Sports
Red Wings, Sabres each take momentum into matchup
Oct 19, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) celebrates the goal of center Dylan Larkin (71) against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images The Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres each bring winning streaks into their matchup Saturday at Buffalo.
The Red Wings have won three in a row after Thursday night’s 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils in Detroit, while the Sabres have won their last two.
Red Wings veteran Patrick Kane scored a power-play goal with 3:32 remaining Thursday to break a 3-3 tie against the Devils, and Michael Rasmussen added an empty-net goal for the 5-3 victory.
“Whenever (Kane) has the puck, he’s going to make something happen,” Detroit forward Alex DeBrincat said. “We just have to find ways to get it to him and get open. That creates so much more offense and just more puck touches.”
Kane scored on a wrist shot from the high slot. He also added an assist, while DeBrincat had a goal and an assist and Lucas Raymond had two assists.
The Red Wings again needed outstanding goaltending to win. They were outshot 109-55 in the three victories. Cam Talbot made 37 saves on Thursday after Alex Lyon was the difference in the first two wins. The pair have a .954 save percentage (104 saves on 109 shots) in the three games.
“They’ve been great,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said Thursday of the goalies. “That’s the story of the difference of last week to this week, especially tonight against a very good offensive team.”
DeBrincat (three goals, three assists) and Raymond (six assists) lead the Red Wings in points while Larkin’s four goals pace the team.
Detroit’s top defense pairing, which features 6-foot-3 Moritz Seider and rookie Simon Edvinsson, who is 6-6, has been effective in early action together.
“I think that’s definitely something we want to take as an advantage,” Seider said. “Stay tight together and then expand quickly if we have to. Don’t get out of position because we’ll cover a lot of ice and, eventually, they have to come to us anyway.”
Buffalo defeated the Dallas Stars 4-2 on Tuesday after topping the Chicago Blackhawks by the same score last Saturday.
“Our team as a whole is just more mature,” Sabres center Tage Thompson said. “We got a lot of guys that have been here for a while, a lot of young guys that have learned. I think the biggest thing for us is puck management. … I think, so far, everyone’s just committed to the game plan that we’re just going to stay on the (defensive) side of pucks.”
Thompson and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist against the Stars while defenseman Owen Power had three assists. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 28 saves.
Thompson, who leads Buffalo with five goals, also had a goal and an assist in the win over the Blackhawks last Saturday and J.J. Peterka added a goal and an assist. Luukkonen stopped 35 shots.
Tuch is the Sabres’ leading point producer with nine (three goals, six assists), Thompson has eight points (three assists) and Peterka (four goals, two assists) and Power (two goals, four assists) each have six. Ryan McLeod has four goals.
Luukkonen has a 3.01 goals-against average, .903 saves percentage and is 2-2-1. DeVon Levi has a 3.79 GAA and .874 saves percentage in three games (1-2).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tadej Pogacar rides away with record-tying fifth Tour de France title
Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia celebrates winning his fifth Tour de France on Sunday in Paris. With a record-tying fifth Tour de France title already in hand, Tadej Pogacar did his best to put on another show on Sunday before relenting near the finish of the shortened final stage in Paris.
The cycling star from Slovenia was overtaken on the final straightaway of Stage 21, but still won the overall title in a time of 73 hours, 56 minutes, 26 seconds over the three-week event. He finished 6:26 ahead of Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel.
Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates teammate Isaac del Toro of Mexico finished third overall, which also clinched the title for top rider 25-years-old and under.
Mathieu van der Poel of Belgium won the final stage in a sprint to the finish line along Paris’ Champs-Elysees.
Pogacar and van der Poel were locked in a duel on the final circuit before van der Poel used his famed sprinter’s speed to pull away. It was a 1-2 finish for the Alpecin-Premier Tech team with Jasper Philipsen of Belgium coming in second. Mads Pedersen of Denmark, and the Lidl-Trek team, finished third.
Stage 21 was adjusted this year to include the hilly Montmartre circuit, which has gained popularity since being used during the 2024 Paris Olympics. The route was adjusted further Saturday when it was reduced to 88.7 kilometers due to wildfires outside of Paris.
Richard Carapaz of Ecuador won the overall title for top climber while wearing the polka-dot jersey while Pedersen clinched the sprinter’s title in the green jersey. Lidl-Trek, which includes Quinn Simmons of the United States, won the team title.
Simmons, the reigning United States road race champion, was awarded “Best Teammate” for the second consecutive year.
Pogacar ended up in 30th on the final stage, but the overall title had long been in hand as he won the Tour de France for the third consecutive year. He also won titles in 2020 and 2021.
“It’s an incredible day and an incredible atmosphere,” Pogacar said. “I’m happy that it’s over and we won for a fifth time.”
Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark are the only riders to win the Tour de France since 2000. Vingegaard was forced to abandon this year’s race on Stage 15 when he crashed in a turn and came away with a right arm injury. Vingegaard was second overall when he crashed.
Miguel Indurain of Spain was the last to win five Tour de France titles, clinching the last of those in 1995. Bernard Hinault of France, Eddy Merckx of Belgium and Jacques Anquetil of France also won five titles.
“Every victory is really special and seven Tours already, seven times on the podium, with five wins, it’s something that you wouldn’t even write in a storybook,” Pogacar said. “It’s unbelievable for me.”
Pogacar stamped himself as one of the top road racers of all-time by winning Stages 3, 6, 10, 14 and 19 this year. The five wins this year give him 26 Tour de France stage wins.
“It’s a lot of factors,” Pogacar said when asked how he was able to secure title No. 5. “You enjoy what you’re doing, and you have the people around you that you trust and they help you. They’re there for you when you’re at your lowest and you can be yourself and chase your dreams.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mario Hezonja back in NBA, signs deal with Cavs
Aug 11, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) and Portland Trail Blazers forward Mario Hezonja (44) battle for the ball during the second half of a NBA game at The Field House. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images Mario Hezonja is returning to the NBA for the first time since 2020 after signing a one-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, ESPN reported Sunday.
The deal for the Croatia native, who was the fifth overall selection in the 2015 draft, is reportedly worth $2.8 million.
Hezonja, 31, has spent the last six years in the EuroLeague and the last four at Real Madrid where he blossomed. Hezonja helped Real Madrid clinch the EuroLeague championship in 2023 and was named the MVP of Liga ACB for the 2025-26 season when he averaged 17.5 points and 4.9 rebounds.
The Golden State Warriors also pursued the former lottery pick, according to the report. The Cavaliers came out ahead in the end as they look to improve on a run where they made it to the Eastern Conference finals last season. It was their first conference final since 2018.
Hezonja last played in the NBA during the 2019-2020 season with the Portland Trailblazers and also spent time with the Orlando Magic (2015-18) and New York Knicks (2018-19) in five seasons. In 330 career games (69 starts) Hezonja averaged 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists, while shooting 41.7% from the field and 31.9% from 3-point range.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cardinals agree to sweetened $15.5M deal with QB Jacoby Brissett
Jul 23, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) during training camp at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett agreed to a reworked deal that will guarantee him $15.5 million plus incentives, according to multiple reports on Sunday.
Brissett could earn $21 million this season if he meets all incentives. He is slated to become a free agent following the season.
Brissett has been unhappy with his contract all offseason after starting 12 games in 2025 and being projected as Arizona’s starting quarterback again this season.
The 33-year-old Brissett didn’t do on-field work during the team’s mandatory minicamp as he expressed his disdain for his deal due to pay $4.88 million in 2026 with just $1.5 million guaranteed.
However, he participated in Thursday’s first training camp workout with Arizona.
Brissett replaced injured Kyler Murray as the starter last season and completed 64.9% of his passes for career highs of 3,366 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also tossed a career-worst eight interceptions in 485 attempts.
Still, the Cardinals went 1-11 in Brissett’s 12 starts. In the offseason, Arizona hired a new coach in Mike LaFleur and drafted quarterback Carson Beck in the third round of the 2026 draft.
Overall, Brissett is 20-45 as a starter while playing for six teams. He made 30 of his starts for the Indianapolis Colts (2016-19) with 15 coming in 2017 when Andrew Luck was injured. He made 15 more in 2019 after Luck unexpectedly retired shortly before the start of the season.
Brissett has passed for 14,766 yards, 76 touchdowns and 32 interceptions in 101 games. Brissett and Aaron Rodgers both have 1.4 interception rates that are the lowest in NFL history.
–Field Level Media
Tadej Pogacar rides away with record-tying fifth Tour de France title
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