Sports
Penguins look to ride momentum, stave off elimination in Game 6
Apr 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) and Philadelphia Flyers left wing Noah Cates (27) take a third period face-off in game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The momentum in the first-round playoff series between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins has officially shifted to the west.
The Penguins have won two straight games with their season on the line and will look to continue their rally against their intrastate rivals Wednesday when they skate with the Flyers in a pivotal Game 6.
Philadelphia appeared to be in control of the series after winning the first three games by a combined score of 11-4. However, a 4-2 defeat in Game 4 gave Pittsburgh life – and the Penguins followed up that performance with a 3-2 triumph in Game 5 on Monday.
“The first three games we kind of got into the same slow game, scrum it out every time,” said Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang, who has scored the game-winning goals in each of the last two contests. “Obviously, the playoffs are a different energy, but Games 4 and 5, we’re playing with pace, and that’s what we did all year. … We’re a team that won by playing fast.”
Letang’s fluky game-winner in Game 5 was a shot that fluttered past Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar, hit off the end boards and ricocheted back into the crease, where it got lost in Vladar’s skates and trickled over the goal line.
Elmer Soderblom and Connor Dewar also scored for the Penguins, while Sidney Crosby had two assists and Arturs Silovs made 18 saves.
“I thought the last couple games we’ve found our stride a bit,” Crosby said. “So, we should feel good about that. I think with any series, though, you’ve got to get better with every game, and there’s still things we can do better.”
Only four teams in NHL history have blown a 3-0 series lead by losing the final four games. The Flyers obviously don’t want to join that list, but they’re staying focused and confident for now.
“We’ve got to regroup, get ready for the next one and find that desperation,” said Philadelphia defenseman Travis Sanheim, who scored one of the team’s two goals. “I think going home, in our building, we’re still in a good spot.”
The Flyers received a boost in Game 5 from Alex Bump, who scored a goal in his first career playoff contest, and fellow rookie Denver Barkey, who played with energy and poise on his 21st birthday.
“The young guys were good,” Philadelphia coach Rick Tocchet said. “We’ve got to get some (veteran) guys (going), though — they’ve got to step it up. They’ve got to play with more pace, shorter shifts. … We’ve got to come up with some stuff here.”
Vladar has not looked 100% since injuring his right arm in Game 3. He finished with 18 saves in Monday’s setback.
He’ll likely need to be sturdier in net if the Flyers are going to win a playoff series for the first time since 2020. Meanwhile, the Penguins have not advanced in the postseason since defeating Philadelphia in the first round in 2018.
If there is a Game 7, it will take place Saturday evening in Pittsburgh. But for now, the teams remain focused on delivering their best efforts in Game 6.
“There’s no way that group’s going to go away,” Tocchet said. “No chance.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Professional bowler Jakob Butturff dies at 32
Jakob Butturff bowls in his match against AJ Johnson during the Cheetah Championship finals in the Guaranteed Rate PBA World Series of Bowling XIV on Monday, April 17, 2023, at Bowlero Wauwatosa in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Professional bowler Jakob Butturff died unexpectedly on Friday at the age of 32, the PBA Tour announced.
Butturff won eight PBA Tour titles, including one major competition — the 2019 USBC Masters.
“Jakob was one of the most unique players in PBA history,” PBA commissioner Tom Clark said. “Fans marveled at his delivery, as he rode a wave of strikes into becoming a top player in the sport, capable of winning at any time, in any event.
“Jakob was kind, he was respectful, and he was a champion. He will never be forgotten. Our hearts are with all Butters touched on his one-of-a-kind journey.”
His cause of death was not announced.
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Butturff won his first two PBA Tour titles in 2016. On the PBA Regional Tour that year, he had nine titles and was named Northwest Region Player of the Year.
In 2019, Butturff add three titles as he rose to the No. 2 ranking. His wins that year included the sole major tournament of his career. He also finished second in the Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year voting.
He had career earnings of just over $1 million in 214 events since 2015.
Fellow bowlers took to social media to post their tributes.
“It ain’t supposed to be like this,” EJ Tackett wrote on social media. “It’s nothing short of soul crushing. Butters was one of the guys that would give the shirt off his back for anyone in need and he showed that time and time again. The bowling world lost today and it will never be the same. We all love you buddy. Until we meet again my friend.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Losing streaks collide as Sparks visit Fire
Jun 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks guard-forward Rae Burrell (12) is fouled by Portland Fire guard Carla Leite (0) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Two squads looking to stop losing streaks meet on Sunday when the Portland Fire host the Los Angeles Sparks.
Portland (11-18) dropped its fourth straight game Friday with a 112-98 setback against Indiana, a sour note to kick off the Fire’s five-game homestand.
Bridget Carleton scored 26 points on 7-for-11 shooting from 3-point range, and Portland hit 14 of 31 buckets from beyond the arc as a team, but the Fire’s ongoing defensive struggles proved insurmountable.
Friday’s loss marked the third time in Portland’s current skid that it surrendered more than 100 points, and fourth straight giving up at least 98.
“It’s solvable,” Carleton said after Friday’s contest. “One-hundred and twelve points is a lot, and most came off of our turnovers.”
With 20 turnovers committed against the Fever, the Fire are averaging 14.7 giveaways a game. Only Washington is allowing more with 15.6 turnovers per game.
As a result, Portland is allowing 91.6 points per game, more than all but two teams: Toronto at 93.6 and Los Angeles with 94.1.
The Sparks (10-17) owe much of their six-game slump to defensive woes. Los Angeles gave up 113 points its last time out in a four-point home loss to New York on Tuesday.
Despite shooting a blistering 16-for-31 from 3-point territory, including Erica Wheeler’s 4-for-5 effort, the Sparks allowed the Liberty to shoot 53.1% from deep (17-for-32).
Tuesday’s offensive surge did give a Los Angeles team that has been without Kelsey Plum throughout the skid some optimism, however.
“No moral victories, but … our pace was great. Execution was probably the best we’ve had in a long time,” head coach Lynne Roberts said.
The Sparks’ 109 points marked a season high in regulation and were evenly distributed among six double-digit scorers. Rae Burrell finished with 24, Wheeler had 17 and Ariel Atkins posted 16 to provide much-needed perimeter punch to complement Nneka Ogwumike (21) and Dearica Hamby (12).
Cameron Brink also added 11 points off the bench, her third game in double figures in the last five.
As the Sparks have had to adjust without Plum, rumors swirled this week that the guard is a trade candidate.
“Professional sports (are) business,” Plum said to reporters at Thursday’s practice. “People have to do what’s best for them, and I respect that.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Stewart Cink surges into 3-way tie for lead in Portugal
Stewart Cink waves after putting on 18 during the third round of the U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club in Columbus on July 4, 2026. Stewart Cink surged into a three-way tie for the Portugal Invitational lead on Saturday with an 8-under-par 64 that included a pair of eagles.
Cink eagled the par-5 third and par-4 12th holes at The Els Club Vilamoura in Algarve, Portugal, moving to 13 under through two rounds.
The eight-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions enters Sunday’s final round level with Padraig Harrington of Ireland (65 on Saturday) and Slovakia’s Rory Sabatini (66).
First-round leader Zach Johnson slipped into solo fourth place at 12-under after an eventful round of 68 with four birdies, one eagle and two bogeys.
Tim O’Neal surged into a tie for fifth place at 10-under with a bogey-free 66 to join Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg (68). They are one stroke ahead of South Korea’s Y.E. Yang (67) and Australia’s Cameron Percy (67).
Cink started fast and was 6 under through five holes en route to the lowest round of the day.
“Well, it’s weird to come off a round like that with that kind of score and be a little dejected because I shot minus-8, but I was 6-under par like 3 1/2 hours ago for the day,” Cink said. “I settled back into normalcy after that.
“The start was just like laser focused. I mean, it was almost perfect shot after perfect shot for the first really six holes. I didn’t birdie the sixth hole, but, you know, par-3, including an eagle from short range and another almost eagle on the par-5. Just really kind of fun. Then came back down to earth a little bit and got, like I said, a little bit more normal. All in all, a really good day.”
Cink, who leads the Charles Schwab Cup standings, is looking for his fifth victory on the tour this season.
Harrington began his bogey-free, 7-under round with an eagle at the par-5 opening hole. He capped the round with his fifth birdie at No. 18.
“I’m obviously very happy to have birdied the last,” Harrington said. “Hit a very nice second shot, hit a very nice putt. In golf you get some great breaks. Mikael Lundberg putted it pretty much on the same line before me. I thought the putt had a little bit of break and Michael’s broke a lot … (otherwise) I would never have holed mine. You get good breaks like that at times in golf and it’s nice I took advantage of it.”
Sabbatini eagled the par-5 third hole but squandered his chance for the outright lead with a bogey at the par-3 17th.
“All things considered, I think that score today with the wind, the greens were getting a little firmer, faster at the end there, I’m pretty excited about it,” Sabbatini said.
This is the first PGA Tour Champions event ever held in Portugal.
–Field Level Media
Professional bowler Jakob Butturff dies at 32
Losing streaks collide as Sparks visit Fire
