Teen sensations are meant to be one in a million so why does it feel as if prodigies are taking over? | Emma John
From Max Dowman to Kimi Antonelli, Sky Brown and Luke Littler, peak performance can be attained ever earlier thanks to support and science
Des Ryan lives on the west coast of Ireland and gets over to watch Arsenal only about three times a season. It was pure fluke that the director of sports and physical wellbeing at the University of Galway was at the Emirates Stadium last weekend, when Max Dowman became the youngest ever scorer in the Premier League. Only a few years ago he was looking after Dowman in the under-12s.
“If you’re an academy specialist, then seeing the young people get their debuts, that’s your trophy,” says Ryan, who headed the Arsenal academy’s athletic development for nine years. He knows well that while Dowman’s abilities are uniquely precocious, his situation isn’t. Marli Salmon became Arsenal’s youngest defender when he made his senior debut at 16 in December, while Brando Bailey-Joseph replaced Gabriel Martinelli on the wing in a Champions League match in January, aged 17. As Ryan notes: “These older teenagers are playing adult sport, and excelling at it.”
Continue reading...Trio of home runs leads Brewers to 11-4 win over Rangers
As Opening Day approaches, the Brewers are making their final tune ups before the start of the season. With Brandon Woodruff’s status still uncertain, he made a crucial start this evening. It ended up being the offense that dominated the game, as the Brewers defeated the Rangers 11-4.
The Brewers got on the board quickly. Sal Frelick led off the game with a walk, stole second, and scored on an Andrew Vaughn single. In the next inning, back-to-back home runs from Gary Sánchez and Luis Rengifo added two more runs. David Hamilton set up another run with a single and steal, and Joey Ortiz drove him in with a single. After two innings, the Brewers had a 4-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, the Brewers unleashed a barrage of runs. Vaughn led off the inning with a single, then Garrett Mitchell reached on a fielding error. Sánchez drew a walk after that to load the bases. After Rengifo flew out to center, Brandon Lockridge continued his strong spring with an RBI double, driving in two. Hamilton followed that up with another RBI double to bring in another two runs. That chased Rangers starter Jacob Latz from the game, and Dane Acker entered in relief. After a Frelick groundout and Ortiz walk, Christian Yelich punctuated the inning with a three-run home run. After the first three innings, the Brewers had scored 11 runs.
Meanwhile, Woodruff started the night with two 1-2-3 innings, striking out two. That started to unravel in the third inning. The Rangers got their first run from a Tyler Wade single and Alejandro Osuna RBI double. Woodruff recovered with strikeouts of Jonah Bride and Joc Pederson, but walked Evan Carter between them. Joe Corbett finished out the inning for Woodruff, striking out Danny Jansen to end the inning.
Woodruff returned for the fourth inning, but promptly allowed back-to-back home runs to Ezequiel Duran and Mark Canha. He got Sam Haggerty to line out, but that was it for his day. In total, he pitched a combination of three innings over the course of the first four innings. He allowed three runs and four hits, two of those going for home runs. He also struck out four and walked one while throwing 62 pitches. While he did get the four ups that he wanted in the game (his goal was to start four innings to get warmed up and pitch), his velocity was noticeably down at the end of his start. After the game, Woodruff said that despite the velocity, he felt great.
After the fourth, both bullpens buckled down for the rest of the game. Trevor Megill pitched the fifth inning and struck out two, but recorded four outs after Canha reached on a wild pitch swinging strikeout. Abner Uribe made his first appearance after returning from the World Baseball Classic, allowed a leadoff single but retired the next three in order, striking out one.
Jared Koenig got into some trouble in the seventh by starting the inning with back-to-back singles. He got two outs thanks to a double play from the defense, then a fly out from Canha ended the inning. Grant Anderson walked one in the eighth inning, but that was it in a scoreless inning of work. Stiven Cruz finished out the game for the Brewers, walked two but held the Rangers scoreless to end the game.
Vaughn and Hamilton each had two-hit days for the Brewers’ offense. Yelich had three RBI from his second home run of the spring, and Lockridge and Hamilton added on two RBI each. Ortiz also reached base twice with a hit and a walk, and also drove a run in. As a team, the Brewers had nine hits — three of those home runs — and four walks.
Tomorrow features a doubleheader of action for the Brewers. The day will start out with the first of two Spring Breakout games for the Brewers’ prospects, as the Mariners’ Prospects travel to face them in Phoenix. That game will take place at 4:10 p.m. and be broadcast on MLB Video. Then, at night the Brewers travel to face the Diamondbacks, with first pitch set for 8:10 p.m. That game will have an audio broadcast available on MLB.com.
New Zealand wins the toss and bowls in the 3rd T20 against South Africa
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and chose to field Friday in the third Twenty20 cricket international against South Africa at Eden Park.
The five-match series is level at 1-1 after South Africa won the first match by seven wickets and New Zealand the second by 68 runs.
Both teams made one lineup change. South Africa named right-arm pacer Lutho Sipamla in place of Ottneil Baartman while New Zealand recalled Bevon Jacobs in place of Josh Clarkson.
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Lineups:
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner (captain), James Neesham, Cole McConchie, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears, Lockie Ferguson.
Wiaan Mulder, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen, Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj (captain), Nqobani Mokoena, Lutho Sipamla.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Saint Louis' blowout win over Georgia was two years in the making
BUFFALO, NY — This was a moment delayed by two years, a coaching change and a transfer.
Two seasons ago, Indiana State won the Missouri Valley regular-season crown, earning the program’s first national ranking since the Larry Bird-led team in 1979 along the way, before losing to Drake in the finals of the conference tournament.
The Sycamores were then snubbed by the NCAA selection committee, who held them out of the at-large field despite a NET rating of 28, the highest of any team to miss the tournament.
“It was kind of the biggest disappointment we’ve ever had,” said former Indiana State and current Saint Louis assistant coach Antone Gray. “It was a huge letdown that night.”
Two years later, the biggest pieces behind that season’s success — coach Josh Schertz and center Robbie Avila — embraced after No. 9 Saint Louis routed No. 8 Georgia, 102-77, in the opening round of the Midwest region, celebrating an achievement rooted in the decision to leave Indiana State after the 2024 season.
“Our goal was from the beginning of the year to reach this moment, so we got here, we kind of accomplished that goal,” Avila said. “But obviously that 2024 year was just what it was. I'm just excited and blessed to have the opportunity to do it here.”
The Billikens advanced to face No. 1 Michigan, which pulled away from No. 16 Howard in the second half of a 101-80 win.
Shertz accepted the Saint Louis opening days after the Sycamores lost to Seton Hall in the NIT championship game. Two weeks later, Avila followed suit to become the centerpiece of the Billikens’ transformation from 13-20 in 2023-24 to a school-record 29 wins and growing this season.
“I wanted to get this team to the NCAA Tournament for a lot of reasons, but he was the biggest,” Shertz said of Avila. “There was a lot of people that helped bring me here, but I just never wanted for him to have ended his career not in the tournament, particularly after what happened to our Indiana State team.”
The player with a collection of the best nicknames in the sport — Bert, Steph Blurry, Larry Nerd and many more — showcased his deft touch near the basket and skills as a passer against the Bulldogs, posting 12 points to go with five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal before being replaced with 4:45 remaining and the Billikens holding a 38-point lead.
After drilling a 3-pointer to put Saint Louis ahead 86-52 with just over nine minutes left, Avila raised his arms as fans chanted his first name. At this point, Avila and the Billikens had so demoralized the Bulldogs that Georgia fans sitting behind press row began discussing Thursday’s start of spring football.
“Major impact. Energy booster,” said Saint Louis guard Trey Green. “Robbie hit some key buckets. He made some good passes. Defensively, he held his own. To have your leader make an impact like that, you know, it drives us to have his back and do the same thing.”
This was par for the course for one of the top players on the mid-major level and one of the most balanced players in the country, period, even if Avila was not named one of the five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award as the nation’s best center.
Avila is now averaging a team-best 12.9 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game and a team-leading 4.1 assists per game, all while shooting 50.9% from the field, a career-best 41.7% from deep and 80.3% from the free-throw line.
All this while looking like, well, someone who shouldn’t be this good. With his goatee, beefy frame and lack of rim-shaking athleticism, Avila is a human version of the Spider-Man-pointing meme for those watching at home: Hey, he looks just like me!
“He’s the most team guy that we have,” said Gray. “He leads us. He could’ve gone anywhere in the country and he came here for a reason. He came back for this.”
Like Avila, Schertz saw his profile grow at Indiana State, which hired him in 2021 after a hugely successful run at Division II Lincoln Memorial. He’s since become one of the hottest names in mid-major coaching, drawing heavy attention for the Syracuse opening before declining the Orange’s overtures and signing a contract extension with Saint Louis last week.
There’s no wonder larger programs are so interested: Schertz has made things happen at every stop, making three Division II Final Four appearances at Lincoln Memorial, winning 62.3% of his games with the Sycamores and now posting a 48-20 mark in his two seasons with the Billikens.
“It’s been everything I’ve ever dreamed of and more,” said his son, Jaden, a walk-on junior guard who followed his dad from Indiana State.
“It’s surreal, man. I’ve known my dad is a great coach since the D-II days. We’ve watched March Madness since we were little. So it’s awesome watching it on this stage.”
Overall, Schertz has won 77.8% of his games, ranking him eighth among active college coaches across all NCAA levels. In four seasons with Avila on the roster, he’s gone 103-40. But this win stands alone.
“This was just a full-circle moment,” said Gray. “I think this was what we deserved and honestly, what Robbie and coach deserved the most.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Saint Louis' NCAA Tournament blowout win was two years in the making
New Orleans plays Cleveland, seeks 4th straight win
Cleveland Cavaliers (43-27, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (25-46, 12th in the Western Conference)
New Orleans; Saturday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans is looking to prolong its three-game win streak with a victory against Cleveland.
The Pelicans are 16-21 in home games. New Orleans is 14-20 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 13.6 turnovers per game.
The Cavaliers are 21-14 on the road. Cleveland is eighth in the league averaging 14.5 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 36.0% from downtown. Donovan Mitchell leads the team averaging 3.3 makes while shooting 36.4% from 3-point range.
The Pelicans average 11.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.6 fewer makes per game than the Cavaliers allow (13.9). The Cavaliers are shooting 47.7% from the field, 0.3% higher than the 47.4% the Pelicans' opponents have shot this season.
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Cavaliers won 141-118 in the last matchup on Dec. 24. Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 27 points, and Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 26 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Trey Murphy III is averaging 22 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals for the Pelicans. Williamson is averaging 18.2 points over the last 10 games.
Evan Mobley is scoring 18.3 points per game and averaging 8.9 rebounds for the Cavaliers. James Harden is averaging 20.3 points and 5.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pelicans: 6-4, averaging 119.0 points, 45.4 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 9.1 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.3 points per game.
Cavaliers: 6-4, averaging 116.9 points, 42.5 rebounds, 27.6 assists, 6.8 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.2 points.
INJURIES: Pelicans: Dejounte Murray: day to day (achilles), Bryce McGowens: day to day (toe).
Cavaliers: Craig Porter Jr.: day to day (groin), Tyrese Proctor: day to day (quadricep), Donovan Mitchell: day to day (eye), Jarrett Allen: day to day (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Orlando hosts Los Angeles after Doncic's 60-point outing
Los Angeles Lakers (45-25, third in the Western Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (38-31, seventh in the Eastern Conference)
Orlando, Florida; Saturday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles visits the Orlando Magic after Luka Doncic scored 60 points in the Lakers' 134-126 victory against the Miami Heat.
The Magic have gone 22-13 in home games. Orlando is 17-21 against opponents over .500.
The Lakers have gone 22-13 away from home. Los Angeles is 7-2 in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Magic average 115.4 points per game, 0.3 more points than the 115.1 the Lakers give up. The Lakers average 116.6 points per game, 2.2 more than the 114.4 the Magic give up.
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Magic won the last matchup 110-109 on Feb. 25, with Paolo Banchero scoring 36 points in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Banchero is averaging 22.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and five assists for the Magic. Desmond Bane is averaging 22.3 points over the last 10 games.
LeBron James is averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists for the Lakers. Doncic is averaging 38.1 points and 9.2 rebounds while shooting 49.4% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 7-3, averaging 120.6 points, 44.7 rebounds, 27.3 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.3 points per game.
Lakers: 9-1, averaging 120.8 points, 41.2 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 8.8 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 50.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.0 points.
INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Wendell Carter Jr.: day to day (rib), Anthony Black: out (abdomen), Jonathan Isaac: out (knee).
Lakers: Maxi Kleber: day to day (back).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
San Antonio plays Indiana, aims for 5th straight win
Indiana Pacers (15-55, 15th in the Eastern Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (52-18, second in the Western Conference)
San Antonio; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: San Antonio will look to keep its four-game win streak alive when the Spurs take on Indiana.
The Spurs are 27-7 in home games. San Antonio ranks fourth in the Western Conference with 16.1 fast break points per game led by Devin Vassell averaging 2.7.
The Pacers are 5-30 in road games. Indiana is 7-35 against opponents over .500.
The Spurs are shooting 48.0% from the field this season, 1.0 percentage point lower than the 49.0% the Pacers allow to opponents. The Pacers average 13.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.1 more makes per game than the Spurs allow.
The teams square off for the second time this season. In the last meeting on Jan. 3 the Spurs won 123-113 led by 24 points from De'Aaron Fox, while Pascal Siakam scored 23 points for the Pacers.
TOP PERFORMERS: Victor Wembanyama is scoring 24.3 points per game with 11.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Spurs. Fox is averaging 20.4 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 53.0% over the last 10 games.
Siakam is averaging 24 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists for the Pacers. Jay Huff is averaging 1.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 9-1, averaging 123.6 points, 47.7 rebounds, 30.6 assists, 5.9 steals and 6.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.2 points per game.
Pacers: 0-10, averaging 110.2 points, 39.2 rebounds, 28.6 assists, 6.7 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.9 points.
INJURIES: Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle), Stephon Castle: day to day (hip).
Pacers: Pascal Siakam: day to day (knee), Micah Potter: day to day (triceps), Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Ivica Zubac: day to day (head), Andrew Nembhard: day to day (calf), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles), Obi Toppin: day to day (foot).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Dallas faces Los Angeles on home slide
Los Angeles Clippers (34-36, eighth in the Western Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (23-47, 13th in the Western Conference)
Dallas; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Dallas takes on Los Angeles looking to end its 10-game home slide.
The Mavericks have gone 12-30 against Western Conference opponents. Dallas has an 8-25 record in games decided by at least 10 points.
The Clippers have gone 21-23 against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles has a 17-25 record against opponents above .500.
The Mavericks average 10.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.7 fewer makes per game than the Clippers allow (13.4). The Clippers are shooting 48.3% from the field, 0.9% higher than the 47.4% the Mavericks' opponents have shot this season.
The teams square off for the third time this season. The Mavericks won the last meeting 114-110 on Nov. 30, with Cooper Flagg scoring 35 points in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Naji Marshall is shooting 52.1% and averaging 15.1 points for the Mavericks. Flagg is averaging 16.8 points over the last 10 games.
Kawhi Leonard is scoring 28.2 points per game and averaging 6.4 rebounds for the Clippers. Darius Garland is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 2-8, averaging 109.4 points, 45.9 rebounds, 26.0 assists, 6.9 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 44.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 123.2 points per game.
Clippers: 5-5, averaging 119.5 points, 39.0 rebounds, 24.2 assists, 11.1 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 50.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.3 points.
INJURIES: Mavericks: Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Caleb Martin: day to day (foot), Kyrie Irving: out for season (knee), Brandon Williams: day to day (head).
Clippers: Darius Garland: day to day (toe), Yanic Konan Niederhauser: out for season (foot), Bradley Beal: out for season (hip), Kawhi Leonard: day to day (ankle), Bennedict Mathurin: out (toe).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Utah takes on Philadelphia in non-conference play
Philadelphia 76ers (38-32, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (21-49, 14th in the Western Conference)
Salt Lake City; Saturday, 9:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia 76ers take on the Utah Jazz in non-conference play.
The Jazz are 13-22 in home games. Utah ranks third in the Western Conference with 16.3 fast break points per game led by Lauri Markkanen averaging 3.3.
The 76ers are 18-16 on the road. Philadelphia is ninth in the Eastern Conference allowing only 116.1 points while holding opponents to 47.0% shooting.
The Jazz's 13.0 made 3-pointers per game this season are just 0.4 fewer made shots on average than the 13.4 per game the 76ers give up. The Jazz average 115.6 points per game, 9.2 fewer points than the 124.8 the Jazz allow.
The two teams match up for the second time this season. The 76ers defeated the Jazz 106-102 in their last meeting on March 5. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 25 points, and Keyonte George led the Jazz with 30 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Filipowski is averaging 10.6 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Jazz. Ace Bailey is averaging 3.1 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Dominick Barlow is shooting 53.9% and averaging 8.3 points for the 76ers. Justin Edwards is averaging 1.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Jazz: 3-7, averaging 114.8 points, 43.0 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 10.0 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.2 points per game.
76ers: 5-5, averaging 111.0 points, 42.5 rebounds, 23.9 assists, 9.3 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.5 points.
INJURIES: Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: out (ankle), Brice Sensabaugh: day to day (illness), Isaiah Collier: day to day (hamstring), Keyonte George: out (leg), John Konchar: day to day (quad), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).
76ers: Tyrese Maxey: out (finger), Johni Broome: out (knee), Joel Embiid: out (oblique), Kelly Oubre Jr.: out (elbow).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Phoenix takes on Milwaukee, looks to end 4-game skid
Milwaukee Bucks (28-41, 11th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (39-31, seventh in the Western Conference)
Phoenix; Saturday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Phoenix aims to end its four-game losing streak when the Suns play Milwaukee.
The Suns have gone 22-13 at home. Phoenix is the worst team in the Western Conference scoring 42.6 points per game in the paint.
The Bucks are 12-22 on the road. Milwaukee has a 16-26 record in games decided by 10 or more points.
The Suns are shooting 45.3% from the field this season, 1.6 percentage points lower than the 46.9% the Bucks allow to opponents. The Bucks are shooting 47.9% from the field, 0.9% higher than the 47.0% the Suns' opponents have shot this season.
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Suns won the last meeting 129-114 on March 11, with Devin Booker scoring 27 points in the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Booker is averaging 25.8 points and 5.9 assists for the Suns. Jalen Green is averaging 22.3 points and 3.2 assists over the past 10 games.
Ryan Rollins is scoring 16.8 points per game with 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists for the Bucks. Bobby Portis is averaging 14.7 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 48.7% over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 5-5, averaging 112.9 points, 41.7 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 45.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.4 points per game.
Bucks: 2-8, averaging 106.2 points, 39.2 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 7.5 steals and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.5 points.
INJURIES: Suns: Grayson Allen: day to day (knee), Dillon Brooks: out (hand), Mark Williams: out (foot), Haywood Highsmith: day to day (knee), Royce O'Neale: day to day (knee), Amir Coffey: day to day (ankle).
Bucks: Kevin Porter Jr.: day to day (knee), Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Notes on a Colorado Rockies 14-11 loss to the Giants
Tonight, the Colorado Rockies welcomed the San Francisco Giants to Salt River Fields. In a high-scoring game, the Rockies lost, 14-11. For more game information, click here.
Let’s start with postgame comments from manager Warren Schaeffer:
Starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano also spoke with the media following the game:
And here are some game highlights for your viewing pleasure, especially since there were neither television nor radio feeds to follow.
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Canucks Struggle In The Defensive Zone, Fall 6-2 To The Lightning
The Vancouver Canucks picked up their 39th loss of the season as they fell 6-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Vancouver received goals from two of their Swedish forwards as Liam Öhgren and Linus Karlsson found the back of the net. As for Kevin Lankinen, he stopped 24 of the 30 shots he faced in the loss.
Thursday night was a good example of how far away the Canucks currently are from some of the league's best. The Lightning controlled the game all night and demonstrated why they are a favourite in the Eastern Conference. While it was only a one-goal game after the first, it was no surprise that Tampa Bay skated away with a victory.
"A team that we inspire to be, said Jake DeBrusk post-game when asked about the Lightning. "They play together always. I remember playing against them, even playing playoffs against them, but obviously got some different guys now. But yeah, they play as a group. And, you know, they have the results for a reason. And you know, like I said, that's something that we need to get to."
One of Vancouver's main issues in this game was protecting the front of the net. Tampa generated plenty of traffic in front of Lankinen, resulting in three goals scored from just outside the crease. Post-game, Head Coach Adam Foote spoke about the defensive issues that plagued his team on Thursday.
"Yeah. I mean, if he gets there, you can't be double-screen," said Foote. "We talked about that every day. And sometimes you lose your positioning, or where you are. I mean, you know, the one screen, the guy gets there, it could be from out of the corner. We talked about extending coverage. We didn't extend. They move the puck, you get beat to the net. So it's a fly-by screen, so things like that. It's just they take advantage of that. That's what NHL players do. They take advantage of little things like that. And, you know, we've got to learn from that quickly and hold our ground. And you know, these mistakes have to stop. You know, I call it extended coverage. One, two, three, you're not getting easy ice. We called the timeout because it looked like we kind of got a little bit rattled. I think the one where Kucherov called the reverse, and we got hemmed in our end instead of moving it forward. You don't want to bring it back against a savvy team like that, a veteran team. But also with Kucherov on the ice, you want to make sure you're playing North."
In the end, Thursday's loss goes into the learn and move category. The only real takeaway was that the Canucks have a long way to go before they are competitive again. Thursday was also a reminder of how good Nikita Kucherov is, as his three-point night puts him at 114 points on the season.
Stats and Facts:
- Brock Boeser ties Tony Tanti for ninth all-time in franchise history for points
- Jake DeBrusk led the team with five shots on goal
- Filip Hronek led all players in ice time at 23:55
- Aatu Räty led all players in hits with six
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
17:37- TBL: Jake Guentzel (30) from Charle-Edouard D'Astous and Ryan McDonagh
2nd Period:
00:49- TBL: Darren Raddysh (18) from Nikita Kucherov and Anthony Cirelli
4:16- TBL: Yanni Gourde (9) from Darren Raddysh and Pontus Holmberg
5:31- TBL: Nikita Kucherov (38) from Erik Cernak and Anthony Cirelli
12:06- VAN: Liam Öhgren (7) from Brock Boeser and Marco Rossi
3rd Period:
7:04- VAN: Linus Karlsson (13) from Marco Rossi
7:35- TBL: Anthony Cirelli (17) from Brandon Hagel and Erik Cernak
Up Next:
The Canucks continue their homestand on Saturday when the St. Louis Blues visit Rogers Arena. These two teams have already played twice this year, with each picking up a road win. Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Kings Ugly Second Period Dooms Them Against Flyers
After ending their five-game road trip 3-1-1, the Los Angeles Kings (28-24-16) returned home tonight to host the Philadelphia Flyers (33-23-12), but their loss today once again showed why they can't be trusted at Crypto.com Arena.
The Kings are now 10-15-8 at home this season with their loss today to the Flyers, and even though they had a good road trip, losing against a shorthanded team that was playing a back-to-back tonight is not a good sign.
Los Angeles had a great first period, once again showing good defense early on, holding Philly to three shots, and scoring the first goal to lead 1-0 after 20 minutes. The Flyers looked like a team playing on a back-to-back early, barely generating anything while the Kings dominated possession, but they picked up steam as the game progressed.
But the second period, which has been a struggle for Los Angeles all season, continued tonight, giving up three goals in the period, only the fourth time in 12 games that the Flyers have scored more than two goals in regulation time since coming out of the Olympic break.
The sloppy play, which allowed too many rush chances and led to errors, cost the Kings tonight against a shorthanded team.
A very winnable game for the Kings after a bad second period, they came back and forced overtime, but couldn't win the shootout, resulting in a heartbreaking loss in their return home.
The opening period was a quiet one until the final minute, when, off a Flyers turnover, Alex Laferriere found Quinton Byfield, who created space to score for Los Angeles, giving them a 1-0 lead to end the first.
Once again, LA outshot its opponent in the first period 6-3, played with great energy, defense, and forechecking, and looked poised to win after two days of rest.
However, the second period was something else. Both teams traded goals within the first 40 seconds of the period. Philadelphia got things started just 23 seconds into the second, tying the game 1-1 after converting on the slot with traffic in the middle.
The Kings, however, countered the Flyers. 21 seconds later, Anze Kopitar buried the rebound after Brandt Clarke missed the shot. Kopitar converted and gave the Kings back their lead.
The Flyers didn't go away, though, once again putting pressure on the Kings. Philly tied the score after a scramble in the crease. Darcy Kuemper attempted to cover it but failed.
The replays showed that it was a loose puck, and LA decided not to challenge the call and played on.
The Flyers pulled ahead a few minutes later to take their first lead of the night after Travis Sanheim scored from the center point through traffic. Kuemper was without his stick on the play, allowing Sanheim to pull the Flyers ahead with a shot.
Los Angeles had trouble protecting the puck in the second period and made too many errors, giving the Flyers rush chances to convert. Despite it being an even shooting period, with both teams taking 11 shots, Philly was the much better team.
LA made a push in the final period, and it was Breadman, Artemi Panarin, who scored the first power-play goal for the Kings at the 9:32 mark to keep the Kings alive.
It was a quiet third period for the Flyers. Los Angeles did a good job bringing back the energy they were playing with earlier in the game, and outshot the Flyers 6-4, allowing zero goals.
Los Angeles forced overtime, where neither team could get a shot up. Despite LA controlling the puck for much of the possession, they struggled to generate offense, forcing a shootout.
In the shootout, the Kings would lose both rounds, while the Flyers converted both times, defeating LA to split the season series 1-1.
Key Notes
Despite the Kings getting a point tonight, it's a heartbreaking loss because the Edmonton Oilers, Seattle Kraken, and San Jose Sharks all lost tonight, which would've created more separation for the Kings in the standings. But now they have a small lead over the Sharks, Seattle, and Nashville for the final playoff spot.
Overall, this was a very inconsistent game for the Kings. They played a great first period, an ugly second period, and came back in the third, but couldn't close out the game when it mattered most.
Artemi Panarin finished with one goal, one assist, and two points, scoring that clutch goal in the third period to force overtime. Anze Kopitar got a standing ovation from the home crowd after his historic achivement a few nights ago on the road, finishing with one goal tonight.
The Kings will continue their two-game home stand on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres at 1:00 PM PT.
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Six degrees of Diego Seguí to celebrate a 6-4 Mariners win
What a silly, precisely Spring Training baseball game. In celebration of the Mariners’ six-run seventh inning, we’re going to play six degrees of Kevin Bacon but with a Mariners twist (duh). I bandied about six degrees of Jerry Dipoto (yawn), six degrees of Jack Zduriencik (grim and boring) and six degrees of Alex Mayer (compelling, but not enough publicly available information). Ultimately, I settled on six degrees of Diego Seguí, because that seemed challenging but also a nice tie-in to the Mariners 50th celebration this season (the only player to have played for both the Mariners and the Pilots). A few additional parameters for my own sanity:
- The connections must be through individual players, not just teams or geographic entities.
- The connections can be statistical though, not just teammates.
- When possible, try not to take the easy road.
- Not every Mariner who played in tonight’s game needs to be included.
Randy Dobnak: First MLB strikeout was Roberto Pérez in 2019; Pérez didn’t allow a passed ball in 118 games at catcher – only three catchers played more games without a passed ball: Bill Dickey, Johnny Bench and Al Todd; Johnny Bench helped lead the Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 World Series title thanks, in part, to securing a crucial Game 5 win, wherein Bench scored on a Dave Concepción sacrifice fly given up by Diego Seguí.
Randy Arozarena: Was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Tampa Bay Rays alongside José Martínez; Martínez was the 2016 Serie del Caribe MVP; the Dominican League hosted the tournament that year and dedicated it to Hall of Famer Juan Marichal, who threw out the first pitch; Marichal was teammates on the 1974 Red Sox with Diego Seguí.
Mitch Garver: Played for the University of New Mexico alongside D.J. Peterson, where the two shared Mountain West Conference Player of the Year honors in 2012; when Peterson was hit in the face by a pitch while playing for the Clinton LumberKings in 2013, Alvin Davis, then a roving minor league instructor for the Mariners, accompanied him to the hospital; Davis, of course, was the 1984 Rookie of the Year, where he played alongside such luminaries as Larry Milbourne; Milbourne, whom the Mariners traded for twice, despite him being objectively quite bad at baseball, played on the 1977 Mariners with Diego Seguí.
Brock Rodden: Helped the 2023 Modesto Nuts, led by manager Zach Vincej, to the California League Championship; Vincej played just one game for the Seattle Mariners in 2018, when he went 2 for 4 at third base while Kyle Seager was on the paternity list for the birth of his third child; Seager made his big league debut for the Mariners in 2011, where he was coached by hitting coach Chris Chambliss; Chambliss, famously a Yankee, was scouted heavily – and drafted unsuccessfully twice over – by Cincinnati Reds scout Al Zarilla; Zarilla was in Tucson, Arizona in 1958 where he scouted and successfully convinced the Athletics to sign Diego Seguí.
Box Office Bonanza
The game was not televised (to my knowledge), but I understand some of you may be interested in the actual baseball game played tonight, not just my newest method of entertaining myself. Here are the key notes best I can discern:
- Good job Garver, Arozarena and Rodden on having two hits apiece tonight! You won the baseball game, and also the honor of being featured in this weird recap.
- Bad job Cal Raleigh for contributing 4 of the team’s 15 strikeouts (good thing it doesn’t matter, and that he also hit a very far double).
- Okay job, pitchers! Dobnak got the start (and the bonus weird recap glory) and allowed four hits over 3.2 innings, with no walks and two Ks. Jason Ruffcorn and Reese Lumpkin (absolutely and for sure a real human person (can you tell I haven’t watched much Spring Training?)) turned in scoreless innings, and Dane Dunning gave up a double, threw a wild pitch and allowed the runner to score on a clunky groundout, but otherwise remained solid over three innings. They get only an “okay” from me, because though a six hit, four run, one walk, seven strikeouts game is objectively solid, it is also quite boring when none of it matters. Sorry.