preview Page 263 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Minnesota seeks to continue Wild start, faces Lightning
Minnesota Wild coach John Hynes would probably like to expound on how resilient his club is and how it battles back from a goal or two down.,Problem is, he can't so far.,Hynes and the Wild will complete the two-game Florida portion of their seven-game road trip with a chance to equal NHL history Thu...
Rangers' goal-scoring run gets tested against Panthers
Five months ago, the New York Rangers scored 12 goals against the Florida Panthers and lost the Eastern Conference finals in six games.,In the early portion of another season with high expectations, the goals that could not be consistently produced are occurring frequently. The Rangers attempt to ma...
Blues set to battle Maple Leafs, former coach Craig Berube
Craig Berube coached the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup championship in 2019, but on Thursday night he aims to guide the host Toronto Maple Leafs to a win over his former team.,Berube was fired by St. Louis on Dec. 12, 2023, and became Toronto's coach this past May. He suggested no hard feelings t...
Devils dismayed by their defense, take on surging Red Wings
A leaky defense has led to consecutive losses for the New Jersey Devils, wasting some solid offensive work in the process. They'll strive to play a more complete game when they visit the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.,The Devils dropped a 6-5 overtime decision to Washington on Saturday, then a...
Bruins seek better 'discipline' and result against Stars
The Boston Bruins return home from a three-game Western Conference road trip to take on an early-season frontrunner from that side in the Dallas Stars on Thursday.,Coach Jim Montgomery's team went 1-1-1 on the trip and fell to 3-3-1 overall after taking a 4-0 loss on Tuesday at Nashville, where the ...
Mavs, Spurs on different paths entering season opener
It's finally "go time" for the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, teams with differing expectations, when the Lone Star State rivals open their season on Thursday in Dallas.,The Mavericks are in the hunt for a league title, while San Antonio is just trying to fight its way back to respectabilit...
Boston College, Louisville try to brush off recent losses
Boston College will host Louisville in a matchup of Atlantic Coast Conference teams hoping to return to the winning track on Friday in Chestnut Hill, Mass.,The Eagles (4-3, 1-2 ACC) have had peaks and valleys throughout their back-to-back losses at Virginia and Virginia Tech, including turning the b...
Whitecaps, Timbers scuffling ahead of do-or-die wild-card match
The Vancouver Whitecaps will try to reverse their late-season slide in Wednesday's Western Conference wild-card match when they visit a Portland Timbers side coming off one of its most dramatic results of the season.,Vancouver limps into the postseason having lost four in a row and is winless in its...
New arena, same issues for Clippers ahead of opener vs. Suns
The Los Angeles Clippers will embark on a new era while still dealing with the same lingering problems when they host the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday in the season opener for both teams., ,After sharing a downtown Los Angeles arena with the Lakers for 25 years, the Clippers are moving into their own s...
Familiar narratives when Grizzlies, Jazz open season
The Memphis Grizzlies and the host Utah Jazz will be dealing with some familiar issues when they open the 2024-25 NBA season on Wednesday in Salt Lake City.,A youth movement will be the Jazz's central theme for another season, while injuries are once again affecting the Grizzlies.,Though Memphis wel...
Promising foundation in place, Rockets focus on pace vs. Hornets
The Houston Rockets turned the debilitating loss of burgeoning star center Alperen Sengun, who missed the final 18 games last season with knee and ankle injuries, into a period of discovery that propelled an unexpected pursuit of a playoff berth and reshaped their philosophy offensively.,With Sengun...
Heat hope for bounce-back season ahead of opener vs. rising Magic
Despite making the NBA Finals two seasons ago, the Miami Heat are expected by some to have a down year in 2024-25. ESPN, for example, ranked Miami 18th out of 30 teams in its season preview on Monday.,The Heat will aim to invalidate those dull expectations this season, which begins on Wednesday agai...
Overachieving Pacers open vs. Pistons with another run in mind
The Indiana Pacers won 47 regular-season games last year and made a surprising playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers, who open their season at the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, didn't lose any starters or key reserves during the offseason.,Yet the oddsmakers and bettors don'...
Hawks focused on defense entering opener vs. rebuilding Nets
Since making a surprise run to the Eastern Conference finals in the 2020-21 season, the Atlanta Hawks have seen their defense gradually regress no matter how productive star guard Trae Young is.,Last season, Young and the Hawks were tied for 28th in scoring defense, allowing 120.5 points per game, a...
Cavs, Raptors head toward season opener with injury concerns
Injury concerns will be at the forefront when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Toronto Raptors in the season opener for both teams on Wednesday.,The Cavaliers will try to fill the void of Max Strus, who will be out at least six weeks due to a sprained ankle.,The Raptors listed RJ Barrett (shoulder)...
Rivals Michigan State, Michigan on opposite paths entering annual clash
In recent years, the football programs of Michigan State and Michigan have trended in opposite directions, culminating last season when Michigan State won four games and Michigan captured the national championship. ,The teams again are headed in opposite directions going into this year's annual show...
Ducks look to beat winless Sharks a second time
The Anaheim Ducks will aim for another early-season win over the Sharks when they host San Jose on Tuesday.,The Ducks opened their season by blanking the Sharks 2-0 on Oct. 12. Isac Lundestrom and Trevor Zegras scored for Anaheim, and Lukas Dostal made 30 saves for his second career shutout.,However...
No. 19 Pitt prepares for Syracuse tilt as schedule gets tougher
No. 19 Pitt is off to its best start in more than 40 years, but Syracuse should present a formidable challenge when the teams match up Thursday night on the Panthers' home field.,The Panthers (6-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have not been 7-0 since 1982, but they can continue their splendid seas...
Knights, back from disappointing trip, aim to recover vs. Kings
After managing just one point during a three-game eastern road trip that featured back-to-back blown third-period leads, the Vegas Golden Knights look for a positive reset as they open a four-game homestand Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.,The three-game trek, which started with a 4-2 lo...
Lights on LeBron, Bronny James as Lakers open vs. Wolves
Two teams with every expectation that they will be in the mix come the spring will open the season against each other Tuesday when the Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves.,The Lakers will try to squeeze another quality season out of a veteran duo in LeBron James and Anthony Da...