Sports
As break arrives, Devils put it all on line vs. Islanders
Jan 6, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders left wing Anthony Duclair (11) celebrates hit 3rd goal of the game against the New Jersey Devils with New York Islanders defenseman Tony Deangelo (77), New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech (3), New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) and New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27) during the second period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images With the NHL playoff race taking shape, the New York Islanders are once again in the thick of the action.
The Islanders, as expected, have been in contention all season long, but their chances continue to get better as their captain Bo Horvat continues to get into the swing of things.
Horvat, who missed more than three weeks in January due to a lower-body injury, has played in seven games since his return, leading the Islanders to a 4-3-0 record, including a massive 5-4 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday when Horvat had three points, including the game-winning goal.
The Islanders and their captain look to continue their momentum when they travel to face the New Jersey Devils on Thursday in what will be each team’s last game before the Olympic break.
“You’d like to think it was coming,” Horvat said after his production against the Devils. “You try to not think about it and do other things away from the puck that go unnoticed and eventually get rewarded for it. So, to finally get the reward, it was great.”
After the break, New York hopes reward comes with more consistency down the stretch. The Islanders are just 5-5-0 since Jan 17, but, led by Horvat’s return, the group feels it has been playing better hockey of late.
“We’ve gone through stretches and games, especially the last couple, where we’ve actually played really good hockey and just haven’t gotten the result,” Horvat said. “For us to get that result (against Pittsburgh), maybe not having our best game, definitely boosted us going into Thursday.”
What should give the Islanders even more confidence is what took place the last time the two teams met. On Jan. 6, the Devils absorbed one of their worst losses in recent memory with a 9-0 shellacking.
In that meeting, New York’s Anthony Duclair recorded a hat-trick with five points, while Casey Cizikas, Matthew Barzal and Tony DeAngelo all finished with three points.
To avoid a similar performance, the Devils will have to dig deep in what has been a challenging season. New Jersey has lost two straight and four of its last five games. The team is near the bottom of the standings in the Eastern Conference.
“The level of urgency has got to go up. We have to go on a run. It’s as simple as that,” Devils forward Connor Brown said. “It’d be naive to not realize what type of position we are and how many points back of the playoffs we’re in. The urgency needs to get going.
“Whether the season is slipping away or not, you have to look in the eye and realize we have a big game before the break. We’ll have an opportunity to reset after that.”
No game will be bigger than Thursday for the Devils, who are nine points behind the Islanders in the Metro Division.
“We know what situation we’re in, but we’re not looking more than a day ahead,” the Devils’ Jesper Bratt said. “We know the Metro and the East has been a good (battle), and we haven’t been able to maintain a lot of wins in a row. It’s obviously frustrating. … We have one really important game until the break. That has to be our focus now and then recharge.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alabama locks down Nate Oats, makes him one of highest-paid coaches
Alabama head coach Nate Oats reacts to a play against Michigan during the first half of NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 round at United Center in Chicago on Friday, March 27, 2026. Alabama has agreed to a contract extension with men’s basketball coach Nate Oats that will make him one of the five highest-paid coaches in the sport, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne announced Sunday via X.
“Appropriate members of The Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms of the new agreement and it will soon be formally approved through the Board process,” Byrne wrote in a statement.
“We are good! He’s not going anywhere,” Byrne wrote on his personal X account.
This is the third contract extension in four years for Oats, whose previous extension in early 2024 ran through March 2030 and was scheduled to pay him $6.02 million for the 2026-27 season.
Complete details on the new contract have yet to be announced but, according to USA Today, the five highest-paid coaches at public schools in 2024-25 each made at least $6.1 million — when Oats tied for ninth nationally with a $5 million base salary.
Oats’ impending raise should put him in the same neighborhood with Kansas’ Bill Self, Arkansas’ John Calipari, UConn’s Dan Hurley, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd. On Friday, Arizona announced a new five-year deal with Lloyd that starts at $7.2 million, presumably to keep the national Naismith Coach of the Year from leaving for the open North Carolina job.
Alabama’s rationale for a new deal could have been driven by the same fear.
“As long as we’re able to compete to win championships here — SEC, national championships. We haven’t done that here yet — I’d love to be the coach to bring us our first national championship,” Oats said March 26 when asked about potential links to the North Carolina head coaching vacancy.
“To me, there’s absolutely no reason to leave here. While it’s flattering that a high school guy that caught a couple of breaks would be mentioned with some of these jobs, because they’ve got a lot of tradition, I’m not a guy that’s looking to get out of here any time soon.”
Oats, 51, has been the head coach at Alabama since 2019 and has compiled a 170-73 record (.700) in his seven seasons. The Crimson Tide have competed in a program record-tying six straight NCAA Tournaments.
This season Alabama lost to Michigan, who will play for the National Championship on Monday, in the Sweet Sixteen.
Oats’ deepest run was when he helped lead Alabama to the Final Four as a No. 4 seed during the 2023-24 season. The Crimson Tide fell short to eventual champion UConn.
Oats has led Alabama to at least two NCAA Tournament wins in all but one of his six appearances with the school.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros ace Hunter Brown (shoulder) placed on 15-day IL
Mar 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) pitches against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images The Houston Astros placed ace right-hander Hunter Brown on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a right shoulder strain.
The move was retroactive to Thursday.
Brown finished third in American League Cy Young Award balloting last season. He is 1-0 with an 0.84 ERA in two starts this season, striking out 17 in just 10 1/3 innings.
Brown, 27, last pitched Tuesday when he defeated the Boston Red Sox. He gave up one run and one hit and struck out eight against two walks in six innings.
There was no immediate word on how long Brown might be sidelined. Houston announced the move before manager Joe Espada met with reporters prior to the club’s Sunday afternoon road game against the Athletics.
Brown made the AL All-Star team for the first time last season when he went 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA in 31 starts. He struck out a career-high 206 and posted a stellar 1.03 WHIP.
He is 37-31 with a 3.44 ERA in 102 appearances (94 starts) since reaching the majors in 2022.
The Astros promoted right-hander Christian Roa from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move. He had a 6.75 ERA in two relief appearances for Houston earlier this season.
The 27-year-old pitched one scoreless inning of relief in his lone outing for Sugar Land this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Garrett Mitchell lifts Brewers over Royals
Apr 4, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman David Hamilton (6) throws to first base over Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images Garrett Mitchell doubled, homered, and racked up five RBIs for the visiting Milwaukee Brewers in a 5-2 win over the Kansas City Royals in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday.
Luis Rengifo was 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run, and Christian Yelich was 2-for-5 with two runs for the Brewers. Jac Caglianone was 2-for-3 with a walk, and Lane Thomas and Bobby Witt Jr. each had an RBI for the Royals.
Milwaukee starting pitcher Chad Patrick (1-0) picked up the win as he went five innings, gave up four hits, walked three, and struck out three. Luinder Avila (0-1) took the loss for the Royals, as he only lasted three innings, surrendered eight hits, five runs, walked three, and struck out four.
Trevor Megill threw a scoreless ninth inning to earn his second save of the season for MIlwaukee which won its third straight game.
The Brewers jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Mitchell drove a high fast ball to the wall in right center field that plated Rengifo and Yelich in the first inning. In his next at bat, Mitchell launched Avila’s hanging curveball deep over the right field fence for a three-run home run, as Milwaukee extended its lead to 5-0 in the top of the third.
Vinnie Pasquantino led off the sixth inning with a single and advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch by Milwaukee reliever Aaron Ashby. After a Salvador Perez ground out, Jac Caglianone’s infield single placed runners on the corners for the Royals with one out.
But Ashby struck out both Starling Marte and Isaac Collins to end the Royals’ threat.
In the bottom of the seventh, Kansas City finally got on the board when pinch hitter Thomas lined an RBI double into the left field corner that scored Nick Loftin as the Royals cut their deficit to 5-1. Maikel Garcia’s ground out to first moved Thomas to third. Witt’s sizzling one-hooper to second base led to an infield RBI single and the Royals pulled closer at 5-2.
Megill issued walks to Thomas and Witt in the bottom of the ninth but struck out Pasquantino looking to end the threat.
–Field Level Media
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