made 29 saves for Edmonton, which also got a goal from Viktor Arvidsson. This win came in overtime, marking the second straight night the Oilers won in extra time, following a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues.
Chicago Blackhawks players in the 2nd half
Ryan Donato had a goal and an assist late in regulation to help Chicago erase a two-goal deficit. Alec Martinez tied the game with 3:44 left. Lukas Reichel also scored, Teuvo Teravainen had two assists, and Arvid Soderblom made 34 saves.
Kings 6, Canadiens 3
Kevin Fiala scored twice in the third period to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens at home.
Vladislav Gavrikov and Warren Foegele each had a goal and an assist, Quinton Byfield had three assists, and Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves. The Kings have now won two straight after a rough four-game losing streak (0-3-1). Brandt Clarke and Trevor Moore also scored for Los Angeles.
Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier, and Logan Mailloux scored for Montreal, while Jakub Dobes made 31 saves. The Canadiens have lost six of their last seven (1-5-1).
The Ottawa Senators, despite some tough injury updates this week, are in a strong position as the 4 Nations Face-Off break nears, currently holding a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
However, the Tampa Bay Lightning are just two points behind them in the Atlantic Division. Ottawa will look to extend its lead when they play Tampa Bay on Thursday night in the second game of their series.
In Tuesday’s game, the Lightning won 4-3, ending Ottawa’s five-game win streak. Despite the loss, Ottawa has gone 10-3-1 in its last 14 games, with defenseman Thomas Chabot playing a key role. Over his past six games, Chabot has one goal and five assists.
“It’s my third year playing with him, and every year I thought he was a great player and doing a lot for our team,” said Ottawa forward Claude Giroux of Chabot. “Obviously, offensively he’s creative. He can skate. But his defensive play has been really good.”
Chabot has four goals and 22 assists in 53 games this season.
The Senators are also dealing with injuries, having lost Josh Norris to a mid-body injury over the weekend, which will keep him out for a couple of weeks. Forward Shane Pinto also left Tuesday’s game after just 2:57 of ice time due to an upper-body injury and did not return.
Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
Thursday’s game will mark the first time the Senators have played two consecutive road games in the same city during a regular season. The only other time this occurred was during the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Tampa Bay will be looking for a win to start a potential winning streak, as they haven’t won two in a row since Jan. 16-18. In Tuesday’s win, Brandon Hagel scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, and Ryan McDonagh sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 18:25. Ottawa’s Drake Batherson answered 15 seconds later with a goal of his own.
Tampa Bay’s victory came without Conor Geekie, who was sent down to AHL Syracuse earlier in the day. Lightning coach Jon Cooper acknowledged Geekie’s contributions, saying, “This was talked about with Geeks in training camp, so the fact that he was here 50 games is a tribute to him.”
Geekie, 20, has contributed six goals and six assists in 49 games this season. The Lightning are also dealing with injuries, as Nick Paul (undisclosed) left Tuesday’s game after just 1:17 of ice time.
Columbus Blue Jackets players celebrates after a goal
The Columbus Blue Jackets will aim to avoid a third straight loss when they begin a four-game homestand against the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday night.
Columbus lost 3-2 on Tuesday in Buffalo, wrapping up a four-game road trip (2-2-0). Ivan Provorov scored a goal and added an assist, while Kent Johnson scored the other goal. Johnson extended his point streak to eight games (four goals, five assists).
“I thought our effort was certainly there,” Columbus coach Dean Evason said. “Maybe there is an element of not playing some games and some juggling a little bit with some different players, but having said that, we’ve still got to get the job done, we’ve still got to play like we play, and we’ve got to stay with how we play the game.”
Elvis Merzlikins made 18 saves for the Blue Jackets, who were missing their top defensive pairing of Zach Werenski and Dante Fabbro due to upper-body injuries.
Werenski is questionable for Thursday, while Fabbro is expected to miss two to three weeks.
Leading scorer Kirill Marchenko missed his first game of the season after breaking his jaw in a 5-3 loss to Dallas on Sunday. The forward was placed on injured reserve and will be out indefinitely.
This injury is especially tough for Columbus as they fight for a playoff spot. Entering Thursday, they were one point out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Despite this, the Blue Jackets have been solid at home, with a 17-5-3 record. They are 4-4-1 overall since a six-game winning streak from January 4-16.
Thursday’s game will be the second and final meeting between Columbus and Utah this season. The Blue Jackets won 3-2 in overtime last Friday in Salt Lake City.
Utah Hockey Club (NHL)
Utah enters the game following a 3-2 overtime victory over Philadelphia to close a four-game homestand (1-1-2). Dylan Guenther scored twice, including the overtime winner with one second left, as Utah snapped a five-game losing streak (0-3-2). Guenther returned to the lineup after missing 12 games due to a lower-body injury.
Mikhail Sergachev scored a goal and added two assists, and Karel Vejmelka made 18 saves for Utah. Sergachev tied his career high with 10 goals on Tuesday.
Utah, six points out of a Western Conference wild-card spot entering Wednesday, is 4-4-2 in their last 10 games and 13-10-3 on the road this season.
“We still very much believe,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. “We know at this point, we’ll need a little bit of help. We didn’t take the straight line, but we can make it, and we’ll fight for it.”
“And now we need to go on the road and have a (heck) of a road trip.” Clayton Keller leads Utah with 39 assists and 57 points in 52 games this season. He and Guenther are tied for the team lead with 18 goals each.
Vejmelka is 12-14-4 with a .910 save percentage and a 2.46 goals-against average in 30 starts this season. In two career appearances against the Blue Jackets, Vejmelka is 1-0-1 with a .900 save percentage and a 2.48 GAA.
Merzlikins has a 19-13-3 record with an .894 save percentage and a 2.96 goals-against average in 35 starts this season. He is 2-2-1 in six career appearances against the Arizona Coyotes franchise, with an .885 save percentage and a 3.50 GAA.
Daniil Tarasov was in goal for Columbus in the teams’ first meeting and made 32 saves.
The Minnesota Wild have been strong on the road this season, but the same can’t be said for their home games. After a five-game road trip, they return to Xcel Energy Center on Thursday to face the Carolina Hurricanes, hoping to improve their home record.
At home, the Wild are 11-12-1, but they have an impressive 20-7-3 record when playing away. The difference is clear in several aspects of their game. At home, they score just 2.58 goals per game, ranking 31st in the league, and give up an average of 3.29 goals, which is seventh-worst.
They’ve only scored 22 goals in the third period at home, the second-lowest in the league, and their penalty kill at home is the worst in the NHL at 61.1 percent.
On the road, their performance is much better. They score 3.03 goals per game (12th in the league) and allow just 2.47 goals (second fewest). They’re second in third-period goals on the road with 38 and their penalty kill, though not great, sits at 77.1 percent (20th).
The Wild are returning home after two losses on the road, getting outscored 9-0 — 6-0 against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday and 3-0 against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.
“Maybe that’s a good change, coming home needing to turn things around a little bit,” said forward Marcus Johansson. “We need to make our home a place that’s tough to come and play, and we haven’t done that yet so far.”
Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)
Marco Rossi has been a bright spot for the Wild, already setting a career-high with 46 points (18 goals, 28 assists) in 54 games, second on the team behind injured star Kirill Kaprizov (52 points). Rossi is three goals shy of his career best set last season.
The Hurricanes are coming off two losses of their own. After a 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, they were shut out 3-0 by the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.
“There’s definitely things we have to be better at as a group, but you’ve got to move on, that’s it,” said Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour. “It’s a new day tomorrow and we’ve got to try and find a win in the next game.”
The Hurricanes are struggling on the power play, going 0-for-2 against Winnipeg and 1-for-25 over their last 10 games.
“I feel like special teams, for sure, cost us the game (against the Jets),” said forward Sebastian Aho. “It’s a tough loss because at five-on-five, that’s a pretty good team, they don’t give up too much. But we had our looks, for sure enough chances to win the hockey game. We weren’t able to cash in, and that’s obviously been the trend as of late here. We’ve just got to be better.”
Before these two losses, the Hurricanes were 6-0-1 in their previous seven games. Aho contributed with seven points (four goals, three assists) in five games during that stretch, but has been kept off the scoresheet in the last two games.
