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Two goals from Eberechi Eze and two from Victor Gyökeres sent Arsenal five points clear at the top, while Spurs are in serious danger of relegation
It was quite the finish at the City Ground:
“Vitor Pereira’s just been sacked...” chortles Dave Estherby.
Continue reading...The hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics wrapped up on Sunday with a thrilling gold medal match between the United States and Canada.
Unsurprisingly, the game was decided in overtime, when Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils beat St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington between the legs to give Team USA their first gold medal in 46 years.
Not since the Miracle On Ice in 1980 had the United States claimed Olympic gold.
That also means Florida Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk, along with GM Bill Zito and Head Equipment Manager Teddy Richards, will be bringing home a shiny new gold medal to go along with his two Stanley Cup rings.
World Champs 🥇 pic.twitter.com/ugx4w0M0Xj
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) February 22, 2026
It’s been quite a run for Tkachuk over the past few years.
Since being acquired by the Panthers during the summer of 2022, Tkachuk has played in each of the past three Stanley Cup Finals, winning the most recent two, while also winning gold at the Olympics and, oh yeah, was named the MVP of the NHL All-Star Game that took place in South Florida during his first season with the team.
Apparently, it’s Chucky’s world and we’re all just living in it.
On the flip side of the coin (the silver side, apparently), the three Panthers players on Team Canada will be coming back to South Florida with silver medals.
Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett were all used somewhat sparingly during their time in Milan, a decision made by Canadian Head Coach Jon Cooper.
Up until the 1:41 mark of overtime on Sunday, it seemed like Cooper had been pushing all the right buttons.
Just as they had through much of the Olympics hockey tournament, Canada was rolling on Sunday, seeming to build more and more momentum as the game went on.
Ultimately, a Jim Craig-esque performance in goal by U.S. netminder Connor Hellebuyck kept the Americans in the fight long enough for Hughes to end things during the 3-on-3 overtime.
In total, seven Panthers players out of the 10 who participated at the Olympics finished on the podium.
Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola helped Finland defeat Slovakia 6-1 on Saturday in the bronze medal game.
Now unlike after winning the Stanley Cup, there won’t be much time for the players to reflect on their experiences in Milan.
The Panthers resume their season on Thursday when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs in a matchup of two non-playoff teams desperate for every point they can earn. It’s the first of a back-to-back for Florida.
The following night, the Buffalo Sabres will be in town, and Buffalo is currently holding the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Florida will hold a pair of practices this week before the back-to-back set.
As Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said Saturday, the expectation is that all players, including those returning from the Olympics, are healthy and eligible for Thursday, outside of Tomas Nosek, Dmitry Kulikov and Jonah Gadjovich, all of whom could play sometime during Florida’s upcoming road trip.
Maurice said Sunday that defenseman Seth Jones, who skated with Sasha Barkov before Florida’s practice on Saturday, could join group practices sometime next week.
Barkov remains a ways away from returning, as he continues building the strength back up in his surgically repaired knee.
LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA
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4 Panthers Players Will Play For Olympic Gold, 3 Others Will Fight For Bronze
The Hockey Show: US Women Take Gold, Men's Tournament Has Been Amazing, Adnan Virk Discusses All
Will Panthers' Sam Bennett Be Ready For Team Canada's Semifinal Matchup?
Panthers' AJ Greer Visits Patients At Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
Photo caption: Feb 22, 2026; Milan, Italy; Matthew Tkachuk (19) of the United States celebrates after defeating Canada in the men's ice hockey gold medal game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. (Amber Searls-Imagn Images)
Fermín López caps 3-0 win over Levante
Atalanta strike late to beat Napoli 2-1
Barcelona returned to the top of La Liga with a 3-0 victory over relegation-threatened Levante as Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong and substitute Fermín López struck at Camp Nou.
Last season’s champions moved to 61 points from 25 games, one ahead of Real Madrid after their rivals’ defeat by Osasuna on Saturday. Barça had slipped to second following last week’s 2-1 loss to Girona but rarely looked troubled by a Levante side second from bottom on 18 points.
Continue reading...George Ford: ‘We want to get to root of the problems’
Second straight loss destroyed championship hopes
George Ford has vowed that England will conduct a “properly honest” and “uncomfortable” review of their Six Nations humiliation against Ireland on Saturday.
The hosts collapsed spectacularly in the face of an Irish onslaught at Twickenham, falling 22-0 behind after half an hour, with Ford’s surprising inaccuracy at fly-half exemplifying an error-strewn team display. The Sale No 10 missed two kicks for touch which proved terminal to England’s hopes of applying pressure in the decisive early stages.
Continue reading...Recently, we here at The Hockey News Montreal Canadiens have been looking at potential trade targets for the Habs from clubs that are expected to be sellers.
In this latest edition of the series, let's discuss two potential trade targets from the Calgary Flames that could be strong fits on the Canadiens' roster.
Nazem Kadri has been connected to the Canadiens often this season, and it makes sense given their need for another star center. If the Canadiens landed Kadri, he could fit very nicely as their second-line center and power play.
Kadri would also give the Canadiens a veteran forward who has a Stanley Cup on his resume. Furthermore, he would be more than a rental for Montreal if acquired, as he has a $7 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season.
Yet, with Kadri being one of the top centers in the trade market and having multiple years left on his deal, there is no question that the Flames would want a big return in a potential move.
Blake Coleman is another notable Flames trade candidate who has been linked to the Canadiens this season. If the Canadiens brought him in, he would be an excellent addition to their middle six.
Coleman is exactly the kind of forward that the Canadiens should be going after. This is because he not only contributes solid secondary offensive production, but also plays a heavy game. Furthermore, he is capable of playing multiple positions and is also well-known for his leadership qualities, which add to his appeal.
Like Kadri, Coleman would be more than a rental for the Canadiens, as he has a $4.9 million cap hit until the end of next season.
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The Brooklyn Nets will look to rebound from two tough blowout losses as they continue their road trip against the Atlanta Hawks this afternoon.
Both offenses look a bit out of sync right now, and that’s why I’m taking the Under in my Nets vs. Hawks predictions.
Keep reading for a full analysis of this game and my free NBA picks on Sunday, February 22.
Nets vs Hawks best bet: Under 228 (-110)
The Brooklyn Nets are among the slowest-paced teams in the NBA this year, averaging 99.3 possessions per game on the season.
We’ve also seen the Nets — already the worst team in the league in offensive efficiency — struggle mightily on this road trip, putting up 84 and 86 points in their last two games, respectively.
Normally, we could count on the Atlanta Hawks to lift the total, but they have hit three straight Unders themselves, averaging 107.0 points in that span.
With neither team putting up much offense, I’m taking the Under this afternoon.
While both teams have been struggling lately, the Nets are coming off two blowout road losses, and I’m looking to make that three in a row by taking the Hawks to cover in combination with the Under. I’ll also take CJ McCollum to hit his scoring total, as he’s hit that total in three of his last four games.
I’m banking on a big game from Hawks leader Jalen Johnson. I’ll take him to get Over 7.5 assists, something he’s done in six of his last seven games, and to hit at least two shots from deep, which he’s already done three times this month. I’ll also throw in a bet on McCollum to hit Over 2.5 threes, a number he’s cleared in back-to-back games.
The Under is 3-0 in Atlanta’s last three games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. Hawks.
| Location | State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA |
| Date | Sunday, February 22, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | YES, FDSN Southeast Atlanta |
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LILLE, France (AP) — France remained on course for the Six Nations title after a scrappy 33-8 win against Italy on Sunday.
Fabien Galthié’s side is favored to win back-to-back titles and is the only team to have won all three matches. France grabbed five tries for a bonus point and has 19 tries so far, having managed a tournament-record 30 last year.
Jet-heeled left winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey, lock Emmanuel Meafou and makeshift flyhalf Thomas Ramos scored first-half tries at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, two of them set up by star scrumhalf Antoine Dupont.
But after leading 19-0 inside 30 minutes, the French tried too much entertaining as indiscipline allowed Italy back in.
An opportunist try from fullback Ange Capuozzo followed by Paolo Garbisi’s penalty pulled it back to 19-8.
The scoreboard stayed static until 31 minutes into the second half when the ever-alert Ramos kicked into the right corner to give winger Gaël Dréan a try on test debut.
That try came about when Italy was down to 14 players after winger Louis Lynagh — the son of Australian flyhalf great Michael Lynagh — was carelessly sinbinned for a deliberate knock-on.
Italy's bench was angry at the try, which came with the Italians effectively down to 13 because Capuozzo was not yet back on the field following treatment for a shoulder injury.
Center Emilien Gailleton showed his strength when he broke a tackle to dive over in the closing stages, and Ramos converted. ___
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
Five Golden Knights skated in the gold medal game on Sunday, none coming away with a point, but the entire quintet coming home with hardware.
The United States beat Canada 2-1 when New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes buried the golden goal in overtime, delivering the hockey gold on the final day of the Milan Cortina Olympics, exactly 46 years after the 1980 men's team authored the epic "Miracle on Ice" tale.
Hughes' winning goal came just 1 minute, 41 seconds into overtime.
Vegas was represented by Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin on Team USA, while Mark Stone, Mitch Marner and Shea Theodore skated for Canada.
Eichel led all Golden Knights with six points (2 goals, 4 assists), while Marner turned in five points (1, 4).
Stone had four points (2, 2), Hanifin had three points (1, 2) and Theodore had two points (1, 1).
Also representing the Knights were Tomas Hertl, who had one assist for Czechia, and Rasmus Andersson, who didn't register a point for Sweden.
Vegas goaltender Akira Schmid played in one game for Switzerland and finished with 34 saves and five goals allowed.
In the gold medal game, Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy opened the scoring six minutes into the game. The Americans held the lead until Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar tied the game late in the second period.
Long known for his postseason struggles with the Winnipeg Jets, U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck was outstanding, stopping 41 shots. St. Louis Blues and Canada goaltender Jordan Binnington made 26 saves.
During the celebration, U.S. captain Auston Matthews, Zach Werenski and Matthew Tkachuk skated around the ice with the jersey of the late Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed alongside his brother in 2024 when they were struck by a SUV while riding bicycles.
Later, after the medal ceremony, Gaudreau's children were brought onto the ice for the team picture, while Gaudreau's jersey was draped front and center.
Gaudreau would have been a candidate to make the US team, which hung his jersey in its locker room before each game.
Canada defeated Team USA 3-2 in overtime in last year's Four Nations tournament, staged by the NHL during what would have been the All-Star break.
PHOTO CAPTION: Jack Eichel (9) of the United States celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period against Slovakia in a men's ice hockey semifinal during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
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The Portland Trail Blazers look to rebound from a blowout loss on Friday when they visit the Phoenix Suns tonight.
Donovan Clingan will need to be a big part of Portland’s success, and I’m expecting the center to have a big night in the box score in my Trail Blazers vs. Suns predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, February 22.
Trail Blazers vs Suns best bet: Donovan Clingan double-double (-140)
The Portland Trail Blazers lost by 54 points to the Nuggets on Friday, but Donovan Clingan had a solid game himself with 15 points and nine boards — one rebound shy of the double-double.
Clingan, who’s averaging over 11 points and 11 rebounds per game this season, will record his 22nd double-double of the season tonight vs. a Phoenix Suns squad that struggles on the glass.
The Suns are 18th in the NBA in rebounds per game and 16th in rebounds allowed per game.
The Trail Blazers center has logged a double-double in four of his last seven contests.
Clingan has recorded Over 11.5 rebounds in eight of his last 12 games, while Suns center Mark Williams has Over 8.5 boards in six of his last seven contests.
Both centers are the primary rebounders for their teams and will dominate the glass tonight.
Deni Avdija has three double-doubles in his last five games, including a 15-point, 13-assist effort on Friday.
Williams has four double-doubles of his own in his last seven contests, and will get plenty of opportunity with Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks both out.
The Over is 8-0 in Portland’s last eight games and 4-1 in the last five H2H meetings. Find more NBA betting trends for Trail Blazers vs. Suns.
| Location | Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ |
| Date | Sunday, February 22, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | BlazerVision, Suns+ |
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The Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to make it eight-straight wins as they head on the road to take on a shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder team.
I’ll be in the comments throughout the game sharing my thoughts. Come talk with me and the rest of your fellow Cavs fans there.
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Go Cavs!
The eye test says Jayson Tatum is nearing a return, but he keeps saying that "nothing is set in stone."
Tatum is with his teammates on a West Coast road swing, which includes a game against the rival Lakers on Sunday on NBC and Peacock. At Celtics practice Saturday in Santa Monica, he said on Monday he went through a 5-on-5 workout and practice, the second time he has done that (the first was with the Maine Celtics of the G League).
Another day of work pic.twitter.com/EJD0iT58rP
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 21, 2026
Those workouts and practices are usually the final steps before a return to court, but after practice Saturday, Tatum refused to put a timeline on his return from a torn Achilles when speaking to reporters (see the interview at NBC Sports Boston).
"Nothing is set in stone, just more so work out, see how you recover the next day, then make a plan from there..." Tatum said.
"It's tough to go into details of every single thing I do every day, but I will say just getting acclimated more and doing limited things with some of the guys out there. But it's all a part of the rehab. We're just going with the plan."
Boston is 36-19 and sits as the No. 2 seed in the East. Even without Tatum, it is a threat to come out of the conference and advance to the NBA Finals. With Tatum — a player who has finished in the top six in MVP voting for four consecutive years — the Celtics might be the favorite.
Which is why everyone is watching his return. Right now, all anyone in Boston will say is that they are following the plan. But the eye test suggests that the plan is almost complete, and his return could come sooner rather than later.
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The Philadelphia 76ers are going through their roughest stretch of the season, losing four straight games, all by double digits. Minnesota, meanwhile, has won three straight and seven of the last 10.
With key players missing for both sides, my 76ers vs. Timberwolves predictions and NBA picks look for Minnesota to get a home cover on Sunday, February 22.
76ers vs Timberwolves best bet: Timberwolves -8.5 (-115)
Not only have the Philadelphia 76ers lost four straight by an average of 22.8 points, but three of them have also come against teams with a losing record. Coach Nick Nurse admitted the team has hit its toughest point this season.
The Minnesota Timberwolves should have their full attention on the Sixers. After winning two straight by more than 20, the T-Wolves jumped out to an 18-point lead against Dallas on Friday, only to play with their food a bit and allow the Mavericks to tie it late. All-Star MVP Anthony Edwards had 40 against Dallas and will continue his hot play in Philly.
Edwards had 40 against Dallas and will be the focus of the Minnesota offense again today. He’s made more than half his shots and more than a third of his three-point attempts each of the last three games, with an All-Star MVP performance sandwiched in the middle.
With Gobert out, Julius Randle will need to help pick up the slack on the boards. Even with Gobert next to him, he’s had seven or more rebounds in four of the last five contests.
The odds seem unusually long for Edwards’ three-pointers. He’s made four or more in four of the last five and hit five treys twice over that span. He’s 13 for his last 30 from three.
Like Randle, Naz Reid will need to pitch in more than usual to help with rebounding with Gobert out.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have hit the Game Total Under in 18 of their last 25 games at home. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Timberwolves.
| Location | Target Center, Minneapolis, MN |
| Date | Sunday, February 22, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC Sports Philadelphia, FDSN North |
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The NBA is set up to own Sundays for the next few months, with football in the rearview mirror and marquee weekend matchups on the schedule — and that starts today with wall-to-wall hoops and a stack of NBA player props to choose from.
Here are my Top 3 NBA picks for a February 22 slate that promises fireworks.
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Ryan Rollins | Over 17.5 points | -115 |
 Luka Doncic | Double-Double | +115 |
 Derrick Jones Jr. | Over 16.5 points + rebounds | -115 |
-115 at bet365
Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks are leaning on Ryan Rollins in a big way, and he’s fresh off dropping 27 points on the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday with a 10-for-15 line.
He’s gone past this number in seven of his last nine games, and he’s shooting 52% from 3-point range in February.
Even if Myles Turner returns today, Rollins is the go-to guy for the Bucks as they try to hang in the play-in race, and I’m banking on another outing with 20+ points for the breakout guard here against a Scottie Barnes-less Toronto Raptors team.
+115 at bet365
Luka Doncic may be heading for the NBA scoring title, but he’s also a walking triple-double threat — and I love these plus odds for 10+ assists or rebounds alongside a big points haul tonight against the Celtics.
Doncic will have a size edge over the Boston backcourt, and he’s logged a double-double in seven of the last eight contests where he’s played 30+ minutes.
Boosted by Austin Reaves’ return as another proven bucket-getter, Luka dished 11 dimes in the Lakers’ win over the Clippers on Friday, and he could also be busy on the boards here with the Celtics’ 3-point barrage.
-115 at bet365
It’s all change in Clipperland after the James Harden and Ivica Zubac trades, and Derrick Jones Jr. is one of the short-term beneficiaries. He logged 39 minutes on Friday against the Lakers, and that kind of workload can power this combo Over.
Without Darius Garland and John Collins, L.A. is shorthanded as it takes on the Magic tonight, and Jones Jr. has blown past this combo O/U line in his past two outings, including a 13-point, eight-rebound effort last time out.
He’s also shooting 50% from the field in February, with 2+ triples in three of his prior four contests.
These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.
Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!
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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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“Opportunities missed. Board inept. Fans disrespected. Glasner finished,” read the banner unfurled by the Crystal Palace supporters behind Dean Henderson’s goal after barely 30 seconds of their meeting with bottom side Wolves. If it was meant to inspire a first league victory here since 1 November then it somehow had the desired effect.
Having huffed and puffed against a side playing with 10 men for half an hour after Ladislav Krejci was shown a second yellow card for stupidly kicking the ball away, it looked like being another miserable afternoon for Oliver Glasner. But when Evann Guessand’s winner went in during the final minute of normal time, there was an explosion of joy as some of the frustrations of the previous few weeks suddenly melted away.
Continue reading...
Well today we have Atlanta’s first “home” game of 2026 Spring Training and we are treated to Chris Sale on the mound. Not only is a potential future Hall of Famer on the mound, but the Braves are rolling out what could be most of the Opening Day lineup.
The only member of the likely Opening Day lineup missing is Mike Yastrzemski, who homered in yesterday’s game. It’s February 22nd, so things are very subject to change, but I wouldn’t love batting Baldwin and Olson 2nd and 3rd like that, and would probably prefer swapping Olson with Profar, just to avoid stacking two lefties together like that. I also would probably have Olson in the 2 spot instead of Baldwin, but we’ll see how the lineup develops throughout Spring Training in Walt Weiss’ first season as manager. Today we are mostly hoping for health from everyone, maybe a few fun moments, and perhaps some cool prospect performances later in the game.
You can see both lineups below, as the Twins are leading off Byron Buxton and have former Brave Orlando Arcia starting at shortstop.
You can find today’s game on Gray TV, MLB.tv, or on the radio with 680 AM/93.7FM The Fan. Boy is it nice to have baseball back in our lives. Join us and discuss today’s game in the comments below!
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