Sports
NHL roundup: Birthday boy Jared Spurgeon lifts Wild over Blackhawks
Nov 29, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) and defenseman Jared Spurgeon (46) celebrate a victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images Jared Spurgeon celebrated his 35th birthday in style, scoring twice to help the Minnesota Wild rally past the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Friday in Saint Paul, Minn.
The Wild captain, who played just 16 games last season due to back and hip injuries, scored for the first time since April 2023 and notched the eighth multi-goal game in his 15-year career.
Marco Rossi also scored and Joel Eriksson Ek had two assists for the Wild, who trailed 2-0 near the game’s midpoint. Marc-Andre Fleury, who turned 40 on Thursday, made 20 saves to win for the fifth time in six starts.
Former Wild center Ryan Donato scored both goals for the Blackhawks, his second multi-goal game of the season. Petr Mrazek stopped 26 shots.
Capitals 5, Islanders 4 (OT)
Jakob Chychrun scored in overtime to give Washington a comeback win over visiting New York. Down 4-2 through two periods, the Capitals equalized on third-period goals from Dylan Strome at 1:20 and Tom Wilson at 7:24.
Wilson scored twice, Connor McMichael had three assists and Strome collected a goal and two assists for Washington. Nic Dowd scored the Capitals’ other goal while Logan Thompson made 20 saves for Washington, which has won three in a row.
Anders Lee had a goal and two assists for the Islanders, Simon Holmstrom scored twice and Bo Horvat had two assists. Kyle MacLean also scored and Semyon Varlamov stopped 21 of 26 shots.
Canucks 4, Sabres 3 (OT)
Conor Garland capped a two-goal performance by scoring 3:59 into overtime to fuel visiting Vancouver to a victory over Buffalo.
Garland, who extended his point streak to a career-high seven games, ended the game after cleaning up a loose puck in the crease following a shot by defenseman Quinn Hughes. It was his eighth goal of the season, giving Vancouver wins in three of its past four.
Buffalo’s Dylan Cozens and Alex Touch scored 99 seconds apart in the third period to forge a 3-3 tie. Defenseman Bowen Byram also tallied, Zach Benson had two assists and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 18 shots for the Sabres, who have lost two in a row.
Blue Jackets 5, Flames 2
Kirill Marchenko had a goal and two assists while Adam Fantilli registered his first multi-goal game of the season to lead Columbus past visiting Calgary. It was the teams’ first matchup since the deaths of former Blue Jackets and Flames star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew over the summer.
Zach Werenski (one goal, one assist) and Kent Johnson also scored and Elvis Merzlikins made 27 saves for the Blue Jackets, whose five-game point streak (4-0-1) is their longest since 2021. Dmitri Voronkov added a pair of assists.
Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri scored for the Flames, who are 0-2-1 since a four-game win streak. Dustin Wolf stopped 29 shots.
Panthers 6, Hurricanes 3
A.J. Greer put Florida ahead in the third period as the Panthers withstood a Carolina comeback to win 6-3 in Raleigh, N.C.
Sam Reinhart scored his NHL-leading 18th goal and Jesper Boqvist, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett also scored for the Panthers, who’ve followed a four-game skid with two wins in three days. Aaron Ekblad and Eetu Luostraien supplied two assists apiece and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots.
Seth Jarvis, Sean Walker and Eric Robinson scored for the Hurricanes, whose nine-game home winning streak was halted. Shayne Gostisbehere had two assists and Spencer Martin made 24 saves.
Lightning 3, Predators 2 (OT)
Brayden Point’s 16th goal just 1:01 into overtime lifted Tampa Bay to a win over host Nashville.
Point scored his NHL-leading ninth power-play goal off a slick feed from Nikita Kucherov to give the Lightning their fifth win in eight games (5-2-1).
Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning. Victor Hedman assisted on Hagel’s tally, giving him 588 career helpers and tying him with Martin St. Louis for the most in Tampa Bay history. Roman Josi scored both of Nashville’s goals and Juuse Saros stopped 25 shots as the club fell to 2-2-2 in its past six contests.
Oilers 4, Utah 3 (OT)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored at 1:18 of overtime as Edmonton edged the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist and Vasily Podkolzin also scored for the Oilers, who improved to 6-2-1 over their past nine games. Evan Bouchard logged two assists and Calvin Pickard made 28 saves in the win.
Alexander Kerfoot, Logan Cooley and Lawson Crouse tallied for Utah, which has lost five of its last seven (2-4-1). Karel Vejmelka stopped 28 shots.
Flyers 3, Rangers 1
Travis Konecny scored twice as Philadelphia nipped visiting New York.
Bobby Brink also scored and Ivan Fedotov made 22 saves for the Flyers, who improved to 3-0-1 over their past four games. Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen recorded an assist in a fourth straight game.
The Rangers dropped their fifth straight contest despite 32 saves from Igor Shesterkin. Vincent Trocheck scored the lone goal for New York.
Devils 5, Red Wings 4
Stefan Noesen scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period as visiting New Jersey held on for a victory over Detroit.
Dougie Hamilton, Timo Meier, Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes each had a goal and an assist for the Devils, who won for the ninth time in 12 games. Jacob Markstrom made 24 saves.
Vladimir Tarasenko, Lucas Raymond, Tyler Motte and Justin Holl had the goals for the Red Wings, who had won three of their previous four games. Tarasenko and J.T. Compher (two assists) each had a two-point performance. Cam Talbot, playing in his 500th career game, made 24 saves.
Sharks 8, Kraken 5
Jake Walman scored twice and Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist as San Jose defeated visiting Seattle.
Will Smith, Mikael Granlund and Klim Kostin also had a goal and an assist for the Sharks, who play Saturday at Seattle. Timothy Liljegren and Ethan Cardwell also scored, William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund added two assists apiece and Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves.
Shane Wright scored twice and Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two helpers for the Kraken, who lost for the sixth time in their past seven road games. Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and an assist, Yanni Gourde also tallied and Ryker Evans added two assists. Philipp Grubauer stopped 19 shots and dropped to 1-7-0 this season.
Golden Knights 4, Jets 3
Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev each scored twice as Vegas defeated Winnipeg in Las Vegas.
Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev each had two assists and Adin Hill made 22 stops for the Golden Knights, who have won four of their past five games (4-0-1).
Cole Perfetti scored twice for the Jets, both assisted by Josh Morrissey. Neal Pionk also scored in the loss. Eric Comrie turned aside 26 shots for Winnipeg, which has dropped three of four.
Penguins 2, Bruins 1
Philip Tomasino scored his first goal of the season in the third period to propel visiting Pittsburgh to a comeback win over Boston.
A 23-year-old former first-round pick who was acquired from the Nashville Predators in a deal on Monday, Tomasino netted the go-ahead goal with 12:34 left. Tristan Jarry stopped 31 of Boston’s 32 shots and Rickard Rakell scored the Penguins’ first goal en route to their second straight win.
Charlie Coyle scored and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves for Boston, which is now 3-2-0 under interim head coach Joe Sacco.
Kings 2, Ducks 1
Erik Portillo made 28 saves to pick up the win in his NHL debut as Los Angeles rallied to edge host Anaheim.
Alex Laferriere had a goal and an assist and Alex Turcotte also scored for the Kings, who won for the second straight game and for the 11th time in the past 12 meetings with Anaheim in their Freeway Face-Off rivalry series.
Ryan Strome scored a goal and John Gibson made 16 saves for Anaheim. The Ducks took just their second regulation loss (4-2-1) in their past seven games.
Stars 5, Avalanche 3
Mason Marchment had two goals and an assist and Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin had a goal and an assist each as host Dallas beat Colorado.
Roope Hintz also scored, Jake Oettinger stopped 29 shots and Miro Heiskanen had two assists for the Stars, who snapped a two-game skid.
Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist, Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen also scored, Cale Makar had two assists and Alexandar Georgiev made 19 saves for the Avalanche.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Wolves, Nuggets each bring an edge into finale of season series
Jan 31, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images The Minnesota Timberwolves wrap up a three-game road trip at the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon with a chance to improve their seeding in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Minnesota has won the first two games of its trip and now faces a tough task against its Northwest Division rival.
Denver already secured the tiebreaker in the season series by winning the first three matchups. With both teams holding identical 37-23 records, the winner of Sunday’s game will have sole possession of fourth in the Western Conference standings.
The Nuggets have lost three of their first five games out of the All-Star break, including a 127-121 overtime setback at Oklahoma City on Friday night. Sunday’s game gives them a chance to get back some momentum.
The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic appears to already have a postseason mindset after mixing it up with the Thunder during the loss.
Jokic was knocked down when Luguentz Dort hit him with his hip in the fourth quarter and then confronted the Oklahoma City forward. There was pushing and shoving before Dort was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected.
Jokic, who leads Denver in points (28.7), rebounds (12.6) and assists (10.5), has a casual and deliberate demeanor on the court that belies his competitive nature.
“I think he was reacting to what was being done to him,” Denver head coach David Adelman said. “And his reaction’s not going to be to cower away. He’s competitive.”
Playing Minnesota again should keep that fiery spirit alive for Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets. The teams have forged a rivalry over the last four seasons, including two playoff series.
There is no question about the fiery nature and competitive spirit of Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.
Edwards missed the first game against the Nuggets this season but is averaging 35.0 points in the two games between the teams. That includes a 44-point performance on Christmas night before he was ejected in overtime for arguing foul calls.
Edwards, who leads the Timberwolves in scoring at 29.6 points a game, doesn’t confine his arguments to opponents and officials. He got into a verbal exchange with head coach Chris Finch after hitting a 3-pointer to seal a 94-88 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
It is a feature of their relationship, according to teammates.
“They go at it. Honestly, they do,” Timberwolves guard Mike Conley said. “They go at it… They have days where they’re getting ready to fight, and then after the game they hug each other.”
Finch confirmed that in an interview on Fox Sports Radio.
“We’re both fiery competitors. It’s been part of our relationship since Day 1. … We say these things to each other and we move on,” Finch said. “We don’t take it personally.”
The task of stopping Jokic will fall mainly on Rudy Gobert, who leads Minnesota in rebounds (11.4) and blocks (1.7). Nobody could stop Jokic when the teams met on Christmas, with the three-time MVP recording a 56-point triple-double, including 18 points in overtime.
Jokic has averaged 36.0 points 15.7 rebounds and 12.0 assists in the three games against the Timberwolves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cincinnati cruises past Oklahoma State with 3-point barrage
Cincinnati Bearcats forward Baba Miller (18) makes a basket from the two point line in the first half of a NCAA men’s basketball game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Oklahoma State Cowboys, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. Day Day Thomas heated up from long range, draining seven 3-pointers en route to a 26-point performance, Moustapha Thiam added 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and host Cincinnati rolled to a 91-68 home victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon.
The Bearcats (16-13, 8-8 Big 12), which entered No. 54 in the NET rankings, have won five of their last six. Jizzle James and Baba Miller each finished with 11 points for Cincinnati.
Oklahoma State (17-12, 5-11), playing its first game since losing big man Parsa Fallah to a torn ACL, was overwhelmed throughout. Vyctorius Miller led the team with 15 points, while Jaylen Curry and Kanye Clary both added 11 points. The Cowboys have lost six of their last seven games.
The Bearcats seized control early, going on an 11-2 run highlighted by 3-pointers from Thomas and Thiam to lead 12-4 less than four minutes into the game.
Those early minutes foreshadowed the rest of the game.
Cincinnati dominated from the start, leading 51-33 at halftime. The Bearcats shot 53.1% from the floor, made seven three-pointers and won the rebounding battle 20-15 in the first half. They finished with a two-handed dunk by Thiam. Miller was credited with an assist on the play as he found Thiam open underneath.
In the second half, the Bearcats pulled away. They went on an 11-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Thomas to lead 65-37 with just under 15 minutes remaining. Cincinnati continued to extend the lead, reaching as many as 32 points, with an 81-49 advantage after another 3 from Thomas at the 8:22 mark.
Cincinnati finished with 14 made 3s, dished out 24 assists, and had a 24-7 edge in second-chance points. The Bearcats also led for 39:24 of the 40 minutes and improved to 14-3 at home.
Both teams return to action on Tuesday. Cincinnati hosts No. 19 BYU, while Oklahoma State travels to UCF.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bobby Durkin has career night as Minnesota tops UCLA
Feb 24, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Bobby Durkin (3) dribbles against Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau (3) in the second half at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Bobby Durkin scored a season-high 23 points with seven made 3-pointers and Langston Reynolds added 21 points with six assists as Minnesota claimed another victim at home with a 78-73 victory over UCLA at Minneapolis.
Cade Tyson also scored 21 points for the Golden Gophers (14-15, 7-11 Big Ten), who shot 62.3% from the floor and 52.2% from 3-point range. Durkin, who reached 1,000 points for his college career in the first half, went 7 of 11 from long range.
Minnesota improved to 12-4 at home this season with victories in its own building over a trio of ranked teams in Indiana, Iowa and Michigan State.
Tyler Bilodeau scored 32 points with eight rebounds and Eric Dailey Jr. added 18 points for the Bruins (19-10, 11-7), who failed to build off huge victories over No. 10 Illinois and rival Southern California over the past week.
Skyy Clark scored 17 points, while Donovan Dent had 15 assists but just three points, as UCLA now prepares for a key home game upcoming against No. 12 Nebraska.
With the game tied 61-61 with 7:59 remaining, Cade scored four points in a 6-0 run for Minnesota to give the Gophers a 67-61 lead with 6:15 left. The Bruins got within 76-73 on a three-point play from Bilodeau with 1:50 remaining.
The Bruins then missed four consecutive 3-pointers over the final 1:08, including two by Bilodeau, as the Gophers held on for the victory.
In a first half of swings, Minnesota led by as many as nine points early before UCLA went on a 17-3 run to lead by as many as seven points before taking a 41-40 lead into the break. Bilodeau had 16 points in the first half, while Dent had nine assists for UCLA.
Durkin scored 15 points in the first half for Minnesota and reached 1,000 points on one of his five 3-pointers before halftime. UCLA’s Clark reached 1,000 career points on a basket in the second half.
–Field Level Media
Wolves, Nuggets each bring an edge into finale of season series
Cincinnati cruises past Oklahoma State with 3-point barrage
