Sports
Canadiens continue playoff push against struggling Predators
Apr 5, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki (14) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images The Montreal Canadiens will continue their push for a playoff spot when they visit the struggling Nashville Predators on Sunday.
The Canadiens (37-30-9, 83 points) arrive in Music City riding a four-game winning streak that was extended with a 3-2 home victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Montreal trailed 1-0 going into the third period but tallied three consecutive goals to earn the victory.
“What we said was stay patient,” forward Brendan Gallagher said. “We knew we had it in this room. We can score goals. Just stay patient, stick with our game plan.”
The Canadiens are holding the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, and boasting a four-point lead on the New York Rangers in the race. Both clubs have six games remaining in the regular season.
The winning streak has seen captain Nick Suzuki take his game to another level. Suzuki netted the game-winning goal and an assist, increasing both his goal-scoring and point-scoring streaks to four games in which he has netted five goals and nine points.
“He’s still young and he’s playing with two young players,” coach Martin St. Louis said, referring to Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky. “As they all mature together, get older, it’s only going to get better. What’s his ceiling? I don’t know, but I don’t want to think about his ceiling because I want him to dictate what that ceiling is going to be.”
The Predators return home after suffering a 5-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday, which runs their latest losing skid to five games.
Nashville (27-41-8, 62 points) has long been eliminated from playoff contention and had very little pushback to finish the season on a strong note or even play spoiler.
The Predators had an all-too-familiar performance in this disappointing campaign when they faced off against the Dallas Stars.
“They’re a really good offensive rush team, and we didn’t give them much in the first (period),” forward Steven Stamkos said of the latest loss. “And then kind of halfway through the game you could tell we were starting to turn some pucks over and feed their rush. It just felt like it was a matter of time before it kind of burned us, and it did.”
Nashville coach Andrew Brunette was not at Saturday’s practice due to a personal matter, and there was no word whether he would be back with the team in time for the game.
The game may mark the NHL debut of 2023 first-round draft pick Matthew Wood, the 6-foot-5 forward who signed an entry-level contract in the past week after finishing his season at the University of Minnesota.
“I’ve grown in lots of ways,” said Wood, who was chose 15th overall. “I’ve gotten a lot stronger skating-wise, gotten faster and more mobile. … One of my strengths is that I love learning, and I’m always going to try to continue to learn. This is a huge learning opportunity for me.”
-Field Level Media
Sports
Nick Martinez helps Rays dispatch Reds, his former team
Apr 22, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) celebrates with Tampa Bay Rays third base coach Brady Williams (4) after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images Nick Martinez allowed a run on five hits over eight innings and Junior Caminero homered to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday afternoon at St. Petersburg, Fla.
Martinez (1-1) walked one and struck out five against his former team. He threw 71 strikes in 95 pitches.
The Rays averted a sweep in the three-game series and won for only the second time in six games. Caminero drove in two runs, Yandy Diaz was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI while Ryan Vilade was 2-for-2, scored a run, drove in a run and walked.
The Reds had their five-game winning streak snapped.
Both teams are off Thursday.
Cincinnati starter Brandon Williamson (2-2) gave up five runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts.
The Rays capitalized on Williamson’s walks to the first two batters in the second by scoring three runs and sending eight batters to the plate. Ben Williamson singled in a run, Chandler Crawford brought in the second tally with a sacrifice fly and Diaz produced an RBI single.
Tampa Bay centerfielder Jonny Deluca ended the top of the third by leaping against the fence to haul in T.J. Friedl’s drive.
Caminero’s home run leading off the bottom of the third made it 4-0. He drove a 1-1 pitch to the opposite field, into the right-center-field stands an estimated 404 feet for Caminero’s sixth homer.
The Reds only managed a run in the fifth after loading the bases with none out. P.J. Higgins’ sacrifice fly made it 4-1. Friedl then bounced into a fielder’s choice as Spencer Steer was tagged out at home. Martinez then got Matt McLain on a flyout to end the half inning.
Vilade’s run-scoring in the fifth made it 5-1.
Friedl, playing center field, made a diving catch on Nick Fortes’ drive to right-center to end the sixth inning.
Caminero’s bases-loaded fielder’s choice in the seventh produced the final margin.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yordan Alvarez homers in first, Astros shut out Guardians
Apr 22, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez (44) hits a single during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images Yordan Alvarez had three hits, including a two-run homer in the first inning, and Peter Lambert threw six shutout innings for the visiting Houston Astros in a 2-0 win against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday afternoon in the rubber game of their three-game series.
Lambert (1-1) allowed three hits while striking out eight and walking three for the Astros, who had lost five of six and surrendered at least seven runs in four of those defeats.
Cleveland right-hander Tanner Bibee (0-3) allowed two runs and five hits over six innings. He struck out three and walked two.
Chase DeLauter had two of the five hits for the Guardians, who had won three of four.
Alvarez came up after Carlos Correa doubled to lead off the game and fouled off a two-strike changeup before lifting a curveball into the stands in right for a 2-0 lead.
The home run was the MLB-leading 11th of the season for Alvarez.
Lambert stranded two runners in the first and again in the third. The Guardians also couldn’t take advantage of a leadoff walk in the second. George Valera was safe on an error by Astros second baseman Jose Altuve to lead off the fourth but was stranded at third.
A right-hander, Lambert retired six of the final seven batters he faced, getting two strikeouts and a comebacker in the sixth.
AJ Blubaugh retired the side in order in the seventh for the Astros before reliever Steven Okert got the first two outs in the eighth. Enyel De Los Santos then came in and struck out Rhys Hoskins with a runner on first to end the inning.
De Los Santos came back out for the ninth and got Brayan Rocchio to fly out to center with two runners aboard to end the game and secure his third save.
Bibee got away with walking the leadoff batter in the third and fourth innings and then retired six in a row before Alvarez singled to lead off the sixth. Bibee stranded two runners in his final inning.
Matt Festa, Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski each tossed an inning of scoreless relief for the Guardians.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Point guard Caleb Foster returning to Duke for senior season
Feb 14, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) controls the ball in front of Clemson Tigers forward RJ Godfrey (0) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images Duke point guard Caleb Foster is returning for his senior season, the program announced on social media on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-5 Foster averaged 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 24.8 minutes in 33 games (30 starts) last season for the Blue Devils (35-3), who won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season (17-1) and tournament crowns. He also shot 39.8% (39 of 98) from 3-point range.
He fractured his right foot in the regular-season finale against North Carolina on March 7 and missed the ACC tournament. He sat out top-seeded Duke’s first two NCAA Tournament games in the East Region before playing in the Round of 16 win over St. John’s and the Elite Eight loss to UConn.
LET’S MAKE IT LEGENDARY ?? @iamcalebfoster pic.twitter.com/eFKs8ILMeI
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 22, 2026
Over three seasons, Foster is averaging 6.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 20.8 minutes in 98 games (52 starts).
A native of Harrisburg, N.C., Foster is staying in Durham along with point guard Cayden Boozer, a rising sophomore. They will be joined by five-star recruit Deron Rippey Jr., and Duke also got a commitment on Tuesday from Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, who also is going through the NBA draft process.
–Field Level Media
Nick Martinez helps Rays dispatch Reds, his former team
Yordan Alvarez homers in first, Astros shut out Guardians
