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Blue Jackets aim to win sixth straight, exploit Devils’ inconsistency

NHL: Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue JacketsJan 24, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) looks to pass the puck during the second period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The Columbus Blue Jackets look to stretch their season-best winning streak to six games when they visit the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday in Newark, N.J.

The Jackets are 9-1-0 in the last 10 games and 8-1-0 since Rick Bowness replaced Dean Evason as head coach. Since the change behind the bench, the Blue Jackets have trailed in only three of Bowness’ nine games.

While there’s still a lot of time before the March 6 trade deadline, the Jackets’ recent form has gotten general manager Don Waddell thinking about potential roster additions for this season and beyond.

“If we’re a buyer and I’m going to give up some assets, I’d like to get somebody who has some term left (on their contract),” Waddell told The Athletic.

Despite their stellar play, Columbus remains outside a playoff position in the crowded Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets’ 61 points put them three ahead of the Devils, who are 1-3-0 in their last four games.

It has been an inconsistent season for the Devils, but forward Connor Brown feels as long as his team isn’t allowing the opponent any “freebies,” New Jersey can play with anyone.

“You look at the lulls throughout our season, there’s a lot of games where we beat ourselves,” Brown said. “(We’re) just trying to make plays on a 3-on-3 or when we don’t have a numerical advantage. Those are the things you’ve got to recognize, and you can’t just give the other team chances.”

Both teams could be missing a star player on Tuesday, as Jack Hughes (lower-body injury) and Kirill Marchenko (illness) are both questionable.

Hughes’ injury kept him out of New Jersey’s last game, a 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. The forward didn’t train with the team on Monday, but he did skate on his own following the Devils’ practice session.

Though Marchenko’s status is unclear, Columbus should be getting some lineup reinforcements back. Dante Fabbro practiced Monday after missing six games due to a lacerated foot, and Sean Monahan practiced after an illness kept him out of the Jackets’ last game.

Marchenko and Zach Werenski share the Blue Jackets’ team lead with 19 goals, and Werenski leads the club in assists (41) and points (60).

Nico Hischier leads New Jersey in goals (18) and points (41), and Jesper Bratt has a team-leading 27 assists.

Killing penalties has been an issue for both teams, but the Blue Jackets and Devils each have been better recently against opposing power plays. Columbus is 19-for-21 on the penalty kill over its last seven games, while New Jersey is 18-for-20 over its last eight.

The away team won each of the previous three games between the Blue Jackets and Devils this season, with New Jersey holding a 2-1 edge. The Devils are 10-3-0 in their last 13 games with Columbus.

In three starts against the Jackets this season, Devils goalie Jake Allen posted a .905 save percentage and a 3.11 goals-against average. Allen and Jacob Markstrom have split starting duties over New Jersey’s last six games, and Markstrom would start Tuesday if the rotation holds.

Since the Jackets also play on Wednesday at home against the Chicago Blackhawks, Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins will split the back-to-back starts in some order.

–Field Level Media

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Hot start helps Hyo Joo Kim take 5-shot lead at Fortinet Founders Cup

LPGA: The Chevron Championship - Final RoundApr 27, 2025; The Woodlands, Texas, USA; Hyo Joo Kim of Korea hits a tee shot on the first hole during the final round of The Chevron Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim improved her grip on the lead to five strokes with a 6-under-par 66 on Saturday at the Fortinet Founders Cup in Menlo Park, Calif.

Kim, a seven-time winner on the LPGA Tour and the 2015 Founders Cup champion, led by two shots after the opening round and four through Friday’s play. The 30-year-old shot 6 under for the first six holes on Saturday and is 17-under 199 after three rounds at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club, which is hosting the event for the first time.

World No. 2 Nelly Korda, competing for the first time since winning the weather-shortened Tournament of Champions to open the 2026 season, is five strokes back at 12 under after she matched Kim’s 66.

Kim, ranked No. 8 in the world, had an adventurous round with only seven pars. She started on fire with birdies at Nos. 1, 3 and 4 before an eagle at the par-5 fifth hole to get to 16 under for the tournament. Another birdie followed at No. 6, then the first of her three bogeys on the day to make the turn in 31 shots.

“The start up to hole 6, I believe, was unbelievable golf and I can’t even believe it,” Kim said. “I had a lot of birdies and (an) eagle, too. But I did also have some bogeys I shouldn’t have done. The start felt like almost a game.”

The back nine included birdies at Nos. 10 and 13 sandwiched around two bogeys and her seventh birdie of the round at the par-4 No. 16.

Kim hit eight of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation on Saturday.

Korda carded 33 on both the front and back nines in her bogey-free round. Birdies came at Nos. 2, 7, 8, 10, 16 and 18.

“It’s nice to have a clean scorecard wherever you play,” Korda said. “Doesn’t matter. With kind of how tough it is off the tee and into the greens, just really happy with my round today.”

She needed only 27 putts in hitting 10 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation.

China’s Ruixin Liu (66 on Saturday) and Mexico’s Gaby Lopez (65) are tied for third at 11 under.

World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, who leads the Race to CME Globe standings, is tied for fifth at 9 under with three others: Australia’s Karis Davison (69), Japan’s Erika Hara (67) and South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi (69).

–Field Level Media

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Fresh off historic blowout, No. 1 Florida takes aim at No. 9 Iowa

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-Prarie View A&M at FloridaMar 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida Gators center Olivier Rioux (32) dunks the ball in the second half against the Prairie View A&M Panthers during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Florida began pursuit of a second straight national championship by trouncing Prairie View A&M by a whopping 59 points, the second-largest winning margin in NCAA Tournament history.

That margin of victory couldn’t have been comforting for Iowa.

The ninth-seeded Hawkeyes take aim at a major upset when they face the top-seeded Gators on Sunday night in a second-round South Region game at Tampa, Fla.

“They’re talented at all five positions for Florida,” Iowa star guard Bennett Stirtz said on Saturday. “Yeah, our hands are going to be full, but we’re going to take full advantage of the opportunity, and to be the best you’ve got to beat the best.”

Iowa (22-12) registered a 67-61 first-round victory over eighth-seeded Clemson on Friday for its first NCAA tourney win since 2021. The Gators (27-7) romped 114-55 over Prairie View A&M with only Loyola Chicago’s 111-42 win over Tennessee Tech in 1963 representing a worse beatdown.

In other words, Florida plays a much-faster pace than the Hawkeyes, who are more comfortable in halfcourt sets.

Iowa coach Ben McCollum isn’t paying much attention to whether the game is slowed down or resembles a track meet.

“If it’s slow or fast is irrelevant, it’s just a matter if we can put the ball in the basket more than they do,” McCollum said of the pace. “I don’t think we probably focus on it as much as most people think. I think it just naturally happens.”

Meanwhile, the Gators will have a pro-Florida crowd in Tampa for the second straight game and coach Todd Golden is certainly relishing that aspect.

“It’s a great advantage of finishing where we did and being able to stay close to home and playing in Tampa and something that we definitely don’t take lightly,” Golden said.

Last season, the Gators squeaked out a 77-75 win over two-time defending national champion UConn in the second round. It was one of four victories by six or fewer points in the title run, including a 65-63 victory over Houston to win the national title.

Golden said this season’s Gators are more ready to battle their way through the tournament than last season’s edition.

“I believe we’re more prepared this year, obviously going through last year’s tournament,” Golden said. “Just the ups and downs that we had earlier on in the season. We’ve been able to get through some adversity and get back to playing together, playing the right way, having really good success.

“So, coming into the Tournament, I feel like we’re more comfortable, better prepared. I believe our guys had a great mentality after this week’s practice going into the game (Friday) night and played with great purpose and intent. I expect to try to do that again against a really good Iowa team.”

The Gators were ready for their first game, shooting 64.3% from the field and outrebounding the Panthers 54-20. Seven Florida players scored in double digits.

Florida knows the task will be tougher Sunday. The players are focusing on Stirtz, the honorable mention All-American who was just 4-of-17 shooting while scoring 16 points in Iowa’s win over Clemson.

“Bennett is a great player,” Florida guard Boogie Fland said. “Just got to contain him, no threes, and all team defense.”

McCollum, who is coaching Stirtz for the fourth straight season at a third different school, is expecting a bounce-back from Stirtz.

“They’re paying attention to him pretty heavy and it’s pretty contested,” McCollum said. “I’m not overly concerned with it. Obviously, he’s going to have to be able to score for us to win to a certain level, but he doesn’t need to go have 30 points for us to do that.”

–Field Level Media

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Sixers close trip with late spurt, knock off Jazz

NBA: Philadelphia 76ers at Utah JazzMar 21, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Jabari Walker (33) goes up for a shot against Utah Jazz guard John Konchar (55) during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Quentin Grimes scored 25 points and VJ Edgecombe added 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 126-116 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night at Salt Lake City.

Trendon Watford added 20 points off the bench for the 76ers (39-32), who won for the fourth time in the last five games. Cameron Payne added 16 points and seven assists off the bench and Adem Bona also scored 16 points for Philadelphia, which played without star Joel Embiid (oblique) for the 12th straight contest.

Ace Bailey had 25 points and seven rebounds and Kennedy Chandler scored a career-best 19 points off the bench for Utah (21-50), which sewed up its third straight 50-loss campaign. Chandler made his team debut after being signed to a 10-day contract due to the Jazz being short on players. Utah suited up eight on Saturday.

Cody Williams and Elijah Harkless scored 15 points apiece and Bez Mbeng had a career-best 13 points for the Jazz, who have lost five of their last six.

Utah shot 40.6% from the field, including a shaky 9 of 40 from 3-point range.

The 76ers, who won two of three on a trip out west, connected on 50% of their attempts and also struggled from deep (6 of 27).

Grimes scored six points during a decisive 12-2 run turned a two-point deficit into a 118-110 lead with 2:35 remaining in the game.

When Utah crept within six, Grimes banked in a short floater to make it 122-114 with 1:36 left and Philadelphia closed it out.

Bailey and Chandler scored 13 points apiece as Utah led 70-64 at halftime. Edgecombe and Grimes each had 12 in the half for Philadelphia.

The 76ers used a 13-2 burst early in the third quarter to take a 77-74 lead on Watford’s basket with 7:26 left in the third quarter.

Edgecombe later buried a tiebreaking 3-pointer to give Philadelphia a 95-92 lead with 41.9 seconds left in the period.

The 76ers took a 95-94 edge into the fourth quarter and later led by four before Utah went on a 10-4 run. John Konchar’s three-point play gave the Jazz a 108-106 lead with 6:43 to play.

–Field Level Media

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