Sports
Canadiens aim to continue solid play vs. sinking Sharks
Feb 4, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) shot is blocked by Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault (35) during the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images The Montreal Canadiens will aim to win three games in a row for the fourth time this season on Thursday when they host the San Jose Sharks.
The Canadiens won three consecutive games on two occasions in December and once in January. Their current run, however, comes on the heels of a dismal stretch in which they lost eight of nine games (1-7-1).
Montreal’s lone win during that run was a 4-3 victory over the Sharks in San Jose on Feb. 4. Joel Armia scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period and Sam Montembeault made 27 saves to keep the Sharks at bay.
Montembeault turned aside all 20 shots he faced on Tuesday to record his fourth shutout of the season and fifth of his career in the Canadiens’ 4-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
“It wasn’t the most exciting game of the year, but we played a solid and simple game,” said Montembeault, whose four shutouts are the most by a Canadiens goaltender in a single season since Carey Price registered four in 2019-20.
“When everybody’s on board, everybody plays the way we want to play, we can compete with every team.”
Captain Nick Suzuki and fellow forward Patrik Laine each collected a goal and two assists to send Montreal to its second straight victory.
“I think we’ve played some pretty solid hockey,” Laine said. “Two wins right away is huge for us. Every game’s a big night. I’ve gotten lucky a couple of times now. I don’t really care about the goals. They’ll come eventually when you work hard. It’s good to get a couple of goals every now and then. Get some confidence.”
The Sharks’ confidence — what there was of it — likely has taken a hit with the struggling team having lost six in a row (0-4-2) and 12 of its past 13 games (1-10-2).
San Jose had NHL-best Winnipeg on the ropes before Josh Morrissey scored the tying goal with 26 seconds left in regulation and Mark Scheifele netted the winner 1:33 into overtime of a 2-1 decision for the Jets on Monday.
“For sure you want to win this, (26) seconds or however long (it was) to get the win, but it’s hockey and you never know what’s going to happen,” Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek said. “I think the guys play really well, and then I try to do my best to hold it, too, so I think it was a great game by us.”
William Eklund scored the lone goal for San Jose to extend his point streak to five games (two goals, three assists). He had an assist in the previous meeting with Montreal.
Prized rookie Macklin Celebrini and former Canadien Tyler Toffoli each scored and set up a goal in that game against Montreal. Toffoli, who leads the Sharks in goals with 21, has eight points (four goals, four assists) in his past seven games.
Celebrini leads all NHL rookies with 18 goals. His 42 points are one shy of Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson for the most among NHL rookies despite playing 11 fewer games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Canes keep rolling, blank Flyers to open semifinal series
May 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) is congratulated by left wing Taylor Hall (71) and right wing Jackson Blake (53) after his goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images Logan Stankoven scored twice and goaltender Frederik Andersen collected his second shutout of this year’s playoffs as the host Carolina Hurricanes opened their playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers with a 3-0 victory on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C.
Jackson Blake scored once and added an assist for the Hurricanes, who followed a first-round sweep of the Ottawa Senators with a decisive victory to kick off the Eastern Conference best-of-seven semifinal series.
Andersen made 18 saves for his seventh career playoff shutout.
Mike Reilly collected a pair of assists.
Dan Vladar stopped 20 shots for the Flyers, who will attempt to regroup when the series resumes Monday in Raleigh.
The Hurricanes, who finished atop the Eastern Conference standings in the regular season, are yet to trail in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs and continued that trend thanks to their hottest player.
Stankoven tallied for the fifth consecutive game to open the scoring only 91 seconds into the clash. Reilly fired a point shot that Stankoven deflected into the net. Stankoven, 23, is the youngest player in history to score goals in five consecutive games to open the playoffs.
Stankoven has scored first in four of Carolina’s five playoff outings.
Blake doubled the lead six minutes later with a highlight-reel worthy tally. He zipped around the defenders before tucking home the puck for his second tally of the playoffs.
The Flyers had managed only one shot on goal at the point.
Stankoven gave the Hurricanes a three-goal edge late in the second period. After a turnover, Seth Jarvis fed a pass to Stankoven in the slot and he immediately buried the chance with 3:44 remaining in the middle frame.
From there, the Hurricanes cruised to victory, amidst a string of message-sending infractions by the Flyers and retaliatory actions from Carolina’s skaters.
After a handful of players were sent to the dressing room with misconducts just past the midway point of the final frame, things quieted.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners place INF Will Wilson (thumb) on 10-day injured list
Apr 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Will Wilson (7) reacts after hitting a two home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The Seattle Mariners placed infielder Will Wilson on the 10-day injured list on Saturday because of a fractured left thumb.
The move was retroactive to Thursday. In a corresponding move, the Mariners recalled catcher Jhonny Pereda from Triple-A Tacoma.
Wilson, 27, played in two games and hit .200 (1-for-5) with a home run in his first at-bat for the Mariners in an 11-9 win on April 25 against the host St. Louis Cardinals. He may have been injured on Wednesday when he went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in his second game this season, a 5-3 road victory over the Minnesota Twins.
The Los Angeles Angels selected Wilson in the first round (15th overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft out of North Carolina State.
Wilson, a second and third baseman, made his major league debut in 2025 with the Cleveland Guardians and batted .192 (15-for-78) with two RBIs and four doubles in 34 games. He signed as a free agent with Seattle in January.
Pereda, 30, has a career batting average of .241 with eight RBIs in 48 games with the Miami Marlins (2024), Athletics (2025) and Minnesota Twins (2025).
In other moves on Saturday, Seattle optioned left-hander Josh Simpson, 28, to Tacoma and selected right-hander Nick Davila, 27, from Double-A Arkansas.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sean Burke stifles Padres, lifts White Sox to fifth straight win
May 2, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke (59) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images Sean Burke tossed six scoreless innings Saturday night and the visiting Chicago White Sox stretched their winning streak to five with a 4-0 blanking of the San Diego Padres.
Burke (2-2) allowed only four hits and a walk while fanning eight, including Xander Bogaerts three times. Three relievers finished up, with Seranthony Dominguez getting the last two outs for his eighth save in 10 chances, as Chicago wrapped up its first series win over San Diego since 2022.
The Padres filled the bases with no outs in the ninth when Jackson Merrill beat out an infield single followed by walks to Manny Machado and Bogaerts. Grant Taylor slipped a called third strike past Gavin Sheets before Dominguez came in to retire Miguel Andujar on a shallow fly ball and strike out Luis Campusano.
Michael King (3-2) yielded seven hits and four runs over six-plus innings. King walked three and struck out five as the Padres dropped their fourth straight game.
Burke and King matched each other pitch-for-pitch through the first five innings. But the White Sox struck in the sixth when Tristan Peters drew a one-out walk and Andrew Benintendi legged out an infield single.
After Munetaka Murakami moved the runners up 90 feet with a groundout, Miguel Vargas looped a liner into short right field, scoring Peters and Benintendi for the only runs Chicago needed.
But the White Sox added on with two more runs in the seventh. Chase Meidroth singled and reached third on Sam Antonacci’s double, then scored on Edgar Quero’s single that knocked out King. Peters then capped the scoring with a safety squeeze bunt that plated Antonacci.
The Padres’ best scoring chances against Burke came in the second and fifth innings. Sheets walked and Andujar singled with one out in the second. But Burke stiffened, fanning Campusano and inducing a groundout from Jake Cronenworth.
In the fifth, Andujar led off with a single and Cronenworth singled with one out. However, Ramon Laureano flew out and Burke blew away Fernando Tatis Jr. on three pitches to quash the threat.
The Padres were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, stranding eight runners.
–Field Level Media
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Canes keep rolling, blank Flyers to open semifinal series
