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Spencer Knight Seems To Be Blackhawks’ Number One Goalie Now

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The Chicago Blackhawks took a tough loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. The 3-1 final didn’t indicate how much LA dominated Chicago at United Center. 

The score was closer than it should have been because of Spencer Knight's play. He made 31 saves on 33 shots against a playoff-bound Kings team loaded with talent. Without Knight playing lights out, this game would have been ugly. 

Both goals that Knight gave up came within a minute of each other in the first period. One was a perfectly placed wrist shot by Trevor Moore and the other was a deflection by Alex Turcotte. Outside of those, he was perfect and you can’t ask for much more. 

The most notable fact about Knight’s game against the Kings is that he started it. The loss to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday was hardly his fault, but he did allow six goals. Interim head coach Anders Sorensen went right back to him, and it paid off. 

This isn’t the first time that Knight has gone back-to-back, either. Last week, he made two consecutive starts for the first time in his Blackhawks career. This is contrary to Sorensen's statement that he would rotate with Arvid Soderblom when Knight was first acquired. 

It seems like Knight is the number one goalie in Chicago moving forward. Being a first-round pick, Stanley Cup champion, and main piece in the Seth Jones trade, Knight has the pedigree needed to be the main guy. 

The Blackhawks have a back-to-back this upcoming weekend. Saturday is a road tilt against the St. Louis Blues, and Sunday is a home match against the Philadelphia Flyers. Soderblom will go against the Blues and Knight will get the Flyers. 

"Good. Today he gave us a chance to stay in the game in the first period." Interim head coach Anders Sorensen said of Knight and how he's been playing. "Really good down low, reads the play, handles the puck well. There is lots to like."

Although Sorensen is likely not going to be the head coach next year, he is giving a hand in developing him right now. Sorensen has confidence in Knight as he continues to start him despite what he said when the deal to get him was first made. 

The organization is showing Spencer Knight that he is their guy and that they are going to ride with him through thick and thin. A champion can be built with that mentality if the right players are involved. 

If Knight can truly be a high-end number-one goalie for a long time, the Blackhawks have an incredibly important piece locked down. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Draymond reveals NSFW defensive mindset vs. NBA opponents

Draymond reveals NSFW defensive mindset vs. NBA opponents originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green’s love for defense has been no secret over his illustrious 13-year Warriors career.

And on the latest episode of his “Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis,” the four-time champion revealed his blunt, not-safe-for-work defensive approach.

“I take a great deal of pride in f—–g up your team’s offense,” Green proudly admitted Friday.

That should come as no surprise.

Green, recently declared the “best defender in the world” by longtime Warriors coach Steve Kerr, has been known in his time as arguably the league’s most versatile stopper with a peak rivaled by few; really, who can competently guard everyone from LeBron James to Victor Wembanyama?

Green’s 2016-17 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award and eight All-Defense team nods only cement his continuous two-way legacy.  

“As much as I enjoy locking one guy down, I take more pride in locking your entire offense down,” Green explained. “Your coach has to figure something else out, making your offense have to make adjustments; I take more pride in that. 

“For me, there’s a lot of pride in how you guard your matchup, how you guard the ball. I almost enjoy more messing up your offense from the weak side. I think when you start talking about guys who can guard the ball and guys who can be great help-side defenders, I think I’m elite at all of that.”

Most of the league’s stellar defenders specialize in a certain area like the perimeter or paint. Green, however, survives – shines, rather – wherever he or Kerr sees fit.

Green isn’t your typical star-stopper. Instead, he proudly is an offense ruiner.

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Sharks' Luca Cagnoni Can't Believe He's In NHL

San Jose Sharks defenseman Luca Cagnoni (42) and Carolina Hurricanes left wing Taylor Hall (71) battle for the puck behind the net during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

San Jose Sharks rookie defenseman Luca Cagnoni made his much-anticipated NHL debut on Thursday following the 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Cagnoni became the first defenseman from the 2023 NHL Draft to play in the NHL. The Sharks rookie told reporters he did not know that postgame.

"I mean, I've been saying it all week since the call-up, it's pretty surreal," Cagnoni said postgame. "Definitely where I started my career, like not getting drafted in the WHL. It's a pretty special moment, even for my family. Probably them the most. To see me go through it and them being by my side, It's pretty special to have them here."

Cagnoni led all Sharks players in ice time with 23:15. He was paired with Vincent Desharnais on defense, and head coach Ryan Warsofsky liked what he saw.

"The game started slowing down for him in the second and third period," Warsofsky said. "Luca helps from a puck-moving standpoint."

READ THE FULL STORY ON SHARKS HOCKEY DIGEST

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MLB suspends Julio Urías for second violation of policy against domestic violence

San Francisco, CA - October 09: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias.
Julio Urías pitching for the Dodgers in the 2021 NLDS against the Giants. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías was suspended through the All-Star break for a second violation of MLB’s policy against domestic violence and sexual assault.

Under the discipline, announced Friday by commissioner Rob Manfred, Urías will be reinstated July 17 and be eligible to sign with any team.

Urías is the first player suspended twice under the policy, which was adopted in 2015. Urías was suspended for 20 games in 2019.

The latest suspension does not cover a particular number of games, as teams do not play a uniform number of games before the break. The Dodgers, for instance, are scheduled to play 95 games before the break.

Read more:Tokyo takeaways: Dodgers relish experience, expect Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts back soon

However, of the 18 players suspended under the policy, only three have been suspended for more than 95 games.

Pitcher Trevor Bauer, a teammate of Urías with the Dodgers, was suspended 324 games by Manfred. An arbitrator later reduced the suspension to 194 games, still the longest levied under the policy.

Bauer is the only player who has contested such a suspension.

The 28-year-old Urías, a native of Mexico, is a free agent and would be eligible to sign with a team in the Mexican League, even as he remains on the restricted list in MLB.

Players suspended under the policy often issue a statement through the players union. Urias chose not to do so.

MLB said Urías agreed to evaluation by a policy board overseen by the league and the union and to comply with any recommended treatment plan. MLB also said it would “continue to make support services available to Urías and his family.”

Said Manfred in the statement: “The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball has completed its investigation into allegations that free agent pitcher Julio Urías violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Urías violated our Policy and that discipline is appropriate.”

Read more:Witness video in former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías' domestic battery case released

Urías was arrested outside BMO Stadium on Sept. 3, 2023, following an LAFC game. Eight months later he pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of domestic battery. Witness video provided to the California Highway Patrol and obtained by The Times last September shows Urías charging after his wife, pulling her aside and shoving her against a fence. After the two were separated, the video shows Urías swinging at her with his left hand.

The MLB investigation was delayed in part because, while the existence of the video was reported shortly after the incident, league officials had not seen it until The Times published it.

Urías was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence, but the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office determined that “neither the victim’s injuries nor the defendant’s criminal history justify a felony filing.” The city attorney’s office subsequently filed five misdemeanor charges against Urías. He pleaded no contest to one, the other four were dropped, and he agreed to enter a yearlong domestic violence treatment program.

He also agreed to complete a similar program in 2019, when he was arrested after an incident in the Beverly Center parking lot. Witnesses said he pushed his fiancee, she said she fell, and no charges were filed.

The league subsequently suspended him. Under its policy the league can suspend a player even if no charges are filed.

At that time Urías issued a statement that read in part: “Although the authorities determined no charges of any kind were warranted, I accept full responsibility for what I believe was my inappropriate conduct during the incident.

“Even in this instance where there was no injury or history of violence, I understand and agree that Major League players should be held to a higher standard. I hold myself to a higher standard as well.”

Read more:Jackie Robinson's Army story restored to Defense Department site after removal in DEI purge

Urías was placed on administrative leave for the final month of the 2023 season, after which his contract with the Dodgers expired and he became a free agent.

He has not pitched since then.

Bauer, a Cy Young Award winner, has been a free agent since January 2023, following the arbitrator’s ruling. No major league team has signed him. He pitched in Japan in 2023 and in Mexico in 2024 and signed to return to Japan this year.

Urías recorded the final out of the Dodgers’ World Series championship in 2020. He led the National League in victories (20) in 2021 and earned-run average (2.16) in 2022.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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"Friday Knight hiLights": William Karlsson's Long-Awaited Reunion With Reilly Smith Met With Victory For Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS -- Golden Knights center William Karlsson skated down the right side of the ice and without hesitation, with defenders around, fired a ridiculous backhanded pass to hard-charging Reilly Smith as he approached the net.

It was the type of play that reminiscent of what Golden Knights fans were used to seeing during the team's first six years of existence. If only Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman wasn't there to stonewall Smith, a raucous crowd of 18,225 would have lost it to see two of their favorite original misfits connect for a goal after skating together for the first time since Smith's return.

After the Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2023, Smith was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last offseason he was traded to the New York Rangers.

Smith was reacquired by the Golden Knights earlier this month, just before the deadline, and Karlsson returned to the lineup for Thursday night's 5-1 win over the Bruins.

"Yeah, one thing I did well there on that shift, especially that pass to Reilly," said Karlsson, who had an assist and played 20 shifts for a total of 15:57 on the ice. "I had a lot of speed on my boots. Too bad it wasn't meant to be."

Karlsson said he'd like to work on his sharpness, but was otherwise pleased with his speed and ability to see the ice and play in all facets of the game.

"Pretty good, pretty good," Karlsson said. "Good to be back out there with the fellas and the body felt pretty good, so can't complain. I think I adjusted pretty quick. I didn't feel like it was super fast out there, and it felt like it usually is."

Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy agreed.

"I figured his pace would be there," Cassidy said. "That's why he missed time, to correct some of that. And I think he's feeling really good, his body and his legs and that part of it. It's the rust of playing with people around you. It's hard to get that, especially this time of year, we're not practicing that much. So I liked his game a lot, thought he did some good things ... grabbing pucks down low in our end, playing good defense and being in the right spot. I think he made a couple plays to Smitty, good on the kill, power play."

One area Cassidy said Karlsson will benefit over the others is the excitement of wanting to be back on the ice, while others may be feeling normal end-of-the-season fatigue.

"(He) does have a little bit of catching up to do, but you know, sometimes that's not a bad thing," Cassidy added. "He's excited to play, where other guys have played a lot and ... it's the mental grind. He doesn't at least have to go through that. It's the excitement of being back in the lineup. So you know, there's always a positive to it."

AROUND THE BEAT

From The Hockey News' Julian Gaudio: Golden Knights' Pavel Dorofeyev Records A Hat Trick As He Hits The 30-Goal Mark

From Sin Bin Vegas' Ken Boehlke: Karlsson’s Return Offers First Look At Post-Deadline Healthy Forward Lines

From The Athletic's Jesse Granger: Alex Ovechkin 7 goals from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record after scoring vs. Flyers

From Las Vegas Review-Journal's Danny Webster: Golden Knights’ consistent star continues chase for 100-point season

From Las Vegas Sun's Jack Williams: Golden Knights always believed in Dorofeyev's offensive potential

FORMER KNIGHTS

Logan Thompson appears to have regained his winning touch for the Capitals, after a brief lull. Thompson is 5-0-0 since March 3, with a 2.36 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. The undefeated streak follows a 2-2-2 showing from Feb. 1 through March 1.

Jonathan Marchessault goes into the final several weeks of the season looking for a spark, as he's got just one goal and three assists over his last 13 games for the Predators. The Golden Knights visit Nashville on March 29.

Erik Haula had a goal for the Devils in Thursday's 5-3 home loss to the Flames. It was just his seventh goal of the season. Haula had 16 goals last season, and 14 the year before, his first in New Jersey.

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Draymond reveals KAT's blunt trash talk during heated matchup

Draymond reveals KAT's blunt trash talk during heated matchup originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Typically Draymond Green is the one delivering trash talk on the court, but the Warriors star revealed Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns provided plenty of commentary during their matchup last weekend.

The fued between Green and Towns took center stage during Golden State’s gritty 97-94 win, but the Knicks star made sure that the four-time NBA champion wasn’t the only one chirping.

On a recent episode of “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis,” Green revealed what Towns told him during their intense matchup.

“I think this was a big moment for Towns in my opinion, and I’m going to go more into why I think it was a big moment, but I’m going to tell you what he said,” Green explained. “He said I called him, ‘soft.’ I said he’s soft. He said, ‘You a hoe.’ I said, ‘oh.’ He said, ‘hoe, hoe, hoe.’ I said get him out of here, go sit him down. Go sit him on the bench, ‘Hey [Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau], get him out of here. He said, ‘You a hoe!’ “

Green explained that he believes Towns is an exceptional talent but could benefit from the kind of motivation the Warriors star’s trash talk appeares to provide.

“So listen, I’m loving that … If Karl-Anthony Towns is my teammate, that’s what I’m looking to get out of him every single night.,” Green said. “I need you on this type of time, and here’s why. I need to get that from him because there’s guys like Karl-Anthony Towns that are that talented that sometimes they need somebody to put the battery pack in their back. And Karl-Anthony Towns in my opinion is one of those guys. Because he’s got the size, he’s strong as hell and he obviously has the skill.

So, if I can get you to play with that level of physicality more often than not, We’re going to win way more games than we lose and I’m going to get you to be a better player than you knew or thought you were. So he would 100 percent be better off if he always played that physical, and by the way, if he played that physical all the time he’d be a lot more respected around the NBA than he is.”

Towns finished with a game-high 29 points and 12 rebounds in the loss, giving the Warriors all they could handle right down to the final minute of the hard-fought game.

Green shared that if Towns plays with that chip on his shoulder in every game, it will provide an incredibly difficult challenge for the opponents tasked with slowing him down.

If KAT comes out and plays with the type of dog that he played with against me the other night, man good luck guarding Karl-Anthony Towns. The way he shoot the ball like a guard and he got that type of dog, you’re not stopping him.

While the Warriors wont see the Knicks again during the 2024-25 NBA regular season, there is a chance Golden State and New York could meet in the Finals, which would provide the ultimate stage for a Green-Towns showdown that would be sure to deliver fireworks.

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Sent to Coventry: how Bach’s power helped Zimbabwean’s shock IOC win

Poll result defied candidates’ calculations and illustrated outgoing president’s influence but change may yet come

It might sound beyond ridiculous, given the scale of Kirsty Coventry’s seismic victory in the International Olympic Committee presidential election. But as the various royals, sporting dignitaries, politicians and billionaires left the Costa Navarino resort on Friday, some really believed the result could have turned out very differently.

Yes, the 41-year-old Zimbabwean ex-swimmer had won in the first round with 49 votes to become the first woman to lead the IOC. And yes, Juan Antonio Samaranch and Sebastian Coe, the other members of the “Big Three”, had come away with just 28 and eight votes respectively. But in the postmortem there were several stories about how the IOC machine had powered Thomas Bach’s chosen successor over the line.

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