Sports
Flames take Battle of Alberta with tight win over Oilers
Feb 4, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames center Connor Zary (47) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images Ryan Lomberg broke a third-period tie and rookie Matvei Gridin scored once and added an assist to lead the host Calgary Flames to a 4-3 victory over the slumping Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
Jonathan Huberdeau and Connor Zary also scored for the Flames in the final clash before the Olympic break for both clubs.
Goaltender Devin Cooley made 36 saves and recorded an assist.
Zach Whitecloud, MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri all collected two assists.
Calgary claimed the season’s Battle of Alberta by winning three of the four meetings.
Leon Draisaitl scored twice, while Kasperi Kapanen added a single for the Oilers, who have lost three straight games and five of eight outings.
Goalie Tristan Jarry stopped 21 shots, and Evan Bouchard netted a pair of assists.
Calgary has won 49 consecutive games when scoring four or more goals, a total hit when Lomberg scored the winner.
The fourth-line winger broke the deadlock when he pounced on the rebound and chipped it home at 6:44 of the third period.
The Oilers had a frantic push, but Cooley stood tall to close out the back-and-forth clash.
Huberdeau opened the scoring with the first of four power-play goals on the night by unloading a one-timer from the right face-off dot at the 3:12 mark.
Draisaitl replied just over two minutes later with the first of his two man-advantage markers, coming when he neatly lifted a back-hand shot from near the net.
Gridin again put the Flames ahead on the power play by converting a shot off the wing when he was sprung on a breakaway at 14:44 of the first period. It is the first multi-point game for the 2024 first-round draft pick (28th overall), who skated in his 13th career game.
Zary made it a 3-1 contest when Whitecloud’s point shot ricocheted off his leg while he was setting the screen at 11:43 of the second period.
However, the Oilers again tied the clash. Draisaitl notched his second of the game with a sharp-angled one-timer from his off-wing at 18:26 of the second period.
Then, Kapanen evened the score at 3-3 when his rising shot from the high slot was originally stopped by Cooley, but the puck slid down and off his equipment and into the net at 4:17 of the third period.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Matt Boldy nets hat trick in frenetic first as Wild outlast Predators
Feb 4, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) blocks the shot of Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy (12) during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Matt Boldy scored a hat trick in the first period and set up Jared Spurgeon’s game-winning goal as the Minnesota Wild pulled off a crazy 6-5 overtime victory against the host Nashville Predators on Wednesday night.
The clock was winding down when Boldy set up Spurgeon with a cross-ice pass to beat Juuse Saros with 46 seconds remaining in OT for the 6-5 final.
Quinn Hughes had two assists, and Filip Gustavsson made 30 saves for the Wild, who have won five in a row heading into the Olympic break.
Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg each had a goal and an assist, and Steven Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly each had three-point nights for the Predators, who defeated the St. Louis Blues 6-5 their last time out. Saros made 38 saves.
Boldy gave Minnesota an early 1-0 lead at 1:49 of the first period. The Wild won the faceoff in their defensive zone, and Zach Bogosian passed the puck up to Boldy, who skated above the Nashville defense to score on a wrist shot.
Boldy added to his tally with a backhand tip shot on the power play, giving the Wild a 2-0 advantage at 3:39.
Forsberg got Nashville on the board 2-1 with a wrist shot past Gustavsson on the power play.
On a fluke play in front of Nashville’s net, Nick Blankenburg lost possession of the puck, and Boldy quickly backhanded it past Saros to give the Wild a 3-1 lead at 12:58.
Stamkos buried his own power-play goal to make the score 3-2 at 16:45, and Eric Haula tied the game 3-3 on a wrist shot at 18:21.
Luke Evangalista gave the Predators their first lead of the game 41 seconds into the second period. Stamkos set him up for a wrist shot to make the score 4-3.
Yakov Trenin tied the game back up 4-4 at 16:06 when he skated in front of Roman Josi for a back-handed tap-in up close.
Vladimir Tarasenko scored on a wrist shot to make it 5-4 Wild at 15:14 of the third period, but Josi scored on the following faceoff to tie it 5-5 34 seconds later, setting the table for overtime.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Super Bowl injury report: Pats QB Drake Maye practices in full
Feb 4, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) speaks to the media at the Santa Clara Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images SANTA CLARA, Calif. — New England Patriots fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
Quarterback Drake Maye was a full participant in practice Wednesday as the Patriots prepare to face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Sunday.
Maye was limited due a shoulder injury when New England practiced last week, and then he sat out the team’s Friday session because of an illness.
However, the 23-year-old was a full go at the team’s first official California practice, taking every rep with the first-team offense.
Ahead of the Wednesday workout, Maye said, “Feel great. I don’t see any way I’d be limited.”
The only New England player who sat out the full practice Wednesday was linebacker Robert Spillane, who sustained an ankle injury in the Patriots’ AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos. However, Spillane was asked earlier in the day if he would be ready to play Sunday, and he replied, “100%.”
Patriots tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (knee) and linebacker Harold Landry III (knee) were limited Wednesday.
The Seahawks’ injury report is topped by quarterback Sam Darnold, who was listed as limited due to an oblique ailment. That isn’t necessary cause for alarm, as he had the same designation ahead of Seattle’s NFC Championship Game victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori sustained an ankle injury late in practice. That led to him also being on a “limited” list that also included tackle Charles Cross (foot), tackle Josh Jones (ankle/knee) and fullback Robbie Ouzts (neck).
Three Seattle players — wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence and defensive end Leonard Williams — sat out for rest Wednesday with no injury designation.
–Rick Kaplan, Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Tigers, Framber Valdez agree to 3-year, $115M deal
Sep 14, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Framber Valdez is finally off the market.
Valdez has agreed to a three-year, $115 million deal with the Detroit Tigers, according to multiple reports.
The contract includes an opt-out after the second season, as well as deferrals, according to The Athletic.
Valdez’s new deal is the highest average annual value ever for a southpaw and the highest for a Latin American hurler.
The Dominican starter has spent all eight seasons of his career with the Houston Astros, with whom he made two All-Star teams and posted an ERA of 3.20 since 2021. Valdez’s move to Detroit will reunite him with his former manager in Houston, A.J. Hinch.
The 32-year-old Valdez is tied for first in the majors in wins (73), is sixth in pitcher WAR (20.3), fifth in innings pitched (973) and first in groundball rate (62%) since becoming a full-time starter in 2020, according to ESPN. He also won a World Series in 2022.
Valdez joins a rotation currently led by ace and fellow lefty Tariq Skubal, who’s undergoing arbitration with the Tigers. Detroit is coming off a wild-card berth last season and a division series appearance, where the team lost to the Seattle Mariners in five games.
The Astros will receive a compensatory pick for losing Valdez after the ace declined the team’s $22.025 million qualifying offer before the Nov. 18 deadline.
–Field Level Media
