preview Page 157 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Wild return from winning road trip to battle Lightning
Nearly 10 games into their new season, the Minnesota Wild find themselves in a battle at the top of the NHL's Central Division.,Coach John Hynes' club seems to be up to the task.,Following a lengthy and successful road trip, the Wild will open a three-game homestand when they host the Tampa Bay Ligh...

'Do or die' for Charlotte FC in first home playoff match vs. Orlando
Orlando City can wrap up their first-round playoff series when they visit Charlotte FC on Friday night.,Fourth-seeded Orlando City notched a 2-0 home victory n the first match of the best-of-three series and now enter a rabid environment in Charlotte, with the Crown hosting the first playoff game in...

Hawks hurting on defense ahead of tilt with Kings
Two teams trending in different directions will square off in Atlanta on Friday, when the Hawks host the Sacramento Kings.,Atlanta won its first two games to start the year, but a slew of early-season injuries has decimated the Hawks, who have dropped three in a row. ,A season ago, the team allowed ...

After Karl-Anthony Towns' breakout game, Knicks head to Detroit
The New York Knicks made the biggest trade of the NBA offseason, acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota. Towns put on an offensive show in his fourth game with the club.,They'll now head to Detroit to face the Pistons on Friday night.,Towns exploded with 44 points against Miami on Wednesday whi...

High-scoring Cavaliers put unbeaten streak on line vs. Magic
Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson has made an immediate impact in his first season with the Cavaliers, who are off to the franchise's best start since 2016-17.,After opening the season with five straight wins, the Cavaliers strive to remain unbeaten when they face the visiting Orlando Magic on Friday.,...

Streaking Blue Jackets face tall task against NHL-best Jets
The Columbus Blue Jackets will try to extend their point streak to five games when they host the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.,The Jets bounced back from their first loss of the season with a 6-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.,In Columbus on Wednesday, Elvis Merzlikins made 26 s...

Rangers' struggling defense could be tested vs. Senators
New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette was left shaking his head after his team found itself on the wrong end of a one-sided affair.,Sure, the scoreboard showed only a two-goal defeat. However, the final score was not indicative of how his team fared en route to losing for the second time in t...

Hornets coach Charles Lee highly familiar with Celtics
The Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets haven't had a lot in common in recent seasons, given the wide gap in their levels of success.,But there's a connection between the teams this season, with first-year Hornets coach Charles Lee arriving with his new team after holding a role as an assistant coa...

Islanders, Sabres try to rediscover earlier form
Neither the New York Islanders nor Buffalo Sabres need to be reminded how a relatively brief stretch of subpar play can impact an entire season.,The Islanders will aim to snap a losing streak while the Sabres hope to return to their winning ways Friday night, when New York visits Buffalo in a battle...

Stars, Panthers excited for benefits of two-game series in Finland
Two of the NHL's top teams head to Europe for a two-game series that starts Friday and could also double as a Stanley Cup Final preview.,The Dallas Stars and the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are in Tampere, Finland, for the second and final leg of the 2024 NHL Global Series.,While...

Last-place Sharks, Blackhawks aim to build on recent wins
It may be a battle of the Western Conference's two divisional cellar dwellers, but both the Chicago Blackhawks and host San Jose Sharks head into Thursday's matchup on a winning note.,The Blackhawks hit the West Coast after snapping a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 road win over the Colorado Ava...

Mavs bring depth into in-state clash with Rockets
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic swooped in at the last minute on Tuesday and buried a dagger 3-pointer that put the finishing touches on a 120-114 victory at the Minnesota Timberwolves to help Dallas sweep a challenging, early-season back-to-back.,The busy Mavericks will play their third game in four ni...

Predators aim to get even vs. Connor McDavid-less Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are preparing to move on without their superstar for the time being. ,Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators hope their early struggles are behind them. ,With Connor McDavid injured, the visiting Oilers aim to win at Nashville for the second time this month on Thursday night. ,Less t...

Hurricanes aim to bring road success home against Bruins
After what the Carolina Hurricanes accomplished on an extended road trip, they want to make sure to impress their fans at home as well.,It will have been more than two weeks since the Hurricanes have played on home ice when the Boston Bruins visit for Thursday night's game at Raleigh, N.C.,Carolina ...

Skidding Penguins focus on defense as upbeat Ducks visit
The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to avoid matching their longest losing streak under coach Mike Sullivan when they host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.,The Penguins have dropped six in a row, getting outscored 27-13 in the process.,Sullivan, who's in his 10th season with Pittsburgh, said there'...

Surging Capitals take aim at slumping Canadiens
The Washington Capitals have been riding high with six wins in their last seven games.,The Montreal Canadiens, in turn, couldn't have felt much lower after being on the business end of a shellacking in their last outing.,The Capitals aim to continue their winning ways on Thursday when they host the ...

Blues seeking better effort in visit to Flyers
To say the least, the Flyers and St. Louis Blues are entering Thursday's matchup in Philadelphia with varying degrees of short-term momentum.,The Flyers are coming off a crisp 2-0 road win over the Boston Bruins -- their first regulation win in Boston in more than 13 years. The Blues, meanwhile, wer...

Nebraska plans to deploy deep rotation as season begins
The sixth season of the Fred Hoiberg era gets underway Monday when Nebraska hosts Texas-Rio Grande Valley in a nonconference game in Lincoln, Neb. to open the 2024-25 season.,The Cornhuskers are coming off their first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade, losing to Texas A&M in the first round and...

Overhauled Michigan ready for reveal starting with Cleveland St.
Michigan has so many changes within its basketball program since last season, it's almost as if the Wolverines swapped programs with another school.,Head coach Juwan Howard was fired after an 8-24 season and replaced by former Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May. The roster, revamped with a flurry of i...

Revamped Illinois roster chasing chemistry, faces Eastern Illinois
For the third year in a row, Illinois welcomes Eastern Illinois to kick off the season. But as the Fighting Illini prepare for Monday's game in Champaign, Ill., they bear almost no resemblance to last season's group.,The Illini retain just two scholarship players -- guards Ty Rodgers and Dravyn Gibb...