Sports
Kraken, Maple Leafs look to build on offensive fireworks
Oct 24, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares (91) skates against the St. Louis Blues during the first period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images The visiting Seattle Kraken and Toronto Maple Leafs have already been tricking and treating this week before their game on Thursday night.
Both teams have treated their fans to high-scoring victories sparked by hat tricks.
Center John Tavares scored three goals — his 12th career regular-season hat trick — in Toronto’s 6-4 road victory over previously undefeated Winnipeg on Monday.
Defenseman Brandon Montour had his first career hat trick and added an assist in Seattle’s 8-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday in the opener of a five-game road trip.
The Kraken had a 4-0 lead by 10:33 of the first period.
“I think at times this year, we’ve been too much on the perimeter and we’ve been too much not a shooter’s mentality,” Kraken coach Dan Bylsma said. “There’s no secret about really scoring goals in this league, it’s you’ve got to have shot volume, you’ve got to have guys at the net, you’ve got to have people in around the net. … (Tuesday), in the first in particular, we were very good at that.”
Chandler Stephenson added four assists.
Montour scored his fourth goal of the season on a power play at 14:12 of the third period to finish a natural hat trick. He had two of Seattle’s three goals with the man advantage.
“I think we came out hot,” Montour said. “Obviously, it’s nice to get one early, get a few early, and then I think we just kept rolling. I think the energy level was good.”
“As far as Brandon’s game, not only five-on-five but on the power play, came up big for us,” Bylsma said. “The power play, it was really the first time where they kind of won us a game, they got three power-play goals, which was great. ‘Monty,’ he does it with a lot of flair, and that’s his personality and that’s what he brings to the room.”
Toronto also opened a 4-0 lead at Winnipeg after scoring twice in the first 3:25 of the second period. They withstood Winnipeg’s rally and Tavares clinched the result with his fifth goal of the season into an empty net.
Toronto coach Craig Berube reunited Tavares and William Nylander (one goal, two assists) and added Max Pacioretty (three assists to match a career best) to form a line that responded with nine combined points on Monday.
Berube noted that Nylander and Tavares have played well together in the past.
“With Pacioretty there, a big winger that could score, we are just trying to find a little bit more scoring in some other lines,” Berube said.
“(Pacioretty) did an amazing job working really hard, winning pucks back and making some really nice plays,” Nylander said. “We just meshed together off the hop, so it was nice.”
Tavares is on a five-game point streak (three goals, four assists).
“I just liked our pace with our feet, with the puck, without the puck and the way we moved the puck as well,” Tavares said. “The way we were able to use the open parts of the ice, get into the interior and make it difficult on their goalie. We drew some penalties early, so I just really liked the energy and pace of our game (Monday).”
Toronto is 5-1-0 against Seattle all-time.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Munetaka Murakami extends HR streak as White Sox pound D-backs
Apr 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami hits a home run in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Rookie Munetaka Murakami homered for the fourth straight game, Colson Montgomery went deep for the third straight and the Chicago White Sox slugged four homers in an 11-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Tuesday.
Murakami, Michael Vargas and Montgomery hit consecutive solo shots with two outs in the second inning to help stake Sean Burke (1-2) to a 7-0 lead.
Murakami, who has nine homers in 23 games, reached base four times, adding two infield singles and a walk. He singled and scored in a four-run first off Merrill Kelly (1-1).
Vargas homered for the second straight game, Montgomery and Sam Antonacci notched two hits and three RBIs apiece and Tristan Peters had three hits. The White Sox have won three of four and scored 33 runs over that span.
Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas had a three-run homer in the ninth to extend his season-opening hitting streak to 16 games, the longest in the majors. Dating back to the end of the 2025 season, Vargas has hit in 18 straight. Alek Thomas had two hits, including his first homer of the season for the Diamondbacks, who had won 10 of 14.
The White Sox have 11 homers in their last three games and 14 in their last five.
Antonacci had a two-run inside-the-park homer in the ninth when his ground ball inside the bag at third appeared to be touched by the ball boy along the left field line. Left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. did not immediately attempt to field it as Antonacci circled the bases for his first career homer.
Burke gave up two runs on five hits in six innings in his first road victory since a 4-0 decision at Detroit on Sept. 28, 2024. He struck out three and walked one.
Kelly gave up eight runs and 10 hits before leaving with one out in the fifth. He struck out five and walked three in his second start of the season after opening on the injured list.
The first four White Sox batters reached in the first. Andrew Benintendi singled, Murakami reached on an infield single, Vargas walked and Montgomery doubled in two. Everson Pereira hit a sacrifice fly and Antonacci tripled for a 4-0 lead.
Murakami, Vargas and Montgomery homered in the second for a 7-0 lead after 13 batters.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jeff McNeil, Shea Langeliers homer as A's take down Mariners
Apr 21, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) hits a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: John Froschauer-Imagn Images Jeff McNeil and Shea Langeliers hit home runs as the Athletics defeated the host Seattle Mariners 5-2 Tuesday night, clinching a series victory against their American League West rivals.
The teams will wrap up the three-game set Wednesday afternoon at T-Mobile Park.
A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez (2-1) earned the victory by allowing two runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one.
Right-hander Jack Perkins pitched the final two innings for his first save of the season.
Cal Raleigh homered for a second consecutive night for the Mariners, who have dropped six of their past eight games.
The A’s broke a 2-2 tie against reliever Eduard Bazardo (0-1) in the sixth. Tyler Soderstrom led off with a double off the wall in center field and Jacob Wilson followed by grounding a run-scoring double past diving third baseman Leo Rivas and into the left-field corner.
The loss was the first of Bazardo’s six-year career after eight consecutive victories.
Langeliers made it 4-2 with a solo shot to center with two outs in the seventh off Gabe Speier. It was Langeliers’ second homer in as many nights.
The A’s added an insurance run in the ninth off Cole Wilcox. Nick Kurtz and Langeliers led off with singles and advanced on Carlos Cortes’ chopper down the first-base line. The Mariners intentionally walked Soderstrom to load the bases. Wilson lined a single to center to complete the scoring.
The A’s scored in the first inning as Kurtz drew a leadoff walk, stole second and came home on Soderstrom’s two-out double to right.
The Mariners tied it in the third as Rob Refsnyder lined a leadoff single to center and Raleigh grounded a single into left. Refsnyder took third on Julio Rodriguez’s lineout to left and scored on Josh Naylor’s sacrifice fly to center.
The A’s responded in the top of the fourth as McNeil went deep to right-center with two outs.
Raleigh’s solo shot to left-center with one out in the fifth tied the score at 2-2.
Mariners starter Luis Castillo went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits. The right-hander walked two and struck out six.
–Field Level Media
Sports
LeBron James nets 28 as Lakers grab 2-0 lead on Rockets
Apr 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) defends Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) in the first half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images LeBron James compiled 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-94 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series on Tuesday.
With leading scorers Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) watching from the bench, Marcus Smart added 25 points, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and Game 1 hero Luke Kennard contributed 23 points, which included 3 of 6 from deep.
Kevin Durant, who missed the opening game with a right knee contusion, scored 23 points for Houston, but he had nine turnovers and was held to just three points after halftime.
Houston’s Alperen Sengun paired 20 points with 11 rebounds, Jabari Smith Jr. had 18 points and Amen Thompson posted 16 points and nine assists.
After the Rockets held a 16-12 lead midway through the first quarter, Los Angeles hit back, closing the quarter with a 9-0 rush to lead 33-26.
Durant showed no signs of being hampered by his knee, playing all 12 minutes and scoring 11 points.
At the other end, Smart (14 points) and Kennard (10 points) hurt Houston from the perimeter, combining to hit five 3-pointers in the opening quarter.
The Lakers’ lead swelled to 46-31 before Durant led a 17-3 Rockets run to trim that margin to 49-48.
Durant had 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting at the half, but Los Angeles still held sway 54-51.
Houston briefly captured the lead in the third period before the Lakers used a 13-4 burst — highlighted by a spectacular reverse dunk from 41-year-old James after he blew by Durant — to pull ahead 67-59.
With Durant held to just one unsuccessful shot attempt in 10 minutes of action for the quarter, the Rockets struggled offensively, outscored 21-17 for the period, as Los Angeles led 75-68 with one quarter to play.
Josh Okogie’s 3-pointer with 6:38 remaining in the fourth cut the gap to 85-82, but it was as close as Houston would get down the stretch.
With the Lakers up 97-92, Durant’s ninth turnover led to a powerful James dunk with 55 seconds left before Kennard sealed it from the stripe.
The best-of-seven series shifts to Houston for Game 3 on Friday.
–Field Level Media
Munetaka Murakami extends HR streak as White Sox pound D-backs
Jeff McNeil, Shea Langeliers homer as A's take down Mariners
