Sports
Motivated Blue Jackets intent on adding to Blackhawks' woes
Jan 28, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan (23) celebrates his goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images The Columbus Blue Jackets will look to continue their hot stretch when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.
Columbus has won three games in a row and seven of its last eight.
The Blackhawks will play the second game of a back-to-back set after falling 6-2 at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. The setback was the fourth in a row (0-2-2) for Chicago.
“I think there’s a number of individuals that aren’t feeling it right now,” Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said. “So that hurts your team’s confidence because the makeup of your players [isn’t] as confident, you know? So we’ve got to get some swagger back, but the only way to get that back is to earn it.”
Chicago’s Connor Bedard and Connor Murphy each scored a goal vs. the Penguins, and Arvid Soderblom made 38 saves.
The game was tied 1-1 after the first period before the Blackhawks were outshot 36-11 over the final 40 minutes.
“We didn’t show enough, I don’t think, response there,” Chicago defenseman Matt Grzelcyk said. “That’s not the team we want to be. … We can be wanting to get to the next game, but you’ve got to show some response there. I don’t think we did a good enough job of that.”
Chicago captain Nick Foligno left midway through the first period with an undisclosed injury. His status is uncertain for Friday’s game.
Ryan Greene picked up an assist to join defenseman Artyom Levshunov as the second Blackhawks rookie with 20 points in 2025-26.
Spencer Knight is 2-0-0 with 2.00 goals-against average and .944 save percentage in his career vs. Columbus. Overall, he has allowed seven goals on 47 shots over his past two starts.
Columbus will start a three-game road trip after a 5-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. The Blue Jackets trail the third-place New York Islanders by eight points in the Metropolitan Division.
“I know everyone is different in terms of looking at the standings, but I check it daily,” Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski said. “I think it’s important to know where you’re at in the standings, what needs to happen. I think it gives you extra motivation when you’re kind of climbing and catching teams and know what’s at stake.”
Sean Monahan scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period after the Flyers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to tie it. He has goals in three of his past four games.
Charlie Coyle and Mathieu Olivier each collected a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, and Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves. Werenski and Cole Sillinger each had two assists.
“We just have to keep pushing,” Columbus coach Rick Bowness said. “What we can control is us, and we just have to keep the focus on what we have to do. As long as we do that, then we’ll have to live with the end result.”
Coyle has five points (two goals, three assists) in his past two games, and Columbus is 6-1-0 under Bowness, who replaced the fired Dan Evason on Jan. 12.
Friday’s probable starter in goal, Jet Greaves, would make his first career start against Chicago.
The teams will face off for the first time this season. They will be meet again in Columbus on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Behind Mark Vientos' clutch hit, Mets edge Twins, snap 12-game skid
Apr 22, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) watches his RBI double against the Minnesota Twins during the fourth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Mark Vientos redeemed himself for an earlier baserunning miscue by delivering the tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, and the host New York Mets snapped a 12-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.
The losing streak was the longest for the Mets since a 12-game skid from Aug. 10-23, 2002.
However, the much-needed victory may have been costly for New York, which lost shortstop Francisco Lindor due to left calf tightness after he scored from first on Francisco Alvarez’s double in the fourth inning.
Lindor, who was 2-for-2 with an RBI infield single in the first, was injured the same night Juan Soto returned from a 15-game absence caused by a strained right calf. The Mets won their first three games after Soto was injured on April 3 before beginning their losing streak.
Soto went 1-for-3 with a walk but was picked off for the second out of the eighth following his single. Brett Baty and Alvarez kept the inning afloat by drawing walks against Taylor Rogers (0-1) and Justin Topa, respectively, before Vientos’ bloop single to right scored Baty.
Vientos was thrown out at home by several feet for the final out of the sixth after running through third base coach Tim Leiper’s stop sign on Marcus Semien’s double.
Luke Weaver (2-0) threw the final 1 1/3 innings for the Mets. The right-hander, who also was the winning pitcher in New York’s previous victory on April 7, got Luke Keaschall to pop up with the bases loaded to end the top of the eighth. He allowed Brooks Lee’s two-out single in the ninth before striking out Byron Buxton to end the game.
Victor Caratini lofted a game-tying sacrifice fly in the fourth for the Twins, who have lost five of their past six. Buxton knotted the game again with a solo homer in the sixth.
Mets starter Clay Holmes gave up two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three over seven innings. Twins starter Connor Prielipp allowed two runs on four hits and no walks while fanning six in his major league debut.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Teen's match-winner keeps New England rolling, Atlanta sliding
Apr 22, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New England Revolution defender Will Sands (23) and Atlanta United midfielder Saba Lobjanidze (11) collide while fighting for the ball during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Peyton Miller’s 78th-minute goal was the match-winner as the visiting New England Revolution defeated Atlanta United, 2-1, on Wednesday night.
Carles Gil assisted on both goals for the Revolution (5-3-0, 15 points), who extended their winning streak to four matches. They also snapped a six-match road losing streak dating back to 2025.
Atlanta (1-7-1, 4 points) dropped its fourth league match in a row and has gone winless in its last five MLS matches (0-4-1).
The 18-year-old Miller scored his team-high third goal of the season on a cross from Gil from the left side of the scoring area. The United States youth international chipped it over Atlanta goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos to make it 2-1 Revs.
The goal came shortly after Will Sands scored a 73rd-minute equalizer. Gil’s corner kick met Sands’ head and, with Hoyos off his line, it sailed into the net to make it 1-1. It was Sands’ first career goal.
Atlanta scored the match’s first goal after the Revs’ Alhassan Yusuf had his would-be opener disallowed on an offside call.
After Pedro Amador got on the end of a cross from Alexey Miranchuk, he fed it to Saba Lobjanidze in front of the goal. Revs goalkeeper Matt Turner parried away Lobjanidze’s point-blank attempt before Fafa Picault had a simple finish on the rebound to make it 1-0. It was Picault’s second goal with Atlanta United across all competitions.
Atlanta had an opportunity to equalize in second-half stoppage time, but Matt Turner stopped Emmanuel Latte Lath’s volleyed attempt.
Turner ended the evening with eight saves. Hoyos was credited with two saves for Atlanta.
With the loss, Atlanta United’s record in their last 13 matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium fell to 1-6-6.
Wednesday marked New England’s first road win since a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew on August 23, 2025.
–Field Level Media
Sports
DC United ends scoring drought, earns 4-4 draw with Red Bulls
Apr 22, 2026; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; Red Bull New York forward Jorge Ruvalcaba (11) reacts after scoring a goal against D.C. United during the second half at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Tai Baribo scored his third goal in the 80th minute as D.C. United ended a long scoring drought and escaped with a 4-4 draw in an adrenaline-fueled match against the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night in Harrison, N.J.
Jackson Hopkins added a goal and an assist for D.C. United (2-4-3, 9 points), who rallied from a two-goal deficit. D.C. has not won in its last five games, going 0-2-3 over that stretch.
The offensive splurge came from a D.C. team that entered the match with an MLS-low four goals. Baribo has now scored six of the team’s eight goals this season.
Jorge Ruvalcaba scored two spectacular goals in the second half for struggling New York (3-3-3, 12 points), which has won only one of its last seven MLS matches.
Ronald Donkor added a goal and two assists and Julian Hall scored his team-high sixth goal for the Red Bulls, who have surrendered 18 goals in their last five matches.
New York struck first in the 15th minute with a precise pair of passes by Adri Mehmeti and Donkor, which set up Hall for a low right-footed shot past on-rushing D.C. keeper Sean Johnson (one save).
Just six minutes later, the Red Bulls took advantage of a lack of pressure from the D.C. defense as a cross by 17-year-old Matthew Dos Santos was deflected by D.C. defender Aaron Herrera.
The ball found Donkor in the center of the box and he fired a right-footed shot to the bottom left corner for a 2-0 lead.
D.C. answered in the 37th minute in transition as Hopkins crossed from the right side to Baribo in the middle of the box. With a sliding right-footed shot, Baribo beat New York keeper Ethan Horvath (one save).
New York countered in the 52nd minute in transition as Emil Forsberg found Ruvalcaba sprinting down the left wing. Ruvalcaba beat one defender then watched another slide past before rifling a tough-angle shot into the top right corner for a 3-1 lead.
But D.C. answered, taking advantage of the tendency of the back line of New York to play too far forward. D.C.’s Joao Peglow won two balls near midfield and sent them forward for breakaway goals five minutes apart.
Hopkins scored the first to make it 3-2 and Baribo followed in the 59th minute to tie it up.
After Ruvalcaba scored again in transition in the 71st minute, Baribo answered from just in front of the goal line with his equalizer on a feed from Silvan Hefti, who had two assists in the match.
In stoppage time, D.C.’s Jacob Murrell appeared to score a transition goal but was called for a foul, shoving a defender out of his way before flicking in a shot with his left foot.
–Field Level Media
