A two-goal Nashville Predators lead in the first period wasn't enough to hold off the Dallas Stars on Saturday as they scored three unanswered goals to defeat the Predators, 3-2, in overtime at American Airlines Arena.
It's the Stars' eighth straight win and the Predators' fourth straight overtime loss.
On the play that led to the game-winning goal, Wyatt Johnston wrapped around to the middle of the slot and fired a shot that went wide. Brady Skjei went to block the shot, but was indirectly tripped up by Miro Heiskanen's stick.
At the same time, Heiskanen was battling for positioning with Steven Stamkos when his stick was knocked out of his hands, taking him out of the play.
Heiskanen picked up the rebound and passed the puck over to Jason Robertson at the left side of the net. Prior to the pass, Erik Haula got tied up with Robertson, but Robertson was able to break free.
Robertson tapped the puck in for an easy, game-winning score.
Nashville jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. On the power play, Matthew Wood faked a shot and passed it over Michael Bunting on the right side for the score and to put the Predators up 1-0.
A little over a minute later, Stamkos scored his 30th goal of the season off a steal at the blue line and passed it to Luke Evangelista for a break into the Stars zone. Evangelista gave it back to Stamkos and he beat Jake Oettinger blocker side to make it 2-0.
The goal also saw Evangelista record his second assist of the game.
Nashville's offense went into a lull in the second period, getting just four shots on net and seeing Wyatt Johnston snap Juuse Saros' shutout bid on the power play to make it 2-1.
In the third period, a no-icing call caught the Predators off guard, allowing Thomas Harley to get a shot on net and Nathan Bastian to put the rebound away to tie the game, 2-2.
Of note, defenseman Adam Wilsby left the game with a lower-body injury and did not return. Nashville played with five defensemen for the majority of the night.
Saros made 22 saves on 25 shots, dropping his fifth overtime game of the season.
Nashville is sitting at 62 points, just a point outside of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. That gap may lengthen by the end of Saturday night, pending the result of the Seattle (63 points) and Vancouver game.
The Predators are back at home on Monday against the Detroit Red Wings at 1 p.m. CST.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 28: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to pass the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors on February 28, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Listen, there are losses you see coming, and then there are losses that still somehow feel like catching a stray. The Golden State Warriors fell 129-101 to the Los Angeles Lakers Friday night, and honestly? The box score is doing them a favor by not including the vibe. IT WAS DEPRESSING.
Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Kristaps Porzingis all missed the game. And without that super trio, Golden State sent a crew of guys who were genuinely trying out there and got reminded, rather loudly, that trying only gets you so far against a team built different.
Oh, and it just happened to be Luka Doncic’s birthday. Cool timing, Warriors.
Luka turned in a 26-point, 8-assist, 6-rebound gift-wrapped performance and looked like a man who specifically requested a Warriors beatdown on his birthday cake. 4-of-9 from three, efficient when it mattered, and just different enough from the Luka we’ve seen lately to make it sting a little extra. Happy birthday, big fella. The Dubs paid for the party.
The Warriors starters were a collective nightmare. Draymond Green went -30 in 24 minutes. That’s not a plus/minus for the future Hall-of-Famer, that’s a hostage situation. De’Anthony Melton shot 3-of-12 from the field Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody combined to go 8-of-23 in an effort that showed they definitely have growing to do. The bench tried (Gary Payton II had a sneaky 12 points, Malevy Leons showed some life ) but this was a waves-on-a-sinking-ship situation.
Barkley sarcastically apologizes to the Lakers, says they’re serious contenders.
The Lakers? 53% from the field, 46% from three, 47 rebounds. LeBron James cooked for 22 in 28 minutes and didn’t even break a sweat. Austin Reaves tossed in 18 like it was a pick-up game in his driveway.
And look, no one’s blaming the guys who suited up. They competed with the wrong tools for the job. You can’t ask a backup band to headline Madison Square Garden and then wonder why the crowd left early. This is the Warriors’ reality right now: impossibly gutsy when the moment calls for it, impossibly limited when the moment calls for stars. Curry changes every single calculation on both ends. Without him, the math just doesn’t work.
Watching this Warriors Lakers blowout should make everyone watching realize tha Stephen Curry deserves MVP every year
Both of the Lakers’ stars flirted with triple-double performances but sat out the latter part of the second half. Doncic was celebrating his 27th birthday on Saturday.
Austin Reaves contributed to the offense with 18 points.
Los Angeles snapped a three-game losing streak that had it entering this game just 1-3 following the All-Star break.
The Lakers improved to 35-24 on the season. The Warriors fell to 31-29.
LeBron James stats vs. Warriors
Points: 22
FG: 7-for-13
3PT: 4-for-6
Free Throws: 4-for-5
Rebounds: 7
Assists: 9
Steals: 1
Blocks: 0
Turnovers: 4
Fouls: 1
Minutes: 28
Luka Doncic stats vs. Warriors
Points: 26
FG: 9-for-17
3PT: 4-for-9
Free Throws: 4-for-4
Rebounds: 6
Assists: 8
Steals: 1
Blocks: 1
Turnovers: 2
Fouls: 2
Minutes: 29
How did Lakers celebrate Doncic's birthday?
After the Lakers' victory over the Warriors, Doncic told ESPN what he received for his birthday from his teammates.
Sep 1, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies mascot Dinger with a fan as they round the bases after the game against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
It’s been a big week here at Purple Row.
We finished our PuRPs ranking. (Big shoutout to Jeff Aberle for that one!)
And the Colorado Rockies actually have a winning record, including a few double-digit wins.
(I know: Spring training results mean nothing, but I feel like we’ve suffered through enough over the last five years that we’ve earned a reprieve, no matter how fleeting.)
So here’s tonight’s question for the Purple Row Night Owls: How are the vibes?
We know from the players that the energy in the clubhouse is positive, but what’s the mood among fans?
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 25: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves is guarded by Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets on December 25, 2025 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets Date: March 1st, 2026 Time: 2:30 PM CST Location: Ball Arena Television Coverage: ABC Radio Coverage: Wolves App, iHeart Radio
After a relatively mundane month of February, the kind where the Timberwolves looked like they were physically present but spiritually on a beach somewhere, March is kicking the door down with a steel chair.
This is the month where the standings stop being a fun little scoreboard and start feeling like a knife fight. March is the month where you look up and realize you have 20-something games left and every dumb January faceplant is now sitting in the corner like a credit card bill you ignored.
And it starts Sunday afternoon with the Denver Nuggets. National TV. Two conference heavyweights. Two franchises that have spent the last few years taking turns trying to rip each other’s souls out in the playoffs. Anthony Edwards versus Nikola Jokic.
This is more than just a standings game. It’s a pride game. It’s the type of game where Wolves fans will either spend the rest of Sunday walking around the house like they’re ten feet tall… or staring at the wall trying to remember why they chose this life.
The Wolves have been building toward this moment. They survived the first two stops of this road trip against the Blazers and Clippers, even though both of those wins were more stressful than they had any right to be. But they won. They banked the wins. And now they arrive at the prizefight. They get to stare straight at the Nuggets and say: We’re coming for your spot.
Denver is vulnerable in a way that makes this feel even bigger. Jokic has missed time this year. Aaron Gordon, one of most underappreciated “essential” players in the league, has been sidelined with a hamstring. He might be back Sunday, but even if he plays, he’s almost certainly not going to be peak Gordon. Denver’s had some uneven weeks. They’ve felt human.
The problem, of course, is that their version of “human” is still: Nikola Jokic sauntering into a triple-double like it’s his morning coffee order. The Wolves know that better than anyone, because Denver has taken all three meetings this season. Their most recent victory was Christmas Day, when the Nuggets built a commanding lead, the Wolves summoned that 2024 Game 7 comeback energy, Ant hit yet another clutch shot to force overtime… and then Denver still walked away with the win like the villain in a movie who gets shot and keeps walking.
This is Minnesota’s final chance to avoid the regular-season sweep. It’s also their chance to leapfrog Denver in the standings and finally stop spending the entire season looking up at them like the Nuggets are some mountain peak the Wolves can’t quite climb.
#1: Play Team Defense Like It’s 2024 Again
The Wolves didn’t beat Denver in that 2024 playoff series because they had one magic trick. They beat them because they played connected defense with five guys moving like a single organism. That version of Minnesota has shown up this season… in brief flashes. Most notably in their last game against OKC, when they swarmed the champs like they’d been personally insulted.
“In flashes” doesn’t work against Denver. If you help lazily, Jokic finds the open guy. If you ball-watch, Murray’s got a dagger in your chest before you realize he’s open. If you rotate late, you’re giving up layups and corner threes all afternoon.
This starts on the perimeter, where the Wolves guards need to put Jamal Murray in a straight jacket keep him from going on one of his patented heaters. They need to rotate with purpose and prevent Jokic from setting up his teammates with open threes and easy cuts. The guards have to actually contain dribble penetration so Rudy isn’t living in emergency mode.
And then it ends with Rudy. Which brings us to…
#2: You Can’t Stop Jokic, But You Can Make Him Miserable
There’s no stopping Jokic. He’s the best player on the planet for a reason. You survive him. You limit the damage. You pick your poison and hope the poison is only mildly lethal.
Minnesota has done this before. The blueprint is still sitting right there in the 2024 playoff tape. It starts with Rudy Gobert being Rudy Gobert, making the paint feel crowded and annoying. Jokic wants to dictate where you stand and what you do. Rudy has to resist that gravity.
And then you throw bodies at him. Julius Randle has to use his size like a bounce He’s not going to out-skill Jokic, but he can out-physical him at moments. Naz Reid needs to bring help as the second big, and use his ability to launch from deep and drive to space the floor to keep Jokic uncomfortable on defense.
The goal isn’t to hold Jokic to 14 points. The goal is to make him work, make him feel every possession, and most importantly, prevent him from going nuclear like he did on Christmas. Because once Jokic hits that mode where he’s scoring, assisting, and controlling the universe, it may as well be “game over”.
#3: The Ball Has to Move, and the Shots Have to Drop
Thursday night in LA was a slog. The Wolves offense looked like it was trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube while wearing oven mitts. Shots rimmed out, possessions died, and everything got sticky.
Sticky offense against Denver is how you lose by 12 and spend the fourth quarter doing math like, “If we just hit three straight threes and get two stops and Jokic misses twice…“
Minnesota’s best version is when the offense has flow with Ant and Randle as scorers and facilitators, allowing shooters to get clean looks in rhythm. It keeps their teammates engaged, cutting and moving with purpose instead of standing around watching hero ball.
If Ant and Julius turn into black holes, they’re playing into Denver’s hands. Denver wants the Wolves to make it a two-man show. They want predictable. The Wolves have to play like a five-headed monster. They have too many weapons to reduce themselves to “Ant bails us out.”
But, when the open looks come? Donte, Naz, Jaden, Ayo, and the rest of the crew have to make them.
#4: Win the Boring Stuff
Big games are decided by the stuff that doesn’t make the highlight reel.
Rebounding: You cannot give Denver second chances. On the flip side, Rudy turning misses into putbacks is a cheat code. It’s how you survive stretches where the jumpers go cold.
Turnovers: Guarding Jokic is already difficult enough. Erasing a hard-earned defensive stop by coughing the ball up and allowing an easy transition basket is demoralizing.
Free throws: Minnesota cannot keep leaving points at the line like it’s some quirky personality trait. Against Denver, you don’t get to throw away free points and then act shocked you lost by four.
This is the game where you have to play grown-up basketball.
#5: You Need Peak Ant and Peak Julius
Let’s start with Julius Randle.
He’s been in a funk. There have been games where he looks like he’s wearing ankle weights on defense.
But here’s the truth: the Wolves don’t have another option. They need Beast Julius, the guy who can bully smaller defenders, collapse the paint, make smart kickouts, and occasionally remind everyone he’s capable of turning a quarter into his personal WWE match. If Minnesota gets that version of Julius, the game tilts.
And then there’s Ant.
Ant is going to have moments where he has to put on the cape, but Chris Finch was begging him late against the Clippers to move the ball for a reason. There were possessions where the Wolves were up four with a chance to create meaningful separation, Ant dribbled the clock down, forced an inefficient shot, missed, and suddenly LA was scoring before Minnesota even set its defense. It happened multiple times. That hero ball worked against a depleted Clippers team. It will not work against Jokic.
This is the distinction: we don’t need Superman. We need the Avengers.
Ant has to be the best version of himself, the one who scores but also makes everyone else better. The one whose gravity bends the floor and creates clean looks for the Wolves’ talent snipers. The one who wins the game in the first three quarters so the fourth quarter isn’t a coin flip.
This Is the “Flip the Script” Opportunity
The Wolves have spent most of this season looking up at Denver in the standings. Sunday is the chance to flip that dynamic. It’s the chance to change the season-series story. It’s the chance to take a big step toward that three-seed dream that keeps popping up every time Minnesota strings together a few wins. It’s the chance to set the tone for March, a month that’s going to be a gauntlet of West Coast road games, heavyweight matchups, and real tests.
If you’re a Wolves fan, you know how this goes. The Wolves are capable of beating anybody. They’ve proven it. They can look like a contender with a capital C.
They can also sleepwalk, get disinterested, treat the moment like it’s optional, and wake up too late.
So the game is simple:
If they bring the switch-on defense,
if they make Jokic work,
if the ball moves and the shots fall,
if they win the boring stuff,
and if Ant and Julius play like leaders instead of solo artists…
…they can win this game. They can take the standing spot. They can plant the flag.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 28: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to pass the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors on February 28, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After three straight losses, the Lakers got a sorely-needed win on Saturday, crushing the Warriors 129-101. LA led nearly wire-to-wire, hit a season-high 19 3-pointers and cruised to a very comfortable victory.
The purple and gold shot 53.3% overall and held Golden State to just 27.3% from range.
The game started with a Draymond Green dunk after both teams missed their first two shot attempts. Austin Reaves was cooking early with four points. Both LeBron James and Marcus Smart drained 3-pointers. Los Angeles jumped to an eight-point lead.
At the 7:43 mark, the Warriors were sitting on only two points.
Out of a Golden State timeout, Moses Moody knocked down a triple. The Lakers were having a great game from behind the arc, converting on five of seven attempts. LeBron was a perfect 2-2 on his triples.
The Lakers are hot from 3 early, hitting 5 of 7, including LeBron's 2 for 2, but allowed 3 quick layups to GSW in transition after Lakers makes that kept the Warriors in range at 23-11.
Gary Payton II provided a spark off the bench for the Warriors with four points. Reaves was leading all Laker scorers with nine points. Golden State picked up its play towards the end of the quarter by scoring four in a row, but LA was still in control of the game with a 13-point lead.
The second period began with Los Angeles converting on two 3-pointers, one from Luke Kennard and one from LeBron, extending their lead to 21, which led to a timeout by Golden State.
LA continued to extend its lead over the Warriors to as much as 24. LeBron was still a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc. He and Reaves were the only Lakers in double figures with 14 and 11, respectively.
The Warriors began to find their offense with a 13-2 scoring run, while Los Angeles suddenly went cold from the field.
LA ended the quarter well, stopping Golden State’s scoring run to keep an 18-point lead at halftime. The Lakers managed to play well despite Luka Dončić scoring just10 points in the half.
Good half for the Lakers, who take a 65-47 lead into the locker room.
LA hit 9 of 17 3's, including a perfect 4 for 4 from LeBron (20 points), and held GSW to 40% FG's.
Luka began the third period by draining two 3-pointers in a row. Ayton then converted on a hook shot to push it to a 26-point lead for Los Angeles. After Golden State knocked down two triples, Luka responded with two more 3-pointers as he was red-hot from behind the arc.
The Warriors were shooting a brutal 22% from behind the arc.
LA’s incredible night from behind the arc continued with Jake LaRavia and Reaves both draining 3-pointers. As a team, Los Angeles was shooting 51% from the three.
Gui Santos surged with seven points, trying to put some life back into the Warriors. Kennard entered double figures after converting on a jumper. The Lakers had extended their lead to as much as 30 and headed into the fourth comfortably ahead.
Most serious game the Lakers have played in a while
LeBron opened the final frame converting on a pair of free throws. Kennard knocked down his third triple of the night. Maxi Kleber started to get in on the scoring with four points. Moody and LaRavia exchanged triples, prompting a Warriors timeout. They were down by 31.
Both sides emptied their bench with just over half the period remaining.
Key Player Stats
Luka finished with 26 points, six rebounds and eight assists. LeBron ended with 22 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Reaves pitched in with 18 points and three assists.
Kennard continued his stellar play off the bench with 16 points, three rebounds and three assists. Marcus Smart notched eight points with five rebounds and two steals. Jaxson Hayes scored six points with five rebounds.
Ayton had a rough offensive night with four points but did grab 10 rebounds. LaRavia pitched in with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists. Kleber had four points with three blocks.
The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday at 6:30 PM PT.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Diego Rossi scored late in the second half to offset a two-goal effort by Dejan Joveljić, rallying the Columbus Crew to a 2-2 draw with Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.
Rossi found the net unassisted in the 82nd minute to help the Crew (0-1-1) earn a point on the road after falling 3-2 to the Portland Timbers in a season opener in Oregon.
Wessam Abou Ali scored in a second straight match, finding the net unassisted off a turnover in the 33rd minute to stake Columbus to a 1-0 lead that it carried into halftime.
Sporting KC (0-1-1) pulled even three minutes into the second half when Joveljić used assists from Jake Davis and Calvin Harris to score the club's first goal of the season. Joveljić had 18 goals in 32 appearances last season after coming over from the 2024 MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy.
Joveljić gave Sporting KC a 2-1 lead with an unassisted goal in the 72nd minute.
Patrick Schulte stopped two shots in goal for the Crew — in their first season under Henrik Rydstrom after Wilfried Nancy left to coach in Scotland.
John Pulskamp totaled three saves for Sporting KC, which was coming off a 3-0 road loss to the San Jose Earthquakes to begin the season under first-year coach Raphael Wicky.
Sporting KC is 5-2-9 in home openers at Sporting Park and 16-4-11 in home openers all time.
Sporting KC has a 7-2-4 record in the last 13 matchups with the Crew and leads the all-time series 26-23-10, including a 14-9-5 mark at home.
MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored two first-period goals to help propel the Montreal Canadiens to a 6-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday night.
Mike Matheson and Kirby Dach scored goals in the second period for Montreal, which has recorded at least a point in seven consecutive games (5-0-2).
Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans added empty-net goals in the third and Suzuki had two assists. Jakub Dobes made 27 saves as he improved his record to 9-0-2 over his last 11 games.
Caufield now has a team-high 35 goals this season. It took all of 30 seconds for the Canadiens to find the back of the net, marking the fastest game-opening goal scored by Montreal this season. Jakob Chychrun’s point shot was blocked by Caufield, resulting in a breakaway for the forward. His snap shot beat Charlie Lindgren to the glove side.
Alex Ovechkin scored twice for the Capitals, who had their three-game win streak snapped. The Capitals captain has scored 44 goals and recorded 76 points in just 63 career matchups against the Canadiens.
Lindgren stopped 19 shots in his first start since Jan. 29.
Washington failed to capitalize four power-play opportunities.
The Bell Centre remains a tough stop for visiting teams as Montreal improved to 10-3-1 in its last 14 home games.
Up next
Capitals: Host the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday night.
Canadiens: Visit the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.
Hull KR may well be rugby league’s newly crowned world champions but on the biggest stage the sport can provide its superstar athletes, it was Leeds Rhinos who produced their very best in Las Vegas to absolutely dismantle the Super League champions in spectacular fashion.
A week on from stunning NRL premiers Brisbane Broncos to win the World Club Challenge for the first time, the Robins headed Stateside keen to put on another show to further enhance their burgeoning reputation as one of rugby league’s great sides. But the Super League champions were ultimately humbled by one of their main title rivals.
TORONTO (AP) — Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each scored twice and the Ottawa Senators beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Saturday night.
Thomas Chabot also scored, Cozens added an assist and Linus Ullmark made 21 saves.
Morgan Rielly and William Nylander scored for Toronto in its third straight loss.
Rielly got the scoring started less than three minutes into the first period, but it was all Senators from there. Ottawa had the next 19 shots on goal and scored three straight to take a two-goal lead midway through the second period.
Nylander cut it to 3-2, but Batherson struck back with his second of the period less than two minutes later on a play Toronto unsuccessfully challenged for offside.
Cozens scored his second goal on the ensuing penalty, chasing goalie Joseph Woll after 23 saves on 28 shots. Anthony Stolarz stopped all 12 shots he faced.
The Maple Leafs' frustrations boiled over early in the third period in the form of a brawl in front of Stolarz, which resulted in 28 penalty minutes, including a 10-minute misconduct to Toronto's Max Domi.
Observations from the Yankees spring training on Saturday:
Wells to do
In his last game before leaving for the WBC, Austin Wells crushed his first home run of the spring, a no-doubter off Blue Jays minor league righty Nate Garkow.
Cruz under control
Fernando Cruz, also headed for the WBC, battled some command issues in his inning of relief, issuing a pair of walks that loaded the bases. But he got out of trouble unscathed with a double play.
Austin Wells round the bases after hitting a two-run homer in sixth inning of the Yankees’ 5-1 spring training win over the Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Feb. 28, 2026. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Caught my eye
Before Cruz escaped the jam, he tried to get a 1-1 pitch to Davis Schneider flipped from a ball to a strike via the ABS.
Just as Cruz started to tap his cap to signal a challenge, Wells tried to shake him off, knowing the pitch was well out of the strike zone. But the catcher was too late, as the Yankees lost a challenge.
Sunday’s schedule
Will Warren makes his second start of the spring when the Yankees visit the Phillies in Clearwater, Fla.
The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night in Denver. On top of the entire NHL, the Avalanche present an incredible challenge for every team that they play against.
The Blackhawks, who are on the tail end of a rebuild, are still far away from being in the same class as the Avalanche, who will enter the playoffs as one of the top threats to win the Stanley Cup.
The Blackhawks kept the score close, but that is more because of Spencer Knight's brilliance in the goal. He made 32 saves on 34 shots.
Connor Bedard gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead early in the first period, but the Avalanche put in the work to get it tied and eventually win it before the game even came close to reaching overtime.
Cale Makar scored the tying goal for the Avalanche with less than 10 seconds remaining in the second period. From there, the Avalanche had a true grip on the game.
Gavin Brindley scored the go-ahead goal at 7:31 of the third period, and that stood as the game-winner. Makar added an empty net goal, and the 3-1 score stood as the final.
This was a tough loss for the Blackhawks. The score wasn't a true indication of how badly the Avalanche outplayed the Hawks, but the young team did stay in the game thanks to the goaltender and Bedard's early goal.
Bedard needs to stay hot, but the lack of scoring depth beyond Tyler Bertuzzi is keeping them from pulling out wins in some of these games. One more goal could have changed the entire outcome of this game.
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South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said on social media Saturday that the school is working to try and help a few former players return home from Israel where they are playing professionally.
The trio of former Gamecocks — Tiffany Mitchell, Destiny Littleton and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan — as well as other former WNBA players are playing basketball in Israel, which along with the United States, launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday.
“Please pray for our @GamecockWBB @TiffMitch25 @2121Mikiah @dstnylttltn24 who are in a war zone in Israel,” Staley said on X. "We are working a plan to get home. Let us pray for our loved ones to return home safely asap! Thank you in advance.”
Mitchell played last season in Seattle, while Harrigan was on the Phoenix Mercury. Other players in the Israeli league with WNBA ties include Victoria Vivians, Christyn Williams, Shyanne Sellers, Arella Guirantes and Evina Westbrook.
“It’s 12:48 am and I’m going to attempt to get some sleep,” Littleton tweeted. “Prayers for safety for everyone impacted.”
SANDY, Utah (AP) — Teenager Aiden Hezarkhani scored his first career goal, Ariath Piol scored early in the second half and Real Salt Lake continued to dominate the Sounders at home with a 2-1 victory on Saturday.
Real Salt Lake (1-1-0) improves to 14-1-4 when the Sounders (1-1-0) visit America First Field. Seattle hasn't won in Sandy since winning a U.S. Open Cup match in 2016.
Hezarkhani staked Real Salt Lake to a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute, scoring with assists from defender Juan Manuel Sanabria — in his league debut — and Luca Moisa. Hezarkhani, 18, played 57 minutes in two appearances last season.
Piol made it 2-0 two minutes into the second half with assists from 18-year-old Zavier Gozo and defender Philip Quinton. Piol had a goal and two assists in 24 appearances as a rookie last season. Quinton's assist was his first in 50 career appearances. Gozo's assist was his first this season and fourth in 29 career appearances.
Seattle cut its deficit to a goal when Cristian Roldan took a pass from Albert Rusnák and found the net in the 62nd minute.
That was it for the Sounders in their first match since learning Jordan Morris would miss 4-to-6 weeks with a quad injury he suffered eight minutes into a season-opening 2-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids in Seattle.
Rafael Cabral saved eight shots for Real Salt Lake as the 35-year-old begins his second season in the league.
Andrew Thomas finished with two saves for the Sounders as mainstay Stefan Frei moves into a backup role.
