Sports
Devils dismayed by their defense, take on surging Red Wings
Oct 14, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils right wing Timo Meier (28) skates with the puck against the Utah Hockey Club during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images A leaky defense has led to consecutive losses for the New Jersey Devils, wasting some solid offensive work in the process. They’ll strive to play a more complete game when they visit the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.
The Devils dropped a 6-5 overtime decision to Washington on Saturday, then allowed a season-high in goals in an 8-5 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. They didn’t give up more than six goals in any game last season.
In the second period alone, the Lightning tallied five goals.
“We have a lot of games in a short period of time,” Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon said. “Whether it’s us playing well or not playing well, we have to wash it. Take the good from it, learn from it. We’ll meet (Wednesday) and talk about it.”
New Jersey was 5-2 heading into those home games. The five-goal outputs matched its season high. Timo Meier led the way against Tampa Bay with two goals.
That didn’t erase all the defensive breakdowns.
“The second period was just terrible,” Meier said. “We made so many mistakes starting with the breakout. If you give them that much, they’re going to take it. They have a lot of skill on their team.”
Meier and Stefan Noesen, who also scored on Tuesday, lead the club with nine points apiece.
The Red Wings have won their last two games, both on the road. They topped Nashville 5-2 on Saturday, then grinded out a 1-0 win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday.
Detroit achieved a rare feat against the Islanders, pulling out a victory while firing just 11 shots on goal.
“There’s going to be nights throughout the season that you’re not going to have your legs,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “I knew early on we didn’t. But for the most part, it’s a pretty good defensive effort. The lack of legs showed up on the offensive side of things, but it didn’t on the defensive side.”
The Red Wings came out of a training camp with a three-way battle for the goaltending spot unresolved. Opening-night starter Ville Husso, free agent pickup Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon were all in the mix. Lyon, who emerged as the top goalie last season when Husso was injured, appears to have taken the top job again.
Husso was placed on waivers after the 6-3 opening night loss to Pittsburgh, while Talbot allowed five goals in 1 1/2 periods before being pulled in his last start.
Lyon made 37 saves against the Predators and 30 more against the Islanders to record the shutout.
“You can tell when he’s on his toes and sharp, he has a confidence about him and he had it,” Lalonde said. “It just gives our group some confidence. We could have done a little more in the third (period), but I think the guys felt he was at the top of his game, and if we could manage that third properly, and for the most part we did, it gave us a chance to win and it did.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Defender Chris Richards returns to USMNT practice
June 8, 2026; Irvine, California, U.S.; Chris Richards of the U.S. signs an autograph for a fan during training. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Defender Chris Richards is back on the field with the United States Men’s National Team on Monday and appears to be on track for the World Cup opener against Paraguay this week.
“We will see … first time with the team,” coach Mauricio Pochettino said Monday. “Nearly everyone ready to be selected for the game.”
Richards sustained an ankle injury last month and is viewed as a vital defender in the center of the backline.
Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie filled in for Richards on Saturday in the final World Cup tuneup against Germany in Chicago.
At Monday’s practice in Irvine, Calif., Tyler Adams was not on the field. He worked in the gym for load management purposes, Pochettino said.
Richards, 26, suffered a pair of torn ligaments in his left ankle on May 17 as his Crystal Palace team played Brentford in a Premier League match. He did complete the match but limped off the field and has not competed since.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Kings to hire Peter Laviolette as head coach
Mar 29, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette instructs his team as left wings Artemi Panarin (10), Chris Kreider (20) and Brennan Othmann (78) look on against the San Jose Sharks during the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Kings are set to hire Peter Laviolette to a three-year deal as their next head coach, Sportsnet and ESPN reported Monday.
Laviolette had been in talks to become the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs as recently as last week, according to multiple reports, and the Edmonton Oilers had also reportedly looked at him as a candidate to fill their head coaching vacancy.
Laviolette, 61, has been an NHL head coach for 23 seasons.
He won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. He also reached the Stanley Cup Final as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and the Nashville Predators in 2017.
He most recently coached the New York Rangers from 2023-25. The Rangers went 55-23-4 (114 points) in Laviolette’s first season and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, where they were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in a six-game series. New York went 39-36-7 (85 points) the following season to finish six points out of a playoff spot, leading to Laviolette’s dismissal in April 2025.
He owns an 846-562-161 record (25 ties) as head coach with the New York Islanders (2001-03), Hurricanes (2003-09), Flyers (2009-14), Predators (2014-20), Washington Capitals (2020-23) and Rangers.
His 846 regular-season wins are the most among United States-born coaches in NHL history and seventh all-time.
Laviolette appeared in 12 NHL games during his playing career as a defenseman, all during the 1988-89 season with the Rangers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Top 2 seeds ousted in chaotic opening day at Libema Open
Aug 27, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia serves against Wang Xinyu of China in the second round of the women’s singles at the US Open at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds each fell in straight sets on a chaotic first day of women’s competition in the Libema Open at ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands on Monday.
No. 1 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia — a two-time winner at the event in 2022 and ‘23 — fell 6-4, 7-6 (5) to Hungary’s Panna Udvardy, who ranks nearly 50 spots lower (65th to 17th). In a match that was statistically even in a number of spots, the difference may have been Udvardy’s one more converted break (3 of 6) in an equal number of chances.
Second-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark lost 6-4, 6-4 to Slovakia’s Mia Pohankova, a 17-year-old who won the final five games of the match to secure her first career top-30 win. No. 3 seed Belgian Elise Mertens avoided the same fate with a thorough 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Canada’s Bianca Andreescu.
In other Monday action, Poland’s Magda Linette rallied for a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Australian Kimberly Birrell, Robin Montgomery pulled out a 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 victory against Daria Kasatkina of Australia and Ukraine’s Daria Snigur swept Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-1, 7-6 (2).
HSBC Championships
Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic rallied for a 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-3 defeat of McCartney Kessler in first-round action at London.
Pliskova was sloppy on her serve with three aces and 11 double faults but made up for it by winning 51% of her return points and converting 8 of 11 break-point opportunities.
In the only two other matches completed on Monday, when multiple matches were delayed or postponed by rain, Great Britain’s Harriet Dart beat Liudmila Samsonova of Russia 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, while Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian swept Qinwen Zheng 6-4, 7-6 (4).
The final match of the day, which pitted No. 8 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada against Great Britain’s Katie Boulter, was suspended due to darkness with Fernandez up a set and the second set level at 3 games apiece.
–Field Level Media
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