preview Page 95 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Minus Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers hope to prey on Predators
Even with star Matthew Tkachuk out indefinitely, the Florida Panthers seem poised to maintain their spot among the best in the Eastern Conference.,Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators are still searching for anything positive down the stretch of a disappointing season.,The Panthers aim to rebound from...

Blues leaning on 'physical' play, conclude homestand vs. Kraken
Coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break, St. Louis Blues coach Jim Montgomery staged an intense minicamp to instill a stronger work ethic and better attention to details.,That work paid off over the weekend when the Blues earned three of four points in home games against two Western Conference po...

Islanders, Rangers hope to bring their best to rivalry game
Clashes between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers don't need any extra drama or intrigue.,But there'll be plenty of both on Tuesday night, when the Islanders host the Rangers for the first time this season in Elmont, N.Y.,Both teams were off Monday after playing Sunday. The Islanders retur...

Oilers aim to shore up defense as roadie continues at Lightning
The Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning both hold postseason expectations, but they find themselves heading in opposite directions following the 4 Nations Face-Off break.,In their second matchup this season, the teams will square off Tuesday night in Tampa to conclude their season series.,On Dec...

Jason Robertson, Stars wrap up road trip at pesky Blue Jackets
Jason Robertson and Matt Duchene will look to continue their respective hot streaks on Tuesday as the Dallas Stars conclude their road trip against the Columbus Blue Jackets.,Robertson recorded his third career hat trick with a scoring outburst in the second period on Sunday, lifting the Stars to a ...

Alex Ovechkin guides red-hot Capitals against Flames
Alex Ovechkin and the league-leading Washington Capitals will strive to keep their runaway-train momentum going when they play host to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.,Capped by a 7-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, the Capitals scored 15 goals in a pair of outings over the weekend and have ra...

Losers of a combined 13 in a row, 76ers and Bulls clash in Philly
Two teams desperate to end long losing streaks collide Monday when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Chicago Bulls.,Philadelphia enters the week having lost seven games in a row, while Chicago is aiming to snap a six-game slide. Despite the teams' rough play of late, they are both on the fringe of pos...

Hurricanes try to brush off big loss, visit Canadiens
The Carolina Hurricanes and the host Montreal Canadiens are dealing with different personnel issues coming into their game on Tuesday night.,The Hurricanes -- who lost their first game after the 4 Nations Face-Off break 6-3 on the road to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday -- reportedly offered sta...

Flyers, Penguins open home-and-home stuck in Metro basement
The Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins have returned from the midseason break to the tune of very different results.,The Flyers will try to build off a strong performance when they host the scuffling Penguins on Tuesday in the first game of a home-and-home series.,Philadelphia looked strong...

No. 4 Houston could avenge only Big 12 loss at No. 10 Texas Tech
No. 4 Houston passed its latest test en route to a second consecutive Big 12 regular-season title by fending off then-No. 8 Iowa State on Saturday for their sixth straight victory.,The Cougars (23-4, 15-1 Big 12) hold a three-game lead in the conference standings with four games remaining in the reg...

With renewed confidence, Kansas set to face Colorado
Kansas took out its frustrations on Oklahoma State on Saturday, and now turns its focus toward a visit to Colorado on Monday at Boulder, Colo.,Kansas (18-9, 9-7 Big 12) had lost two straight before rolling past the Cowboys 96-64 in a victory that came right after it lost to BYU by 34 points. The Jay...

No. 15 Michigan, Nebraska bid to bounce back from losses
Two teams looking to rebound from defeats will collide Monday night when No. 15 Michigan visits Nebraska for a Big Ten contest in Lincoln, Neb.,The Wolverines are recovering from a tough home loss (75-62) Friday night to rival Michigan State in what was a battle for first place in the conference.,Th...

No. 5 Houston could avenge only Big 12 loss at No. 9 Texas Tech
The fifth-ranked Houston Cougars passed their latest test en route to a second consecutive Big 12 regular-season title by fending off No. 8 Iowa State on Saturday for their sixth straight victory.,The Cougars (23-4, 15-1 Big 12) hold a three-game lead in the conference standings with four games rema...

After 53-point loss, Hornets try to bounce back against Kings
Two teams struggling with defensive issues of late hope to pad their offensive stats at the other's expense when the Charlotte Hornets visit the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.,The Hornets have not responded well to one of the season's biggest shockers -- a 100-97 road win over the Los Angeles Lak...

With renewed confidence, No. 23 Kansas set to face Colorado
No. 23 Kansas took out its frustrations on Oklahoma State on Saturday, and now turns its focus toward a visit to Colorado on Monday at Boulder, Colo.,Kansas (18-9, 9-7 Big 12) had lost two straight before rolling past the Cowboys 96-64 in a victory that came right after it lost to BYU by 34 points. ...

Kings, revitalized Drew Doughty aim to extend home success vs. Vegas
The Los Angeles Kings will bid to extend their points streak and gain ground in the Pacific Division when they host the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday.,The Kings are 4-0-1 in their last five games, including Saturday's 5-3 win over the Utah Hockey Club. Drew Doughty recorded a goal and two assists a...

Jazz, Trail Blazers clash with both playing 'on all cylinders'
While the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers might come into Monday night's game in Salt Lake City with two of the worst records in the NBA, on one night over the weekend, they looked like they belonged at the top of the standings. ,It hardly seemed likely, with the Jazz at 14-42, and the Trail Bl...

After ugly losses, Pens and Rangers face off seeking rebound
Neither the Pittsburgh Penguins nor the New York Rangers got off to the start they wanted when the NHL resumed league play Saturday. Both teams will get a second chance on Sunday when the Rangers visit the Penguins.,The Rangers, who are four points back of the Ottawa Senators and the Detroit Red Win...

Sputtering Flames seek better outcome against lowly Sharks
The Calgary Flames are desperate for a bounce-back performance when they return from the 4 Nations Face-Off break to host the struggling San Jose Sharks on Sunday.,The Flames, who have defied the prognosticators by remaining in the playoff mix through two-thirds of the campaign, sputtered into the b...

Ohio State faces UCLA while in 'must-win' mode
With two straight losses and three defeats in the past four games, crunch time has arrived if Ohio State aspires to reach the NCAA Tournament.,The next test for the Buckeyes (15-12, 7-9 Big Ten) is the start of a two-game trip to California on Sunday against UCLA (19-8, 10-6 Big Ten) at Los Angeles....