Sports
Sharks determined to end long trend of losing to Oilers
Jan 27, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini (71) shoots against the Vancouver Canucks in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images Following years of futility, the San Jose Sharks are once again playoff contenders.
Perhaps they’ll end their recent struggles against the Edmonton Oilers, as well.
Aiming for a third straight victory, the Sharks look to avoid a seventh consecutive loss against the host Oilers on Thursday night.
San Jose hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2019, but its 57 points have already surpassed the total from each of the past two seasons. The Sharks are 10-4-0 since Dec. 27.
Macklin Celebrini had a goal with three assists Tuesday as San Jose overcame an early 1-0 hole to win 5-2 at Vancouver.
“We’re starting to pick up little details, momentum shifts in games,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “We got to keep pushing forward and get better in areas.”
After totaling two points over a five-game stretch, Celebrini has followed with six points in the last two. However, the second-year superstar managed just two assists as the Sharks lost all four games versus Edmonton in 2024-25.
San Jose last beat Edmonton 3-2 at home on Nov. 9, 2023. The Sharks are 1-10-4 against the Oilers in the last 15 meetings.
In the mix for first place in the Pacific Division, Edmonton totaled 13 goals while winning two straight after losing two in a row.
After being blanked in the Oilers’ back-to-back losses to New Jersey and Pittsburgh last week, superstar Connor McDavid totaled three goals and four assists in the two wins that followed. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm recorded his first career hat trick and Leon Draisaitl notched four assists during Edmonton’s 7-4 home win over Anaheim on Monday.
While McDavid and Draisaitl, who has seven assists in the last two games after also going without a point in the previous two, are the undeniable leaders and offensive superstars in Edmonton, Ekholm represents the depth the team boasts.
The veteran blue-liner has recorded seven of his 26 points in the last five games.
“He’s going to be tough to play against every night,” forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said about Ekholm. “It makes a huge difference for our team.”
Since joining the Oilers in 2023, Ekholm has three goals and seven points in eight games versus San Jose. Meanwhile, McDavid has 17 goals and 50 points in 33 career games against the Sharks, and Draisaitl has 13 goals and 39 points in 36 matchups.
Edmonton goalie Tristan Jarry made 37 saves against the Ducks. He owns a 3-2-1 record and an .882 save percentage since returning from an 11-game absence with a lower-body injury.
Teammate Connor Ingram has a .909 save percentage in 10 starts for the Oilers, but he was pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots during Saturday’s 6-5 overtime win against Washington. Meanwhile, the struggling Calvin Pickard (.871 SV%) yielded seven goals in two January starts.
San Jose’s Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves against the Canucks to snap a three-start losing streak.
However, teammate Alex Nedeljkovic, with a .931 save percentage in his last five starts — all wins — is likely to be back in the Sharks net.
McDavid (92 points), Celebrini (78) and Draisaitl (74) rank among the NHL’s top five scorers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Returned to sender: Maxx Crosby at Raiders' facility, sides mending fences
Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) on the field after loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Signs point to the Las Vegas Raiders welcoming Maxx Crosby back into the fold as a result of the return-to-sender rejection of a trade with the Baltimore Ravens.
Sports Illustrated reported the star defensive end was back at the team facility to rehab from left knee surgery at 8 a.m. on Wednesday and considers himself an employee of the Raiders going forward.
The Raiders agreed to a trade on Friday with the Ravens, sending Crosby to Baltimore in exchange for multiple first-round picks. But the deal was pending the results of Crosby’s physical and was not official until Wednesday, the first day of the league year. On Tuesday night, the Ravens informed the Raiders the deal was off, according to multiple reports, because of questions surrounding Crosby’s health and what they considered a “failed physical.”
On Wednesday morning, the Ravens reportedly agreed to a four-year contract with free agent defensive end Trey Hendrickson. The 31-year-old is also coming back from surgery. He played in seven games last season and underwent core muscle surgery. The terms of the agreement, with a value of around $112 million according to multiple reports, matches the total compensation remaining on Crosby’s deal.
NFL Network reported the Chicago Bears were willing to part with two first-round picks to acquire Crosby but were outbid. The Ravens likely jumped ahead because Baltimore’s 2026 first-round pick is 11 slots better than Chicago’s No. 25 overall pick.
The Raiders and Crosby, 28, had been at odds since fired head coach Pete Carroll decided to sit him late in the 2025 season when the fiery Pro Bowl talent argued he wasn’t hurt.
By reversing direction, the Ravens retained the No. 14 overall pick and their 2027 first-rounder promised in the handshake agreement.
The Raiders signed two edge rushers — Malcolm Koonce and Kwity Paye — but remain responsible for Crosby’s contract and the $35.7 million cap hit for 2026, per Spotrac. Las Vegas also signed Ravens free agent center Tyler Linderbaum.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Why Bam Adebayo’s 83-Point Game Isn’t the Same as Kobe Bryant's Historic Night
On Tuesday night, Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo scored 83 points against the Washington Wizards.
Adebayo’s big game dethroned Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game as the second-best individual performance in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game. By dropping 83 points, Adebayo also became the highest-scoring living NBA player.
It’s a moment that deserves celebration. Clearly, it meant something to Adebayo, who was hunting baskets on a random Tuesday in March against one of the worst teams in the NBA.
But that last part is exactly why Adebayo won’t get all of the flowers for this feat. Because partially, his 83-point game is what’s wrong with the NBA.
The Wizards deserve to be relegated.
Seriously.
Of course, the NBA has evolved over the years. There are plenty of players in the league capable of scoring 50, 60, 70, and clearly 80+ points on a given night. But on the list of players capable of surpassing Bryant’s 81 points? Adebayo’s name is pretty far down on that list.
A 31-point first quarter gave this feat hope on Tuesday evening. But it just goes to show that the Wizards aren’t even trying to win games at this point in the season.
With the defeat, Washington devolved to 16-48. They’re two losses away from their 50th loss of the season. Unfortunately for the NBA, the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings have already claimed their 50th loss.
For casual NBA fans, there was no reason to tune into Tuesday night’s game against the lowly Wizards and Heat. Miami is the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, but there’s no reason to believe they’ll do anything of substance in the postseason.
Did Adebayo’s 83-point game really change anyone’s belief about the Heat this season? No.
Adebayo shot 43 free throws against the Wizards. He’s a great player who proved capable of an incredible feat. But beyond that? The Wizards are actively trying to lose games and had no intentions on stopping him even before the opening tip.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver is likely to step in at some point this offseason to try and fix tanking in the NBA. It’s a difficult issue. But teams like the Wizards, who have been bad for seemingly forever, need to find a way to get themselves off the mat.
Adebayo deserves his moment in the limelight for what he accomplished on Tuesday night.
But let’s not pretend this feat is anywhere near what Bryant did when he scored 81.
Sports
Golf Glance: Elite field for The Players' $25M purse; LIV returns to Singapore
Scottie Scheffler tees off on the 17th hole during the second round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach on Friday March 14, 2025. Scheffler is the only back-to-back winner of The Players. The smallest field in the history of The Players Championship tackles the iconic TPC Sawgrass with the PGA Tour’s largest purse at stake, while Jon Rahm looks to keep his red-hot LIV Golf streak going in Singapore.
PGA TOUR
THIS WEEK: The Players Championship, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., March 12-15
Course: TPC Sawgrass (Par 72, 7,352 Yards)
Purse: $25M (Winner: $4.5M)
Defending Champion: Rory McIlroy
FedEx Cup Leader: Collin Morikawa
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 1-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday: 2-7 p.m. (NBC); Sunday: 1-6 p.m. (NBC)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @ThePlayers
NOTES: Each of the past six winners of The Players entered the week inside the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and this week’s field includes 46 of the top 50 players. … This is the first of five events this season that offer 750 FedExCup points to the winner, and the winner earns a five-year PGA Tour exemption. … Seven of the first nine events have been won by players in their 20s. … Five of the past six Players were decided by no more than one shot. … Joel Dahmen, Taylor Moore, Seamus Power and Andrew Putnam qualified for the field through their FedExCup ranking through the Cognizant Classic. … Only three players have converted the 54-hole lead/co-lead into a victory at The Players since 2016: Jason Day (2016), Webb Simpson (2018) and Scottie Scheffler (2023). … Brooks Koepka is in the field as part of his return to the PGA Tour via the Returning Member Program. To round out threesomes, the field was expanded to 123 with the addition of Patton Kizzire and Seamus Power. It still marks the smallest field in tournament history. … 2021 Players champion Justin Thomas will make his second start in his return from November back surgery. … Fourteen players are making their tournament debut, including seven tour rookies… Greg Norman holds the tournament scoring record of 264 set in 1994.
BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+435 at DraftKings) won at TPC Sawgrass in 2023-24 and seeks to join Jack Nicklaus as the only three-time winners of The Players. … Rory McIlroy (+1475) is also a two-time winner of The Players, but did not arrive at TPC Sawgrass until Wednesday after withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer due to back spasms. … Collin Morikawa (+2050) leads the FedExCup standings following his T-7 at the Genesis and solo fifth at the Arnold Palmer in addition to his win at Pebble Beach. … Ludvig Aberg (+2900) is coming off a T3 at Bay Hill and finished solo eighth here in 2024 before missing the cut last year. … Chris Gotterup (+4700) offers intriguing odds for the only two-time winner on tour so far this season. … Sepp Straka (+5600) provides longshot odds despite entering the week ranked ninth in the world. He had a T-2 at Pebble Beach and finished T-13 last week.
Last Tournament: Arnold Palmer Invitational (Akshay Bhatia)
Next Tournament: Valspar Championship, Palm Harbor, Fla. (March 19-22)
LIV GOLF LEAGUE
THIS WEEK: LIV Golf Singapore, March 12-15
Course: Sentosa Golf Club (Par 71, 7,406 Yards)
Purses: Individual: $30M (Winner: $4M); Team: $10M (Winners: $3M)
Defending Champions: Individual: Joaquin Niemann; Team: Fireballs GC
2026 Season Leaders: Individual: Jon Rahm; Team: Ripper GC
HOW TO WATCH
TV: Wednesday: 9-11 p.m. ET (Fox Sports app), 11 p.m.-2 a.m. (FS1); Thursday: 9-11:30 p.m. (Fox Sports app), 11:30 p.m.-2 a.m. (FS1); Friday: 9:30-10:30 p.m. (FS2), 10:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (FS); Saturday: 9 p.m.-2 a.m. (FS1)
X: @livgolf_league
NOTES: This is the fourth of 14 events this season as LIV Golf returns to Singapore for the fourth consecutive year. … Rahm has four runner-ups and a win in his past five LIV events. … HyFlyers GC captain Phil Mickelson will miss his fourth consecutive event due to an undisclosed family matter and will be replaced by Wade Ormsby. … The daily shotgun start includes 13 teams and 57 total players, including five wild cards. … Thomas Detry (No. 61) and Elvis Smylie (No. 73) have two events remaining to climb into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking and earn a spot into the Masters.
Last Event: LIV Golf Hong Kong (Individual: Rahm; Team: 4Aces GC)
Next Event: LIV Golf South Africa, Steyn City, March 19-22
LPGA TOUR
THIS WEEK: OFF.
Race to CME Globe Leader: Jeeno Thitikul
Last Tournament: Blue Bay LPGA (Mi Hyang Lee)
Next Tournament: Fortinet Founders Cup, Menlo Park, Calif., March 19-22
DP WORLD TOUR
THIS WEEK: OFF.
Race to Dubai Leader: Patrick Reed
Last Tournament: Joburg Open (Dan Bradbury)
Next Tournament: Hainan Classic, Hainan Island, China, March 19-22
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
THIS WEEK: OFF.
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Stewart Cink
Last Tournament: James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational (Zach Johnson)
Next Tournament: Cologuard Classic, Tucson, Ariz., March 20-22
–Field Level Media
Returned to sender: Maxx Crosby at Raiders' facility, sides mending fences
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