Sports
Amid tight East playoff race, Isles face rebuilding Blackhawks
Mar 22, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) skates with the puck against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images The NHL playoffs don’t officially begin until April 18.
But the playoffs are unofficially well underway for the New York Islanders and the seven other teams vying for the final few postseason spots in the Eastern Conference.
The Islanders will try to maintain their playoff spot Tuesday night when they host the Chicago Blackhawks in the teams’ final clash of the season.
Both squads were off Monday after playing at home Sunday night, when the Islanders earned a pivotal 1-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Blackhawks fell to the Nashville Predators 3-2.
Ilya Sorokin stopped all 26 shots he faced as he made Bo Horvat’s goal 1:25 into the first period stand up for the Islanders (40-26-5, 85 points), who climbed past the idle Detroit Red Wings into the second and final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
The Islanders also tied the Blue Jackets for third in the Metropolitan Division, though Columbus has a game in hand. Both teams are one point behind the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins, who lost to the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 earlier Sunday.
The Islanders, Blue Jackets, Red Wings and Penguins are all vying for playoff spots with the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators. The Canadiens are third in the Atlantic while the Bruins lead the wild-card race and the Senators were four points out of a playoff spot entering their game Monday night against the New York Rangers.
All seven teams are scheduled to play Tuesday night.
The Islanders, who made the playoffs with late-season pushes in 2023 and 2024, are a respectable 6-5-0 since March 1.
“The entire rest of the year, it’s going to be high-pressure games — high-stakes scenarios,” Horvat said. “And we’ve been there and done that before and we’ve got to continue to keep doing it.”
The Blackhawks (26-31-13, 65 points) are on pace to miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season and the eighth time in nine years. But Tuesday presents another opportunity to potentially impact the playoff race as Chicago will play its ninth straight game against a contender.
The Blackhawks are 3-2-3 in their last eight games. They held a pair of one-goal leads Sunday against Nashville, and Connor Bedard scored his team-leading 29th goal.
But the Predators moved into the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference after Steven Stamkos tied the game at 9:43 of the third and Filip Forsberg scored an unassisted goal off a turnover 65 seconds into overtime.
With Sunday’s loss, the Blackhawks fell to 7-13 in games decided after regulation. The Penguins, Los Angeles Kings (17 overtime or shootout losses) and Vegas Golden Knights (14) are the only teams with more defeats in overtime or the shootout.
“Overtimes are so much — you get three guys on the ice, you get a little bit of systematic stuff, but to say you have all this (it) comes down to guys making plays,” Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill said. “If our overtimes have been better, our record would be much better.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Randal Grichuk helps White Sox continue dominance of Twins
May 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin (65) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Randal Grichuk delivered a bases-clearing double to punctuate a four-run third and Davis Martin worked six strong innings to lift the host Chicago White Sox to a 6-2 victory against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.
Chicago out-hit Minnesota 8-5 to take three of four and win its fifth straight home series.
The White Sox have won nine of their past 10 games against Minnesota dating to last season.
After starting 4-1 on a 10-game road trip, the Twins were outscored 21-4 over the final two games at Rate Field.
Martin matched Cleveland’s Gavin Williams for the American League lead in victories, improving to 8-1 with his fourth win in five May starts. The right-hander contributed his fourth quality start during that span, spacing one run and two hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Tristan Peters had three hits and an RBI for the White Sox while Colson Montgomery added two hits and an RBI. Montgomery’s run-scoring single in the first inning gave Chicago an early lead after Miguel Vargas walked and stole second with two out.
More two-out success helped the White Sox put the game away in the third. Two walks and a single loaded the bases ahead of Peters’ RBI single against Twins right-hander Simeon Woods-Richardson. Grichuk put the game out of reach one batter later, hitting an opposite-field three-run double to chase the Minnesota starter.
Woods-Richardson (0-7) allowed five runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out four. Five Twins combined for 5 1/3 innings of three-hit, one-run relief.
Martin retired the first seven batters he faced before Tristan Gray’s one-out single in the third. Gray doubled and scored on Ryan Kreidler groundout in the fifth.
Victor Caratini added an RBI sacrifice fly for Minnesota in the seventh.
Twins leadoff hitter Byron Buxton reached base on a walk and single.
Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami contributed an RBI single in the fourth. He had five hits — including three home runs — and five RBIs in the series.
–Field Level Media
Sports
UCF extends coach Johnny Dawkins through 2028-29
Mar 19, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCF Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins conducts a press conference during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images UCF coach Johnny Dawkins agreed to a three-year deal through the 2028-29 season, the school announced Thursday.
Dawkins, 62, guided the Knights to a second consecutive 20-win season in 2025-26 as well as appearances in the Top 25 poll and the NCAA Tournament.
“Johnny has led our men’s basketball program with outstanding poise and class,” athletic director Terry Mohajir said. “The stability and continuity he has provided have been, in my opinion, a major reason for the program’s growth. As a result, we’re excited to extend his contract. He is a strong leader and an outstanding role model for our young men. Johnny is highly deserving of this extension, and we’re excited about the future of UCF men’s basketball under his leadership.”
Dawkins reportedly had the lowest salary among Big 12 coaches last season at $2.1 million.
Dawkins has compiled a 189-132 record in 10 seasons at UCF, overseeing the Orlando-area school’s transition from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 Conference in 2023-24. His team also reached the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
The Knights were 21-12 last season, appearing at No. 25 in the Associated Press poll on Jan. 5. As a No. 10 seed, they lost to No. 7 seed UCLA 75-71 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
“What we accomplished this season was a testament to the hard work of our student-athletes, coaches and staff as we continue establishing ourselves in the Big 12,” Dawkins said. “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and excited about where this program is headed. UCF has become home for my family, and I’m committed to continuing to build a program that our university and fans can be proud of.”
Dawkins was 156-115 with one NCAA Tournament appearance in eight seasons at Stanford from 2008-16, leading the Cardinal to NIT championships in 2011-12 and 2014-15. His overall record is 345-247.
Dawkins was a two-time All-American point guard and the Naismith National Player of the Year during a decorated career at Duke from 1982-86. A first-round pick (10th overall) by San Antonio in 1986, he played nine NBA seasons with the Spurs (1986-89), Philadelphia 76ers (1989-94) and Detroit Pistons (1994-95).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tennessee rides Elsa Morrison HR, tames Texas bats
Tennessee Lady Volunteers catcher Elsa Morrison (22) celebrates after hitting a home run in the second inning during a Women’s College World Series softball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 28, 2026. Tennessee won 6-3. Freshman Elsa Morrison smashed the first pitch she saw over the center field fence for a three-run home run in the second inning and Tennessee beat defending national champion Texas 6-3 in the Women’s College World Series at Oklahoma City on Thursday afternoon.
Sage Mardjetko (15-2) got the win for Tennessee in four shutout innings and muted the high-powered Texas offense. She has 16 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings this postseason.
SEC Player of the Year Katie Stewart went hitless for the Longhorns in three at-bats.
Morrison doubled off the top of the wall in the sixth and was 2-for-3 despite missing her second homer by a narrow margin.
Taelyn Holley scored two runs for Tennessee, which avenged a 2-0 loss to Texas in the 2025 WCWS semifinals.
Morrison’s heroics are becoming expected. She belted a tiebreaking homer to sink Northern Kentucky in the regional opener and now has seven homers this season.
Texas cut the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth. After Gold Glove senior catcher and cleanup hitter Reese Atwood got Texas on the board, second baseman Leighann Goode delivered with two outs. She roped a two-run home run to center field off the Volunteers’ Karlyn Pickens, who was clocked at a record 78 mph — the equivalent of 109 mph from an MLB regulation pitching mound.
Pickens and Tennessee (48-10) advance to meet Texas Tech and starter NiJaree Canady on Friday for a spot in the semifinals. The Red Raiders won 8-0 in five innings in the WCWS opener Thursday.
The Longhorns will face Mississippi State, which managed two hits and zero runs Thursday against Texas Tech, in an elimination game.
–Field Level Media
Randal Grichuk helps White Sox continue dominance of Twins
UCF extends coach Johnny Dawkins through 2028-29
