Sports
Maple Leafs hope to halt skid at six as they visit Canucks
Jan 29, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs, from left, defenseman Morgan Rielly (44), forward Auston Matthews (34), forward Max Domi (11) and forward John Tavares (91) celebrate a goal during the third period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images The free-falling Toronto Maple Leafs will hope to reverse their fortunes when they visit the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.
The Maple Leafs’ road trip got off to a bumpy start on Thursday night with a loss to the Seattle Kraken. Shane Wright quashed any hope of a late comeback, netting his second of the game in the third period to extend Seattle’s lead two-and-a-half minutes after Morgan Rielly had brought the score to within one. Jared McCann added an empty netter to complete the 5-2 rout in what was the Leafs’ sixth consecutive loss.
“Right now, it feels like when we make mistakes, you know, the other team’s capitalizing,” Rielly said after the game. “I mean, that’s why when you look at the score lately, it’s obviously not going our way. We have to limit chances against, goals against, and that starts by kind of limiting mistakes.”
The result threw another wrench into the Leafs’ dwindling playoff hopes, leaving them at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. Goaltender Anthony Stolarz tried to stay optimistic even as he struggled in his second game back from a two-month-long, injury-induced hiatus, allowing four goals on 21 shots.
“I definitely felt a lot better than I did in the first game, I thought my movements were crisper,” Stolarz said. “Obviously, the third one I want back, but for me it’s a step in the right direction and another building block.”
His tandem partner Joseph Woll will almost certainly slot into his place on Saturday night. The Leafs will hope to have their leading points scorer back in the lineup, William Nylander, who has missed the last seven games with a groin injury.
The rebuilding Vancouver Canucks, meanwhile, remain stranded at the bottom of the league even as they interrupted their own three-game losing skid with a 2-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.
Even though he stopped all 32 shots he faced, goaltender Nikita Tolopilo was denied his first official NHL shutout, having left the game for 2:11 of the first period for concussion protocol, during which Kevin Lankinen made a single save.
“The win is more important,” Tolopilo said after the game. “I’m happy that we got the win.”
Vancouver’s lineup has been further encumbered by a wave of injuries sustained over the last three games. In addition to Thatcher Demko and Marco Rossi’s lengthy injuries, the absence of Brock Boeser, Zeev Buium and Nils Hoglander has forced youngsters and depth players all the way up the lineup. 22-year-old winger Liam Ohgren, for one, has been forced into an unfamiliar penalty killing role.
“You know, we can’t keep using the same guys going forward,” head coach Adam Foote said. “We got to teach these young guys how to do it.”
The Canucks have won three of their last four against the Maple Leafs, though Toronto drubbed them 5-0 in their most recent encounter earlier this month. Vancouver has lost 14 of their last 16 games since Dec. 30.
-Field Level Media
Sports
Hector Herrera, Dynamo deal another shutout loss to Orlando City
Apr 18, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Houston Dynamo FC midfielder Guilherme Santos (20) dribbles the ball against Orlando City SC midfielder Eduard Atuesta (20) during the first half at Inter&Co Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images Hector Herrera’s goal in the 75th minute broke a scoreless stalemate and lifted the Houston Dynamo to a 1-0 victory over host Orlando City SC on Saturday night.
Herrera’s first goal of the season gave Houston (3-4-0, 9 points) its second consecutive victory across all competitions but snapped a three-match losing streak in MLS play. The Dynamo won their first game ever at Orlando, their first road win this season and secured three vital points as they try to avoid falling out of contention early.
It was Houston’s first shutout win in league play since Sept. 20, 2025, against Portland.
Orlando City (1-6-1, 4 points) is winless in its past four league games and has scored only one goal over that span. The Lions were blanked for the fourth time this season.
Herrera kicked home a rebound after a shot by Ezequiel Ponce was blocked by Orlando goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau. The scoring chance was created by a great advance downfield by Lawrence Ennali, who split Orlando’s defenders and put a close-range shot on goal that Crepeau also deflected.
Dynamo goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer entered the game after halftime in relief of starter Jonathan Bond and made a huge save in the second half to keep the game scoreless.
In the 66th minute, Orlando’s Braian Ojeda fired a corner kick in front of the goal that almost found the mark. Iago Teodoro’s attempt was blocked. Martin Ojeda then had another putback attempt blocked by a Dynamo defender to keep the game scoreless.
Orlando City’s other great chance came just before halftime when Tyrese Spicer delivered a long, accurate cross that traveled right in front of Bond. Tiago came sliding in and fired the ball quickly, but it hit the crossbar and ricocheted away.
It was one of multiple chances before the half for Orlando that didn’t find the mark.
Houston had only one official shot on target in the first half but ended up with a 6-3 edge in that department by game’s end and outshot Orlando 19-17. Crepeau finished with four saves while Bond and Maurer combined for three saves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cincinnati rallies late to force eventful draw vs. Fire
Apr 18, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; FC Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson (12) (center) heads the ball clear away from Chicago Fire FC midfielder Dje D’avilla (42) during the first half of an MLS match at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images FC Cincinnati scored twice in the final 15 minutes of regulation to earn a 3-3 draw against the visiting Chicago Fire Saturday evening.
Hugo Cuypers found the net twice for Chicago, extending his team lead to six goals on the season. But Cincinnati (2-4-2, 8 points) used goals in the 79th and 86th minutes to end the Fire’s (4-2-2, 14 points) three-match MLS winning streak.
The match was a battle, with 41 total shots, 16 shots on goal, 20 combined fouls and seven combined yellow cards.
After a scoreless 25 minutes to start, both teams heated up offensively, combining for three goals in the next 20 minutes plus stoppage time.
Cuypers got the scoring, connecting on a right-footed shot with assists from Philip Zinckernagel and Jack Elliott to give the Fire a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.
In the 42nd minute, Cincinnati striker Tom Barlow tied the match when the rebound of Chris Brady’s save of Bryan Ramirez’s shot fell to his feet at the edge of the 6-yard box.
It looked like that 1-1 tie would hold going into halftime, but Cincinnati’s Samuel Gidi picked up a costly foul on Cuypers in the third minute of stoppage time. Zinckernagel took advantage with a right-footed penalty shot that got past Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano and gave the Fire a 2-1 lead.
Things went from bad to worse for Cincinnati three minutes into the second half when Cuypers scored again to increase the Fire’s lead to 3-1.
Just when time was starting to dwindle, Cincinnati roared back. Evander, who scored 18 goals a season ago, notched his first goal of the season in the 79th minute on a penalty kick set up by Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s foul of Gerardo Valenzuela on his run into the box.
Cincinnati then leveled in the 86th minute on an own goal from Chicago’s Dje D’Avilla directly off an Evander free kick.
Despite an extended 10 minutes of second-half stoppage time, neither team could find the net, with Brady making his eighth save to keep the game level.
Celentano finished with three saves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Charlotte FC score late, edge New York City FC
Apr 18, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC midfielder Maximiliano Moralez (10) fights for the ball against Charlotte FC midfielder Ashley Westwood (8) during the first half at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images Idan Toklomati and Kerwin Vargas scored second-half goals as Charlotte FC slipped past New York City FC 2-1 on Saturday night for their first road win in three tries this season.
Kristijan Kahlina had seven saves for Charlotte (4-2-2, 14 points), which avenged a three-match series loss to NYCFC in the opening round of the MLS playoffs last fall.
Charlotte FC, which has lost just once in their last six league matches, is tied for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Nicolas Fernandez scored in the third minute of stoppage time in the second half for slumping New York City (3-3-2, 11 points) which has not won in its last four games against MLS competition.
Matthew Freese had two saves for NYCFC, which has surrendered eight goals during their four-game skid.
After a scoreless first half, Charlotte struck in the 54th minute as Wilfried Zaha maneuvered through traffic in the middle of the field and created a window to send a pass downfield.
Harry Toffolo passed forward to an open Toklomati, who tapped a right-footed shot past the onrushing Freese.
It was the third goal this season for Toklomati and the third assist for Toffolo as Charlotte scored for just the second time this season in a road match after playing six straight games at home in all competitions.
Zaha was the missing piece for Charlotte on April 11 in a 2-1 loss to first-place Nashville SC as he was serving a red-card suspension.
The second goal for Charlotte came in the 90th minute as Pep Biel crossed to Vargas, who fired a left-footed shot inside the left post for his second goal this season.
New York City answered in stoppage time as Fernandez took a feed across the box from Hannes Wolf and scored with a left-footed blast from just outside the box to the top right corner.
NYCFC dominated the scoreless first half with its pressing defense and the creative, well-timed attacks of Maxi Moralez and Agustin Ojeada. While New York City fired 10 shots in the period, Charlotte took just one.
For the match, NYCFC outshot Charlotte 23-8, which gave 19-year-old forward Rodolfo Akolo his first MLS start.
–Field Level Media
Hector Herrera, Dynamo deal another shutout loss to Orlando City
Cincinnati rallies late to force eventful draw vs. Fire
