Sports
Pacific-leading Ducks eager to extend Maple Leafs' losing streak
Mar 10, 2026; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Anaheim Ducks forward Alex Killorn (17) skates away from Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele (55) during the third period at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images The Anaheim Ducks aim to open their four-game road trip with a second consecutive win Thursday night when they visit the floundering Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Ducks started their trip Tuesday night with a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on the strength of three consecutive goals in a 1:44 span of the second period. That improved them to 8-2-0 in their past 10 games.
“A month ago, it was a different situation,” said Ducks forward Alex Killorn, who had a goal and an assist Tuesday. “Then we go on a run, and now we’re first in the Pacific. You try not to think about it too much, but it’s just one of those things that it’s so tight, every game is so important.”
“We’ve got a good mix, we’ve got good balance,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville added. “We know we can score goals, and (Tuesday) is a good thing to bounce back to, about knowing that we can check, too.”
The victory followed a 4-0 home loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.
“We want to do one thing,” Quenneville said. “We want to make the playoffs. That’s our priority, that’s our goal. You don’t want to look past our next opponent.”
Their next opponent basically has played its way out of playoff contention since the Olympic break. The Maple Leafs have not won since Feb. 3, a 5-2 road decision over the Edmonton Oilers that took them into the break on a three-game winning streak.
The Maple Leafs dropped their eighth in a row (0-6-2) on Tuesday, a 3-1 road loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
“I think parts of all the games we’ve been playing, we’ve been playing snippets of good hockey, and that’s not how we want to play,” said William Nylander, who scored Toronto’s goal.
Montreal controlled the first period when they took a 2-0 lead while holding an 18-5 advantage in shots on goal.
“They definitely had the play in the first for sure, had the puck,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “You know, we didn’t check it off them, and then when we did, we didn’t do anything with the puck.”
The winless streak is the Maple Leafs’ longest since an 11-game drought (0-10-1) during the 2014-15 season.
Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews did not score Tuesday for the 12th straight game, one short of the longest scoring drought of his career.
Benoit-Olivier Groulx, recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, played 14:13 in his first NHL game since April 12, 2024, and had a good scoring chance and two shots on goal.
Groulx led Marlies scorers with 27 goals and 50 points this season.
“It’s been difficult the past few years, with injuries and not playing,” Groulx said. “It’s rewarding, all the work I’ve done the past few years, to get back to the NHL.”
In Anaheim’s win over the Jets, Ryan Poehling and Jackson LaCombe joined Killorn in contributing one goal and one assist.
“This was one of our most complete games when you look at three periods,” Killorn said. “A lot of games, we’ve been down and had to come back. We were down here (Tuesday), but for a majority of the game, we played the right way. It was a great game for our team. …We didn’t make any stupid turnovers. They’re going to get chances, it’s going to happen, but I thought we limited them as much as we could.”
Anaheim had a 35-13 advantage in shots on goal.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Playoff field finalized for PGL Wallachia Season 7
Dota 2 competitors at the 2025 Esports World Cup. Vici Gaming, BetBoom Team and Tundra Esports secured the final three spots in the PGL Wallachia Season 7 playoffs on Wednesday in Bucharest, Romania.
The double-elimination playoffs for the $1 million Dota 2 tournament begin Thursday. All matches are best-of-three until Sunday’s best-of-five grand final, with the winning team taking home $300,000.
The 16-team group stage concluded with Wednesday’s win-or-go-home matches between 2-2 teams.
Vici Gaming eliminated Xtreme Gaming with a 2-1 win, sandwiching 22- and 51- minute wins on green around XG’s 41-minute victory on green.
BetBoom Team swept Natus Vincere out of the event with 33- and 34-minute victories, both on green.
Tundra Esports rallied to knock out PARIVISION with a 2-1 win. After PARIVISION opened with a 49-minute win on red, Tundra answered with a 55-minute victory on red and a 48-minute triumph on green.
Thursday’s upper-bracket quarterfinals:
–HEROIC vs. BetBoom Team
–Team Spirit vs. Vici Gaming
–Aurora Gaming vs. Team Yandex
–Team Liquid vs. Tundra Esports
PGL Wallachia Season 7 final group-stage standings:
T1. Team Liquid, 3-0
T1. Team Spirit, 3-0
T3. HEROIC, 3-1
T3. Aurora Gaming, 3-1
T3. Team Yandex, 3-1
T6. BetBoom Team, 3-2
T6. Vici Gaming, 3-2
T6. Tundra Esports, 3-2
T9. Xtreme Gaming, 2-3
T9. Natus Vincere, 2-3
T9. PARIVISION, 2-3
T12. Team Falcons, 1-3
T12. OG, 1-3
T12. Yellow Submarine, 1-3
T15. MOUZ, 0-3
T15. Team Nemesis, 0-3
PGL Wallachia Season 7 prize pool:
1. $300,000
2. $175,000
3. $120,000
4. $80,000
5-6. $60,000
7-8. $40,000
9-11. $20,000 — Xtreme Gaming, Natus Vincere, PARIVISION
12-14. $15,000 — Team Falcons, Yellow Submarine, OG
15-16. $10,000 — Team Nemesis, MOUZ
–Field Level Media
Sports
Iowa rides Cooper Koch, 21-0 run to move past Maryland
Mar 11, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Darius Adams (1) defends Iowa Hawkeyes guard Isaia Howard (23) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Iowa exploded past Maryland in the second half, capitalizing on turnovers and the tandem of Bennett Stirtz and Cooper Koch to advance to the third round of the Big Ten tournament on Wednesday afternoon in Chicago.
Koch wasn’t bothered by a bloody nose, as the freshman forward scored team-best and career-high 19 points, and Stirtz added 17 after a quiet first half. Stirtz also had eight assists and six rebounds.
Koch cashed his fifth 3 of the game in transition to put ninth-seeded Iowa up 59-47 with under seven minutes remaining.
Iowa (21-11) ended a three-game losing streak. The Hawkeyes are first on the court again Thursday with a noon ET against eighth-seeded Ohio State (20-11) at United Center. Iowa defeated the Buckeyes 74-57 on Feb. 25.
Maryland (12-21) had 16 turnovers and missed 14 of its 21 3-point tries.
Isaiah Watts had four 3s and finished with 12 points and Darius Adams scored a team-high 14 for the 17th-seeded Terrapins. Surging scorer Andre Mills was 1 of 13 from the field for Maryland, which trailed by double digits most of the second half.
Iowa took control with a 21-0 run and had Maryland coach Buzz Williams shaking his head with a second timeout in 80 seconds when Stirtz found Koch on the right wing for a 3 — his third of the second half — and buried the Terrapins in a 50-34 hole.
Maryland held Stirtz, the Big Ten’s third-leading scorer at 20.2 points per game, to four points in the first half. He ignited Iowa with back-to-back 3s as part of a the run that staked the Hawkeyes to a 42-34 lead with 14 minutes to play.
Streaky Maryland trailed early but turned to a 2-3 zone defense and knocked down open shots as part of a 15-0 run to build a double-digit, first-half lead, 21-10. Iowa cut it to 26-25 in the final minute of the half with an 11-2 run of its own thanks to Maryland’s eight turnovers in 33 first-half possession.
Maryland started the Big Ten schedule with a 1-10 record. The Terrapins picked up momentum with a close loss to No. 9 Illinois in the regular-season finale and led wire to wire in Tuesday’s tournament victory over Oregon.
–Field Level Media
Sports
KC Current acquire F Penelope Hocking from Bay FC
Nov 2, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Bay FC forward Penelope Hocking (55) dribbles the ball during the first half against Racing Louisville FC at Lynn Family Stadium. Mandatory Credit: EM Dash-Imagn Images The Kansas City Current acquired forward Penelope Hocking from Bay FC on Wednesday.
The Current sent $350,000 in intra-league transfer funds to complete the deal for Hocking, 26.
“We are very excited to welcome Penelope to Kansas City,” general manager Ryan Dell said in a statement. “Penelope’s aptitude for scoring goals from anywhere on the field, combined with her ability to create chances for those around her, will only strengthen our attack. Above all, she is a great person and teammate who will positively impact our club on and off the pitch.”
Hocking recorded a team-high six goals and one assist in 18 regular-season matches (10 starts) last season with Bay FC. She scored seven goals with the Chicago Red Stars from 2023-24.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining the Kansas City Current,” Hocking, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft, said in the team’s news release. “This is a club with high expectations and high standards, and I’m excited to bring my energy, compete every day and help the team win trophies.”
–Field Level Media
Playoff field finalized for PGL Wallachia Season 7
Iowa rides Cooper Koch, 21-0 run to move past Maryland
