l Page 19 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Milestones abound for youngsters as Rangers wallop Blackhawks
Rookie Adam Sykora scored his first career goal in his home debut and the host New York Rangers halted a season-worst six-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks Friday night.,It was Sykora's second game after he played about 13 1/2 minutes in his NHL debut in Wednesday's 4...

Marlins edge Rockies as Sandy Alcantara shines in opener
Sandy Alcantara pitched seven strong innings, and Javier Sanoja went 3-for-3 with one RBI as the host Miami Marlins defeated the Colorado Rockies 2-1 on Friday in the season opener for both teams.,Closer Pete Fairbanks, Miami's biggest free-agent signee of the offseason, earned the save after pitchi...

Jannik Sinner reaches Miami Open final, zeros in on Sunshine Double
Second-seeded Jannik Sinner is on the verge of capturing the "Sunshine Double" after beating third-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the semifinals of the Miami Open on Friday in Miami Gardens, Fla.,Standing in the way of the Italian will be No. 21 seed Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Rep...

Gary Woodland takes lead at Texas Children's Houston Open
Gary Woodland finished his round with three straight birdies to build a multiple-stroke lead halfway through the Texas Children's Houston Open on Friday at Memorial Park Golf Course.,Woodland followed an opening 64 with a 7-under-par 63 to reach 13-under 127. After tapping in a birdie at the par-5 1...

Hapless Canucks visit hopeful Flames
The two bottom feeders in the NHL's weakest division meet on Saturday when the Calgary Flames play host to the Vancouver Canucks.,Despite their status as also-rans in the Pacific Division with only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, the atmosphere surrounding the clubs is noticeably differ...

Golden Knights host Capitals with playoff pressure mounting
The Vegas Golden Knights have one simple goal as they head into their final nine games of the regular season -- just make the playoffs.,That's quite a change for Bruce Cassidy's squad, which looked in prime position to win another Pacific Division title heading into the Olympic break with a four-poi...

Blues, Leafs finding late-season success despite minimal playoff odds
The St. Louis Blues and visiting Toronto Maple Leafs will look to extend somewhat belated winning streaks when they meet on Saturday night.,The Blues (30-30-11, 71 points) are still a long shot for a playoff push, though they helped their odds with a close-fought 2-1 overtime win over the San Jose S...

Paul Goydos leads Hoag, chases first Champions win since '17
Paul Goydos enjoyed something like a home game as he opened the Hoag Classic with a 9-under-par 62 to set the pace Friday at Newport Beach (Calif.) Country Club.,A native of nearby Long Beach, Goydos ripped off nine birdies without a bogey in the opening round and is in good position to make a run a...

Orioles, RHP Shane Baz agree to five-year, $68M deal
Right-hander Shane Baz and the Baltimore Orioles agreed to a five-year contract extension, the team announced Friday.,The extension is worth $68 million, according to published reports. ,Baz will make his team debut at Camden Yards against the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday.,"This agreement with...

Iowa looks to continue historic run vs. another Big Ten foe in Illinois
HOUSTON -- From the outside looking in, Iowa coach Ben McCollum had an impression of Big Ten basketball that could only be confirmed through the experience he gleaned coaching the Hawkeyes for the first time this season.,The Hawkeyes (24-12) are on the precipice of their first Final Four appearance ...

No. 1 UConn wins low-scoring fight vs. North Carolina to reach Elite Eight
Sarah Strong's 21-point, 10-rebound effort propelled top-seeded UConn to a 63-42 victory against fourth-seeded North Carolina in the Fort Worth Regional 1 semifinal of the NCAA Tournament Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.,Blanca Quinonez shot 7 for 11 for 16 points off the bench and Azzi Fudd had 10 poin...

Freshman-fueled Arizona, senior-led Purdue collide in Elite Eight
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A school seeking its first Final Four appearance in 25 years takes on one looking for its second in three seasons when No. 1 Arizona faces No. 2 Purdue in the NCAA Tournament West Region final on Saturday evening.,The top-seeded Wildcats (35-2) have won 12 in a row, most recently...

Avs go for two-game sweep of Jets with President's Trophy in sight
Colorado and Winnipeg battled in a playoff-type game Thursday night, with the Avalanche holding on for a 3-2 win. They go for the sweep of the home-and-home when they host the Jets on Saturday in Denver.,Colorado (48-13-10, 106 points) has won four in a row to take complete control of the Central Di...

Kaori Sakamoto closes career with 4th women's skating world title
Japan's Kaori Sakamoto closed out her competitive career with her fourth world title in the women's singles competition at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czechia on Friday.,The 25-year old wrapped up a historic skating career which included four Olympic medals, including two silve...

Jiri Lehecka rolls to win over Arthur Fils to reach Miami Open final
No. 21 seed Jiri Lehecka registered six aces and swept past Frenchman Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-2 on Friday to reach the title match of the Miami Open at Miami Gardens, Fla.,The Czech competitor will meet either No. 2 Jannik Sinner or No. 3 Alexander Zverev on Sunday when he plays in a 1000-level final for...

Pistons, Wolves bid to keep rolling amid stars' absences
Anthony Edwards is getting closer to returning from his right knee injury, but he will remain sidelined Saturday.,So far, the Minnesota Timberwolves are doing just fine without him.,Minnesota (45-28) will go for its fifth win in the past six games when it tips off against the Detroit Pistons (53-20)...

Reports: Sun moving to Houston in ‘27 after sale to Fertitta family
The Fertitta family, which owns the NBA's Houston Rockets, are purchasing the WNBA's Connecticut Sun with the intention of moving the team to Houston, PaperCity Magazine and ESPN reported Friday.,The upcoming season will be the last the Sun play in Connecticut, their home since 2003, before relocati...

Sharks, Blue Jackets hope to escape ruts with playoff races pumping
Time is running out for the San Jose Sharks as they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.,San Jose (32-31-7, 71 points) is six points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card in the Western Conference. The Sharks, currently sixth in the race for two spots, have at least one gam...

Hannah Hidalgo's triple-double carries Notre Dame past Vanderbilt
Hannah Hidalgo poured in 31 points with 11 rebounds and 10 steals as sixth-seeded Notre Dame held off second-seed Vanderbilt 67-64 in the Fort Worth Regional 1 semifinal Friday at Fort Worth, Texas.,Hidalgo was 14 of 25 from the floor and added seven assists, while her 10 steals set a record for an ...

Hurricanes vying for top seed in East with rising Devils on tap
The Carolina Hurricanes are comfortably in first place in the Metropolitan Division and battling for the top spot in the Eastern Conference as they get ready to host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C.,After winning their previous three, the Hurricanes lost 5-2 to the host Montreal Ca...