Sports
Mikko Rantanen, Stars out to subdue charging Flyers
Mar 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) and center Matt Duchene (middle) congratulate right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) on his goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images After posting much-needed victories on Saturday, the Dallas Stars and Flyers will be back on the ice Sunday night in Philadelphia.
Dallas (44-18-11, 99 points) is playoff-bound but was mired in a four-game losing streak heading into Saturday’s game with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Fortunately, the Stars received a big lift from the return of Mikko Rantanen, who had a goal and an assist in a 6-3 victory.
Rantanen had not played since Feb. 20, when he sustained a lower-body injury during the Olympics while playing for Team Finland. His most NHL game had been on Feb. 4.
“A little rusty, obviously,” Rantanen said. “It’s a lot different than practicing, you know? You can do a lot of things in practice, but games are a little different. Sometimes you think it’s faster than it is. … But overall, the body felt good.”
Jason Robertson chipped in with a goal and an assist for Dallas, giving him 40 goals for the third time in his career. Mavrik Bourque contributed two empty-net goals and an assist for the Stars.
“Not forcing it was a big thing,” Robertson said. “And, I mean, having a lot of talent out there helps.”
Philadelphia (36-24-12, 84 points) scored the first four goals Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings before holding on for a 5-3 victory. Owen Tippett recorded a hat trick and added an assist on Sean Couturier’s game-clinching, empty-net goal.
“He’s dragging a lot of us in the fight,” Philadelphia coach Rick Tocchet said of Tippett. “When he gets that puck, he’s as good as it gets right now in the league.”
The Flyers improved to 11-3-1 in their last 15 games but will continue to need victories as they trail three teams in the race for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
“It’s a big win for us,” Tocchet said. “I think a couple of teams (Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators) lost today. We’ve got a huge game (Sunday).”
The Flyers certainly will need to play better down the stretch Sunday than they did on Saturday. The team led Detroit with under 6 1/2 minutes remaining in the third period before surrendering three quick goals.
“I loved our game for 55 minutes,” Tocchet said.
Of course, it helps to have Dan Vladar in net when it matters most. The Flyers’ goaltender has allowed more than three goals in just one of his last 16 starts, although he likely will watch Sunday while Samuel Ersson gets the nod at goalie.
The Stars, meanwhile, probably will turn to Casey DeSmith after Jake Oettinger started on Saturday.
This will be the second meeting between the teams this season. The Stars cruised to a 5-1 win in Dallas on Nov. 15 as Robertson recorded his sixth career hat trick, one of which has come in the playoffs.
The Stars have won five of the last six matchups vs. Philadelphia, although the Flyers enter Sunday’s game playing about as well as it has all season.
“Dallas is a good hockey team,” Tocchet said. “We’ll be ready.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bucks get second chance against Clippers in same week
Mar 23, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives the ball while under pressure from Milwaukee Bucks forward Taurean Prince (12) during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Bucks will take on a familiar Western Conference opponent as they host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon.
This is the sixth straight game for Milwaukee against a team from that conference, and they have lost four of five, including a blowout 129-96 loss to the Clippers on Monday. Overall Milwaukee has lost 13 of its past 16 contests, and the past four have all been by more than 30 points.
It’s also the second day of a back-to-back as the Bucks fell to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday 127-95. The loss officially eliminated Milwaukee (29-44) from postseason contention for the first time since 2016.
“It’s been disappointing, obviously. Since I’ve been here I haven’t had a healthy stretch, and it’s been key guys like Giannis, Dame,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said, referencing star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the departed Damian Lillard. “This year having only one star, every other team has two and three, we needed health, we were thin. It just didn’t go our way.”
Rivers added that the talk surrounding Antetokounmpo’s potential exit via trade “probably didn’t help either.”
Los Angeles (38-36) comes in off a thrilling 114-113 victory on the road in Indiana on Friday, the fourth straight victory for Los Angeles, which has qualified for at least the play-in tournament. Kawhi Leonard sealed the victory by knocking down a jumper with just 0.4 seconds left on the clock.
The shot came after a furious comeback as Los Angeles at one point trailed by 24 points. The Pacers were up 42-21 at the end of the first quarter.
That game-winner gave Leonard 28 points on the night but it was Darius Garland’s 30 that led Los Angeles. Bennedict Mathurin, previously with the Pacers, added 17.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue praised Leonard after the game.
“Get the ball in his hands at the end of the game and you got a great chance. (Kawhi) brought us home tonight,” Lue said. “We saw that Kawhi could come off, Ben made a good pass and Kawhi made a big shot.”
Leonard leads the team in four statistical categories, averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game. In 12 games as a member of the Clippers, Garland is averaging 21.8 points and 6.7 assists since being acquired in the trade that sent James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With Antetokounmpo officially not qualifying for scoring leadership because of the number of games he has missed, Ryan Rollins leads the Bucks averaging 17.0 points and 4.6 assists per night.
On the injury front, the report is busy for the Bucks, who were without Antetokounmpo (knee), Kyle Kuzma (Achilles), Bobby Portis (wrist), Kevin Porter Jr. (knee) and Gary Harris (groin).
Rivers told reporters he would be “surprised” if Porter sees the floor again this season.
For Los Angeles, Isaiah Jackson (ankle) left the game on Friday and is listed as day-to-day.
In the Clippers’ blowout win over Milwaukee on Monday, it was Leonard who led with 28 points on 8-for-18 shooting. Brook Lopez and Kobe Sanders each added 19 while Gary Trent Jr. led Milwaukee with 20 points off the bench.
The Clippers have won two of the past three over Milwaukee after the Bucks previously won four in a row and swept two consecutive season series.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tiger Woods’ Legacy at a Crossroads After Latest DUI Arrest
It is time to permanently take Tiger Woods off the pedestal.
Woods has often been given a pass for some of his miscues and personal failings, all because he used to be the best golfer on the planet.
Seven back surgeries and that major leg surgery have ensured that label will never again be the case.
That Tiger is long gone – like one of those prodigious drives he used to hit at Augusta.
We certainly can feel bad for the guy for having to endure that much physical pain.
In my view, having to undergo one back surgery would be one too many.
But Tiger is now 50 – and his latest DUI arrest displays he’s not acting that old.
Something about Tiger and vehicles just don’t mix.
Friday’s DUI arrest is No. 2 for Tiger and that’s not the type of thing you want to add on to.
His first one, in 2017, was also on Jupiter Island, Fla., and it was due to an abundance of prescription medications. Woods was found asleep in his car at 3:00 a.m. while it was on the road and the engine was running.
That’s a very, very bad DUI No. 1.
Since Woods didn’t have alcohol in his system on Friday, the assumption is that toxicology reports will again show heavy amounts of medication in his system.
Doctors and pharmacists are always quick to share with people how medications may affect them adversely.
The fact that Woods has had two of these incidents while driving vehicles is unacceptable. That’s putting a lot of innocent people in harm’s way in addition to himself.
That’s selfish, entitled and immature behavior. I guarantee you Woods didn’t only drive under the influence on just these two occasions.
Woods has been involved in two other car accidents, the worst being the one in 2021 near Los Angeles when he was reportedly going 80 miles per hour on a winding road.
He was badly hurt in the accident with the broken leg bone coming through the skin. He was quickly whisked into surgery.
That injury pretty much ended any chance of the formerly dominating Woods prowling on the golf course.
He famously won the Masters in 2019 after not winning a major for 11 years. It was his 15th major title. Everybody was on board that Woods could bottle up that performance and bring it out again at future majors.
But that ailing back wasn’t allowing Tiger to turn back the clock.
Who knew that the magnificent performance at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines was basically the top of the slope before the inevitable fall.
That five-day, 91-hole victory over Rocco Mediate when Woods played with two stress fractures in his left tibia was something to see up close.
Woods was often wincing after drives and other shots and somehow he kept pressing on. The birdie putt on 18 to force the playoff was amazing theater and a shot for the ages.
The following day, a Monday, Mediate was once again just one Woods’ missed putt away from winning his biggest title. Again, Woods knocked in the putt to force a 19th hole.
Tiger won the tournament on that next hole for his 14th career major at just age 32.
Two days later, Woods revealed he had played the tournament with a torn ACL in his left knee and would be undergoing reconstructive surgery.
Suddenly, a memorable performance became one of the best the sport has ever seen.
That Tiger, who wouldn’t submit to the pain and kept coming through to keep from losing is the one people want to remember.
They idolize the guy with five Green Jackets for winning the Masters, the dude who won four PGA Championships, three U.S. Opens and three Open Championships. The player who hunted people down on Sundays, the guy who hit amazing shots, the golfer who made tough putts look easy.
That’s the Woods people want in their image files, not a dude that is continually in the news for DUIs and other silly stuff.
That golfer we remember won’t be coming back. And entitlement only takes you so far.
We’ve reached that point. The pedestal no longer has room for Tiger to stand on it.
Sports
Cubs, Nationals conclude high-scoring series
Mar 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ (8), center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) and right fielder Matt Shaw (6) celebrate after defeating the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has delivered multiple hits in both of the team’s games to open the season.
As he aims to stay hot Sunday and help the Cubs to a series victory against the visiting Washington Nationals, Crow-Armstrong credits a confidence that stems from an exciting off-field development.
The Cubs this week announced a six-year, $115 million extension for Crow-Armstrong through the 2032 season.
“That’s the best part is knowing that I’m here, it’s where I wanted to be,” Crow-Armstrong said. “And I’m just glad that that idea could be created and made into some real thing, getting to be here for the next six years, knowing that I’m going to be somewhere is the coolest thing ever when it’s somewhere that I’ve really wanted to be for a long time.”
Crow Armstrong contributed two hits to Saturday’s 10-2 rout of Washington after collecting two others during Thursday’s 10-4 loss to the Nationals on Opening Day.
Chicago capitalized Saturday on the kind of formula that it hopes is a constant throughout the season: timely hitting and effective starting pitching.
Miguel Amaya hit a solo home run and Ian Happ belted a three-run blast as part of separate four-run rallies. Right-hander Cade Horton, meanwhile, allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Lefty Shota Imanaga (9-8, 3.73 ERA in 2025) gets the call for the Cubs on Sunday. After yielding 31 home runs in 25 starts last season, Imanaga hopes to limit the long ball moving forward. He struck out 13 batters in 9 2/3 innings over his last two spring starts.
Washington managed just one extra-base hit Saturday, as James Wood hit his first home run of the season leading off the fourth. Teammate CJ Abrams missed the game due to a death in the family.
Daylen Lile reached base twice, contributing a single and a walk.
Right-hander Jake Irvin (9-13, 5.70 ERA in 33 starts in 2025) is set to start for Washington. A durable option for the Nationals, Irvin has started 33 games and worked at least 180 innings in each of the past two seasons but pitched to a career-worst ERA in 2025.
As with the rest of the club’s starting rotation, Irvin figures to see a mix of catchers Drew Millas and Keibert Ruiz in the first few weeks of the season.
“I think it’ll be pretty close to even split, at least to start off,” first-year Nationals manager Blake Butera said. “Let those guys play themselves in or out of playing time, and then take it from there.
“But early on, want to keep both of those guys fresh, rotate them in and out pretty frequently.”
Irvin is seeking his first career victory against the Cubs, entering Sunday at 0-4 with a 9.70 ERA in five previous starts. He went 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA in two starts versus Chicago last season.
Imanaga is 2-0 with 2.08 ERA in two career starts versus Washington with 12 strikeouts in 13 innings.
–Field Level Media
Bucks get second chance against Clippers in same week
Tiger Woods’ Legacy at a Crossroads After Latest DUI Arrest
