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Devils beat Panthers 5-1 as Jack Hughes extends his points streak to 4 games

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — U.S. Olympic golden goal-scorer Jack Hughes extended his points streak to four games since returning from Milan, and the New Jersey Devils dealt the Florida Panthers’ playoff hopes another blow by beating the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Hughes’ shot that went wide banked right to Dougie Hamilton for his goal. Hughes has four assists — one in each game — since the NHL season resumed.

Hamilton, whose name has been involved in trade buzz for several months, also had an assist. It’s unclear if the Devils will be able to move the defenseman before the deadline Friday, given that Hamilton has two years remaining on his contract beyond this season at a $9 million salary cap hit and is owed a $7.4 million roster bonus on July 1.

If New Jersey, which looks out of the race, sells elsewhere, depth forward Cody Glass may have boosted his value by scoring his 14th goal of the season. Arseny Gritsyuk also scored, looking off Hughes on a 2 on 1 before beating Sergei Bobrovsky, who was excellent early and finished with 28 saves on 31 shots.

Florida is in danger of becoming the first Cup-winning team to miss the playoffs the following season since the Los Angeles Kings in 2014-15. The Panthers have lost three of four games since the Olympics ended, all of those coming in regulation.

MAMMOTH 3, CAPITALS 2

WASHINGTON (AP) — JJ Peterka scored in the second period on a bizarre bounce, and Utah beat Washington.

Dylan Guenther and Mikhail Sergachev scored for the Mammoth, who took an early 2-0 lead and held off the Capitals in a matchup of teams near the playoff cutoff lines. Utah entered the night tied with Edmonton for the top wild card in the Western Conference.

Pierre-Luc Dubois and Ryan Leonard scored for Washington, which fell to four points behind Boston for the second wild card in the East. The Bruins also have three more games left than the Caps.

The Capitals have been hoping to add a forward before Friday’s trade deadline, and with Aliaksei Protas out for personal reasons Tuesday, they struggled to apply consistent pressure in the Utah zone until they were down two in the third. It’s not clear if Washington’s position in the standings — and losses to Montreal and the Mammoth in its last two games — will alter the team’s approach to the deadline.

SABRES 3, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Tage Thompson scored after being honored for helping the U.S. win an Olympic gold medal in hockey, and Buffalo won its fourth straight game by beating Vegas.

Owen Power and Jason Zucker also scored for the surging Sabres. Buffalo improved to 25-5-2 in its past 32, and its 35 wins through 61 games are the team’s most since having 41 over the same span in 2006-07.

Alex Lyon made 29 saves to improve to 13-2 in his past 15 starts.

Pavel Dorofeyev, with his team-leading 29th goal, and Ivan Barbashev scored and Vegas matched a season-low by losing three straight in regulation. The slumping Golden Knights also dropped to 4-8-2 in their past 14.

Akira Schmid stopped 25 shots.

BRUINS 2, PENGUINS 1

BOSTON (AP) — Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt scored less than a minute apart early in the first period and Boston held on for a victory over Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson scored just 42 seconds into the game, but Khusnutdinov tied it at 1-1 when he snapped the puck high inside the far post past Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner for his 13th goal of the season at 5:10 of the first.

Mittelstadt added his 13th of the season 50 seconds later when he gathered in the rebound of Nikita Zadorov’s shot and fired past a diving Skinner and into an open net. Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves.

Karlsson scored on the Penguins’ first shot on goal after the Bruins had two excellent scoring chances in the first few seconds requiring solid saves by Skinner. The Bruins challenged for goalie interference but the goal was upheld. Skinner finished with 26 saves.

BLUE JACKETS 3, PREDATORS 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Damon Severson broke a tie with a snap shot from the point through traffic at 6:07 of the third period and Columbus beat Nashville to open a four-game homestand.

Both teams played Monday night, with Columbus beating the Rangers 5-4 in overtime in New York, and Nashville falling 4-2 at home to Detroit.

Adam Fantilli and Sean Monahan also scored for Columbus, with Monahan tying it at 2 at 1:52 of the third with a short-handed goal. He also had a short-handed goal Monday in New York.

Jet Greaves made 20 saves for Columbus in 51:44, missing an 8:16 stretch of the first period because of concussion protocol after Nick Blankenburg caught him with an elbow on the side of the head on a rush. Elvis Merzlikins stopped both shots on faced before Greaves returned.

Filip Forsberg had a power-play goal for Nashville, and Ryan O’Reilly was credited with a goal in the second that a Columbus player put in. O’Reilly was cut below the eye taking a faceoff midway through the third.

Justus Annunen stopped 24 shots for the Predators.

JETS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2, OT

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mark Scheifele scored at 2:06 of overtime to lift Winnipeg to a victory over Chicago.

Cole Perfetti forced the extra frame for Winnipeg, tying the game 2-2 with just 38.6 seconds remaining in regulation. Dylan Samberg, who assisted on Scheifele’s winner, also scored in the first period for the Jets, who went to overtime for the fourth consecutive game.

Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Greene scored for Chicago. Connor Bedard picked up two assists.

Connor Hellebuyck made 18 saves for the victory. Spencer Knight stopped 29 shots for the Blackhawks.

The Jets pulled Hellebuyck for the extra attacker and netted the equalizer when Perfetti buried the late chance. The goal validated a second-period line shuffle that had Perfetti placed on a line with Adam Lowry and Gabriel Vilardi.

By forcing the extra frame, the Jets went to overtime for the fourth consecutive game. It was a crucial late push to grab two points as they kicked off a critical eight-game homestand.

STARS 6, FLAMES 1

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Sam Steel scored twice and added an assist and Dallas extended its franchise-record winning streak to 10 games with a romp over Calgary.

Jamie Benn, Mavrik Bourque, Nathan Bastian and Wyatt Johnston also scored to help Dallas improve to 38-14-9. Matt Duchene had four assists giving him a team-best 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) during the winning streak.

Steel and Duchene tied career highs for points in a game, and Steel tied a career high with 10 goals. He also had 10 times for Minnesota in 2022-23.

Casey DeSmith made 20 saves to improve to 13-4-5.

Flames starter Dustin Wolf was pulled after giving up four goals on 17 shots. Devin Cooley made 16 saves in relief.

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Braves News: Jurickson Profar to receive suspension, outfield questions, and more

DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 19: Jurickson Profar #7 of the Atlanta Braves makes a catch during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Friday, September 19, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Monica Bradburn/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been hit with a 162-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. The penalty, which goes into effect Friday, would sideline him for the entire 2026 season, including any potential postseason games, and cost him his annual salary if upheld. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Players Association plans to challenge the suspension and the union will file a grievance. 

If imposed, the suspension would leave the Braves without an important piece of the outfield. However, the grievance process could delay the start of any ban while the case moves through MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

For the Braves, the news creates immediate roster questions as they adjust plans heading into the season. Profar was projected to play a significant role in the lineup, and the club will now need to explore internal and external options to fill the gap.

MLB News:

Milwaukee Brewers starter Quinn Priester is slightly behind on his buildup schedule and may not be ready for Opening Day. He has been dealing with wrist soreness.

Another outfielder has violated the league’s policy, as Johan Rojas of the Philadelphia Phillies failed a performance-enhancing drug test. He received an 80-game suspension.

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Around the Empire: An outlook on Team USA ahead of the WBC starting

TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 25: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees looks on during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 25, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: A lot of news came out regarding Cam Schlittler’s “I have arrived” start in last year’s Wild Card Series. Now, though, we found out what he credits his success to: a good night of sleep. The righty has been tracking his sleep through WHOOP technology and said the two nights prior to his Game 3 start were the two best nights of sleep he’s ever had. Sleep tracking and WHOOP devices have now become commonplace throughout the Yankees clubhouse and for athletes in general.

The Athletic | Ken Rosenthal: All focus is on the World Baseball Classic now as exhibition games have started ahead of the tournament officially starting on Thursday. Aaron Judge is leading the charge as Team USA’s captain. This piece gathers some overall thoughts around Team USA, like the relationship between Judge and Bryce Harper, which was formed when Judge was trying to recruit Harper to the Bronx during his free agency. On a side note, Judge has been receiving some flack on social media for an “uninspiring” rallying speech, but us Yankees fans know, Judge has always been a more behind-the-scenes and on-the-field leader rather than a public one.

As an aside, Judge was among a number of Yankees who were in action yesterday for their respective WBC teams. Here’s how they fared:

  • Aaron Judge (USA): 2-2, BB, 2 RBI vs. Giants (video)
  • Paul Goldschmidt (USA): 1-3, BB vs. Giants
  • David Bednar (USA): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K vs. Giants (and his brother)
  • Austin Wells (Dominican Republic): 1-3, RBI, 2 K vs. Tigers (video)
  • Amed Rosario (Dominican Republic): 1-2 vs. Tigers
  • Camilo Doval (Dominican Republic): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K vs. Tigers
  • Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Great Britain): 0-1, 2 BB, throwing error vs. Brewers
  • José Caballero (Panama): 0-2, BB vs. Yankees
  • Elmer Rodriguez (Puerto Rico): 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K vs. Red Sox (win)

Forbes | Peter Chawaga: Before the Yankees took on the entire country of Panama on Tuesday afternoon, one thing in the lineup card stuck out. Third baseman Ryan McMahon was penciled in at shortstop. The idea was mainly to get some reps in there and see if he’d be a viable option in a positional emergency, especially as they work to decide who to bring on their bench or not, especially as someone like Oswaldo Cabrera is still working his way back from injury. For those curious, McMahon started a 6-4-3 double play to end the first, but he did fumble a hard grounder up the middle in the fourth for an error.

The Athletic | Brenday Kuty ($): Spencer Jones has been getting a lot of attention this spring, and rightfully so. While the Opening Day roster will be crowded and tough for him to crack, fans will be calling for Jones at the first opportunity presented or even sooner. But as folks get more of a look at him in games, one distinct thing has stuck out to many: his swing looks like it’s worth $700 million. That’s because he has intentionally mimicked his swing after Shohei Ohtani.

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Takeaways: Penguins' Scoring Stymied In 2-1 Loss To Bruins

After a dominant effort against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Penguins travelled to Boston to take on the Bruins Tuesday night, a team they had lost three straight games to.

Unfortunately, they walked away with the same result. 

The Penguins struggled in the first period, and despite finding their game in the latter two periods, the Bruins bested them, 2-1. All three goals were scored in the first period of play, with Erik Karlsson opening the scoring for Pittsburgh just 42 seconds into the game and Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt scoring both of Boston's goals by the six-minute mark of regulation. 

The rest of the game was a tight-checking goaltending battle, and Penguins' netminder Stuart Skinner was solid early on and throughout, stopping 26 of 29 Bruins' shots. However, Boston's Jeremy Swayman put on a stellar performance - especially in the third period, when the Penguins were piling on an onslaught - allowing just one goal on 35 shots. 

Even though they were completely out of sorts in the first period and were lucky to be down by only one, the Penguins really found their game in the second and third periods. It just wasn't enough, and they earned their fourth-straight loss against a Boston team that always seems to give them finishing fits.

NHL Jack Adams Award Rankings: Can Penguins' Dan Muse Beat Avalanche's Jared Bednar?NHL Jack Adams Award Rankings: Can Penguins' Dan Muse Beat Avalanche's Jared Bednar?Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar has led our NHL Jack Adams Award rankings for most of the season. But Pittsburgh Penguins bench boss Dan Muse leads the top challengers.

Here are a few notes and takeaways from this one:

- Swayman was brilliant in this game. He made some ridiculous saves in the final frame to preserve his team's lead, and he never lost his composure, even as the Penguins were very heavily pressuring. 

Skinner was good, too, especially on an opening sequence in which he was forced to make a few nice stops prior to Karlsson's goal. The two goals against were primarily a result of the Penguins' defense breaking down in front of him.

Gotta love a good goaltending battle, even if that comes at the expense of scoring.

Is It Worth It To Move Stuart Skinner Before Friday's NHL Trade Deadline? Is It Worth It To Move Stuart Skinner Before Friday's NHL Trade Deadline? Stuart Skinner is out there in trade talks, but does it make sense to move him?

- There's no going around how sloppy the Penguins were early on, and I haven't seen them play that way since the holiday break. Their forwards were completely losing track of guys in the high-danger areas. The defensemen were caught puck-watching and with feet of stone. 

After Boston's second goal - which was just 50 seconds after the first - head coach Dan Muse used the Penguins' sole timeout. Whatever he said must have worked because the Penguins were buzzing for most of the rest of the game. 

But those first six minutes killed them. And I'm sure they'd want both plays back.

- On a positive note, Karlsson, the lone goal-scorer, was on a whole other level Tuesday. 

He finished with a team-high six shots and 16 shot attempts. He was generating offense at will, continuing his excellent work on the penalty kill, running a smooth power play, aiding the team in transition, and making a few key defensive plays throughout. 

Against pretty much any other team, Karlsson probably has about four goals. But he, like his teammates, simply couldn't crack Swayman as the game progressed and got better for him. 

Without Crosby, the Penguins will be relying on Karlsson to generate a lot of offense. I thought he was the game's best player, and it wasn't particularly close. 

6 Penguins' Storylines To Watch During Trade Deadline Week6 Penguins' Storylines To Watch During Trade Deadline WeekEveryone's eyes will be on Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins leading up to the NHL trade deadline on Mar. 6.

- I continue to be a bit baffled by the Penguins' refusal to use Ben Kindel and/or Egor Chinakhov on their first power play unit and in six-on-five situations. 

Kindel was very good again on Tuesday, and he has, arguably, been their best player for the better part of this post-holiday run. If he hasn't been their very best player, he's certainly been their most consistent on a night-in, night-out basis. His vision and puck distribution skills - especially from down low - could be weapons in either situation.

And then there's Chinakhov. Here's a guy who has 10 goals in his last 21 games - and, indisputably, the best shot on the team - and he's not out there with the game on the line? Given Chinakhov's defensive play and puck skills with the Penguins, too, there's really no reason to exclude him in situations where the team needs to score a goal. 

Rickard Rakell is a good player. So is Anthony Mantha. So is Bryan Rust. But I'd swap out two of those three for the other two without hesitation on the power play and at least one of them during six-on-five. 

Penguins' Prospect Named AHL Player Of The MonthPenguins' Prospect Named AHL Player Of The MonthPittsburgh Penguins' prospect Ville Koivunen was given the AHL's top honors for the month of February and continues to impress at that level.

- Faceoffs are a legitimate problem for the Penguins right now, and it's especially hurting them on key offensive zone draws that require possession to be established.

The Penguins were just 16 of 48 (33 percent) on faceoffs Tuesday, and they've gone 68 of 207 for an abysmal faceoff win percentage of 32.9 percent. And, according to Penguins' historian Bob Grove, Sidney Crosby had taken a whopping 38.6 percent of all Penguins' faceoffs (1,171 of 3,030 this season before his injury.

The next closest player? Kindel, who had taken 428 going into Tuesday's game. 

- The NHL trade deadline is Friday, Mar. 6 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Crosby is injured, Blake Lizotte is day-to-day, and the injury statuses of Tristan Broz and Filip Hallander remian unclear at this point. 

The Penguins badly need a center, and the reality is that this season, they may have to seek options externally. This will definitely be a storyline to monitor this week. 

5 Centers Penguins Should Target In Trade Market5 Centers Penguins Should Target In Trade MarketThe Pittsburgh Penguins, currently in playoff position and without Sidney Crosby, may look to add a viable center option at the NHL trade deadline.

- This is the time of year where scoreboard watching becomes a daily routine. 

The Washington Capitals lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime, 3-2. The Carolina Hurricanes lost to the Seattle Kraken Monday night. The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Nashville Predators, 3-2, and they are now just five points behind the Penguins.

It can't be stressed enough how important points are now. 

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!    

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Stars extend franchise-record winning streak to 10 with 6-1 romp over Flames

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Sam Steel scored twice and added an assist and the Dallas Stars extended their franchise-record winning streak to 10 games with a 6-1 romp over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.

Jamie Benn, Mavrik Bourque, Nathan Bastian and Wyatt Johnston also scored to help Dallas improve to 38-14-9. Matt Duchene had four assists giving him a team-best 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) during the winning streak.

Steel and Duchene tied career highs for points in a game, and Steel tied a career high with 10 goals. He also had 10 times for Minnesota in 2022-23.

Casey DeSmith made 20 saves to improve to 13-4-5.

Flames starter Dustin Wolf was pulled after giving up four goals on 17 shots. Devin Cooley made 16 saves in relief.

Up next

Stars: Host Colorado on Friday night.

Flames: Host Ottawa on Thursday night.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Ex-Knicks coach David Fizdale blames failed tenure on tanking edict: ‘Donating my record’

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Former Knicks coach David Fizdale, Image 2 shows New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale reacts to a call during the game

TORONTO — More than six years removed from his ugly run as Knicks head coach, David Fizdale blamed his terrible record on the front office.

“If I was doing it over again, I would’ve fought more to build a team early on and not cash in my record,” Fizdale said on FanDuel TV’s show, “Run It Back.” “That’s the hard part for coaches when you agree to the tanking.”

Fizdale said he was under a directive to lose by the front office — led, at the time, by Steve Mills and Scott Perry — to draft Zion Williamson or Ja Morant. The Knicks picked RJ Barrett at No. 3 and, according to Fizdale, were convinced that summer that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving “were for sure coming to us.”

“That s–t didn’t work out,” Fizdale said.

Instead, the Knicks signed Julius Randle, Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson. Fizdale started 4-18 during the 2019-20 season and was canned. His final record with the Knicks was 21-83, the worst winning percentage in franchise history.

“Losing all those damn games,” Fizdale said. “Donating my record.”

David Fizdale reacts to a call during a 2018 Knicks game. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

Despite Fizdale’s excuses, the Knicks were much better after he left with largely the same roster. Mike Miller was a much more respectable 17-27 as the interim coach.

Then Tom Thibodeau took over and guided the team to the No. 4 seed in the East.

Fizdale has not held a head coaching job since his failed Knicks stint. The 51-year-old was an assistant with the Lakers and Suns, but currently is not on a staff.

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Tom Seaver’s 1969 Mets World Series ring sells for over $850,000 at auction

seaver
seaver

The 1969 World Series ring that once belonged to Mets legend Tom Seaver sold for more than $800,000 at an auction last weekend. 

Dallas-based Heritage Auctions sold the piece of baseball memorabilia for $854,122, Newsday reported Tuesday evening. 

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The Post first reported in February that the World Series ring, along with nearly 200 items from Seaver’s personal collection, was being sold at auction at Heritage Auctions’ Winter Platinum Sports Catalog auction, which ran through March 1. 

Among the other items that had belonged to Seaver that were put up for auction were his 1992 Baseball Hall of Fame induction plaque. 

Newsday reported that the plaque sold for $170,800, while Seaver’s 1973 Mets National League championship ring went for $201,300. 

Seaver’s daughter Anne previously told The Post that his “’69 ring was very hard to part with.”

“We had trouble deciding on that,” she said. 

The items ended up being auctioned off after Anne and her mom, Nancy, went through Seaver’s office and storage area in their California home.

Former New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver waves during a celebration of the 40th anniversary of their 1969 World Championship before the Mets played the Philadelphia Phillies in their MLB National League baseball game in New York August 22, 2009. REUTERS

And it wasn’t until the three-time Cy Young Award winner’s death in 2020 that Anne realized how much her dad meant to Mets fans. 

“I never realized how much they loved him until I felt that love directed to me when he died. The support and kindness I got from these strangers made me realize that he is a huge part of these people’s lives,” she said.

“So that’s my personal reason for wanting to share something like the ’69 ring. His fans loved him, truly. And that makes me love them.”

Tom Seavers’s 1969 World Series ring; 1992 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Plaque presented to Tom Seaver. Heritage Auctions

The most expensive item auctioned off was a 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card that belonged to player and announcer Joe Garagiola. 

The piece of baseball history went for $3.59 million.

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Blackhawks Take Their Foot Off The Gas, Blow Late Lead To Jets

The Chicago Blackhawks closed out their four-game road trip with a visit to Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets. With a chance to make it a .500 trip, they knew they had an opportunity to win against a reeling Jets team. 

Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele made a brilliant play early to set up a goal scored by Dylan Samberg. His first of the season and 10th of his career was a snipe, but he was the beneficiary of the two superstars. 

From there, the Blackhawks started to take over the game with their pace, speed, and tenacity. With under two minutes remaining in the first period, the Blackhawks tied the game. 

Teuvo Teravainen stayed hot, as did the power play, as he scored his 13th of the season. It was a struggle to score power-play goals leading into the Olympic break, but they seem to have it worked out now. 

Nobody scored in the middle frame, but the Blackhawks mostly controlled play. Connor Hellebucyk looked like the goalie everyone knows him to be, which kept his team alive. 

Just 32 seconds into the third period, Ryan Greene scored to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead. Connor Bedard collected his second assist of the game on this goal. Leading up to the goal, Greene was having a sensational game, and he eventually was rewarded for his efforts. It's nice to play with Connor Bedard, too. 

The Blackhawks played extremely well again to begin the third period. It looked like they'd add that third goal and skate out of Winnipeg with a win. Then, a switch flipped as the game came to a close. 

For the final half of the third, the Blackhawks became a shell of themselves. Winnipeg started to possess the puck and control play in their attacking zone. 

Eventually, and deservedly so, the Jets tied it up at 2. With Hellebucyk on the bench for the extra attacker, fresh off a timeout, Cole Perfetti scored with a perfect shot that beat Spencer Knight. 

In overtime, Mark Scheifele continued his Blackhawk domination with the game-winning goal at 2:06. That's now 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points in his career against the Blackhawks, including three points on Tuesday. 

For the Hawks, they let a great road showing slip away in the final minutes of regulation and overtime. Coming out of the break, there was a lot of chatter about holding onto leads late, but that wasn't on display in this one. 

Every year, a young team is going to have a handful of losses that hurt more than others. This is one of them for the Blackhawks. After dominating for 50 minutes and having a late lead on the road, it was all for naught because they couldn't hold on for one more minute. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks will return home for the first time since the Olympics on Friday night when they host the Vancouver Canucks at the United Center. 

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South Side Sox Reacts: Rookie hopes for 2026

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in White Sox fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Sure, it’s only Spring Training, but the White Sox got out of the box pretty hot in Cactus League play. Even a .500 record isn’t exactly something we’re used to around these parts.

While the fortunes of the 2026 White Sox rest squarely on the shoulders of their 2025 rookie class (Colson Montgomery, Edgar Quero, Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth), there’s a next wave of talent bubbling under the surface. And this spring in particular, second baseman Sam Antonacci and outfielder Braden Montgomery have made waves, hungry to contribute on the South Side soon.

This week, we’re asking you to pick the rookie you are most excited to see debut in Chicago in 2026:

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Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers sleepwalk in drubbing by Spurs

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 3: Jabari Walker #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on March 3, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 9
Paul George – 6
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Jared McCain :’( – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

The 76ers were on the wrong end of an old-fashioned butt-whooping from the Spurs on Tuesday falling 131- 91.

The throwback broadcast was spoiled for Philly fans after one quarter, as the Spurs’ talent advantage presented itself rapidly against the undermanned Sixers.

They were without Joel Embiid (right oblique strain) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (illness) on Tuesday night, leaving Andre Drummond as the starting matchup with Victor Wembanyama, which went as well as you would expect.

A competitive first quarter from the Sixers saw strong stretches from VJ Edgecombe, Adem Bona and Justin Edwards, but it quickly faded in the second quarter as the home squad got outscored 46- 28.

Within a blink of an eye in the third, the Spurs had opened up a 40-point lead off the back of strong shooting from deep and nonexistent defensive effort from the Sixers.

Tyrese Maxey put up a quiet 21 points on 19 attempts, did not hit a three after the first quarter, and finished with two assists. Credit goes to a strong defensive backcourt in San Antonio.

Edgecombe had a strong showing before he left the game early with lower back soreness after taking a hard fall on this play:

Thus, our Bell Ringers will be picked from our garbage time opportunist and a familiar face.

Jabari Walker: 20 points, 7-of-10 FG, 2-of-5 3PT, 4-of-4 FT, 6 rebounds, 2 offensive rebounds

Walker was the sole garbage-time performer deserving of recognition. He got his first minutes in the third while the Sixers were down 39, and drew a foul after grabbing an offensive rebound, and hit both free throws. Later in the frame he would drain a corner three.

In the fourth, Walker would add a couple of close shots, a dunk and another corner three to push him to 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting. He notched two and-1 buckets in a row later in the quarter, bringing his total to 20 points on the night.

It was a welcome sight for Walker, who has seen his minutes shrink in recent games. He broke a dry spell in the scoring column, entering Tuesday having not made a shot in almost two weeks. Perhaps this showing will turn the tide for him offensively as the Sixers could desperately use any help on that end.

Jared McCain: 20 points, 8-of-15 FG, 4-of-9 3PT, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound

Our long lost friend Jared McCain put up an undeniable stat-line against the Bulls in 25 minutes of action, helping the Thunder win without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Tonight was the kind of night Sixers fans dreaded after the questionable trade deadline. A poor performance at home where McCain’s services would have been a useful asset or at the very least entertaining for fans in the stadium, as opposed to them exiting early with most of the second half still to go.

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Cincinnati jumps out early, beats BYU 90-68

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jalen Celestine and Jizzle James each scored 18 points and Cincinnati cruised past BYU 90-68 on Tuesday night.

Moustapha Thiam added 15 points and nine rebounds for Cincinnati, which shot 50% overall and 43.5% (10 of 23) from long range. Baba Miller chipped in with 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Day Day Thomas scored 12 points.

Thiam’s dunk with 7:45 to play gave the Bearcats a 71-50 lead. Miller added a one-handed slam with 2:05 remaining.

Cincinnati (17-13, 9-8 Big 12) has won six of its last seven. BYU (20-10, 8-9) has lost three straight.

The Bearcats took the lead about three minutes in and led by as many as 16 points in the first half. The Cougars scored the first five points of the second half to get within seven points, but that was as close as they would get.

AJ Dybantsa scored 23 points and Robert Wright III added 21 for BYU. Aleksej Kostic scored 14 points.

Up next

BYU hosts No. 10 Texas Tech on Saturday in a regular-season finale.

Cincinnati ends its regular season at TCU on Saturday.

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Dak's career-high 22 points and career-high 10 rebounds help Colorado withstand Utah in 92-78 win

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Bangot Dak scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Colorado withstood Utah's second-half shooting barrage to beat the Utes 92-78 on Tuesday.

It was the 7-foot Dak's fifth double-double of the season and second this year against Utah. Isaiah Johnson also scored 22 points, Barrington Hargress scored 19 points and Jalin Holland 11 for Colorado (17-13, 7-10 Big 12).

Terrence Brown scored 26 points and Don McHenry 19 for Utah (10-20, 2-15).

A 13-13 contest with 14:46 left before halftime became one-sided as the Buffs went on to dominate and posted a 51-26 lead at halftime, shooting 67.9% (19 of 28) before intermission. Utah meanwhile shot 34.5% (10 of 29) and missed all nine 3-point attempts.

The Utes turned it around after the break and shot 73.9% (17 of 23) including 85.7% (6 of 7) from 3-point range and got back in it. McHenry's three-point play brought Utah within 69-60 with 8:58 remaining.

Colorado responded with Holland making a pair of foul shots, Dak made four straight and then a tip-in layup and Colorado stayed ahead by double digits the rest of the way.

Up Next

Colorado: Hosts No. 2 Arizona in a regular season finale on Saturday.

Utah: Ends the regular season at Baylor on Saturday.

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Ryan Conwell scores 23 points and Louisville tops Syracuse 77-62

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Ryan Conwell scored 23 points, he and Isaac McKneely combined for 10 3-pointers, and Louisville defeated Syracuse 77-62 on Tuesday night.

The Cardinals, who have fallen out of the Top 25 after losing three of their last four games, got 19 points from J’Vonne Hadley and 16 points from McKneely. Conwell and McKneely each buried five 3s and the Cardinals (21-9, 10-7 ACC) finished 14 for 35 from deep.

Naithan George scored 16 points, Nate Kingz 14 and Donnie Freeman 10 for Syracuse (15-15, 6-11). The Orange made only 4 of 19 from 3-point distance.

Louisville made 6 of 17 3-pointers in the first half and Syracuse was 0 for 11. The Cardinals took the lead for good with an 11-0 run that made it 21-10 nine minutes into the game. Later, a 10-0 run pushed the Louisville lead to 37-16 and the score was 39-21 at halftime.

The Cardinals made five 3s in the first 10 minutes of the second half, pushing their lead to 60-38. A few minutes later a 13-2 run had Syracuse within 62-51 but the margin never got down to single digits.

Syracuse has lost four straight games and six of eight overall.

Up next

Syracuse: The Orange wrap up the regular season with a home game against Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Louisville: The Cardinals finish at No. 22 Miami on Saturday.

The conference tournament runs March 10-14 at Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Knicks showing they can lean on defensive side of ball to win games

It was another defensive clinic for the Knicks.

In New York's 111-95 win over the Raptors in Toronto on Tuesday night, the Knicks held their opponent to under 100 points for the 11th time in their last 19 games. And the Knicks needed that defensive intensity as their offense went stagnant at moments in this one, allowing the upstart Raptors to hang around and even get as close to two points in the fourth quarter.

After going into halftime with a 10-point lead, the Knicks scored just 19 points in the third, allowing the Raptors to cut into the lead heading into the final frame. Knicks coach Mike Brown credited the defense for not letting the game get away from them.

"We came out the third quarter... couldn't score the ball like we did in the first half, but we hung in there defensively," Brown said after the game. "And to hold a team like that that kicks out and runs in transition the way they do to 37 points in the second half, is a pretty good half defensively. We got to hang our hat on that end of the floor and our guys are doing it, they're doing it with physicality first and then trying to go get that ball off the glass second."

The Knicks limited the Raptors to just 13 fastbreak points for the game, and after Raptors star Brandon Ingram scored 26 points in the first half, he only scored five in the second half. A huge reason for that was Josh Hart's defense on the forward, earning him the team's defensive player of the game.

"Josh Hart was phenomenal in a lot of different areas," Brown said. "50-50 balls, guarding different guys. Skills, deflections, you name it. Josh seemed like he was everywhere tonight on that end of the floor."

During this stretch of defensive dominance, Karl-Anthony Towns' play on that end of the floor has seemingly improved as well. Not known for his defense, the Knicks big man had a block and a steal -- which led to a breakaway dunk -- but his defensive presence has not gone unnoticed. 

Brown was asked about Towns' contributions on defense and whether there's a correlation between the team's defensive success and the big man's improved intensity on that side of the ball.

"It's been huge. Again, I say this all the time, one guy can't guard one other guy in the league," Brown said. " It's almost impossible, especially when they do call fouls. And in the way the floor is spaced. It's tough to do that, and so you have to have five guys on a string. The game right now is space and pace, and everybody looks at KAT like, 'oh, you can't do it.' Well, he can do it. 

"He's showing he can do it, and we need him to continue to do it. Whether it's in the pick-and-roll, coming back in transition, coming over to help from the weak side or guarding this guy in a one-on-one situation. He's been fantastic."

Brown pointed out Towns' communication on the floor as a big factor. Towns is so loud that Brown can hear his big man talking to his teammates constantly, and because he's the big and can see everything from the back side, it helps the team as a whole and it showed. 

The Raptors scored just 13 points in the fourth quarter, as the Knicks went on a 16-2 run to end the game and improved to 4-0 against the division rival. They'll go for the season sweep of Toronto on April 10 at home.

And despite the offensive struggles in the third, Brown was encouraged by Tuesday's win overall and reiterated that leaning on the defense is important.

"We feel like we can score. It was a good offensive game, shooting 56 percent from the floor, 32 assists, but we didn't play well, especially offensively in the second half," Brown said. "To be able to know that you can hang your hat on that end of the floor is going to be huge for us because the ball doesn't always go in the hoop."

The Knicks hope to continue their defensive dominance when they host the defending champion Thunder on Wednesday night.

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Devils Notch 2nd Straight Win

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MARCH 3 : Dougie Hamilton #7 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period of the NHL regular season game against the Florida Panthers at the Prudential Center on March 3, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The New Jersey Devils may indeed be pulling out of the three-month slump that sank their season. Or the Devils’ very modest two-game winning streak might just be what it appears to be on its surface – a couple of wins over two teams that are somehow even worse off than the Devils. And make no mistake, that’s exactly what the Blues and Panthers are.

How bad of a season has it been for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs? Well, Florida was pretty stoked to get Tomas Nosek back in the lineup for the first time since last summer’s Cup-clincher. The Panthers were also thrilled to have Dmitry Kulikov in the lineup for just the fourth time this season.

Neither was much help against the Devils though.

New Jersey got goals from five different players and Jacob Markstrom stopped 20 of 21 Florida shots Tuesday night as the Devils put a major dent in Florida’s plans to defend its Cup with a 5-1 win over the Panthers at Prudential Center.

New Jersey went back over NHL .500 with the win. At 30-29-2 the Devils have 62 points and are 11 points back of the final wild card spot. Florida’s 63 points have them 10 back of Boston, which beat Pittsburgh Tuesday night, and the Panthers, or at least head coach Paul Maurice, seem to know that the end is near.

Down 3-1, Maurice was desperate enough he pulled goalie Sergei Bobrovsky with more than four minutes to play leading to empty netters by Dawson Mercer at 16 minutes, 23 seconds of the third and Simon Nemec at 19:20.

For just the third time in their last 10 games, the Devils scored the game’s first goal. Arseny Gritsyuk snapped a shot over Bobrovsky’s blocker at 12:10 of the opening period after Connor Brown sprung Gritsyuk and Jack Hughes on a two-on-one.

The Panthers evened it up on an Anton Lundell goal 2:27 later, but couldn’t make the Devils pay for a double minor taken by Brendan Dillon with less than a minute to play in the period. And when Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was called for hooking early in the second, it was the Devils who took advantage of the extra ice, getting a Dougie Hamilton goal while the teams skated four aside.

Cody Glass’ 14th goal of the year on a tip-in from just off the right post at 8:13 gave the Devils some breathing room.

Not that they’d need it.

Markstrom was solid for a second straight game, picking up second star honors in the win, and Mercer and Nemec buried the Panthers with empty netters in the game’s final minutes.

Up Next

No rest for the Devils, who take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m., Wednesday, at Prudential Center in another nationally televised game, this one on Hulu. The Leafs (27-24-10) are just a couple of points ahead of the Devils, who are looking to win three in a row for the first time since the western Canada road trip in late January. Toronto lost to the Flyers on Monday and is just 3-6-1 in its last 10 games.

Your Thoughts

So the Devils are whatever. … It’s hard to read anything into these games from a Devils’ perspective, but wow was that a terrible showing from the Panthers. Soft. Gutless. It was a dead ringer for the kind of non-effort the Devils have been putting out since December when the ugly reality of how many teams they had to leapfrog became clear and they completely tuned out Sheldon Keefe. They’ll get a Leafs team in very similar straits to the Panthers Wednesday night, so they might be looking at three in a row. Then again, it’s a back-to-back, and we all know how good the Devils are on short rest. But if they somehow get a win then there’s a terrible Rangers team up next on Saturday. … Does anyone think these games count and they have a chance at making a run?