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BOSTON (AP) — Mitch Moreland put some recent struggles behind him with a clutch hit in the ninth inning. Helped the major league-leading Boston Red Sox do the same with their weekend woes http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-jose-ramirez-jersey , too.Moreland singled in the winning run with two outs in the ninth and the Red Sox beat the Houston Astros 6-5 on Sunday night to avoid a three-game sweep in a matchup of AL division leaders.“Yeah, I’ll take those every time if I could,” he said, breaking into a grin. “It was at the right time to do it, I guess.”Coming into the game in a 2-for-26 slump, the first baseman had a pinch-hit single in the eighth before his walkoff bloop.“Yeah, he gets jammed and he gets a single,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, adding “we need this guy to get going offensively. We know how good he is.”With runners on first and second, Moreland sent his opposite-single to left against Hector Rondon (2-3), and pinch-runner Tzu-Wei Lin raced home easily. Left fielder Marwin Gonzalez tried to barehand the ball for a quick throw but lost his grip and let it dribble toward the Green Monster.J.D. Martinez hit his 40th homer and drove in four for Boston Bradley Zimmer Jersey , which snapped Houston’s seven-game winning streak even after the Astros rallied with a four-run sixth inning to tie the game at 5.The East-leading Red Sox sliced their magic number to 11 for their third straight division title. Boston leads the second-place Yankees by 8 ½ games after they lost at Seattle.Jose Altuve and Gonzalez each hit a solo homer for the West-leading Astros, who saw their lead over Oakland cut to 2 1/2 games. The Athletics beat Texas earlier in the day.“This was a really good game, really good series,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. “We win this series, which is one of the goals coming into this.”Craig Kimbrel (5-1) pitched a perfect ninth to preserve a tie.Trailing 5-1 in the sixth, the Astros rallied against starter Rick Porcello and Boston’s recently struggling bullpen. Altuve led off with a shot over the Monster, Tyler White had a two-run double off Heath Hembree, and Josh Reddick hit a tying double off Brian Johnson.Boston had built its lead on Martinez’s three-run shot an inning earlier. Martinez’s sacrifice fly had pushed Boston ahead 2-1 in the third.“Just one mistake pitch to J.D.,” Houston starter Dallas Keuchel said after giving up five runs in six innings. “I knew he was swinging. We have a long history together.”The Red Sox loaded the bases with one out in the eighth inning, but reliever Tony Sipp entered and struck out pinch-hitters Blake Swihart and Christian Vazquez.Porcello gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings.LONG WAITThere was a 3-minute, 50-second review of a key play at the plate where Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon jumped for a throw from shortstop Xander Bogaerts to get Altuve in the seventh. He was called out http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-brandon-guyer-jersey , and replays were inconclusive on if the tag was applied before he touched the plate with his left hand.“He did get in there. It’s clear as day,” Hinch said. “I’m tired of these questions because replay’s set up for precisely that type of play, and we feel like we have clear evidence.”CLUB MILESTONEMartinez became just the fourth Red Sox player to hit 40 homers in his first season with the team.Dick Stuart had 42 in 1963, Jimmie Foxx 41 in ’36 and Manny Ramirez hit 41 in 2011.HOUSTON INVASIONThere was a large contingent of Astros fans all weekend, filling Fenway Park, restaurants and bars in the area. The Houston Texans faced the New England Patriots about 45 minutes away in Foxborough, Massachusetts, earlier in the day.TRAINER’S ROOMRed Sox: Lefty Chris Sale is still set to be activated off the disabled list and start Tuesday. Cora said the plan is for the ace to go about two innings the first time as he gradually works back from mild left shoulder inflammation that landed him on the DL twice in less than three weeks.UP NEXTAstros: RHP Justin Verlander (14-9, 2.73 ERA) is scheduled to pitch in Detroit on Monday for the first time since being traded last season by the Tigers. LHP Francisco Liriano (4-9, 4.90) is slated to start for the Tigers.Red Sox: After an off day, Sale (12-4 Erik Gonzalez Jersey , 1.97) is set to face Toronto LHP Ryan Borucki (3-4, 4.39) when the teams open a three-game series Tuesday at Fenway. MIAMI (AP) — Once again, Zack Wheeler looked right at home at Marlins Park.Wheeler won his fifth straight start overall, pitching seven solid innings and sending the New York Mets over the Miami Marlins 6-2 on Friday night.He is 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA in six career starts in Miami.“I don’t think it’s anything in particular, maybe just pitching inside,” Wheeler said. “I don’t know. It’s nothing in particular, but I have good numbers here and hopefully can keep it rolling.”Wheeler (7-6) allowed four hits and two runs. He struck out eight and walked just one for the fourth consecutive outing.“He kind of goes after them like he knows his stuff is better than them and he’s going to make them beat him,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said.Wheeler’s scoreless-inning streak ended at 23 when he gave up a two-run homer to Miguel Rojas with two outs in the seventh, making it 4-2.“I don’t think that was my best, but the results were there,” Wheeler said. “I just made that mistake to Rojas. I’m pretty sure he was sitting on it so I’ll take that and put it in the memory bank and just go from there.”Marlins manager Don Mattingly had a different perspective.“He looked pretty good http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-josh-tomlin-jersey ,” Mattingly said. “His stuff was really good. I haven’t seen him pitch that much. This is the best I’ve ever seen him. He was on the attack tonight.”New York’s Amed Rosario had three hits and drove in two runs to set the tone from the leadoff spot.“He was really good,” Callaway said. “I thought he stayed on the ball really well. He kept his hands inside the ball really well and hit the ball up the middle, stayed up on top of it. He was really good. I thought his swing was short and quick, and I like to continue using him in that leadoff spot. I think it’s good for him.”Kevin Plawecki knocked in two and Austin Jackson had three hits for the Mets, who have won three of four.Jose Urena (3-12) gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings as the Marlins lost for the ninth time in 10 games.The Marlins have only scored more than three runs once during that span.“We have to go out and find a way to score some runs,” Rojas said. “It’s going to be on us to produce runs and try to create opportunities to score runs because we haven’t done that in a while.”Miami’s Derek Dietrich played first base and batted cleanup, spots generally reserved for Justin Bour, who was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies before the game.Michael Conforto hit an RBI single in the third. The Mets opened up the game with three runs in the sixth, with Rosario having a two-run single.Plawecki added a two-run single in the eighth.BOUR EFFECTMattingly hopes the trade of Bour, who played five seasons with the Marlins and hit 83 home runs, did not affect the team.“I don’t want to sound badly Carlos Carrasco Jersey , but if that’s what fuels you, you’re not motivated to play as a young player and show what you can do on a daily basis, that takes your mental side away,” Mattingly said. “If you’re going to let a trade deadline keep you from getting ready, something’s wrong.”THREE MORE HITSJackson tied a season-high in hits for the third time over his last four games and has at least one RBI in five straight starts.TRAINER’S ROOMMarlins: RHP Kyle Barraclough (back) was placed on the 10-day disabled list. … RHP Drew Rucinski (groin) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list.UP NEXTMets: RHP Corey Oswalt (1-2, 5.13 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the second game of the series on Saturday. Oswalt allowed six runs in 2 2/3 innings in his only appearance against the Marlins on June 29.Marlins: RHP Dan Straily (4-5, 4.35) will make his third start of the season against the Mets. He is 0-1 with a 2.77 ERA against the Mets this year.

BUFFALO Kyle Brodziak Jersey Womens , N.Y. (AP) Upon handing the puck to Canadiens goalie Antti Niemi in honor of his 35-save performance, defenseman Karl Alzner had a hard time believing how long it has been since his teammate’s last shutout.It’s been more than two years.”It’s hard to believe as good of a goalie as he is for that to be the case,” Alzner said, Friday night, following a 3-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres in a game between two teams out of playoff contention. ”It’s nice to be part of it and nice to be there for him to get it.”Niemi’s 36th career shutout was also significant given how the 34-year-old finally landed in Montreal – his fourth team in less than a calendar year. He went from being released by Dallas in June to signing with Pittsburgh in July and then being claimed off waivers twice in three weeks – first by Florida in October, and then by the Canadiens in November.”What he’s persevered through and also his work ethic is unbelievable,” coach Claude Julien said. ”There’s no doubt he’s been a real positive for our hockey club.”Niemi improved to 6-4-4 with Montreal, and the shutout was his first since a 20-save performance in Dallas’ 4-0 win over Chicago on Dec. 22, 2015.”I knew it’s been a long time,” said Niemi, who won a Stanley Cup with Chicago as a rookie in 2010. ”I wouldn’t have cared too much if they would’ve scored one in the end and we still won. I like the way I played.”Artturi Lehkonen scored the go-ahead goal by converting a puck that bounced off the end boards 4:56 into the second period. Former Sabres forward Paul Byron and Brendan Gallagher then scored empty-net goals 22 seconds apart in the final 1:15 to seal the win.Montreal had lost its past four overall Paul Thompson Jersey Womens , and gone 0-5-2 on the road since a 6-3 win at the New York Islanders on March 2.Nothing is going right for the NHL’s last-place Sabres, who closed their six-game homestand at 1-4-1. The Sabres’ league-worst home record dropped to 11-22-5, and they must win their final two home games to avoid setting a franchise low for fewest wins in an 82-game season (13-21-7, in 2012-13).Buffalo’s league-worst offense was blanked for the second time in three games – following a 4-0 shutout loss to Nashville on Monday – and seventh time this season. The Sabres also lost to a Canadiens opponent now tied with Arizona with the NHL’s fewest road wins (10) and has scored a league-low 85 goals on the road.The poster-boy for frustration was forward Ryan O’Reilly, who muffed Kyle Okposo’s pass while facing an open net during a two-man advantage eight minutes into the third period.”I’ve got to be better. It’s my fault,” O’Reilly said. ”I should just get behind it and take my time. It was a stupid play by me.”O’Reilly also had Niemi beat on a rush up the right wing with 2:55 left in the second period. With room between the post and Niemi’s pad, O’Reilly missed stuffing the puck in and instead had it slide through the crease.”I’ve done that move in practice hundreds of times,” he said. ”When it matters, I don’t do it. Just letting the guys down.”O’Reilly wasn’t the only one off the mark. Scott Wilson hit the crossbar from the left circle in the first period. And Sam Reinhart was set up alone atop the crease only to be robbed by Niemi in the second period.Sabres rookie Linus Ullmark allowed one goal on the 22 shots he faced.Lehkonen scored when teammate Alex Galchenyuk’s shot from the left circle was blocked in front. The puck dribbled to Jacob de la Rose, who snapped a shot just wide of the net from the slot. The puck struck the boards and to Lehkonen, who flipped it in above Ullmark’s out-stretched right leg.NOTES: Sabres C Zemgus Girgensons returned after missing two games with an undisclosed injury. … After opening the season with a 3-2 shootout win at Buffalo Troy Brouwer Jersey Womens , the Canadiens proceeded to go 0-6-1 in their next seven. … Before the game, the Sabres honored Luke McDermott and Adam Page, two local members the United States gold-medal-winning Paralympic hockey team.UP NEXTCanadiens: Host Washington Capitals on Saturday.Sabres: At New York Rangers on Saturday.— BASEBALLNEW YORK (AP) Major League Baseball imposed stricter limits on mound visits by players in an effort to speed games but decided against 20-second pitch clocks for 2018.After more than a year of negotiations, the Major League Baseball Players Association refused to agree to the changes but also signed an agreement that it will not oppose the rules.Article continues below ...The amendments to the playing rules announced Monday include a general limit of six mound visits per nine-inning game without a pitching change, whether by a manager, coach or player.To assuage players’ concerns about sign stealing, MLB will install new telephone lines from dugouts to video replay rooms. MLB said the lines will be monitored, and a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press all conversations on the lines will be recorded. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that detail was not announced.MLB has the right to make playing rules changes absent an agreement with one year notice and made proposals during the 2016-17 offseason for a pitch clock and more restrictions on mound visits.SAN DIEGO (AP) – Eric Hosmer and the San Diego Padres have finalized their $144 million, eight-year contract.The team announced the signing Monday night after Hosmer passed his physical. The first baseman, who spent his first seven major league seasons with Kansas City before becoming a free agent this offseason, can opt out of the deal after five years.The contract is the largest in Padres history.Hosmer gets a $5 million signing bonus payable within 30 days of the contract being approved by the commissioner’s office. His salary is $20 million each year from 2018-22 and would be $13 million annually from 2023-25 if he doesn’t terminate the deal.A four-time Gold Glove winner and 2016 All-Star Robin Lehner Jersey Womens , Hosmer will be introduced during a news conference Tuesday morning at Padres camp in Peoria, Arizona.HOCKEYPHILADELPHIA (AP) – The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired goaltender Petr Mrazek from the Detroit Red Wings for two conditional draft picks.Flyers general manager Ron Hextall made the move Monday night, a day after losing his second goalie to injury in less than 10 days. Starter Brian Elliott had core muscle surgery last Tuesday and is expected to miss up to 6 weeks. Backup Michal Neuvirth was injured in Sunday’s win at the New York Rangers. The team didn’t update his status before making the trade.Mrazek was 8-7-3 with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage this season for Detroit. He’s 72-58-20 with a 2.60 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 166 appearances in six seasons for the Red Wings.The Flyers sent a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2018 and a conditional third-round draft pick in 2019 to Detroit.SOCCERBARCELONA, Spain (AP) – Police in Spain have cleared four West Bromwich Albion players who were being investigated for the theft of a taxi in Barcelona last week.Catalonia’s regional police said on Monday no charges will be filed against the players. Police did not say why the investigation was archived.Jonny Evans, Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore, and Boaz Myhill were accused by a taxi driver of stealing his vehicle early Thursday morning.The players issued a public apology on Friday for breaking a team curfew and breaching the ”standards of professionalism required of us as representatives of West Bromwich Albion.”Last in the Premier League, West Brom was in Barcelona for a midwinter training trip.West Brom said the players ”will be subject to the full rigors of our internal disciplinary procedures.”

PITTSBURGH (AP) Sidney Crosby ignited a rally with a highlight-reel goal and became the third active player with 700 assists in the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.Crosby scored his 24th goal when he knocked a pass from Jake Guentzel out of the air Derek Ryan Jersey Womens , deflected it toward the front of his stick and smacked it by Carey Price to tie it at 3 late in the second period.Derick Brassard put the Penguins in front to stay, beating Price early in the third.Guentzel had a goal and two assists. His 21st goal of the season came off an assist from Crosby, the 700th of Crosby’s career. Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist also scored, and Casey DeSmith made 27 saves.Jonathan Drouin, Nikita Scherbak and Jacob de la Rose scored for the Canadiens. They have lost nine of their last 10 games. Price made 34 stops in his first start in a month due to a concussion.BLUES 2, BRUINS 1, OTST. LOUIS (AP) – Jaden Schwartz scored his second goal of the game 30 seconds into overtime to lift St. Louis past Boston.Schwartz skated up the middle and fired a shot past Anton Khudobin. The Blues won for the fifth time in six games to move within a point of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.Jake Allen made 21 saves to improve to 24-21-2.Ryan Donato scored for Boston. The Bruins clinched a playoff spot and moved within four points of Tampa Bay for the Eastern lead.COYOTES 4, SABRES 1BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – Clayton Keller had two assists to break the Arizona record for points by a rookie in the Coyotes’ victory over Buffalo in a matchup of the NHL’s two worst teams.Rookie Dylan Strome scored in his first game after being called up from the minors. Derek Stepan had a goal and assist, and Richard Panik and Max Domi, with an empty-netter, also scored. Antti Raanta stopped 29 shots to improve to 12-4-4 in his past 20 starts.Keller, Arizona’s 2016 first-round draft pick, extended his points streak to six games, in which he has two goals and five assists. He has 55 points James Neal Jersey Womens , one more than Peter Mueller had in setting the rookie team record in 2007-08. And Keller has 35 assists, one more than teammate Max Domi had in his rookie season two years ago. Arizona improved to 13-5-2 in its past 20, and earned its 61st point in leaving Vancouver alone at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.Jordan Nolan scored for Buffalo.DUCKS 4, FLAMES 0CALGARY, Alberta (AP) – John Gibson stopped 29 shots to lead Anaheim over Calgary.Gibson earned his fourth shutout of the season and 16th of his career. He is 12-3-1 in his last 16 starts.Francois Beauchemin had a goal and an assist for Anaheim, and Andrew Cogliano, Ondrej Kase, Hamphus Lindholm also scored for the Ducks, who’ve won four straight and are tied with Colorado for sixth in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings.Mike Smith started in goal for Calgary but was replaced after allowing three goals on 11 shots. Rookie David Rittich stopped four of the five shots he faced. DETROIT (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets were one of the best NHL teams in overtime last year. With a talented player like Artemi Panarin, they may be tough to beat in 3-on-3 hockey again this season.Panarin scored midway through overtime, lifting Columbus to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night in the opener for both teams.“He doesn’t seem to get tired,” said Cam Atkinson , who scored the Blue Jackets’ first goal. “He’s a game-changer.”Columbus was 9-3 in overtime last season, trailing only Pittsburgh’s rate of success. Detroit Austin Czarnik Jersey Womens , meanwhile, was an NHL-worst 3-12 in overtime in 2017-18.Panarin broke franchise records and set career highs with 55 assists and 82 points last season, his first in Columbus after being acquired in a trade with Chicago. The Russian winger likes to stay on the ice a lot and coach John Tortorella doesn’t have a problem with it.“I’m not going to get in his way because he’s a game-breaker,” Tortorella said.Atkinson and Josh Anderson gave Columbus the lead over the first two periods. Rookie Dennis Cholowski and Tyler Bertuzzi pulled the Red Wings into a tie with goals in the second period.Joonas Korpisalo stopped 18 shots for the Blue Jackets. Detroit’s Jimmy Howard made 36 saves, helping the team send the game past regulation.“We got outshot by a lot and we were outplayed territorially, but Jimmy gave us a chance at two points,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “We got one of them, and he was a big part of that.”The rebuilding Red Wings honored Henrik Zetterberg, whose career is over because of a back ailment, before the game. Then, the team put five players on the ice who were playing for the first time in the NHL.Cholowski, Christoffer Ehn, Michael Rasmussen, Filip Hronek and Libor Sulak all made their debut.“With experience and games, they’re only going to get better and better Patrik Berglund Jersey Womens ,” Detroit’s Justin Abdelkader said. “With experience and work, they can really grow.”The last time an NHL team had that many rookies playing in their first game together was Detroit in 1985. It has happened just two other times in the league since the 1979, with the Colorado Rockies and Vancouver Canucks in 1981.Columbus is coming off consecutive postseason appearances for the first time in its 17-year history.The Blue Jackets are in win-now mode , aiming to advance in the playoffs for the first time with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and Panarin entering the last year of their contracts.Columbus controlled the play and the puck for most of the night, looking like it was on the power play during even-strength situations at times. The Red Wings were down a skater often, putting the Blue Jackets on the power play six times.“We have to stay out of the box,” Blashill said. “We didn’t establish much of a forecheck, but every time we got a little momentum, we took another penalty. “The Blue Jackets enjoyed a big shot advantage for much of the game, but Howard prevented them from converting on a lot of chances to score.“We had full control,” Atkinson said. “We had plenty of opportunities and probably could’ve scored more, but Howard is a great goalie.”UP NEXT:Columbus: Hosts Carolina on Friday with Bobrovsky getting the start in net.Detroit: At Los Angeles on Sunday.

COLUMBUS Adidas Adam Cracknell Jersey , Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets had four days to stew after being pounded by Tampa Bay on the road last weekend. In the first period against Philadelphia on Thursday night, they didn’t look much better.But the Blue Jackets shook off the malaise and used a three-goal flurry in the second period to speed past the Flyers on the way to a 6-3 victory on Thursday night.Cam Atkinson had back-to-back goals in the second for Columbus, both set up with sweet cross-ice passes from Artemi Panarin.“We talked about it between periods,” Atkinson said. “Our first period just simply wasn’t good enough and competitive enough. I think we kind of answered the bell there in the second and third.”Sergei Bobrovsky, who had absorbed a lot of the criticism after the 8-2 rout by the Lightning on Saturday, had 32 saves against Philadelphia (3-4).Anthony Duclair, Nick Foligno, Josh Anderson and Sonny Milano also scored for the Blue Jackets (3-3). Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist, and Oskar Lindblom and Sean Courturier scored for the Flyers. Backup goalie Calvin Pickard, in a scheduled start ahead of Brian Elliott, stopped 22 shots.Konecny got credit for his first goal of the year when he redirected a shot from Robert Hagg halfway through the first period.Duclair answered late in the period with what was the most impressive goal of the game . He fell with the puck in front of the Flyers’ goal, popped to his feet, corralled it again and, still off-balance, whacked it between Pickard’s pads.“I thought it was pretty lucky,” Duclair said.The Flyers took a 2-1 lead with 50 second left in the first period when Courturier lifted a shot over Bobrovsky’s shoulder from the top of the right circle.The Blue Jackets tied it again early in the second when Atkinson, skating hard to the blue paint, tipped in a Panarin pass. Atkinson buried his second of the night three minutes later, winning a one-on-one battle to the net with Hagg.“I thought we were a little lackluster in the first period Adidas Josh Jooris Jersey , quite honestly, through a lot of the game, and (Atkinson) gave us a little spark in the second period to grab the lead,” Columbus coach John Tortorella said.“At that point, we had a momentum shift,” Courturier said, “and we couldn’t get it back.” Foligno made it 4-2 , snapping a shot past Pickard’s stick side 8:34 into the second.Lindblom got a wrap-around goal for the Flyers early in the third period to pull it to 4-3, but Anderson got another one for Columbus with five minutes left in the game when he grabbed the puck away from a falling Christian Folin in front of the Philadelphia net and capitalized. Milano got the sixth with 2:12 left off a steal in the corner by Oliver Bjorkstrand.“We hit two posts early, created a lot of chances,” Courtier lamented. “Even at the start of the second we created some chances and as soon as they scored those two goals, we got too hungry to get some offense going when we should have just stuck to the plan and refocused.”NOTES: Corban Knight made his season debut after being out with an upper-body injury. He replaced Mikhail Vorobyev, who was scratched. … Tortorella said injured defenseman Seth Jones (knee) is skating again. He’s expected to be out several more weeks. … Philadelphia C Nolan Patrick missed his third game with an upper-body injury.UP NEXTPhiladelphia: Hosts New Jersey on Saturday.Columbus: Hosts Chicago on Saturday. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) David Pastrnak scored three of Boston’s five goals in the final 10 minutes for his first career hat trick, and the Bruins stunned the Carolina Hurricanes by rallying for a 6-4 victory Tuesday night.Matt Grzelcyk, Pastrnak and Danton Heinen scored in a span of 77 seconds to turn a 4-1 Bruins deficit into a 4-all tie. Pastrnak put Boston ahead on a power-play goal with 3:30 left and finished off his hat trick with an empty-net goal with 1:34 remaining.Brad Marchand had a goal and two assists for the Bruins, who snapped a three-game road losing streak. Tuukka Rask made 29 saves.Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Justin Williams scored in the second period for Carolina. Brock McGinn added a short-handed goal 51 seconds into the third to make it 4-1, but goalie Cam Ward and the Hurricanes couldn’t hold it.PREDATORS 3 Adidas Timothy Liljegren Jersey , JETS 1NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Pekka Rinne made 32 saves and surging Nashville scored two short-handed goals in beating Winnipeg to tie for the top spot in the NHL standings.Kevin Fiala, Austin Watson and Viktor Arvidsson had the goals for Nashville, which has won 11 of 12.The Predators reached 100 points in 69 games, the fastest mark in franchise history. The defending Western Conference champions are even with Eastern Conference-leading Tampa Bay – and Nashville has played one fewer game.Kyle Connor scored for the Jets, losers of three straight. Winnipeg completed a six-game road trip and fell eight points behind the first-place Predators in the Central Division.SENATORS 7, LIGHTNING 4TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Mike Hoffman scored two goals and six other Ottawa players had multipoint games as the Senators stopped Tampa Bay’s 10-game streak without a regulation loss.One night earlier, the struggling Senators halted Florida’s eight-game home winning streak.Tom Pyatt, Erik Karlsson, Ryan Dzingel and Marian Gaborik each had a goal and an assist for the Senators. Magnus Paajarvi also scored, and Mike Condon finished with 42 savesTampa Bay, sitting atop the NHL standings with 100 points, hadn’t lost in regulation since Feb. 17. But the Lightning’s lead over Boston in the Atlantic Division was trimmed to four points.The defeat also spoiled the first career hat trick for J.T. Miller, acquired from the New York Rangers at the Feb. 26 trade deadline. Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos each had three assists.AVALANCHE 5, WILD 1ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Nathan MacKinnon scored his 33rd goal of the season, J.T. Compher had his first career two-goal game and Colorado dominated Minnesota again.Semyon Varlamov made 33 saves for Colorado. Nikita Zadorov and Tyson Jost also scored for the Avalanche, who have won the past three meetings this season by a combined score of 19-4.Colorado has points in 10 of its past 11 games (6-1-4) and is three points behind Minnesota for third place in the Central Division. The Avalanche pulled into a tie with Dallas (82 points) for the first wild card in the Western Conference.Mikko Koivu scored his 13th goal of the season for the Wild Adidas Tyler Ennis Jersey , who have lost just three times at home in regulation since Nov. 14.CANADIENS 4, STARS 2MONTREAL (AP) – Artturi Lehkonen scored twice and Montreal snapped its five-game losing streak with a victory over Dallas.Brendan Gallagher and Nikita Scherbak also scored for the Canadiens, who hadn’t won since March 2. Alex Galchenyuk had two assists.Antti Niemi made 36 saves for his fifth win of the season. Niemi hasn’t lost in regulation since Feb. 14, going 3-0-3 during that stretch.Radek Faksa and Jamie Benn scored for Dallas.The Canadiens were at home for the first time since a 1-3-2 trip.COYOTES 4, KINGS 3, SOGLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Alex Goligoski scored the decisive goal in the fifth round of a shootout and Adin Hill earned his first NHL win for Arizona against Los Angeles.Arizona squandered a 3-0 lead as Jeff Carter scored two third-period goals for the Kings to send the game to overtime. But the last-place Coyotes rebounded and improved to 11-3-2 in their last 16 game. They climbed out of the NHL cellar with 57 points, one more than Buffalo.Los Angeles, third in the Pacific Division, is one point behind second-place San Jose with 12 games remaining.The Kings had what was first ruled the game-winning goal 25 seconds into overtime overturned on goaltender interference after a video review.The 21-year-old Hill stopped 34 shots and Nick Cousins had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes. They played without coach Rick Tocchet, who missed his first game while away on a leave of absence due to a family illness.Clayton Keller and Christian Dvorak added goals for the Coyotes.Tanner Pearson scored for Los Angeles, and Jack Campbell made 26 saves in his second start of the season.FLAMES 1, OILERS 0CALGARY, Alberta (AP) – Mike Smith made 28 saves, Johnny Gaudreau scored in the second period and Calgary edged Edmonton to end a seven-game losing streak against its provincial rival.It was a superb bounce-back performance for Smith in his second game after missing a month with a lower-body injury. Smith was beaten four times on 26 shots in Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders.Calgary (35-26-10) is two points behind Colorado and Dallas, who occupy the two wild-card spots in the Western Conference. The Flames are also two points back of Los Angeles for third place in the Pacific Division.Cam Talbot made 31 saves as Edmonton (30-35-4) had its three-game winning streak snapped.—

NEW YORK (AP) — Fittingly Matt Hendricks Jersey Womens , Liam Hendriks wore his cap backward. A reliever is going to start a team’s postseason opener.A pitcher with no wins in the regular season.A pitcher cut from the 40-man roster in June who spent two months toiling in the minor leagues.A pitcher from Down Under who was happy to get medieval in New York.“Instead of the starter going six and handing it over to the bullpen or going five and handing it over to the bullpen, now we’re just reversing it,” Oakland’s Australian right-hander said Tuesday, a day ahead of the Athletics‘ AL wild card game against the New York Yankees.New York’s Aaron Boone made a more conventional choice for his postseason game as a manager, picking Luis Severino over J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka. Severino created a bullpen night in last year’s wild card game but not by design, lasting just one out and leaving with a three-run deficit against Minnesota in a game the Yankees rallied to win 8-4. Oakland manager Bob Melvin has been scrambling because of injuries to starting pitchers Jharel Cotton, Kendall Graveman, Sean Manaea, Paul Blackburn, Andrew Triggs and Daniel Gossett . Yet, the A’s finished second in the AL West at 97-65, their best record in 16 years, and their relievers went 45-16, the second-most bullpen wins in big league history behind Tampa Bay’s 54 this year.“There’s been a struggle between old-school mentality and sabermetrics, and this is a way to kind of incorporate sabermetrics with effectiveness,” Oakland closer Blake Treinen said. “You can’t say going a starter for seven innings is the best way. You can’t say that going an opener is the best way. But this is what’s going to work for us, and we’re going to ride it out, and we have full faith in whoever makes the decisions. I’m excited to see what this game does because it’s kind of a first of its kind, and I think we all fully embrace that.”Yankees reliever Zach Britton, a two-time All-Star reliever with Baltimore, said this new method was unfathomable just five years ago. Views started to change when the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians used bullpens in a non-traditional manner in the 2016 postseason. Tampa Bay was 46-38 with regular starters this year and 44-34 when opening with relievers.“I think the data shows that it’s an effective way Eric Fehr Jersey Womens ,” Britton said. “The hitters, they’re not able to get comfortable off a starter. There’s a new guy possibly every time you come to the plate. So it’s a good strategy, and you know why teams are starting to do it, because it’s effective.”Hendriks, a 29-year-old in his third season with Oakland, started for Minnesota (2011-14) and Kansas City (2014) before Toronto converted him to the bullpen in 2015. He had a 7.36 ERA in 13 relief appearances this season when he was designated for assignment on June 25 to clear a roster spot for Edwin Jackson.Then 40-38, the A’s won their next six games and 11 of 13.“Apparently I’m a pariah,” Hendriks said jokingly.After 21 appearances with Triple-A Nashville, he was brought back on Sept. 1 when active rosters expanded to 40. As Hendriks was checking into a hotel in Oakland that day, he received a telephone call from pitching coach Scott Emerson.“‘By the way, you’re going to start today,'” Hendriks recalled Emerson telling him. “I got to the field about an hour later, and it was kind of, ‘Yep, we’re going to try this opening thing, see how it goes.'”Hendriks was removed with the score 0-0 after 30 pitches and five outs, and Danny Coulombe allowed Ben Gamel’s two-run double. The A’s tied a club record by using nine pitchers in an 8-7 loss to Seattle. After that, Hendriks pitched seven shutout innings in his last seven starts, allowing four hits.His fastball velocity was 97 mph in September, up 3-4 mph from earlier this season.“I think it was a big wake-up call for him, because he hadn’t been in that position for quite a while Greg Pateryn Jersey Womens ,” Melvin said of the demotion. “Maybe a little bit more focused in what he’s doing now.”Hendriks received a text from Melvin at 10:58 a.m. informing him of the decision. The pitcher calls himself an “opener,” not a starter, and it’s unclear who will follow . The only starter expected to be on Oakland’s roster Wednesday is Edwin Jackson.What is clear is Hendriks will be only the fourth pitcher to commence a postseason game after a regular season of no wins, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.Virgil Trucks started twice for Detroit in the 1945 World Series after returning from World War II and making one regular-season appearance. Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo returned from a torn knee ligament in 2008 and St. Louis’ Chris Carpenter came back from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in 2012.After arriving in New York, Hendriks went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday.“My wife wanted to go see the Heavenly Bodies exhibit, which was incredible, and then I was super ecstatic to see all the medieval armor because that’s what I love,” he said. “I am reading a book now about the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. So it’s all about medieval French and English and all of that.” BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The Buffalo Sabres have experienced several frustrating losses already this season, so a sloppy win was OK for Sam Reinhart and company.Reinhart poked in a rebound with 4:14 left, and the Sabres edged the New York Islanders 4-3 on Thursday night after squandering a three-goal lead.”It’s unfortunate where we’re at, but this is one we can hold up,” said Reinhart, who also had two assists. ”It was a pretty ugly one, but those are the ones you kind of have to find a way to win on a consistent basis in this league.”Jack Eichel and Evan Rodrigues each had a goal and an assist for last-place Buffalo, and Ryan O’Reilly also scored. Robin Lehner stopped 26 shots to help Buffalo salvage the finale of a five-game homestand after going 0-3-1 in its previous four games.It was the 1,000th home win in franchise history.”I’m not saying I’m not happy that the guys pulled it out,” coach Phil Housley said. ”But I just think, over all, if you play like that, you’re asking for trouble.”John Tavares Evgeny Svechnikov Jersey Womens , Anders Lee and Ross Johnston scored for New York, which had gone 5-0-3 in its previous eight trips to Buffalo. Jaroslav Halak stopped 18 shots.The Islanders squandered an opportunity to jump ahead of idle Columbus for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. They dropped to 1-3-1 in their last five games.”Nothing was missing. We had a great game,” coach Doug Weight said. ”I thought we got good performances from a lot of guys. I mean, we’re going to win hockey games. We just can’t afford to lose those.”Reinhart got the game-winner 73 seconds after Lee tied it at 3.Eichel began the play when his shot from the right boards hit a skate and caromed into the slot to Rodrigues, whose shot was stopped by Halak. Reinhart was left alone in front to knock in the rebound.The Islanders have allowed three or more goals in 10 of their past 11 games.”If we bring that same effort, that same intensity, I like our odds,” Johnston said. ”If we play that way and stick to the game plan, we’ll start getting results here.”New York fell behind 3-0 in the second period before it started to rally. Tavares swept in a loose puck at 13:06, and the Islanders added two more in the third.Johnston snapped a shot from the slot over Lehner’s left shoulder with 12:30 remaining.Lee tied it with a power-play goal with 5:27 left. With Eichel in the penalty box for tripping, Josh Bailey’s shot from the right circle was deflected wide of net. The puck went to Lee, who jammed it inside the right post.Buffalo was being outshot 6-0 when Eichel opened the scoring 7:41 into the game.With Reinhart drawing three defenders to him driving up the middle, he crossed the blue line and fed a pass to a wide-open Eichel driving up the right side. Eichel skated into the circle and snapped a shot in off the far post.Another defensive miscue led to Rodrigues’ third goal just under six minutes later. Marco Scandella’s shot from the blue line sailed just wide of the left post and the puck caromed off the end board. It went directly to Rodrigues, who was left untouched in the slot and directed it inside the right post.The Sabres led 2-0 after one despite being outshot 10-4.O’Reilly scored a power-play goal 7:18 into the second period by tipping in Rasmus Ristolainen’s shot from inside the blue line.NOTES: Buffalo’s home record stands at 1,000-393-216, including a 4-1 ”home” win over Anaheim in a game played at Helsinki, Finland, to open the 2011-12 season. … Sabres D Jake McCabe will miss three to four weeks after surgery on Wednesday to repair a thumb injury. … Weight left open the possibility of D Johnny Boychuk returning as early as Friday, when New York hosts the Red Wings. Boychuk missed his 18th game with a lower-body injury.UP NEXTIslanders: Host Detroit on Friday.Sabres: Travel to play the Boston Bruins on Saturday.—

AUSTIN Adidas Brandon Manning Jersey , Texas (AP) NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly says participation in the 2022 Olympics in China is possible but not essential to the league’s efforts to grow the sport in the world’s largest country.The NHL was criticized by the International Olympic Committee and fans for not allowing NHL players to compete in the recent Olympics in South Korea.After letting them play in the previous five Olympics, the NHL said it didn’t want to disrupt the midseason schedule or risk players to serious injury this year.The China games, however, could be different as the NHL eyes an untapped market of 1.4 billion people.”I’m not making any news today, I will say certainly it’s a possibility,” Daly said while speaking at the annual SXSW Interactive conference on a panel about the NHL’s efforts to grow hockey in China. ”We have (a couple) of years to kind of make that decision … I don’t think it’s a critical element to our being able to grow the sport in China … I don’t think it’s an essential.”Daily said the NHL owners thought long and hard before deciding not to allow NHL players to compete in the Olympics in South Korea.”In South Korea, we felt ultimately there were a lot more negatives than positives than going,” Daley said. ”I expect we’ll go through the exact same process (before 2022) … There may be more positives to participating in Beijing.”The NHL clearly has a business eye on China.The league and teams have held regular youth and coaching clinics in Shanghai, Beijing and other Chinese cities. Last September, the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks played the league’s first exhibition game in China. The NHL also has an agreement with Bloomage International Group, a Chinese-based company with a focus on developing sports in the country.”There’s a lot of potential NHL fans there, a lot of potential NHL players there,” Daly said.There’s also competition. The Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League, has already established a professional team in China, the Kunlun Red Star Adidas Cam Ward Jersey , before the 2016-2017 season.”Right now China is one of, if not the, hottest markets in the world. Everyone wants to get in there,” said David Proper, executive vice president of media and international strategy for the NHL.Yet hockey still barely registers in China. According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, China has less than 12,000 registered junior players and less than 500 rinks around the country.”China is a hip market, but there is zero infrastructure,” said Jessica Guo, deputy general manager for Bloomage.As host for the next Winter Games, the Chinese government is making a push to increase participation in all winter sports. The NHL has approached the government about introducing hockey-based games into middle school physical education programs, Proper said.The NHL’s goal in China is to ”build a permanent presence, building a hockey infrastructure, a hockey culture,” Daly said. ”That’s not just rinks. It’s equipment and coaching. Unlike other countries we’ve played games in Adidas Matt Calvert Jersey , this is a new market for hockey. We realize our obligation is to build the base.” NEW YORK — The season opener Thursday night marked the official start of a new era for the New York Islanders. But Saturday night will truly reinforce the uncertainty upon which the Islanders have embarked.The overhauled Islanders will begin their vagabond home existence Saturday night, when New York hosts the Nashville Predators at Barclays Center.Both teams earned wins in their openers Thursday night, when the visiting Islanders edged the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in overtime, while the Predators beat the host New York Rangers 3-2.Article continues below ...Saturday’s game is the first of two home openers this season for the Islanders, who are scheduled to play 21 games at Barclays Center and 20 contests at a renovated Nassau Coliseum, where the franchise played from its inception in 1972 until 2015. The first game at the Coliseum is scheduled for Dec. 1, when the Columbus Blue Jackets visit.The split schedule — which originally called for the Islanders to play 29 games at Barclays and 12 at Nassau Coliseum — was announced Jan. 29, a little more than a month after the Islanders announced their intentions to leave Barclays by winning a bid to build a new arena at Belmont Park on the border of Nassau and Queens counties.The move thrilled Islanders fans, who loved the confines of the Coliseum and never warmed to the sight-lines of Barclays nor the commute into Brooklyn. “I’m absolutely thrilled that we’re going back to the Coliseum,” new Islanders head coach Barry Trotz told a television station in September. “That’s where it should be. I think that’s where the fans want it.”But the commitment to Belmont turned the Islanders into lame ducks at two arenas, both of which are operated by the same company (Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment), for an indeterminate period of time.An environmental study of the Belmont area is scheduled to be completed by the spring, after which Islanders ownership hopes to break ground with the goal of opening the arena by the start of the 2021-22 season. But the Islanders have been trying to build a new arena for decades, so when the team will actually begin play at Belmont is anyone’s guess.It is also anyone’s guess as to which player will be leading that team into Belmont after star center John Tavares left for the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in July. Tavares exited despite the recent arrivals of Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello, who was named the Islanders’ president of hockey operations May 22 Adidas Conor Timmins Jersey , and Trotz, who was named head coach on June 21.With Lamoriello and Trotz in charge, the Islanders are sure to be more defensively sound than last season, when they allowed an NHL-high 296 goals. Even after a stout effort on Thursday, Trotz made it clear he believes New York has a long way to go.“As a coach, you always want perfection,” Trotz told reporters. “We didn’t have perfection tonight.”Neither did the Predators, the Stanley Cup contenders who were hanging on to a 2-1 lead over the rebuilding Rangers before Colton Sissons scored an empty-netter with 1:24 remaining. “I thought we did some good things,” Predators head coach Peter Laviolette said. “There are things that we could be better at.”Pekka Rinne, who made 34 saves in goal for the Predators on Thursday, is likely to draw the start on Saturday. The Islanders are expected to split goaltending duties this season between Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner, though Greiss’ 45-save effort Thursday night could earn him a second straight start.

WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on the Washington Capitals‘ Stanley Cup parade (all times local):2:30 p.m.Barry Trotz says the Capitals are going to do it again Adidas Laurent Brossoit Jersey , and T.J. Oshie led fans in a chant of ”back-to-back” at the rally celebrating the Stanley Cup champions.Captain Alex Ovechkin fired up fans who filled the National Mall down to the Washington Monument by reminding them that he said at the start of the year they weren’t going to be as bad as some thought. Then he and his teammates sang along to Queen’s ”We Are The Champions” to complete the rally.—12:50 p.m.The Capitals’ Stanley Cup parade has ended with a rally upcoming.Tens of thousands of fans lined the route along Constitution Avenue, including hundreds on the steps of the national archives creating a sea of red.The final bus with Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Brooks Orpik, owner Ted Leonsis and team president Dick Patrick also featured the Stanley Cup.Fans along Constitution chanted, ”Raise the Cup!” and ”Ovi! Ovi! Ovi!”Ovechkin sat at the front of the double-decker bus, alternating between resting his arms on the trophy, raising it, and drinking out of his blue Bud Light bottle.—11 a.m.The caravan is on the move for the start of the Washington Capitals’ first Stanley Cup parade.More than 40 vehicles – buses and convertibles carrying players and staff – began moving down 23rd Street toward Constitution Avenue led by 30-plus police officers on motorcycles. The parade officially begins at 17th and Constitution and ends at 7th and the National Mall.Conn Smythe Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin and owner Ted Leonsis have the Stanley Cup at the tail end of the parade.—10 a.m.Capitals players, staff members and their families are on their way to the start of the parade route after taking a team photo at Capital One Arena. Fans lined the exit to the arena chanting and cheering as players boarded several buses to get to Constitution Avenue.A police escort cleared the way for the buses to get through D.C. traffic as throngs of people waited along the route and at the National Mall, where a rally will cap the celebration.—6 a.m.The Stanley Cup-champion Capitals will celebrate the city’s first major four pro sports championship in 26 years with a parade down Constitution Avenue.It’s the first sports parade in Washington since the NFL’s Redskins in 1992. Alex Ovechkin Zach Bogosian Jersey Womens , Nicklas Backstrom and his teammates will travel from 17th to 7th on Constitution to a rally on the National Mall by the afternoon.They’ll be joined by four F-16 Fighting Falcons from the D.C. Air National Guard who will perform a flyover about 25 minutes in. Season-ticket holders who have remained from the team’s eight-win inaugural season in 1974-75, high school marching bands and the D.C. fire department pipes and drums will be among those participating.—More Stanley Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/StanleyCupFinals LAS VEGAS (AP) The Latest from Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights (all times local):8:05 p.m.The Washington Capitals have won their first Stanley Cup championship, beating the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.Lars Eller scored with 7:37 left, giving the Capitals a 4-3 lead and they hung on after Vegas pulled goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for the extra skater.It is the first championship for the Capitals, who began play in 1974.The Golden Knights wrap up a storybook year, advancing all the way to the final in their first year of existence.—7:50 p.m.Washington has moved a big step toward its first Stanley Cup.Lars Eller scored with 7:37 left, giving the Capitals a 4-3 lead against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.Washington went into the third trailing 3-2 and went ahead after Devante Smith-Pelly and Eller scored 2:31 apart midway through the final period.The Capitals are up 3-1 in the series, a win away from their first NHL championship in franchise history.—7:45 p.m.Devante Smith-Pelly has pulled Washington into a 3-3 tie with Vegas midway through the third period in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.Brooks Orpik sent the puck toward the net, it went off Smith-Pelly’s left skate to help him corral it and he sent a shot past Marc-Andre Fleury as he fell to the ice.Smith-Pelly has seven goals this postseason, matching his total during the regular seasons. He was relegated to signing a two-way contract with the Capitals entering the season and earned a spot in the lineup 75 times during the regular season. He scored in Game 4, too John Moore Jersey Womens , also collecting the puck off a skate before his shot.Washington has a 3-1 series lead and is looking for its first Stanley Cup championship. If Vegas holds on, Game 6 in Washington will be Sunday night.—7:25 p.m.The Vegas Golden Knights are 10-0 this postseason when leading after two periods, as they do 3-2 against Washington in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.The Capitals have lost four of the six games they’ve played this postseason when trailing after the second period.Washington has a 3-1 series lead and is looking for its first Stanley Cup championship. If Vegas holds on, Game 6 in Washington will be Sunday night.—7:05 p.m.The Vegas Golden Knights are 20 minutes away from forcing Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Final.Vegas leads Washington 3-2 going into the third period after the two teams combined for five goals in a wild second period. There were lead changes, a coach’s challenge, fights and power plays as the teams picked up the pace following a goal-less opening period.Reilly Smith gave Vegas the lead, shooting into an open net off a fantastic pass from Alex Tuch with 28.2 seconds left in the second period.The Golden Knights didn’t get to celebrate very long because there was a lot of pushing, shoving and face-washing behind the net right after the go-ahead goal.Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 18 shots through two periods and Braden Holtby made 17 saves for the Capitals.A win would give the Capitals the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The expansion Golden Knights are hoping to extend their stunning, record-breaking season.—6:50 p.m.Washington and Vegas are tied 2-2 late in a wild second period of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.After no goals in the opening period, the offenses got rolling and then some with four goals in a heart-pounding 6:32 stretch.Washington’s Jakub Vrana opened the flurry with a goal 6:24 into the second, rifling a shot over the glove of Marc-Andre Fleury.Alex Ovechkin put the Capitals ahead 2-1 on a power play just 34 seconds after Vegas’ Nate Schmidt was credited with a goal that went off Washington defenseman Matt Niskanen’s skate.David Perron pulled Vegas into the second tie of the period. The goal stood after a coach’s challenge Chris Wagner Jersey Womens , a move Washington had to try because Braden Holtby was trying to make a save while two players were wrestling in the crease.Washington has a 3-1 series lead, one win away from the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.—6:25 p.m.Washington has taken a 1-0 lead in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against Vegas.Jakub Vrana got behind the Golden Knights’ defense and took advantage of the time and space, scoring from the inside of the left circle 6:24 into the second period. He beat Marc-Andre Fleury on his glove side, sending the puck over his left elbow and into the net.The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 seasons.The Golden Knights have scored only five goals in losing the last three games and are having trouble finding much space again against the Washington defense and goaltender Braden Holtby.—6:05 p.m.NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is defending the expansion draft that loaded first-year franchise Vegas with talent.The Golden Knights were the surprise of the NHL this season, winning the Pacific Division and rolling all the way to the Stanley Cup Final against Washington. Critics have suggested the expansion draft was too generous for the new franchise, which saw strong play from veterans including goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, James Neal and others.Bettman was asked about it during an NBC interview during the first intermission of Game 5 and said the league’s ”competitive balance shows anything is possible.” He noted the turnaround seasons this year by Colorado and New Jersey.Said Bettman: ”If you’re passionate about your team, you have hope for every season.”—6 p.m.The Washington Capitals are outshooting the Vegas Golden Knights so far but the teams are tied 0-0 after the first period of Game 5 in the Stanley Cup Final.It marked the third scoreless period of the series.Braden Holtby had to make just seven saves for the Capitals. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 10 shots for the Golden Knights, who face elimination.Washington leads the series 3-1, one win away from the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.—5:45 p.m.Hits are outnumbering shots so far through a scoreless first period in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.Washington and Vegas combined for just seven shots while landing a total of 19 hits in the early going. The Capitals had blocked four shots while the Golden Knights blocked a pair of pucks before a shot even got to Marc-Andre Fleury.Washington came up empty on a power play, though Alex Ovechkin rang a shot off the post.Washington is up 3-1 Alex Galchenyuk Jersey Womens , a win away from its first Stanley Cup in franchise history.—5:25 p.m.Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final is under way in Las Vegas.With the Golden Knights scoring only five goals in the previous three games of the Stanley Cup Final, Vegas coach Gerard Gallant shook up his lineup.Veteran forwards Ryan Reaves and Ryan Carpenter were scratched, while William Carrier and David Perron were in uniform. Carrier hadn’t played since Game 5 of the second round against San Jose, missing 10 straight games. Perron played in the Final’s first three games before sitting out Game 4.The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 seasons.—5:15 p.m.Boys will be boys.Washington star Alex Ovechkin skated onto the Vegas side of the rink during pregame warmups, narrowly avoiding Marc-Andre Fleury as the goaltender was stretching along the boards before Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.The goaltender skated across the red line and toward the Washington superstar before retreating back to his side. Later, though, Fleury got even by slashing Ovechkin’s legs as they skated past each other.Earlier in the series, the veterans acted like kids squirting water on each other’s side of the red line.The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 NHL seasons.—4:50 p.m.Hundreds of fans braved 97-degree heat and assembled again in the plaza directly outside T-Mobile Arena several hours before Vegas hosted Washington in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.As game time approached, the crowd got larger as it swelled with fans without tickets. A majority of the crowd was wearing Golden Knights garb, but the sea of people included a large portion of red-clad Washington Capitals fans occasionally chanting ”We want the Cup!”The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 NHL seasons.—4:30 p.m.The Washington Capitals are on the brink of raising the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.Alex Ovechkin and his Caps are taking the ice for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final with a 3-1 series lead after three consecutive victories over the Vegas Golden Knights.While past Washington teams have a long history of struggles in closeout games, these Caps have won all three of their potential closeout games. If they can do it again Carter Rowney Jersey Womens , the Caps will clinch the first championship in 43 NHL seasons for a franchise that began play in 1974.The Knights have never lost four consecutive games in their inaugural season. They won the Final opener, but have been outscored 12-5 since.—4:20 p.m.Willie O’Ree, the first black NHL player, says the player who wins the award named in his honor will have displayed hockey and life skills.The NHL will give the first Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award later this month in Las Vegas. O’Ree broke the league’s color barrier 60 years ago with the Boston Bruins and overcame blindness in his right eye.O’Ree spoke ahead of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, where Washington took a 3-1 lead on the road to Las Vegas.—More Stanley Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/StanleyCupFinals

CALGARY Tyler Ennis Jersey Womens , Alberta (AP) Dougie Hamilton is closing out an impressive performance in a disappointing season for the Calgary Flames.Hamilton’s league-leading 17th goal by a defenseman helped Calgary snap a seven-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.”Quick release. (His shot) comes on you in a hurry,” said Flames goaltender Mike Smith, who only has to stare it down in practice. ”He changes the angle really well. He’s definitely got a good shot.”Mikael Backlund had a goal and an assist and Garnet Hathaway also scored to help Calgary to its first win since a 1-0 victory over Edmonton on March 13. Michael Frolik added two assists, and Smith stopped 34 shots.Anton Slepyshev and Mike Cammalleri scored for Edmonton. Cam Talbot gave up three goals on seven shots before he was pulled 15 1/2 minutes in with the Oilers trailing 3-1. Al Montoya came on and stopped all 13 shots he faced.Edmonton grabbed the lead on Slepyshev’s sixth of the season 2:41 into the first, but the Flames responded with three goals in less than nine minutes.Hamilton got it started with a wicked 30-foot wrist shot that beat Talbot at 6:43 on the Oilers’ first shot on goal. Hamilton has 13 goals since Jan. 1, tying him with Sean Monahan for second on the team behind Matthew Tkachuk in that stretch.”It’s so heavy and his release is quick, he doesn’t need a wind-up to get the velocity on it. I thought Dougie had an excellent game,” Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said.Hathaway put the Flames in front at 11:54, beating Talbot on a wrist shot inside the post from nearly 60 feet out. The short-handed goal was Hathaway’s first goal in 42 games.Backlund neatly pulled the puck around Talbot and fired in his 14th goal of the season with 4:32 remaining in the first. That was it for Talbot.”It wasn’t his best night,” Oilers coach Todd McLellan said. ”If we could get one of them back, we’d take it. But he’s been tremendous. In the last six weeks Dougie Hamilton Jersey Womens , he’s been a rock for our team.”The Oilers were the much better team in the second period, outshooting Calgary 12-5 and narrowing the deficit to 3-2 on Cammalleri’s deflection with 7:19 left.”A tale of two teams. First period, not good, nothing to be proud of,” said Cammalleri, who hadn’t scored since Dec. 28. ”Second two (periods), probably more how we want to play.”In one sequence, Edmonton had three odd-man rushes within the same penalty kill, but it only got one shot out of it. On consecutive 2-on-1s, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl failed each time to get a shot on goal.Early in the third, the same duo combined again Julien Gauthier Jersey Womens , but Draisaitl rang a shot off the post.NOTES: McDavid, the NHL’s leading scorer, failed to pick up a point, snapping his six-game scoring streak (seven goals, seven assists). … Edmonton was 0 for 5 on the power play. Calgary was 0 for 3 and fell to 1 for 47 over the last 16 games. … Calgary F Johnny Gaudreau returned to the lineup after missing two games (family matter). His line centered by Nick Shore also had Edmonton-born Spencer Foo, who made his NHL debut. … With the Travis Hamonic (upper body) out, Matt Bartkowski returned to the lineup after being scratched 45 of the previous 46 games.UP NEXTOilers: At Minnesota on Monday night before closing the season with two home games.Flames: Host Arizona on Tuesday night. WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) P.K. Subban didn’t get heckled as long and as loud as he normally does from Winnipeg fans on Thursday.He and the rest of Nashville’s defenseman did enough to finally quiet the Jets on the ice, too.Pekka Rinne made 32 saves, Subban and Ryan Hartman scored and the Predators stifled Winnipeg’s high-powered offense to win 2-1 and even their second-round series through four games.Patrik Laine scored off a faceoff in the final minute, but Nashville’s Nick Bonino won two key faceoffs after that to end it.”That was an amazing team effort Matt Bartkowski Jersey Womens ,” Rinne said. ”We played a really solid game throughout.”Game 5 will be Saturday in Nashville, with Game 6 set for Winnipeg on Monday. Game 7, if necessary, would be in Nashville next Thursday.Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27 shots, but Nashville snapped Winnipeg’s 13-game home winning streak, which dated to March 2.Rinne allowed five goals amid a series of defensive miscues in a 7-4 Game 3 defeat after Winnipeg totaled eight goals over the first two games. Rinne rebounded impressively behind a Nashville team that was much sharper in its own end.”I think last game, the details are kind of what cost us,” Subban said. ”This game, we paid attention to all of them for a full 60 (minutes).”The Predators led 1-0 after the first period and stretched their lead with 5:24 left in the second when Subban blasted a one-timer on Nashville’s first power play.Booed by the thunderous white-clad crowd every time he’s touched the puck the last two games, Subban seemed to feed off the noise. It was Subban’s third goal of the series after being held without one in the first round.”The biggest thing is we had full commitment through our lineup to play defense,” Subban said. ”In our zone when bounces didn’t go our way Rasmus Andersson Jersey Womens , we worked the puck out.”The Jets found far less space in the neutral zone, but also saw a couple of golden opportunities bounce over their sticks.Winnipeg had a couple of great chances to tie it earlier in the period. Kyle Connor missed on a pass from Bryan Little in the slot on a power play, and Mark Scheifele let the puck skip over his stick on a 2-on-1 with Blake Wheeler moments before Subban silenced the crowd with his goal.Laine scored on a 6-on-4 with 50.2 seconds left in the third – his third of the playoffs and first of the series – but the Predators held on from there to wrestle back home-ice advantage.”They had five guys behind the red line and we were a little stubborn – didn’t want to make them turn around and bring the puck out,” Wheeler said. ”They pounced on a loose puck and we chased the game.”Nikolaj Ehlers was back on the Jets’ top line alongside Scheifele and Wheeler after switching spots with Connor following Tuesday’s disastrous opening 20 minutes when Winnipeg fell behind 3-0. Connor once again skated with Laine and Paul Stastny.Nashville opened the scoring with 2:40 left in the first when Hartman scored his second of the playoffs off a scramble in front. An attempted clear by Winnipeg’s Ben Chiarot in front instead went off defense partner Tyler Myers and directly to Hartman, who beat Hellebuyck up high.The teams traded chances earlier in the period, with Hellebuyck stopping Roman Josi and Scott Hartnell on 2-on-1 breaks, while the butt end of Rinne’s stick stopped Josh Morrisey’s backhand chance along the ice at the other end.”So lucky,” Rinne said. ”I mean, I’ll take that any day. But it was so lucky. I wish I could say I did that on purpose.”Notes: The Jets inserted winger Joel Armia into the lineup after he missed the first three games of the series with an upper-body injury. Rookie forward Jack Roslovic was a healthy scratch. … Hartnell stepped in for Kevin Fiala, who scored in double overtime for Nashville in Game 2. The Predators also dressed defenseman Yannick Weber in place of Alexei Emelin.—

TORONTO (AP) Mike Babcock was at his daughter’s graduation when he received a text message from a friend about reports of a strained relationship with star center Auston Matthews.”I’ll find out in the morning Adidas Joel Armia Jersey ,” the Toronto coach replied. ”I’ll meet him. I’ll ask him in the morning.”As the Maple Leafs cleaned out their lockers Friday in the wake of a seven-game loss to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, Babcock and Matthews addressed speculation the coach had ”lost” his player during the series.”I said, `What’s going on?”’ Babcock told reporters of his conversation with Matthews. ”It’s interesting in Toronto, you (media) do such a good job. You’re everywhere. You’re under the bench, you’re in the crack in the door, you’re in the car, you’re in the parking lot. You’re everywhere, and any time anybody does anything there’s a big story.”I asked him flat-out, `Do we have any (issues)?’ He was sitting right there. We don’t seem to.”Matthews, who had just a goal and an assist against Boston, said talk of friction also was news to him.”I don’t know what that’s all about,” he said. ”Our relationship’s fine. Obviously Adidas Xavier Ouellet Jersey , you guys can speculate all you want, but I think it’s pointless.”Stuff happens, people speculate. I can tell you right now it’s not the case.”The 20-year-old from Arizona scored 34 goals in regular season despite missing 20 games due to injury, but admitted to being frustrated in the Bruins series following a Game 7 where Toronto blew a 4-3 lead in the third period before losing 7-4.”Auston’s a young man trying to be the best player in the world,” Babcock said. ”The hardest part in life is when you’re disappointed and you thought you maybe could have done more. I know that from me as a coach … it makes you sick, almost. He’s a good young man. We’re lucky to have him. I’m lucky to get to coach him, and we continue to grow our product here with him leading the way.” A look ahead to top enterprise and feature stories planned globally by AP Sports. New digests will go out each Thursday and Monday and will be repeated on other weekdays. Please note that story plans may change depending on news and other issues.For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport(at)ap.org or 877-836-9477. For reruns, call the Service Desk 800-838-4616 or your local AP bureau.As with all our operations, we welcome and want your feedback. If you have thoughts or questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region Adidas Tomas Tatar Jersey , at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.All times are Eastern.—THURSDAY, March 29BBO–TIME TO TANK?Rebuilding -or, to use the less euphemistic term, tanking- has become one of baseball’s most polarizing topics in 2018. When the Astros won the World Series last season, four years removed from a 111-loss debacle, they became a shining example of how short-term pain can lead to long-term gain, but as other teams try to follow Houston’s lead, they’re being met with at least a little bit of skepticism. By Baseball Writer Noah Trister. UPCOMING: 1,000 word, photos.GLF–MASTERSThis Masters is as much about a red shirt as a green jacket. Tiger Woods is back at Augusta National for the first time since 2015, and he even looks so much like the Tiger Woods of old that he has been installed as a co-favorite. As much as golf has missed the excitement that Woods creates at tournaments, Woods has missed golf. ”I love playing Augusta National. There’s no other golf course like it in the world Adidas Dan Hamhuis Jersey , and there’s no other golf tournament like it. It is literally … it’s a players’ heaven.” Ten months after he was arrested on a DUI charge for taking a bad mix of prescription medicine, and six months after not even Woods was sure he would ever return to elite competition, the question has shifted from whether he could play in the Masters to whether he can win. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. UPCOMING: 1,000 words, photos by 5 p.m.—FRIDAY, March 30GLF–MASTERS-SERGIOSergio Garcia, the Masters champion, never felt any different from the Sergio Garcia who spent nearly 20 years trying to make sure his career would not be defined as the guy who never could win a major. He says he didn’t changed as a person, and he was right. All the change took place before he won the Masters. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 a.m. Friday.GLF–MASTERS-CAPSULES. By Doug Ferguson. A capsule look at 15 contenders for the Masters. UPCOMING: 1,500 words by 5 p.m.GLF–MASTERS-FACTS & FIGURES. UPCOMING by 5 p.m.GLF–MASTERS-HOLE BY HOLE. UPCOMING by 5 p.m.GLF–MASTERS-YARDAGE-PAR. UPCOMING by 5 p.m.—SATURDAY, March 31GLF–MASTERS-CHINESE FIRIt is the only hole at Augusta National that doesn’t have a bunker. No other hole on the back nine is shorter. Rory McIlroy watched the Masters every year when he was younger and didn’t see what was so difficult about the 440-yard 14th hole until he had to try it himself. ”There’s a 3-yard square you have to hit it Adidas Eric Tangradi Jersey ,” he said. Sitting between the dynamic par 5s on the back nine, the hole called ”Chinese Fir” has played a key role over the years. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 3 a.m.With:GLF–MASTERS-ANNIVERSARIES. By Doug Ferguson. A capsule look at key moments over the years at the Masters. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 3 a.m.GLF–MASTERS-GOOD BEHAVIORPALM HARBOR, Fla. – Golf is getting younger, and the PGA Tour is going after its slice of the new generation to build a fan base. That has brought more energy, more volume and raucous behavior that has led to some high-profile players asking that fans be removed. Rory McIlroy suggested limiting alcohol sales. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan says it’s a good problem to have. But it won’t be a problem at the Masters, where fans know they best mind their manners. By Mark Long. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 3 p.m.—MONDAY, April 2HKN–ONE FOR 1,000Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook and Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin are the latest of only about 60 NHL players to reach 1,000 games with a single franchise. But that number will grow significantly in the coming years as stars and core players choose to re-sign with their current teams long term because of the collective bargaining agreement and hockey’s lean toward security over movement. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 700 words Adidas Adam Pelech Jersey , photos by 5 a.m.—FRIDAY, April 6HKN–DEEP PREDATORSNASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Predators are having their best season yet through a combination of savvy drafting, surprising trades and a handful of salary cap-friendly contract extensions. General manager David Poile’s crafty moves have the defending Western Conference champs on the verge of what could be a dominant run in the NHL. By Teresa M. Walker. UPCOMING: 725 words, photos. Video.Again, if you have questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.Thanks,AP Sports

TORONTO (AP) Mitch Marner had a big smile on his face after his stellar performance. The only thing missing was a hat trick.”It’s always in your mind Tomas Plekanec Jersey Womens ,” he said. ”You know, it’s always a pass mentality in my head.”Marner had two goals and three assists, helping the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators 6-3 on Saturday night.Patrick Marleau added a goal and two assists as the Maple Leafs (33-19-5) won for the seventh time in eight games. Auston Matthews, James van Riemsdyk and Nazem Kadri also scored, and Frederik Andersen made 22 saves.Craig Anderson was pulled by Ottawa in the first period after allowing three goals on 10 shots. Johnny Oduya, Derick Brassard and Ryan Dzingel scored for the Senators (19-26-9), and Mike Condon made 28 saves.Marner became the first player to record five points in a game for Toronto since Tomas Kaberle on Oct. 26, 2009. The 20-year-old forward got off to a slow start in his second NHL season, but he has picked up his play since he was placed on a line with Kadri and Marleau last month.On Saturday, the trio combined for 10 points.Marner has ”been working hard in practice, and now it’s starting to show in the game,” Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. ”He was (playing like that) the full 60 minutes. I don’t how many pucks he stole. I think a ton of them.”Marner got the Maple Leafs off to a fast start when he picked up a loose puck in the slot and sent a wrist shot past Anderson at 1:55.After Matthews picked up his 26th goal Tomas Tatar Jersey Womens , Marner scored again at 11:30. Marner’s 12th of the season made it 3-0 and chased Anderson.”We had to find a way to slow him down, check him better,” Brassard said. ”It felt like he had an answer for everything, he was on the puck, he made plays. He was the difference tonight.”Oduya fired a snap shot from the circle past Andersen’s glove to cut Toronto’s lead to 3-1 at 8:32 of the second period.But the Maple Leafs regained their three-goal advantage when Marner’s centering pass hit both Codi Ceci and van Riemsdyk before bouncing past Condon. The power-play goal gave Toronto a 4-1 lead at 13:51. Morgan Rielly collected a career-high 28th assist on the play.Goals by Brassard and Dzingel helped Ottawa get within two in the final period before Marleau scored into an empty net at 18:38.NOTES: Mark Stone had two assists in his return to Ottawa’s lineup after missing nine games due to a leg injury.UP NEXTSenators: Visit Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.Maple Leafs: Host Tampa Bay on Monday night. GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) With a win in the regular season finale, the Anaheim Ducks secured home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs and finally know who they’ll face: the Pacific Division-rival San Jose Sharks.Rickard Rakell had a goal and assist, and Ryan Miller made 31 saves to lead the surging Ducks to a 3-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes Saturday night, helping Anaheim clinch second place in the division.Rakell scored for the 12th time in his last 19 games. He led the Ducks with a career-high 34 goals and 69 points this season.”We know they have a good power play and they’re strong around the boards,” Rakell said of the Sharks. ”They have four good lines working really hard, so we’re going to have to match that.”Miller earned his fourth shutout of the season and 43rd of his career. It was also his 370th career win, moving him past Tom Barrasso for second place on the all-time list among U.S.-born goalies.”Definitely somebody I looked up to Tom Kuhnhackl Jersey Womens ,” Miller said of Barrasso. ”Just happy to still be playing meaningful hockey and getting some wins.”Adam Henrique scored his 24th of the season for Anaheim and added an assist, and Hampus Lindholm scored an empty-netter before the final buzzer.The Ducks (44-25-13) won their fifth straight to finish 10-1-1 over the final 12 games.The Coyotes (29-41-12) finished last in the Pacific, but went 17-9-3 in their last 29 games in a season they started 1-12-1.”I thought we got better from October, so there’s some good positive things,” Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. ”We just ran out of gas tonight. For the most part, the last 25, 30 games, we beat some good hockey teams and I thought some of the young guys really progressed, which is nice.”The two teams combined for 26 penalty minutes.Arizona goalie Antti Raanta appeared in his first game since signing a three-year, $12.75 million contract on Friday that will keep him from free agency. He stopped 24 shots.”Anaheim, they played a strong game,” Raanta said. ”Everyone left everything on the ice but sometimes puck luck isn’t on your side.”An altercation between Coyotes defenseman Luke Schenn and Ducks forward Nick Ritchie in the first period resulted in minor penalties for both. That was followed by another confrontation involving Arizona’s Brad Richardson and Anaheim’s Derek Grant Anthony Beauvillier Jersey Womens , with Richardson sent to the penalty box for two minutes.The power play for the Ducks helped when Henrique muscled in a backhand for a goal at 10:54 of the period, giving Anaheim a 1-0 lead. Rakell got an assist, his 35th.Richardson and Anaheim’s Corey Perry served five minutes for fighting early in the second period. The Ducks missed a chance to add to their lead when Jakob Silfverberg hit the post with a shot at 13:07 of the second.Rakell scored off a pass from Ryan Getzlaf with 3:43 left in the second. Getzlaf picked up his team-leading 50th assist of the season.Perry earned his 400th assist on Henrique’s goal.Anaheim logged its fifth consecutive 100-point season as a team.”We had a plan. We tried to execute the plan. I’m not standing here saying it was perfect by any means, we had a lot of speed bumps on the way,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. ”We’ve got our group together here over the last six weeks and we’ve played good enough to gain points.”NOTES: The Coyotes brought up D Joel Hanley on emergency recall from Tucson, their AHL affiliate, in time for Saturday’s game. … C Clayton Keller, a rookie and the team’s leading scorer this season, was voted Coyotes Most Valuable Player for the season as voted on by local media. … Ducks C Antoine Vermette and F Troy Terry played Saturday, Vermette’s first game since March 23 and Terry’s second of the season. F Jason Chimera and F J.T. Brown were scratched. … A moment of silence was held in remembrance of lives lost in the fatal bus crash involving a junior hockey team in Canada Friday night.UP NEXTDucks: Western Conference playoffs vs. San JoseCoyotes: Offseason.