Sports
New-look Canucks vie to halt skid in encounter vs. Avalanche
Jan 25, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet looks on from the bench against the Washington Capitals in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images The Vancouver Canucks will play with a renewed sense of joy when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.
The Canucks hope to avoid a third straight loss after their roster underwent a dramatic makeover following two trades on Friday, including one that sent last season’s top scorer, J.T. Miller, to the New York Rangers.
The Avalanche added Jack Drury and Martin Necas on Jan. 24 after shipping their top goal scorer, Mikko Rantanen, to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Filip Chytil, Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor made their debuts for Vancouver in its 3-2 overtime loss to Detroit on Sunday.
“There is a lot of smiling, a lot of excitement,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said after Sunday’s contest. “There was a freshness from the guys who are excited to be here.
“Now it is kind of OK, we got the trades over, and this is our team.
“Let’s start at zero, even for the guys who have struggled this year. It is a time to just reset your brain, come out with a good attitude, work hard. Those are the type of things that are going to get you out of slumps.”
Chytil had an immediate impact, scoring an unassisted goal in the third period.
“(Chytil) was really good. He controlled the play and he wanted the puck,” Tocchet said. “He scored a big goal for us, so it was a good debut for him.”
Pius Suter also scored and Kevin Lankinen made 15 saves for Vancouver.
The Canucks hope to have star defenseman Quinn Hughes back in the lineup on Tuesday. He missed Sunday’s game with an unspecified injury.
If Hughes dresses, Tuesday’s clash would feature a battle between arguably the league’s two top offensive defensemen in Hughes and Colorado’s Cale Makar. Hughes won the Norris Trophy last season, while Makar was the league’s top defenseman in 2022.
Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood could be going for his third straight shutout if he starts against Vancouver.
Blackwood made 19 saves in a 5-0 win over the St. Louis Blues on Friday before turning aside all 24 shots he faced in a 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday in Denver.
“I try and play the same way day-in and day-out,” said Blackwood, who has consecutive shutouts for the third time in his career. “Over these last two games, we’ve done a tremendous job in the D-zone just playing the right way.”
Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Samuel Girard supplied the goals and Jonathan Drouin contributed two assists for Colorado, which swept its two-game homestand.
“I don’t think we’ve given up very many high-danger chances in the last couple of games,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “We’ve done a nice job defending, and when we have a breakdown, (Blackwood) has been there.”
League scoring leader MacKinnon scored on the power play, becoming the first player to reach 80 points this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Casey Mize fires 6-plus strong innings as Tigers handle Brewers
Apr 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle (7) hits an RBI double against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Spencer Torkelson hit his first homer of the season, a two-run shot, and Kerry Carpenter added a solo blast as the host Detroit Tigers downed the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 on Wednesday.
Torkelson, who hit 31 homers last season, made a winner of starter Casey Mize. In six-plus innings, Mize (2-1) gave up one run and three hits while walking three and striking out seven.
Kenley Jansen escaped a ninth-inning jam to record his sixth save.
Detroit’s Riley Greene had two hits and scored a run, Colt Keith supplied two hits and an RBI and Kevin McGonigle scored a run and knocked in another.
DL Hall served as an opener for the Brewers. He tossed two scoreless innings before Chad Patrick (1-1) took over. Patrick allowed four runs and six hits in four innings, with one walk and two strikeouts.
William Contreras and Jake Bauers knocked in Milwaukee’s runs in the middle game of a three-game series. The decisive game of the set is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
The Brewers opened the scoring in the third inning. Brice Turang drew a two-out walk, stole second and came home on Contreras’ single.
Detroit took the lead for good in the fourth. Greene ripped a one-out double to center. Torkelson then clobbered a Patrick sinker 400 feet over the left-center-field wall to make it 2-1.
The Tigers stretched their lead to 4-1 in the fifth. Javier Baez led off with a single. One out later, McGonigle battled through a 10-pitch at-bat before drilling a double off the right field wall to score Baez. McGonigle moved to third on a groundout and scored on Keith’s line single to right.
Milwaukee cut Detroit’s lead to 4-2 in the eighth. Pinch hitter Luis Rengifo led off with a single. He advanced on a groundout and scored on Bauers’ two-out single off Will Vest.
Detroit got that run back in the bottom of the inning on Carpenter’s blast to right off Carlos Rodriguez. It was Carpenter’s fifth homer of the year.
The Brewers made it interesting in the ninth, loading the bases with two outs. Turang then bounced out to first to end the contest.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Iran 'fully prepared' to participate in World Cup
Dec 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Shaquille O’Neal draws the card of Iran for Group G during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images Despite the ongoing conflict at home, the Iran men’s national soccer team is “fully prepared” to participate in the World Cup this summer, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported.
The team’s involvement was called into question after the United States and Israel began air attacks on Iran in February. The World Cup will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, but all of Iran’s group-stage games are scheduled to be in the United States.
Mohajerani reported that the Iranian Ministry of Youth and Sports has handled the logistics involved in having the soccer team play in the U.S.
Last month, Iran sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said on state television, “Considering that this corrupt regime (in the U.S.) has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup. Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist.”
The next day, President Donald Trump posted on social media, “The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”
FIFA subsequently refused a request from Iran to have its Group G matches moved to Mexico. Iran is due to play New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, both in Inglewood, Calif., then Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who otherwise has closely allied himself with Trump, said last week, “The Iranian team is coming, for sure. Yes. We hope that by then of course the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets' Francisco Lindor exits game due to calf injury
Apr 22, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts after his RBI infield single against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor exited New York’s Wednesday game against the visiting Minnesota Twins after the fourth inning due to left calf tightness.
Lindor, who was on first base following a single, did not appear to be running at full speed as he circled the diamond and scored on Francisco Alvarez’s double. The 32-year-old grimaced while rounding third and remained on the ground for a few seconds after sliding in ahead of Victor Caratini’s tag to give the Mets — who have lost 12 straight — a 2-1 lead.
Lindor was injured the same day Juan Soto returned from a 15-game absence caused by a strained right calf. The Mets won their first three games after Soto was injured April 3 before beginning their losing streak.
Lindor has missed just 15 games total since his most recent IL stint, in 2021, when he missed more than five weeks due to a right oblique strain.
–Field Level Media
Casey Mize fires 6-plus strong innings as Tigers handle Brewers
Iran 'fully prepared' to participate in World Cup
