Sports
Wild, Devils continue postseason pursuit
Mar 15, 2025; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Foligno (17) jumps out of the way of a shot by defenseman Jake Middleton (5) which scored on St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer (30) in the second period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Minnesota Wild veterans Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek are getting closer to returning from injuries, but they are not ready yet.
That means the Wild will have to keep pushing toward the playoffs without two of their leaders when they face the New Jersey Devils on Saturday in Saint Paul, Minn.
The players’ return — and a playoff berth for Minnesota — are within reach.
“If it was up to those two, they’d be here tomorrow,” Wild forward Marcus Foligno said. “But (we’ve) got to play it smart. The big picture, we have to think about that. It’s a positive seeing those two guys out there.”
Minnesota (41-27-5, 87 points) is looking for back-to-back wins after beating the Washington Capitals 4-2 on Thursday night. The Wild would have a wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference if the season ended now.
Meanwhile, New Jersey (38-29-7, 83 points) also has the postseason on its mind as the regular season winds down. The Devils hold the third and final divisional playoff spot in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division, but they cannot afford their late slump to linger.
New Jersey will look to bounce back from a 4-0 loss at the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night. The outcome dropped the Devils to 1-3-1 in their past five games.
Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said he liked his players’ effort but cited a few key breakdowns that ultimately cost his team. Keefe said he wants to see better production.
“We’ve got to create more offense,” he said. “That’s the bottom line.”
Devils forward Dawson Mercer is expected to play after he caught a stick to the face against the Jets. Mercer was bleeding after the hit and exited the game for treatment.
“He’s going to be ugly for a little while, but he’s fine,” Keefe said.
The action on the ice also could be ugly as teams turn toward a tighter, more defensive-minded strategy with the playoffs so close.
Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin said he and his teammates are looking at the end of the regular season as something to embrace rather than feeling significant pressure.
“Just take it day-to-day and enjoy the challenge,” Brodin said. “We have teams behind us fighting for a playoff spot, and we’re in a playoff spot right now. We’ve just got to keep working and take it day-by-day every game.”
New Jersey likely will turn to Jacob Markstrom in net one night after Jake Allen started against Winnipeg. Markstrom is 23-14-6 with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage in 44 games this season.
In 13 career games against the Wild, he is 7-3-2 with a 2.24 GAA and a .925 save percentage.
Minnesota is expected to start Filip Gustavsson in net. He is 29-16-4 with a 2.46 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 50 games, and he is 2-1-0 with a 2.55 GAA and a .930 save percentage in three career games against New Jersey.
This will be the first game of a home-and-home set between the teams. After Saturday’s game in Minnesota, they will travel east to meet again on Monday night in Newark, N.J.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Lions running back David Montgomery “wants out” of Detroit after three seasons, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Montgomery, however, immediately appeared to refute the report on X, posting: “Damn, Dmo told you that?”
The ESPN report claims the Lions would want “a decent Day 3 pick (possibly a fifth-rounder)” in the 2026 NFL Draft in return for Montgomery, who turns 29 in June and is owed $6 million next season.
The report follows general manager Brad Holmes’ remarks after the season about Montgomery being unhappy with his playing time in 2025. Sharing a backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery rushed for a career-low 716 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games (no starts).
“Those are conversations that we’re going to have to have because I’ve got a lot of respect for that player,” Holmes said of Montgomery in January. “He deserves to be in a situation where his skillset can be utilized, and so yeah would love for it to be here, but if it can’t be here then you’d just love to see where could work out best for him.”
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Holmes said the situation with Montgomery is “fluid.” He signed a two-year extension during the 2024 season that runs through the end of the 2027 campaign.
“Yeah, I have been in touch with David’s agent, and his representation,” Holmes revealed. “Obviously, we love David, he’s a great player, we love to have him, you know, kind of want to put last year in the rear view, and just move forward. But, obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. The conversations are still fluid, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Montgomery has rushed for 2,506 yards and 33 touchdowns in 45 games (28 starts) in three seasons with Detroit (2023-25). He has 76 catches for 650 yards in that span.
He began his career with the NFC North rival Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the third round in 2019. Montgomery rushed for 3,609 yards and 26 scores in 60 games (51 starts) with the Bears (2019-22).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees LHP Ryan Yarbrough joins U.S. roster for WBC
Jun 18, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough (33) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images New York Yankees left-hander Ryan Yarbrough was added to the Team USA roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic on Sunday.
The 34-year-old reliever replaces Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan, who is dealing with low back tightness. Ryan moves into the designated pitcher pool, meaning he is eligible for a call-up after each round of the WBC.
Yarbrough went 3-1 with a 4.36 ERA and one save in 19 games (eight starts) during his first season with the Yankees in 2025, striking out 55 batters and walking 19 in 64 innings.
Ryan Yarbrough has been added to our roster for the World Baseball Classic!#ForGlory???? pic.twitter.com/RrtKJQ20gz
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) March 1, 2026
Team USA will play its first game of the 2026 WBC on Friday night, meeting Brazil in a Pool B contest in Houston.
Yarbrough has a career record of 56-41 with a 4.22 ERA and four saves in 215 games (76 starts) with the Tampa Bay Rays (2018-22), Kansas City Royals (2023), Los Angeles Dodgers (2023-24), Toronto Blue Jays (2024) and Yankees. The side-arming southpaw signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal in November to return to New York in 2026.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ex-pitcher Dan Serafini gets life sentence for '21 murder
Dan Serafini (file photo) pitched in MLB with seven teams. He was convited of first-degree murder. Former major league pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Friday for the 2021 shootings of his in-laws in North Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Serafini, 52, was convicted in July of the first-degree murder of father-in-law Gary Spohr and the attempted first-degree murder of mother-in-law Wendy Wood during a burglary. Spohr, 70, died from a single gunshot and Wood, then 68, survived but died by suicide the following year.
In the courtroom on Friday in Auburn, Calif., Placer County prosecutor Morgan Gire described Spohr and Wood as loving grandparents.
“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.
Serafini, who pitched for six MLB teams from 1996 to 2007, addressed the court and maintained his innocence. He said he was out partying with his wife, Erin Spohr, at the time of the shooting and referred to himself as a “broken, imperfect man that makes mistakes,” according to MyNews4.
The Minnesota Twins selected Serafini, a native of the San Francisco area, with the No. 26 overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft. He made his debut in 1996 and went on to appear in 104 games (33 starts) with the Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies before his retirement in 2007.
He had a 15-16 record with a 6.04 ERA and one save. He threw 263 2/3 innings and struck out 127 batters.
–Field Level Media
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
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