Sports
Vegas looking to clinch playoff spot with two points in Colorado
Apr 4, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella follows the play during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images The Colorado Avalanche have clinched the Presidents’ Trophy, so their last four games of the regular season are for style points. Vegas, however, has plenty on the line when it plays at Colorado on Saturday night.
The Golden Knights (36-26-17, 89 points) are in a battle with Edmonton and Anaheim for the Pacific Division title and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Vegas can have home ice advantage for two rounds, start the playoffs on the road or, though unlikely, not reach the postseason if it loses the last three games.
The Knights have surged since interim coach John Tortorella took over from Bruce Cassidy, who was fired March 29th. Vegas won its first four games under Tortorella, a streak that ended with an overtime loss at Seattle on Thursday night.
Tortorella wasn’t dwelling on his team blowing a two-goal lead to the Kraken.
“I’m not going to overdissect it. It’s not the time of year to be overdissecting,” he said. “We’ll grab this point and get on the plane and get up to Colorado.”
The Knights can clinch at least a playoff spot with a win over the Avalanche, or if they earn at least one point combined with regulation losses by Nashville and Winnipeg.
The bigger goal is winning the division. Vegas trails the Oilers by a point — with Edmonton holding the tiebreaker — and is tied with the Ducks. The Knights have the tiebreaker over Anaheim, and all three teams have three games remaining.
The Avalanche (52-16-10, 114 points) secured home ice for their duration of the playoffs with a 3-1 win over Calgary on Thursday night. Colorado can use the last week of the regular season to rest players and get healthy.
Defenseman Cale Makar (upper body) has not played since March 30 but could return for one of the final four games. Center Nazem Kadri sustained a finger injury at St. Louis on Tuesday but is also expected to be ready for the playoffs.
Colorado is chasing its fourth title in the past 30 years, and securing the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time since 2020-21 was the first step in that goal.
“We’re not going to celebrate too much. It’s obviously an accomplishment,” captain Gabe Landeskog said. “You’re the top team after 82 games, but at the end of the day, going into the playoffs it doesn’t really mean much. Everybody’s going to start fresh, everybody’s starting 0-0, and get a chance to prove yourselves again.”
The last team to win the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup was the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks.
There are personal milestones left to accomplish. Martin Necas is two points from his first 100-point season and Nathan MacKinnon, with 52 goals, has a chance to win the Rocket Richard Trophy for the top goal scorer.
He leads Montreal’s Cole Caufield, who has 50.
–Field Level Media
Sports
NYCFC announce departure of D Strahinja Tanasijevic
Mar 15, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC defender Strahinja Tanasijevic (19) runs with the ball during the second half against New England Revolution at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images New York City FC defender Strahinja Tanasijevic has departed the club, the team announced on Wednesday.
Tanasijevic, 28, joined NYCFC in February 2024 and made 43 appearances across all competitions.
“We would like to thank Tana for the commitment and professionalism shown throughout his time with the Club,” sporting director Todd Dunivant said. “This move provides an opportunity for Tana to pursue the next step in his career while also giving the Club additional roster flexibility. We wish Tana and his family all the best moving forward.”
Tanasijevic played for several clubs in his native Serbia prior to joining New York City FC.
–Field Level Media
Sports
LeBron James on GOAT debate: 'Not taking nobody over me'
Nov 27, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) smiles after a Philadelphia 76ers foul during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images LeBron James told Time magazine that he believes he is the greatest basketball player of all time.
When asked the age-old question of who is the GOAT in the NBA, James embraced his own name.
“I’m not taking nobody over me,” he told Time in a profile published Monday. “There’s no question.”
James, however, admitted the NBA has other all-time greats, namely Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Shaquille O’Neal, among others.
“But I think Mike will say the same thing,” James said. “Rest his soul, Kobe will say the same thing. Magic will say the same thing. Bird will say the same thing. Shaq could say the same thing. The late great Wilt (Chamberlain), Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar). I don’t think none of us are going to take somebody else.
“If there’s a general manager and he’s eyeballing all of us on a baseline, with the No. 1 pick, it’s gonna be hard not to take me, champ.”
James, 41, just completed his record-setting 23rd NBA season, and the league’s all-time leading scorer is heading into unrestricted free agency.
“It’s up to the mind,” James told Time about whether he will suit up next season or retire. “Where the mind goes, the body will lay. When I’m not in love with getting to the arenas on game days five hours before to start my preparation, if I’m out of love with getting to practice 2 1/2 hours beforehand, then I know I’ll be done. Because then I’m going to start cheating the game.”
James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds this season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 22-time All-Star, four-time league MVP and four-time NBA champion is the all-time leader in games (1,622) and points (43,440).
–Field Level Media
Sports
WNBA champion Aces not invited to White House
Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) celebrates as she receives the MVP trophy after defeating the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 to win the WNBA Championship in a four-game sweep in Game Four of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on Oct. 10, 2025, in Phoenix. The Las Vegas Aces did not receive an invitation to the White House after winning the 2025 WNBA title in October, a team spokesperson confirmed to USA Today on Wednesday.
The decades-old tradition of championship sports teams visiting 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. has not included any WNBA or NBA teams during President Donald Trump’s second term in office.
The New York Liberty did not visit the White House after winning the 2024 WNBA championship. The 2024-25 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder did not go either, due to what the team called a timing issue.
The Aces, who will be in Washington, D.C., for a July 22 game against the Mystics, have won three of the past four WNBA championships. They visited the White House twice during the Biden Administration.
The Aces had considered visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture as an alternate way of commemorating their championship during next month’s trip to the nation’s capital, but ran into a scheduling conflict, per USA Today.
–Field Level Media
NYCFC announce departure of D Strahinja Tanasijevic
LeBron James on GOAT debate: 'Not taking nobody over me'
