Sports
Bruins search for breathing room in standings vs. scuffling Maple Leafs
Nov 11, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) celebrates with center Mark Kastelic (47) after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images There is no such thing as breathing room in NHL playoff races this season, but the Boston Bruins look to ride the momentum of a major win into their return home for a Tuesday night matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Boston (39-23-8, 86 points) took over the top Eastern Conference wild-card position with a 4-2 Saturday win over the Detroit Red Wings, improving to 3-0-2 in its last five games and improving its playoff chances by 10.3% due to the win, according to MoneyPuck.com.
Three of the Bruins’ four goals came in the third period to erase a 2-1 deficit.
“We’ve been down in the third period a couple of times lately, but there’s no quitting in this team,” Bruins forward Elias Lindholm said. “We just stay with it and keep playing the same way, and we seem to find ways to win.”
Of course, there is no time for celebration yet, as the New York Islanders and Red Wings remain within two points in the standings.
Saturday’s win could stand tall if the Bruins are able to hold onto a playoff spot. A huge effort in the third period, including a game-winner from defenseman Nikita Zadorov and 22 of Jeremy Swayman’s 42 saves, proved to be the difference.
“That was the best I’ve seen (Swayman) play since I’ve been around,” Boston coach Marco Sturm said. “He was unbelievable and kept us in the game, won us the game.”
Swayman is 6-1-1 with a .934 save percentage in eight March outings.
David Pastrnak is looking to extend his point streak to 10 games (six goals, eight assists) after notching a goal and an assist in Detroit.
Unlike recent seasons of late, the Maple Leafs (29-29-13, 71 points) are looking far up at the Bruins in the standings as they have lost three straight games (0-2-1) and won just twice since the Olympic break (2-8-4). Only the New York Rangers sit below them in the conference standings.
Toronto, which lost both of its previous games vs. Boston this season, is coming off a 5-2 Saturday loss to the Ottawa Senators in which they were outshot for the eighth consecutive game — this time, by a whopping 44-14 margin.
Joseph Woll played both games of the team’s back-to-back in goal, making 39 saves against Ottawa after scheduled starter Anthony Stolarz took teammate William Nylander’s warmup shot to the throat and was taken to the hospital for testing. The Carolina Hurricanes put 36 shots on Woll in Toronto’s 4-3 overtime loss on Friday.
“I think he did a great job (preparing for another start), but the team’s got to respond better than that,” Leafs coach Craig Berube said after Saturday’s game.
Stolarz has since been deemed “good to go” after practicing Monday, though Berube did not name the starter for Tuesday’s game.
Outside of the net, 20-year-old Easton Cowan had a goal and an assist — his first career multi-point game — to help Toronto nearly climb out of a 3-0 deficit, and John Tavares also scored to hit the 25-goal plateau for the 14th time in his career. But it was not enough.
“It’s obviously difficult when we’re not playing the way we’re capable of and we’re in the position we’re in,” Tavares said. “But I just try to approach it one day at a time and appreciate the opportunity to play with the guys in the locker room.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
UConn turns to veteran Alex Karaban, downs UCLA to reach Sweet 16
Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UConn Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) reacts against the UCLA Bruins in the second half during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images PHILADELPHIA — Alex Karaban has seen his role evolve across 147 games at UConn, from a supporting role as a freshman to a key shooter and connector on offense and, now, the senior leader.
On Sunday, the Huskies asked him for something different. With others struggling and their season on the line, they needed Karaban to carry their offense.
Karaban responded with a career-high 27 points, freshman Braylon Mullins added 17 and No. 2 seed UConn took down No. 7 seed UCLA 73-57 to return to the Sweet 16.
UConn (31-5) will face No. 3 Michigan State in the East Region semifinals. The program is shooting for a third national title to cap Karaban’s four-year career, after eventual champion Florida eliminated the Huskies in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year.
Two nights after racking up 31 points and 27 rebounds against Furman, Tarris Reed Jr. had 10 points and 13 boards but shot just 3 of 8 from the field. Jayden Ross had 11 points, but Solo Ball was scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting and Silas Demary Jr. scored two on a pair of free throws.
Xavier Booker had 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting in the first half to fuel UCLA (24-12), but he was held in check after that and finished with 13. Eric Dailey Jr. put up 12, Donovan Dent added 11 with nine assists and Skyy Clark also scored 11.
It was the second matchup of the blue bloods all-time after the Bruins defeated UConn in the 1995 NCAA Tournament on the way to their most recent national championship.
UCLA led by six early on until the Huskies hit seven shots in a row, anchored by a pair of 3-pointers from Ross that gave them their first lead at 23-21.
Eric Reibe threw down a two-handed dunk with 3:38 remaining, and Mullins knocked down two triples in the final 2:49 to give UConn a 38-33 halftime edge.
But it barely lasted. UCLA scored the first six points of the second half, and Clark’s triple put UCLA ahead 42-40.
Karaban dug in and converted two layups. His third-chance tip-in put UConn back up 46-44 with 13:49 to go.
He added one trey from the left wing and sidestepped a defender closing in to hit another, capping a 14-0 run for the first double-digit lead of the night at 56-44.
Dailey briefly brought UCLA within four on a 3-pointer and old-fashioned three-point play, but a 9-0 UConn run restored the double-figure advantage. The Bruins shot 33.3% in the second half and 38.8% overall to UConn’s 46.9%.
–Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media
Sports
Suns rout Raptors to end 5-game skid
Mar 22, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) celebrates after making a three point shot against the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images Devin Booker scored 25 points and Jalen Green added 20 as the Phoenix Suns snapped a season-worst five-game losing streak with a 120-98 victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
Collin Gillespie had 16 points for Phoenix (40-32), which led wire-to-wire and avenged a 122-115 road loss to the Raptors on March 13. Jordan Goodwin scored 14 points, Ryan Dunn added 12, and Rasheer Fleming chipped in 11.
Scottie Barnes led Toronto (39-31) with 17 points. RJ Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter added 13 apiece, Immanuel Quickley had 11, and Gradey Dick scored 10.
Raptors forward Brandon Ingram was held to six points on 3-of-10 shooting after averaging 25.8 points over his last five games. Toronto trailed by as many as 31 and lost its second straight following a three-game winning streak.
Phoenix sprinted to a 28-12 lead and held a 34-20 advantage at the end of the opening quarter.
Green drilled a 3-pointer to extend the Suns’ lead to 43-25 with 9:52 left in the second quarter before the Raptors responded with a 12-0 run over the next 1:45.
Booker scored 12 points in the first half for Phoenix, which regained control to lead 66-48 at intermission. Barnes had 12 points for the Raptors.
The Suns maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half and took a commanding 87-62 lead on Booker’s 3-pointer with 4:12 left in the third quarter.
Phoenix outscored Toronto 31-21 in the third quarter to lead 97-69 at the end of the period.
Both teams rested their starters for much of the fourth quarter. Gillespie made one of his four 3-pointers to put the Suns ahead 114-87 with 5:46 remaining.
Playing the second night of a back-to-back, Phoenix shot 51.7% from the field and 45% (18 of 40) from 3-point range.
Toronto committed 20 turnovers and shot 50% from the field, including 33.3% (9 of 27) from beyond the arc.
The Suns played without several regulars, including Grayson Allen (left knee injury management), Amir Coffey (left ankle sprain), and Royce O’Neale (left knee soreness).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mammoth's Nick Schmaltz scores twice, including in OT to edge Kings
Mar 22, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) skates with the puck against Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) and left wing Lawson Crouse (67) during the second period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Nick Schmaltz scored his second goal of the game 1:46 into overtime and the Utah Mammoth beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 on Sunday night in Salt Lake City.
Schmaltz entered the zone 2-on-1, kept the puck and beat Darcy Kuemper with a wrist shot.
Lawson Crouse had two goals and an assist for the Mammoth (37-28-6, 80 points), who have won three of four and hold the first wild-card spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Kevin Stenlund had two assists, and Karel Vejmelka made 33 saves.
Quinton Byfield had a goal and an assist for the Kings (28-25-17, 73 points), who have lost three straight and trail the Nashville Predators by two points for the second wild-card spot in the playoffs from the West. Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves.
The Kings’ Artemi Panarin tied it 3-3 at 16:30 of the third period, scoring in his third straight game. He entered the zone on the rush, briefly lost the puck but recovered it and sent a shot on net from a sharp angle along the right boards and it snuck under Vejmelka’s left pad.
Crouse gave Utah a 1-0 lead at 7:04 of the first period. John Marino stole the puck from Sam Helenius, skated behind the goal and fed in front to Crouse, who scored on a quick wrist shot from the low slot.
Alex Laferriere tied the game 1-1 just 36 seconds later when he entered the zone 2-on-1, kept the puck and scored on a snap shot from the right circle.
Crouse put Utah up 2-1 at 9:19 when he got a pass at the bottom of the left circle and chipped it up, off Kuemper and into the top of the net.
Byfield tied it 28 seconds later. Vejmelka made a save on Brandt Clarke’s long shot but couldn’t control the rebound. The goalie poked the puck away, but Byfield got to it and scored from the left circle.
The second period was scoreless until Schmaltz batted in his own rebound at 16:11 after winning a puck battle in front to give the Mammoth a 3-2 lead.
–Field Level Media
UConn turns to veteran Alex Karaban, downs UCLA to reach Sweet 16
Suns rout Raptors to end 5-game skid
