Sports
Avalanche defensemen in spotlight ahead of tilt with Blackhawks
Jan 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (7) during the third period against the Florida Panthers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Colorado Avalanche blueliners aren’t growing defensive about their recent offensive surge — they simply remain adamant about an aim to stop goals before scoring them.
Still, the fact is the two-way tendencies of Avalanche defensemen have helped the club to a 7-0-1 run in the past eight games entering Wednesday’s visit to the struggling Chicago Blackhawks.
Devon Toews continued the trend Monday, contributing two goals and an assist during a 3-1 home win against the Florida Panthers. Two games before that, Toews scored the game-winner on another three-point night and Cale Makar added two goals in a 6-5 overtime win over Buffalo.
“I don’t think our guys necessarily care about points back there,” Toews said. “It’s about contributing offensively and being able to create time and space for our forwards and get them the puck in dangerous areas as well.
“So if we’re able to contribute on the score sheets, that’s great. But at the end of the day, we’re defenders first.”
Chicago, meanwhile, will welcome offense from any corner. The Blackhawks have an NHL-low 28 points and have been outscored 35-18 while losing six of seven.
Friday’s 4-2 victory against Montreal seemed promising for Chicago after three straight four-goal losses. While Tyler Bertuzzi gave the Blackhawks an early lead against the visiting New York Rangers on Sunday, Chicago ultimately surrendered five straight goals in a 6-2 defeat.
“It’s just a lot of dominoes that don’t go our way,” the Blackhawks’ Wyatt Kaiser said. “(We’re) still trying to figure it out.”
Coach Anders Sorensen called the club’s puck management “unacceptable.” He added: “Then we get stuck in our own zone because we’re tired and we can’t get out. … Nothing good comes out of that.”
Kaiser gave the Blackhawks a bright spot with his first goal in career game No. 71, on his 155th shot attempt.
Otherwise, the most consistent member of the attack has been leading scorer Connor Bedard, the reigning NHL Rookie of the Year.
Bedard enters Wednesday on a career-best seven game point streak in which he has three goals and six assists. Each helper has come on a Bertuzzi goal.
“As we play (together) more, we know where each other is going to be,” Bertuzzi said. “I’ve just got to find open ice, and I know he’s going to make good plays.”
Colorado has scored multiple goals in each game during its recent run apart from one, a 2-1 shootout loss to Montreal on Saturday. Forward Mikko Rantanen has been a constant over that span, collecting nine goals and 14 assists during a 14-game point streak.
“He’s been playing hard, the last handful of games especially,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “His competitiveness is skating, and then when he gets in puck-protection, that’s the way we need him to play. And usually offense follows that.”
Nathan MacKinnon has a goal and 15 assists during an eight-game point streak for the Avalanche, who lost 5-2 to visiting Chicago on Oct. 28. Ryan Donato scored twice to help Chicago stop a four-game skid while ending Colorado’s five-game winning streak.
The teams are set to meet twice over the final five weeks of the season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Max Holloway would 'love' Conor McGregor rematch; no contract offer yet
Aug 17, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Max Holloway (left) throws a punch at Conor McGregor (right) during a UFC featherweight match at the TD Garden. McGregor won after three rounds by judges decision. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Max Holloway is working out in preparation for a fight that might never occur, but as he sees it, there’s really no other choice.
“I mean, it’s just, it sucks,” Hollway said in an interview with Paramount+. “I would just like to get one back.”
The former UFC featherweight champion is in training camp for a potential rematch with double title winner Conor McGregor in Las Vegas this July at UFC 329, but without a signed contract in hand.
The uncertainty is due in part to questions over when or if McGregor wants to step back into the Octagon, especially considering the Irishman hasn’t fought since July 2021. McGregor was rumored to be on the card scheduled for the White House this summer, but his purported opponent, Michael Chandler, instead will oppose Mauricio Ruffy.
Still, Holloway is expressing unfailing interest in trying to secure a deal to face off against McGregor again. The two squared off in 2013 and McGregor won by unanimous decision, though McGregor left the match with a torn ACL.
“My head space is good, it’s straight,” Holloway said. “I kinda know when I fight. We kinda know where we want to fight, why we want to fight, so just getting in the gym, getting there, getting it done.
“It’s a huge fight. Anything with Conor McGregor is huge, but having history with the dude, being able to get one back would be cool.”
Holloway is eager to erase the poor impression left by a one-sided loss to Charles Oliveira last time out, a March 7 unanimous-decision defeat that cost him the symbolic BMF title that rests with the UFC’s “baddest” competitor.
“You’re only as good as your last fight, they say, and we’re going to get everybody forgetting about that last fight as soon as possible,” Holloway said.
For McGregor, the biggest draw in the sport and the first athlete in the sport to hold two weight class titles simultaneously (featherweight and lightweight), it would mark a return from a devastating broken tibia and ensuing drug suspension that have sidelined “Notorious” for the better part of five years.
Holloway, a 34-year-old Honolulu native, projects as a heavy favorite over McGregor, 37, due to the latter’s long layoff.
–Field Level Media
Sports
CJ Abrams (5 RBIs), Nationals slam Twins
May 6, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) hits an RBI double against the Minnesota Twins during the fourth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images CJ Abrams had three hits including a grand slam, Miles Mikolas pitched into the sixth inning and the host Washington Nationals routed the Minnesota Twins 15-2 on Wednesday night.
Brady House, Drew Millas and Jose Tena each had two hits including a home run for the Nationals, who collected 14 hits. Abrams also had two doubles and five RBIs, and James Wood and Jacob Young each had two hits.
Mikolas (1-3), signed as a free agent in the offseason, began the game with an 8.23 ERA. The right-hander pitched a season-high 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on three hits. Mikolas retired 16 of the 19 batters he faced to earn his first Washington win.
Three Washington pitchers held Minnesota to three hits. Matt Wallner had two hits including a home run for Minnesota, which had won two straight.
Twins starter Bailey Ober (3-2) went five-plus innings, allowing five runs on six hits.
Minnesota took a 1-0 lead in the third when Luke Keaschall doubled and scored on a Wallner single.
Washington did not get a baserunner against Ober until Wood singled leading off the fourth. Wood stole second with one out and Curtis Mead walked. Abrams followed with a double to score Wood.
Wallner homered off Mikolas in the fifth to put Twins up 2-1.
Young singled leading off the bottom half and Millas homered to center to give Washington a 3-2 lead.
In the sixth, back-to-back doubles by Abrams and House ended Ober’s night. Tena greeted reliever Andrew Morris with Washington’s third straight double to make it 5-2. With two outs, Nasim Nunez tripled to right and the lead was 6-2.
Daylen Lile walked leading off the bottom of the seventh and, with two outs, House homered to center to make it 8-2.
Young singled, Millas doubled and Wood singled them both home in the eighth. Washington loaded the bases and Abrams smacked a grand slam to right-center, the second of his career. Tena followed with a homer to make it 15-2.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Phillies' 4-run eighth fuels rally past Athletics
May 6, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Adolis García (53) celebrates his home run with second baseman Edmundo Sosa (33) against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Edmundo Sosa delivered a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth inning as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to notch a 6-3 victory over the visiting Athletics on Wednesday.
Brandon Marsh had three hits and an RBI for Philadelphia, which improved to 8-1 under interim manager Don Mattingly. Adolis Garcia homered for the Phillies while J.T. Realmuto, Garcia and Sosa each had two hits.
A’s left-hander Jeffrey Springs, who exited his last outing with hip soreness, gave up two runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and no walks in a crisp 75-pitch performance. Nick Kurtz finished with two hits and an RBI as he reached base for the 30th straight game.
In his third start since returning from a blood clot in his shoulder, Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler allowed three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings.
The Phillies trailed 3-2 in the eighth inning when Kyle Schwarber drew a leadoff walk against Jack Perkins (2-1). Bryce Harper reached on an error by second baseman Jeff McNeil that spoiled a potential double play, then Garcia singled to load the bases.
Sosa grounded his two-run single up the middle to give Philadelphia the lead. The Athletics brought in Hogan Harris for the platoon advantage against Brandon Marsh, but Marsh stroked an RBI single before Justin Crawford’s RBI groundout made it 6-3 as the Phillies’ four-run frame featured two unearned runs.
The A’s loaded the bases against Brad Keller with two outs in the ninth, but the veteran right-hander got Jacob Wilson on a grounder back to the mound to end it. Orion Kerkering (1-0) recorded the final out of the eighth.
Kurtz’s RBI single in the fifth made it 2-0, but Philadelphia got a run back in the bottom half as Marsh tripled and scored on a grounder by Felix Reyes. Tyler Soderstrom led off the sixth with a homer against Wheeler to make it 3-1.
The Phillies answered again, this time with Garcia’s solo homer in their half of the sixth.
Perkins pitched the seventh for the A’s, striking out a pair, before the right-hander ran into trouble in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Max Holloway would 'love' Conor McGregor rematch; no contract offer yet
CJ Abrams (5 RBIs), Nationals slam Twins
