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.
Isaac singled to right field in the eighth inning.
Despite their 12-3 loss to the Tigers, the Rays and their prospect Xavier Isaac had a heartfelt moment on Saturday.
In his first game back from having brain surgery last year, Isaac, 22, singled to right field in the eighth inning, a moment which was celebrated by his Rays teammates.
“It was awesome. The dugout was pumped up. Everybody shook his hand, high-fived him,” Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters, according to MLB.com. “No, [his results] don’t matter.
Xavier Isaac accepts congratulations from his first base coach after singling to right field in the eighth inning of the Rays’ 12-3 spring training loss to the Tigers on Feb. 26, 2026. Tampa Bay Rays/X
“But any time you get some positive reinforcement or a reward for the work that he’s been putting in on the back field — hopefully he values that as a pretty special moment. I know we all did.”
Isaac, who was selected by Tampa Bay with the No. 29-overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, underwent “life-saving” surgery back in July 2025 to remove a brain tumor, which sidelined the first baseman for more than eight months.
“Just being back on the field, just being at first, honestly, was the best. I haven’t been on defense in two years, so that was a good moment,” Isaac said. “And I got the hit. A lot of relief.”
Isaac last played for Double-A Montgomery before his surgery, which he previously said was “the scariest moment” of his life.
Xavier Isaac celebrates after hitting a two-run homer in the top of the Rays’ spring training loss to the Twins on March 16, 2024 in Fort Myers, Fla. Getty Images
Isaac is now spending spring training with the Rays as a non-roster invitee as he prepares for his fifth professional season.
After impressing across both Low-and High-A during the 2023-24 seasons, Isaac’s stats dipped last season, which he admitted was likely linked to his brain tumor.
“Mentally, I feel like I wasn’t there last year, wasn’t the same there, and it was something wrong — and I did not know what was going on,” Isaac said. “It was probably that, and that’s a big reason why.”
Isaac was the Rays’ ninth-ranked prospect in 2025, according to MLB.com
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Shayne Gostisbehere had a goal and two assists to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to their fifth straight win, 5-2 over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.
Jackson Blake, Taylor Hall, Sebastian Aho and Eric Robinson also scored for the Hurricanes, who have used a 12-game point streak (10-0-2) to surge to the top of the Eastern Conference with 82 points.
Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen made 27 saves to improve to 14-1-2 in his career against the Red Wings.
Simon Edvinsson and Patrick Kane scored and Cam Talbot stopped 31 shots for the Red Wings, who lost for the fifth time in seven games (2-4-1).
The Hurricanes built a 3-0 lead to continue their recent hot play at home. They lost their first two home games in January but have gone 10-0-1 at home since a 5-3 loss to Colorado on Jan. 3.
Gostisbehere scored at 2:18 in the third period to give the Hurricanes some breathing room after Detroit cut the margin to 3-2 at the end of the second period.
Blake, with assists from Gostisbehere and Hall, extended the Hurricanes' margin to 5-2 with a goal at 5:30 in the third.
Edvinsson scored from the left circle with 1:35 left in the second period to get Detroit on the scoreboard. Kane scored 47 seconds later to cut the deficit to 3-2 heading into the third period.
In the first period, Hall scored on a breakaway at 14:05 and Gostisbehere set up Aho’s power-play goal with eight seconds left to make it 2-0. Aho, who helped Finland win bronze at the Olympics, has seven points in the past six games. Robinson scored 2:52 into the second period to push the lead to 3-0.
Up next
Red Wings: Visit Nashville on Monday night.
Hurricanes: Start a four-game road trip at Seattle on Monday night.
Dec 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (9) drives to the basket around Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Dallas is set to host the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, their final home game before playing eight of their next nine games on the road.
OKC is fresh off a hard-fought OT victory against conference foes Denver, while Dallas is coming off an equally crucial matchup against Memphis, and it’s safe to say both teams were pretty happy with the outcomes of their last games.
This matchup should prove to be a much easier walk for both teams to get where they’d like to go, as Oklahoma has defeated Dallas twice already this season, the last victory coming in the form of a 21-point drubbing back in early December. Though with Dallas owning the Thunder’s first this season (currently the 29th pick as Detroit has the league’s best winning percentage), Thunder losses should also be of interest to Mavs fans with an eye towards the future
Flaggless in Dallas
Even in a season where the goal isn’t to compete for a championship, or even a postseason birth for that matter, when you have a player like Cooper Flagg put together a historic rookie performance, there’s still reason for engaged viewing. It’s unlikely that Flagg, who’s been out of action since the All Star break with a foot injury, will return to the floor quite yet. He’s officially a game-time decision as of this writing.
That’s all well and good, but for fans’ sake, hopefully at least some of the younger core will be back in action after nearly all of them were out for the Memphis game. With no Flagg and Derek Lively out for the season, the only young guys Mavs fans have to watch in hopes of future development are the recently re-signed Ryan Nembhard and perhaps Marvin Bagley, should the Org see fit to keep him around after this season.
A perfect storm
For a team like Oklahoma City, going 6-and-4 over their last 10 games is a bout as close to a “slump” as you’re going to get. Comparing the team’s performance in wins and losses over those games, it’s actually remarkable how little difference there is in how the Thunder perform, suggesting that Thunder losses are more about opponent overperformance than their own underperformance. Field goal attempts, rebounds, free throw attempts are all about equal between wins and losses for Oklahoma City.
About the only notable difference is, in their wins, the Thunder take fewer threes and shoot about 8% better from the floor, and their opponents score about 108 points versus scoring just 115 in games they lose.
So I suppose the blueprint for beating the Thunder is to try and catch them on an off shooting night where they’re settling for more threes and hope your own team gets a little hot. Otherwise, good luck to you.
About the on
Dwight Powell, Mr. Maverick
They’ll never make me hate you, Dwight Powell. From Rondo-trade throw-in, to putting up historically efficient offensive numbers (his 2021-22 season is second all-time for Ortg), to a guy who has survived every roster shakeup since the Nowitzki era. He’s gotten to where he is by never trying to do more than he was capable of, filling a specific role, and being the ultimate team-first kind of guy. Who is more deserving to just go out there and run amok for a while? Powell’s three-point shooting experiment ended after 2018-19 (a big reason his offensive efficiency spiked after that), and the most he’s taken in a season since then is 39. Fewer than one attempt every two games. He’s had five or fewer the past three seasons, on only three so far this year. Let him shoot. He should work to surpass his season’s worth of three-point attempts in a single game. Also, I want to see if Adam Silver considers letting Dwight Powell shoot seven threes in a game worthy of a fine for anti-competitive practices.
How to watch/listen
You can watch the game at 7:00 pm on KFAA Channel 29 or MAVS TV (streaming), or listen at 97.1FM KEGL (English), and 99.1FM KFZO (Spanish).
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anton Forsberg made 29 saves, Alex Laferriere scored in the second period and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Calgary Flames 2-0 on Saturday night to end a five-game losing streak.
Forsberg had his second shutout of the season and 10th of his NHL career, two nights after coming on in relief of Darcy Kuemper in the second period of an 8-1 home loss to Edmonton.
Laferriere scored with 4:24 left in second, putting his own rebound past goalie Dustin Wolf for his 14th goal of the season. Adrian Kempe added his 22nd into an empty net in the final minute.
Wolf made 35 saves. He spent seven years in the Los Angeles Junior Kings youth program before playing major junior for Everett in the Western Hockey League.
The Kings have three games left on a six-game homestand.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 26: Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts during the third quarter against the Washington Wizards at State Farm Arena on February 26, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a lengthy saga, Jonathan Kuminga was finally traded from the Golden State Warriors to the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis. In his first game with the Hawks a 119-98 win over Trae Young’s Washington Wizards, Kuminga logged 27 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in 24 minutes. Considering how tumultuous his time with the Warriors was, this was great to see — especially because Kuminga is only 23 years old, and the sky is the limit for the young forward. Kuminga started off so promising for Golden State, so it’s great to see that a change of scenery seemed to help his game.
On his podcast, Draymond Green had this to say:
“Incredible, incredible game.
JK was just getting out and running. [When the Hawks are] hitting him in transition, he gets to it. Once he gets downhill and he gets dunks, then the three-ball starts falling…Just a beautiful game and I’m happy to see it.
I actually talked to him the night before on FaceTime. I’m like, “Man, when are you playing?” He’s like, “I’m at it tomorrow, big bro. I’m back tomorrow night.” I’m like, “Let’s get it.” And, you know, the young fella came out with 27 [points]. What a great debut. Happy to see him playing. Happy to see him smiling.”
With a new young core emerging for the Hawks following Trae Young’s departure to the Washington Wizards, there’s a chance that Kuminga may thrive in a starting role, or at least lead the bench mob.
“I just want to see the young fella keep it going,” Green said. “I know he will. Just continue to get better man. Take advantage of the opportunity. New beginnings don’t come around often, so you’ve got to take advantage of them when you get them.”
The Buffalo Sabres are undoubtedly a team to pay attention to between now and the 2026 NHL trade deadline. With the Sabres looking to cement themselves a spot in the playoffs, they should be looking to add to their roster.
The Chicago Blackhawks are in a different position, as they are among the bottom teams in the NHL and should be sellers. Due to this, let's look at two players who the Sabres should consider pursuing from Chicago.
Ilya Mikheyev, LW/RW
The Sabres would benefit by adding another depth forward to their roster, and Ilya Mikheyev could be an interesting player for them to bring in. The 31-year-old forward could fit well in their bottom six, as he is a speedy winger who contributes offensively. He is also an excellent penalty-killer, so he would help the Sabres in that department.
Mikheyev has appeared in 53 games this season with the Blackhawks, where he has recorded 11 goals, 12 assists, and 23 points.
Connor Murphy, D
The Sabres have been connected to Murphy a lot this season, and it is easy to understand why. There is no question that they need another right-shot defenseman, and landing Murphy would give them a very solid one. The veteran blueliner could fit nicely on their bottom pairing and penalty kill if acquired.
In 58 games this season, Murphy has recorded four goals, eight assists, 12 points, and 84 blocks.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Timo Werner assisted on a goal in his MLS debut on Saturday night and the San Jose Earthquakes beat Atlanta United 2-0.
Preston Judd and Ousseni Bouda each scored a goal for San Jose.
Judd gave San Jose a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute. Following an Atlanta turnover in its defensive half, Jamar Ricketts raced to the left corner of the 18-yard box and lobbed a cross to the front post, where Judd skipped a header into the net.
Werner, a 29-year-old forward acquired in late January, made his MLS debut when he subbed on for Judd in the 61st minute and quickly made an impact.
On the counter-attack in the 79th minute, Werner played a cross from the right side to a charging Bouda for a half-volley finish from point-blank range that made it 2-0.
The Earthquakes (2-0-0) had just 45% possession but outshot Atlanta 13-8, 6-1 on target.
Daniel De Sousa Britto — known simply as “Daniel” — had a save and recorded his second consecutive shutout.
Lucas Hoyos had four saves for Atlanta (0-2-0). The 36-year-old Hoyo replaced 41-year-old Brad Guzan, who retired at the end of last season after making 225 appearances over the club’s first nine MLS seasons.
