Sports
Senators aim to extend winning streak against rival Canadiens
Oct 10, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators goalie Linus Ullmark (35) looks over prior to the start of the second period agaist the Florida Panthers at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images A new season presents another opportunity for the Ottawa Senators to continue their recent dominance of the Montreal Canadiens.
Vying to start 2-0-0 for the first time in eight seasons, the visiting Senators eye a 10th consecutive victory over the Canadiens on Saturday night.
Ottawa hasn’t made a playoff appearance since 2017, but it has certainly claimed bragging rights over its eastern Canadian rival in recent years.
The Senators have outscored Montreal 45-22 during an impressive 9-0-0 stretch against the Canadiens. Ottawa, which has also won four straight at Montreal, suffered its most recent defeat in this series on March 19, 2022.
It’s been even longer since the Senators opened with consecutive victories overall, going all the way back to that 2016-17 playoff season, when they kicked things off with wins over Toronto and Montreal.
Ottawa put itself in position to finally accomplish that feat again after Tim Stutzle scored twice and Linus Ullmark made 30 saves in his Ottawa debut during Thursday’s 3-1 home win over the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
“We dug in when we needed to,” first-year Senators coach Travis Green said. “It wasn’t just one or two guys. Everyone throughout the lineup. It was a special night.”
Especially for Stutzle, who opened strong after following up 2022-23’s 39-goal campaign with a disappointing 18 last season.
“It’s a great step in the right direction,” Stutzle said.
Stutzle has six goals and 11 assists in 19 career games versus Montreal.
The Canadiens opened the season with Wednesday’s 1-0 home victory versus rival Toronto, but they struggled to build on that solid performance while falling 6-4 at Boston on Thursday. Against the Bruins, Montreal scored twice in the first period but allowed three goals before the first intermission, then trailed 5-2 after two.
“We’re going to correct the mistakes,” Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said.
The massive difference between games in overall performance and results for the Canadiens is intriguing. However, not immediately concerning for the club.
“We’ve taken steps as a team, but clearly not there yet. We’ve got some growing to do,” Montreal forward Brendan Gallagher said.
Gallagher and teammate Cole Caufield each have two goals on the young season. Caufield has scored seven times in 10 career contests versus Ottawa. Gallagher, meanwhile, has three goals with five assists in his last nine games against the Senators.
Sam Montembeault stopped 48 shots against the Maple Leafs, and he could be back in the Montreal net for this matchup after Cayden Primeau was roughed up in stopping 23 of 29 shots at Boston. Montembeault, however, is 0-3-0 with a 4.13 goals-against average versus Ottawa.
Ullmark, the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner while with Boston, is 3-1-0 with a 2.58 goals-against average in five career starts versus Montreal. However, it’s possible Saturday’s start is given to teammate Anton Forsberg, who owns a 2.51 GAA while winning his last six starts against the Canadiens.
Ottawa star Brady Tkachuk recorded an assist Thursday. He posted six goals with eight assists during the Senators’ nine-game winning streak versus Montreal.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Serena Williams, 44, wins doubles comeback in London
Aug 29, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Serena Williams of the United States serves to Danka Kovinic of Montenegro on day one of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-Imagn Images Serena Williams successfully launched her comeback Tuesday with a doubles upset during the HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club in West Kensington, London.
Ending a nearly four-year retirement, the 44-year-old Williams partnered with 19-year-old Victoria Mboko of Canada for a 7-6 (2), 6-2 win against No. 3 seed Nicole Melihar-Martinez and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe.
Routliffe is a two-time U.S. Open doubles champion (2023, 2025) and Melihar-Martinez was a doubles finalist at Wimbledon in 2018 and the U.S. Open in 2020.
“I was having so much fun playing with Vicky,” Williams said in a post-match on-court interview. “She was really able to hold up the team and play big on the big points. I could really rely on her. We never played together but it just felt so natural playing with her.”
Williams’ first-round victory at the WTA 500 grass-court tournament was the 23-time Grand Slam winner’s first professional match since a tearful farewell at the 2022 U.S. Open.
Williams, who received a wild-card entry into the tournament, and Mboko advanced to the quarterfinals. They will face the winner between Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and Germany’s Laura Siegemund vs. Russia’s Alexandra Panova and the Netherlands’ Demi Schuurs.
Williams was asked what her tennis schedule might look like down the road and why she picked the HSBC Championship for a doubles return.
“I don’t know … I had nothing better to do,” Williams said, drawing laughs from fans. “I got tired sitting at home. My kids are out of school for the summer so why not.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Andrew Putnam wins 9-hole playoff for final U.S. Open spot from Oregon
May 3, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Andrew Putnam watches his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the Cadillac Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Romance-Imagn Images PGA Tour veteran Andrew Putnam took the concept of “Golf’s Longest Day” to a new extreme.
After playing 36 holes at Emerald Valley Golf Club for U.S. Open final qualifying Monday in Creswell, Ore., Putnam and Spencer Tibbits were tied for second on the leaderboard. The problem was that only two spots were available from Oregon, requiring a 2-for-1 playoff.
Putnam and Tibbits played six more holes late Monday and couldn’t break their deadlock. They returned to the course Tuesday morning, and Putnam finally claimed victory on the ninth hole.
Putnam, a 37-year-old from Tacoma, Wash., will play his second major championship this year after appearing in none of the majors in 2025. He tied for 55th last month at the PGA Championship. Putnam last appeared in the U.S. Open in 2023, when he tied for 43rd.
His only victory on tour came in 2018 at the Barracuda Championship.
Greyson Leach shot 4-under-par 140 over 36 holes for medalist honors at Emerald Valley. Putnam and Tibbits tied at 3-under 141, with Tibbits squandering an advantage by following an opening 66 with a second-round 75.
Emerald Valley was one of 10 final qualifying sites across the U.S. and Canada on Monday. They were also contested in Toronto (near this week’s RBC Canadian Open), at two locations in Ohio, one in California and several courses around the East Coast.
The U.S. Open will be contested June 18-21 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.
Here is the final list of players to qualify Monday (three other qualifiers were previously held):
–Ball Ground, Ga.: Chris Kirk, Jake Peacock, Keith Mitchell, Robbie Higgins, Chase Kyes (a)
–Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.: Giuseppe Puebla (a), Ben Silverman, Ryder Cowan (a), Miles Russell (a)
–Purchase, N.Y.: Kevin Roy, Max Greyserman, Benjamin James (a), James Nicholas
–Gastonia, N.C.: Jackson Ormond (a), Carl Yuan, Jackson Van Paris, Brandon Wu, Cole Hammer
–Rockville, Md.: Jackson Suber, Ben Kohles, Logan Reilly (a), Jake Sollon
–Springfield, Ohio: Neal Shipley, Zac Blair, Dylan Wu, Billy Horschel, Nick Hardy
–Westerville, Ohio: Davis Thompson, J.B. Holmes, Vaughn Harber (a), Arni Sveinsson (a)
–Toronto: Emiliano Grillo, Alejandro Tosti, Marcelo Rozo, William Mouw, John Parry, Max McGreevy
–Sacramento, Calif.: Taylor Montgomery, Eric Lee (a), Matthew Robles (a), Marek Fleming (a)
–Creswell, Ore.: Greyson Leach, Andrew Putnam
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Brewers signing OF prospect Luis Lara to 7-year, $31M deal
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Luis Lara adjusts his cap during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. The Milwaukee Brewers are in agreement with outfield prospect Luis Lara on a seven-year, $31 million extension, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.
The contract with the 21-year-old Venezuelan begins this season and includes three club options, potentially taking the deal through 2035.
The extension could max out at $78 million if Lara reaches all the incentives, a source told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Lara is ranked No. 5 among Milwaukee’s prospects and No. 91 among all major league clubs by MLB Pipeline.
He is batting .338/.447/.500 with seven homers, 27 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 56 games this season at Double-A Nashville.
The Brewers have signed similar long-term deals with up-and-coming prospects before, including outfielder Jackson Chourio in December 2023 and current minor league shortstop Cooper Pratt in April.
–Field Level Media
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