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
Wave sign Spanish GK Sandra Panos to 3-year deal
Sep 4, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; Club America goalkeeper Sandra Panos (1) looks on before the match against Portland Thorns FC at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images The San Diego Wave announced the signing Wednesday of decorated Spanish goalkeeper Sandra Panos.
Panos, 33, arrives from Liga MX Femenil side Club America on a three-year deal through the 2028 NWSL season.
She previously starred at FC Barcelona as a three-time Champions League winner and five-time Liga F champion.
“We’re incredibly excited to welcome Sandra to San Diego,” sporting director and general manager Camille Ashton said. “She is a world-class goalkeeper with experience and leadership at the highest levels of the game, which will be a tremendous addition to our team. Bringing a player of her caliber to the Wave reflects the ambition of our Club as we continue working toward winning a championship, and we’re thrilled to have her join this team.”
Panos allowed just 13 goals in 72 matches across three seasons at Club America from 2024-26.
She earned 54 caps with the Spanish national team from 2012-22, including four starts at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Giants WR Malik Nabers 'making really good progress'
Sep 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) looks on before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh is encouraged by the progress of Malik Nabers as the star wide receiver continues to work his way back from last year’s season-ending knee injury.
“He’s making really good progress right now. I’m very hopeful that he’ll be back soon,” Harbaugh told reporters on Wednesday.
“Also, understand when you come back from a knee, he’ll be back, and he’ll still be building his way back to his ultimate full-strength self.”
After a Pro Bowl campaign as a 2024 rookie, Nabers sustained a torn right anterior cruciate ligament in Week 4 last fall that ended his season.
“He’s probably maybe 70% through. I don’t know, something like that, 80% through,” Harbaugh said of Nabers’ recovery. “He’s still grinding. It’s going to be a grind when he starts playing again, too, to get back right.”
Nabers, 22, was limited to 18 receptions for 271 yards and two TDs last season after a stellar debut campaign in 2024. He had 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven scores.
The Giants selected Nabers with the sixth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft out of LSU.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Collin Morikawa returns to action at RBC Canadian Open
May 16, 2026; Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA; Collin Morikawa reacts on the sixth hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Collin Morikawa is feeling relaxed — if not exactly well-rested — as he competes at the RBC Canadian Open following a four-week absence from the PGA Tour.
Morikawa, 29, has not played since a T55 finish at the PGA Championship while dealing with a nagging back injury and also becoming a first-time father.
“Just a different perspective on life, I think. I’m just enjoying every day. I can stare at a camera, I can stare at my little one just non-stop and kind of forget about what else is going on,” the World No. 10 told reporters Wednesday at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ontario.
“I know at the same time I still have a job to do when I’m out here and that’s what’s great kind of being back. But at the same time when I’m out there playing you’re kind of playing a little bit differently, your mind’s in a different spot. I think I’m a lot more positive out there and hopefully I can kind of just allow my body to relax and go out and play golf and enjoy it again.”
Morikawa has received “new dad” tips from many of his friends on the PGA Tour but said the “sleep thing” still got to him and his wife, Katherine Zhu.
“That’s a real thing,” he said. “So, I won’t push it on my wife that I’m getting some great sleep out here. But your body gets used to taking 50-minute naps and learning how to run off that.”
Morikawa won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February and has four other top-10 finishes this season, including a T7 at the Masters.
The two-time major winner’s back injury first flared up during a practice swing at The Players Championship in March, which forced him to withdraw.
“I left the PGA Championship uncomfortable in a way,” he said. “I’ve been grinding this kind of back injury since The Players. It still hadn’t felt that comfortable. So it was nice to take a full reset. And just focus on other things going on in life. I think after that I’ve just been able to relax a little bit more.
“There’s still a trust factor that I’m looking for that I’m trying to find this week, I think, going into tomorrow and into next week (the U.S. Open) essentially. But it’s a lot better of a swing than I’ve been putting on and that’s for me a positive thing.
“I think when the body fully is able to kind of have that last little puzzle piece of fully relaxing, I think the game’s going to be exactly how I want. I still feel like I’m hit great shots when I need to. But just the consistency-wise I think if I can build that into this week it will be a great boost into next week.”
Morikawa is competing in the RBC Canadian Open for the first time since making his professional debut at the event in 2019, when he tied for 14th.
–Field Level Media
Wave sign Spanish GK Sandra Panos to 3-year deal
Giants WR Malik Nabers 'making really good progress'
