Sports
Lukas Dostal, Ducks shut down Knights, head home with series 1-1
May 6, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) makes a save as Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Poehling (25) looks for a rebound behind defenseman Noah Hanifin (15) during the second period of game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Lukas Dostal made 22 saves while leading the Anaheim Ducks to a 3-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday in Las Vegas, evening their best-of-seven Western Conference second-round playoff series at one win each.
Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson and Jansen Harkins scored for the Ducks.
The series now shifts to Anaheim for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.
Mark Stone scored a late power-play goal and Carter Hart finished with 25 saves for Vegas, which lost in regulation at home to the Ducks for only the fourth time (16-4-1) in franchise history.
Vegas killed off eight minutes of penalties in the first half of a scoreless opening period, including 1:37 of a 5-on-3 after Jack Eichel picked up a four-minute double minor for high-sticking Mikael Granlund.
The Ducks, who scored on eight of their 16 power-plays chances while defeating the Edmonton Oilers in six games in their first round matchup, have yet to score with the extra man in the series against the Golden Knights. Anaheim is now 0-for-9 on the power play.
Anaheim took a 1-0 lead midway through the second period on Sennecke’s second goal of the playoffs. Jeffrey Viel picked up the primary assist, stealing the puck from Vegas defenseman Kaedan Korczak along the boards behind the net and then passing to Sennecke in the low slot. The Calder Trophy finalist for rookie of the year, who scored 23 goals in the regular-season, then chipped a shot past Hart’s glove side.
The Ducks extended the lead to 2-0 at the 6:36 mark of the third period on Carlsson’s fourth goal of the playoffs. Troy Terry set up the score with a crossing pass from the left circle to Carlsson alone on the backdoor by the right post. Carlsson then roofed a wrist shot past Hart’s glove side.
Vegas pulled Hart with four minutes remaining for an extra attacker and Harkins sealed the win with an empty-netter thirty seconds later, his first goal since New Year’s Eve against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Golden Knights spoiled Dostal’s shutout bid with just 5.6 seconds on to go when Stone redirected a Eichel shot from along the right boards for his third goal of the playoffs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Another Masters in the bag, Rory McIlroy determined to extend major success
Rory McIlroy tees off on the third hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Rory McIlroy reflected on his second career Masters victory before arriving at the Truist Championship and came away with one lasting emotion.
“I feel like if anything I’m more motivated after what happened at Augusta this year than I’ve ever been,” McIlroy said Wednesday at Quail Hollow, site of this week’s PGA event and his first career victory on Tour in 2010.
Upon completing the career Grand Slam last year, McIlroy became the sixth player to accomplish the feat and first since Tiger Woods in 2000. He won his sixth career major last month, claiming another green jacket at Augusta.
But when McIlroy had a moment to fully crack open what the latest major victory meant to him, the 37-year-old Northern Irishman came to the realization the new trophy only pushes him to chase the next one even harder.
“I felt like winning the Grand Slam was going to be this life-changing thing,” he said. “And in some ways it was. But in other ways I had to remember like, ‘No, I still have a lot of my career left and I want to keep playing and keep competing.’ So this year I think winning was validation for all the work that I’ve put in over the last few years to get myself back to this place where I’m winning majors. I’m excited for the road ahead.”
Before he shifts the target to the PGA Championship next week, McIlroy arrived in North Carolina as the top-ranked player in the field. No. 2 McIlroy won’t have to contend with top-ranked Scottie Scheffler this week.
He’s feeling refreshed after a short stint away from the course. McIlroy said he went to New York with his wife, Erica, and attended the State Dinner at the White House.
“I gave myself a good 10 days to enjoy myself and then thought I needed to get back on the range and start to practice and get ready for this stretch coming up,” he said.
The Truist Championship is a PGA Tour Signature Event and has a $20 million purse. McIlroy won the event in 2024 and four of his 30 victories are at Quail Hollow (2010, 2015, 2021).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (elbow) set for Wednesday surgery
Apr 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is scheduled to undergo surgery on his left elbow Wednesday.
The surgery to remove loose bodies in his pitching elbow is being performed by prominent surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, per the New York Post, which added he could return to pitch in about two months.
Skubal experienced discomfort last Wednesday in his start against the Atlanta Braves. He gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings and departed the game with a 3-2 lead, but the Detroit bullpen couldn’t hold the advantage in the 4-3 loss. Skubal struck out seven.
In a throwing session on Sunday, Skubal reported further discomfort, and testing revealed the loose bodies, manager A.J. Hinch said Monday.
Skubal, 29, is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA over seven starts this season. He led the American League with a 2.21 ERA over 31 starts and 195 1/3 innings last season when he won his second consecutive American League Cy Young Award.
–Field Level Media
Sports
USGA: 'Not a race' for U.S. Open to match Masters prize money
Jun 12, 2024; Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA; Chief executive officer Mike Whan with the USGA address the media during a press conference for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Pinehurst No. 2. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images The U.S. Open has yet to decide if it will give the Masters a run for its proverbial money on payouts, USGA CEO Mike Whan told Front Office Sports.
The 2026 Masters increased its prize money by $1.5 million to a record purse of $22.5 million, with Rory McIlroy pocketing a record-setting winner’s check of $4.5 million.
The U.S. Open’s purse over the last two years was $21.5 million, with J.J. Spaun taking home $4.3 million for winning the tournament in 2025.
“To be determined,” Whan told FOS on Tuesday at the U.S. Open media day when asked about a potential payout boost. “We make that decision with the board usually the week before we play. But to me, it’s not a race. It wouldn’t bother me a bit if Augusta was more or less the same.”
The U.S. Open has paid out the largest purse among the four major championships since 2017.
“It’s funny to admit this out loud, but no, we really don’t talk about it,” Whan said of the monetary difference among the major championships. “… But if you ask me right now what the purse of the other two majors were, I don’t think I’d get within a million dollars of correct.”
–Field Level Media
Another Masters in the bag, Rory McIlroy determined to extend major success
Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (elbow) set for Wednesday surgery
