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Jets set sights on further momentum vs. streaky Stars

NHL: Winnipeg Jets at Florida PanthersJan 31, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (55) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Winnipeg Jets look to head into the upcoming Olympic break on a positive note when they face host Dallas on Monday night, while the Stars enter the matchup seeking their fifth straight victory.

Dallas forward Matt Duchene extended his goal-scoring streak to four games Saturday as the Stars edged the Utah Mammoth 3-2 on the road for their fifth win in the last six games.

“I think we’re playing better hockey now,” Duchene said after the win in Salt Lake City. “There was some stuff there that we needed to fix. … I think we’ve just got to keep with those little things and keep going.”

The win marked a continued turnaround for the Stars, who had won just three of 14 games in a 3-7-4 stretch that began before Christmas prior to this current win streak. Dallas had a 25-7-5 record prior to that slump, and coach Glen Gulutzan said recent results suggest the club is regaining its form.

“We had to get back into our game and what we did better in the first half of the year than we’ve done since the new year,” Gulutzan said. “You can see, I’m sure, a visible difference if you’re watching the games on how we’re playing the last few.

“It’s got to continue. We know that’s got to be part of the fabric of our team and I think the players see it, we all see it, so it’s got to carry on.”

Winnipeg is coming off a 2-1 road victory over the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Saturday. The Jets scored twice in the third period for just their second third-period comeback win of the season.

“I just liked the way we competed,” said Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel when asked about his takeaway from the victory. “We stayed in it. … We did a really good job of winning our share of puck battles. Did a good job in eliminating what we gave up.”

Despite the win, Winnipeg remains nine points out of a playoff spot with only two games remaining before the Olympic break and four teams between it and the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Jets are hoping to build momentum as the schedule heads toward a near-month-long pause.

A lot of that could rest on the shoulders of Cole Perfetti, who tallied at Florida on Saturday. It was just his fifth goal and 16th point of the season, disappointing numbers considering the step he was hoping to take this year after scoring 18 goals and 50 points in 82 games in 2024-25.

“Yeah, it’s obviously a good feeling. Like you said, got a lot of chances there earlier in the game and wasn’t able to find it,” Perfetti said. “So, just keep going to the net, trying to generate and try to get those chances, and go to the net and get rewarded. That felt good.”

The Jets’ blue line remains depleted. Neal Pionk (lower-body injury) has returned to practice but is not expected to rejoin the lineup until after the Winter Games. Defensemen Colin Miller (knee surgery) and Haydn Fleury (upper body) also are sidelined until late February or early March.

Dallas defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin remains out with a lower-body injury but is progressing toward a return after traveling with the team on its most recent road trip.

–Field Level Media

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Frustrated San Diego FC vying for better result at Dynamo

MLS: Real Salt Lake at San Diego FCMar 22, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego FC defender Luca Bombino (27) moves the ball during the first half against Real Salt Lake at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chadd Cady-Imagn Images

San Diego FC hope to snap out of an extended funk when they travel east to square off against the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday in a Western Conference match.

San Diego (3-3-2, 11 points) hasn’t tasted victory since a 1-0 win at Sporting Kansas City on March 7 and heads to the Bayou City with a five-game winless swoon. The team has dropped its past three matches and has been outscored 9-3 in those games.

The most recent of those setbacks was a 4-2 loss at Real Salt Lake on Saturday in which San Diego conceded two goals in the first six minutes and never recovered. Marcus Ingvartsen and Anders Dreyer found the net for San Diego FC, with the latter a window dressing tally on a penalty kick in the 66th minute after the side trailed by three.

“It’s definitely frustrating because we expect a lot from ourselves,” San Diego defender Luca Bombino said. “Things haven’t necessarily gone our way, but we know that we have all the talent and the hard work within the squad to achieve the things we want to do.”

It’s been feast or famine for Houston (3-4-0, 9 points) this season. A 1-0 win at Orlando City on Saturday showed that things may be turning for the Dynamo after three straight losses in MLS play, which included a 6-2 shellacking on the road against Colorado on April 11.

Hector Herrera’s goal in the 75th minute, his first of the season, was the difference in the win over Orlando as the Dynamo captured both their first road win of the year and their first clean sheet of the season.

“I still think we can be clearer on how to build the game and have longer possessions and make better decisions and not have to defend as much as we’ve had to,” Houston coach Ben Olsen said. “Until we’re well-oiled and we know exactly who we are, we have to have character and personality and resiliency.”

San Diego has just four points from four road games this season, including one win. The Dynamo are 2-2-0 on their home pitch.

The sides played twice in 2025, with each winning on the road.

–Field Level Media

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Victor Wembanyama (concussion) to miss rest of Spurs-Blazers Game 2

NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio SpursApr 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

San Antonio star center Victor Wembanyama was forced from Game 2 of the Spurs’ first-round playoff series with the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday with an apparent concussion after hitting his face on the floor early in the second quarter.

The Spurs later announced that Wembanyama had entered concussion protocol and would not return to the game.

Wembanyama hit his face on in the floor at near-full speed after being knocked off his feet during a drive to the basket at the 8:57 mark of the second period, with the contact leaving him dazed enough to struggle standing up before jogging off the floor to the locker room.

San Antonio trailed 34-32 at the time of Wembanyama’s exit and he had amassed five points, four rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot in 11:41 of court time when he was injured. The game was tied 57-57 by halftime.

The Spurs have had plenty of success without their star this season. Wembanyama missed 18 games this season with various injuries, with San Antonio going 12-6 in those games.

–Field Level Media

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Late 6-run rally carries Guardians past Astros

MLB: Houston Astros at Cleveland GuardiansApr 21, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) hits an RBI double against the Cleveland Guardians during the fifth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Rookie Chase DeLauter delivered a go-ahead three-run triple and Kyle Manzardo added a two-RBI single in a six-run eighth inning, rallying the Cleveland Guardians to a 8-5 victory over the visiting Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

DeLauter’s sinking liner toward the foul line in left dropped just in front of Brice Matthews, who was attempting to make a sliding grab. Angel Martinez, Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan came around to put Cleveland ahead 6-4.

Manzardo, also facing reliever Bryan King, drove in Jose Ramirez and DeLauter two batters later. Rocchio began the comeback from a 4-2 deficit with an RBI single that chased Enyel De Los Santos (0-1).

Rule 5 Draft selection Peyton Pallette (1-1) tossed a scoreless eighth for his first career win. Closer Cade Smith gave up an RBI single in the ninth to major league homer and RBI leader Yordan Alvarez in a non-save situation.

Alvarez drove in three runs and had two hits for the Astros, who have split the first two games of the series. Carlos Correa and Matthews had two hits and an RBI apiece.

De Los Santos was charged with three runs in one-third of an inning, the final two scoring as inherited runners against King. The Astros, who have just three wins in the past 16 games, remain last in the American League West.

Houston trailed 2-0 before scoring three times in the fifth off Parker Messick, who entered the evening with the third-best ERA in the majors at 1.05. Matthews singled in Isaac Paredes before Alvarez drove in Yainer Diaz and Dustin Harris.

Correa extended the Astros’ lead to 4-2 in the seventh with a single against Tim Herrin, plating Cam Smith.

Messick, who came within three outs of a no-hitter in his last start April 16 against the Baltimore Orioles, gave up three runs on six hits over five innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked one.

The Guardians went up 2-0 in the second when Martinez hit a solo homer off Ryan Weiss, who made his second start as a major-leaguer. George Valera singled home Ramirez in the first to open the scoring.

Weiss went 3 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. The right-hander, who spent the last two years in the Korean Baseball Organization, walked four and struck out four.

Daniel Johnson was hit on the right wrist with the first pitch he saw in his Houston debut, thrown by Herrin in the seventh inning. He was signed as a free agent to a minor league contract two days earlier, then recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land before the game.

Johnson entered to replace left fielder Harris, who had been hit on the left hand with a fifth-inning pitch from Messick.

–Field Level Media

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