Sports
NHL roundup: Oilers stars hit milestones in rout of Kings
Feb 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) and Los Angeles Kings right wing Alex Laferriere (14) battle for the puck during the second period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist for his sixth straight 100-point season, Leon Draisaitl notched his eighth straight 30-goal campaign, and the Edmonton Oilers ended a season-high four-game skid with an 8-1 romp over the host Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.
McDavid has reached triple digits nine times overall in his career, third most in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky (15) and Mario Lemieux (10).
Draisaitl had a goal and three assists, Zach Hyman a goal and two assists, Jake Walman scored twice, Andrew Mangiapane produced a goal and an assist and Connor Ingram made 21 saves for the Oilers, who were coming off a 6-5 loss at the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.
Warren Foegele scored for the Kings, who have dropped five in a row (0-4-1) to remain three points out of a playoff spot. Darcy Kuemper stopped 11 of 15 shots before he was replaced by Anton Forsberg, who finished with 18 saves for Los Angeles.
Wild 5, Avalanche 2
Matt Boldy had two empty-net goals and added two assists, Joel Eriksson Ek also scored twice and Minnesota beat Colorado in Denver in a matchup of two of the league’s top teams.
Filip Gustavsson made 44 saves for Minnesota, which has won six in a row and tightened the race in the Central Division. Mats Zuccarello also scored, and Kirill Kaprizov had two assists.
Martin Necas had two goals, Nathan MacKinnon contributed two assists and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 31 shots for the Avalanche. Colorado leads the NHL with 85 points and the Wild have 80, tied for second most in the league.
Hurricanes 5, Lightning 4
Carolina’s Sebastian Aho broke a third-period tie with a power-play goal and the Hurricanes overcame blowing a three-goal lead to beat Tampa Bay in a matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top two teams in Raleigh, N.C.
Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall both had a goal and an assist and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored — all in the opening seven minutes — for the Hurricanes, who were in their first game since the Olympic layoff. Seth Jarvis also supplied a goal and an assist and Andrei Svechnikov assisted on two goals for Carolina. Brandon Bussi made 24 saves.
Brandon Point posted a goal and an assist for the Lightning, who opened their post-break schedule a night earlier by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brandon Hagel, Nikita Kucherov and Dominic James also scored for the Lightning, who were without head coach Jon Cooper for the second night in a row following the death of his father.
Red Wings 2, Senators 1 (OT)
Dylan Larkin scored his second goal of the game at 1:50 of overtime as visiting Detroit beat Ottawa.
John Gibson made 26 saves for the Red Wings, who had lost four of five (1-3-1) before the break. Lucas Raymond notched two assists.
Brady Tkachuk scored for the Senators, who had won five of six before the break. Linus Ullmark turned away 18 shots.
Panthers 5, Maple Leafs 1
Brad Marchand scored two goals as Florida resumed play following the Olympic break with a win over Toronto at Sunrise, Fla., in a battle of teams looking to climb into Eastern Conference playoff contention.
Evan Rodrigues added a goal and an assist for the Panthers while Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk also scored. Anton Lundell added two assists and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots for Florida, which was on a 1-5-0 run ahead of the break.
John Tavares scored for the Maple Leafs, who have lost their first two games after the break. Joseph Woll made 32 saves.
Bruins 4, Blue Jackets 2
Boston erased an early one-goal deficit with three straight goals and held on to defeat visiting Columbus.
Viktor Arvidsson tallied twice and Sean Kuraly and Morgan Geekie also lit the lamp for the Bruins, who are 5-0-3 in their past eight games. Joonas Korpisalo made 36 saves, and Michael DiPietro stopped two shots after Korpisalo briefly exited in the second period with an injury.
Adam Fantilli had a goal and an assist, Kirill Marchenko also scored and Mason Marchment assisted on both goals for the Blue Jackets, whose seven-game winning streak ended. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 19 shots.
Islanders 4, Canadiens 3 (OT)
Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored the game-winner at 1:46 of overtime as New York rallied for a victory at Montreal.
Matthew Schaefer scored twice, Anders Lee tied the game late and Simon Holmstrom had two assists for the Islanders, who have won three in a row. Ilya Sorokin made 21 saves.
Noah Dobson tallied twice against his former team, Cole Caufield added a goal and Samiel Montembeault made 22 saves for the Canadiens, who have lost two of three (1-0-2) but extended their point streak to six (4-0-2).
Penguins 4, Devils 1
Connor Clifton and Egor Chinakhov scored 50 seconds apart during a three-goal third period to help Pittsburgh, minus superstar Sidney Crosby, break open a tight contest and beat visiting New Jersey.
Tommy Novak opened the scoring, Evgeni Malkin recorded two assists, Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter and Arturs Silovs was stout in making 28 saves for Pittsburgh. Crosby will miss at least four weeks with a lower-body injury suffered while playing for Canada at the Milan Cortina Games earlier this month.
Paul Cotter scored for the Devils, who are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference standings and matched a season high with their fifth consecutive loss, which is part of a 1-7-0 rut. Jacob Markstrom made 31 saves.
Predators 4, Blackhawks 2
Ryan O’Reilly scored a game-winner late in the third period to help power Nashville past visiting Chicago.
Roman Josi made a beautiful pass to O’Reilly, who tipped the game-winning goal past Spencer Knight to secure the victory for the Predators with 3:16 left . Filip Forsberg, Steven Stamkos and Matthew Wood also scored, while Justus Annunen improved to a perfect 4-0 in his career against the Blackhawks with the 21-save performance.
Connor Bedard was dominant in the loss while scoring for the Blackhawks and Tyler Bertuzzi also found the back of the net. Spencer Knight finished with 22 saves for Chicago.
Flyers 3, Rangers 2 (OT)
Matvei Michkov scored twice, including the overtime winner, as Philadelphia battled back to edge host New York and extend the Rangers’ slump.
Michkov skated around J.T. Miller and snapped a shot five-hole past Igor Shesterkin at 2:10 of the extra frame for his 15th of the season. Trevor Zegras scored the other goal for the Flyers, who trailed 2-0 midway through the game.
Samuel Ersson made 23 saves as Philadelphia won for just the fourth time in its past 11 games (4-4-3). Sam Carrick and Alexis Lafreniere had the goals for the Rangers, who have dropped five straight (0-4-1) and are 2-11-2 since their Winter Classic victory over the Florida Panthers on Jan. 2.
Flames 4, Sharks 1
Nazem Kadri scored twice and goaltender Dustin Wolf continued his mastery against the team he grew up supporting as visiting Calgary beat San Jose. The Flames have won 50 consecutive games when scoring four or more goals.
Connor Zary and Mikael Backlund both netted one goal and one assist for the Flames, who posted a second consecutive victory. Wolf, who hails from nearby Gilroy, Calif., made 34 saves to win for the 10th time in 12 career clashes with the Sharks.
Tyler Toffoli opened the scoring for the Sharks, who have lost five straight (0-4-1). Yaroslav Askarov stopped 25 shots.
Blues 5, Kraken 1
Dylan Holloway came off the injured list to produce three goals and an assist, leading St. Louis past visiting Seattle.
Pius Suter had a goal and two assists for the Blues, who won for just the second time in 10 games (2-7-1). It was St. Louis’ first game after the three-week Olympic break. Jordan Kyrou also scored for St. Louis. Jonatan Berggren and Justin Faulk earned two assists and Joel Hofer made 23 saves.
Kaapo Kakko scored for the Kraken, who have lost their first two games coming out of the break. Philipp Grubauer made 27 saves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Celtics storm to early lead, roll past 76ers in series opener
Apr 19, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) controls the ball while Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) defends in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 26 points and Jayson Tatum added 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Boston Celtics to a 123-91 victory over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
Sam Hauser made 4 of 6 attempts from 3-point range and added 12 points for second-seeded Boston, which never trailed in the game.
Seventh-seeded Philadelphia received 21 points with eight assists from Tyrese Maxey and 17 from Paul George. Kelly Oubre finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
The 76ers shot 38.9% from the floor, including 4 of 23 (17.4%) from 3-point territory. No Philadelphia player made more than one 3-pointer.
Philadelphia also committed 15 turnovers, which helped Boston hold a 22-3 edge in points off turnovers.
Boston center Neemias Queta was in foul trouble for much of the game, but scored 13 points in 15 minutes of playing time.
Boston had an early double-digit lead after a Tatum jumper ended an 11-1 spurt that put the Celtics up 17-7. Philadelphia was 6 of 21 (28.6%) from the field — 1 of 9 from 3-point range — in the opening quarter and trailed 33-18 after the opening 12 minutes.
The Celtics stretched their lead to 23 points in the second quarter and held a 64-46 halftime lead. Tatum scored 21 of his 25 points in the opening half.
After the 76ers trimmed their deficit to 15 midway through the third, Boston went on a 10-0 to extend its lead 83-58. The Celtics led by as many as 26 later in the quarter and had a 95-71 advantage entering the fourth. Brown scored 16 of his 26 points in the third.
The Celtics held a 107-75 lead following a Payton Pritchard layup with 9:03 to play. Boston led by as many as 35 later in the fourth.
Game 2 in the series will be Tuesday night in Boston.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes look to shut down Senators in Game 2
Apr 18, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) looks against the Ottawa Senators during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images Finding space on the ice is expected to be an ongoing challenge for the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes in their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series.
So, finding any small edge will be critical when they meet in Game 2 on Monday night at Raleigh, N.C.
“The first round always has all the energy in the world and that’s what you expect,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.
Carolina won 2-0 in the first game Saturday behind Frederik Andersen’s 22-save performance.
Both teams had difficulty finding openings and more of that could be in the works.
“I don’t think this series it’s ever going to look like there’s a ton of space out there,” Senators coach Travis Green said. “It’s going to look very similar every night. I think at the end of every game, both teams are going to feel like there wasn’t space on the ice and I don’t see changing.”
So, it came down to what the goalies could do.
“The goalies had to really shine,” Brind’Amour said.
Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark made 27 saves Saturday, but he fell to 5-11 in career playoff games. He was sharp as well, though Andersen stole the spotlight when it wasn’t clear leading up to the series opener if he would be Brind’Amour’s choice.
He had to decide between Andersen and rookie Brandon Bussi. Andersen got the call.
“He was up to the challenge,” Brind’Amour said. “We have good options and both guys have played well. Clearly, experience, I think won out. … Freddy has a track record and we know what he’s capable of.”
Green said to win on the road in the playoffs the goalie has to play well (and he liked Ullmark’s outing) and a power-play goal or two would be a boost.
The teams combined to go 0-for-9 on power plays in Game 1, with the Hurricanes having five chances.
“They’re a quick team,” Green said. “They’re good in this building.”
Carolina’s relentless nature is something the Senators need to be ready for again.
“They’re deep,” Green said. “They’re good. … Carolina does a real good job of playing their game.”
Carolina’s Logan Stankoven supplied a goal and an assist in the series opener, extending a strong stretch. He had an eight-game points streak to end the regular season.
Three of Stankoven’s four multi-point postseason outings have come with the Hurricanes. His line has been rolling up strong numbers for the past few weeks.
“We have a lot of depth,” Stankoven said. “Since the break, our line has been clicking pretty good. We’ve been able to find each other and I think we’re all hungry to track pucks.”
Now the Hurricanes will look for upgrades on power plays.
“If we look at one area we’re not overly happy with is our power-play chances,” Stankoven said. “Every team as a series goes on makes adjustments.”
Carolina improved to 7-0 in its last seven postseason opening games. The Hurricanes put together some quality stretches in the offensive zone.
“They probably deserved to win analytically, and they did,” Green said.
The Hurricanes have won 12 of 18 all-time best-of-seven series when winning Game 1.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Keller directs Pirates over Rays to clinch series win
Apr 19, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) tags Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson (14) out at second base on a steal attempt during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Mitch Keller pitched seven strong innings, allowing two runs to help the host Pittsburgh Pirates score a 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon.
Coming off a 13-inning loss on Saturday where Pittsburgh used six relievers, Keller (2-1) preserved some arms for the Pirates bullpen and helped his team take two of three games against the Rays, who entered the series having won six in a row.
Bryan Reynolds backed up the pitching with two hits and three RBI to lead Pittsburgh’s bats, while Spencer Horwitz and Nick Yorke each hit solo home runs.
Nick Gonzales had two hits and an RBI and Jake Mangum also had two hits. The Pirates did it with the long ball and small ball as they recorded three bunt singles in a game for the first time since 1998.
After picking up his first win in three years in his previous start, Rays starter Shane McClanahan (1-2) was unable to follow up that success, nor spare Tampa Bay’s own taxed bullpen a day after it used seven relievers. He allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out five over 4 1/3 innings on 90 pitches.
Keller picked up his second win in his fifth start of the season after not doing so last season until his 17th start. He struck out five and gave up five hits and did not issue a walk on 89 pitches.
The Rays took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth on a two-run single by Hunter Feduccia off Keller, which was one of Tampa Bay’s six hits overall. Jonny DeLuca followed a Richie Palacios double and then stole second to set up Feduccia’s go-ahead hit.
The Pirates answered immediately when Joey Bart doubled and Billy Cook followed with a bunt single and stole second. Two batters later, Gonzales singled to drive in Bart, and Reynolds followed with a two-run single to put Pittsburgh ahead 4-2.
Right-hander Wilber Dotel was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis and made his major-league debut in the ninth. He allowed a solo home run to Junior Caminero, but then struck out Jonathan Aranda and retired Yandy Diaz on a ground out, and Cedric Mullins on a fly ball to center. The Pirates optioned reliever Cam Sanders to Triple-A Indianapolis.
–Field Level Media
Celtics storm to early lead, roll past 76ers in series opener
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