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Cardinals acquire left-handed pitcher Anthony Misiewicz from Kansas City in exchange for cash considerations

MLB Editor
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Cardinals acquire left-handed pitcher Anthony Misiewicz from Kansas City in exchange for cash considerations

Right-Handed Pitcher James Naile Designated For Assignment

ST. LOUIS, Mo., – The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have acquired left-handed reliever Anthony Misiewicz (mih-SEV-itch) from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for cash considerations.

Misiewicz, 28, split the 2022 season between Seattle and Kansas City, going a combined 1-2 with a 4.34 ERA (29.0 IP) and 27 strikeouts in 32 relief outings.

The 6-1, 196 lb. left-hander has pitched in 119 Major League games between Seattle (2020-22) and Kansas City (2022) over his three-year career, recording a 6-9 record, 4.43 ERA (103.2 IP) and 105 strikeouts, while limiting opposing left-handed batters to .250/.288/.361 (45-180) clip with a .649 OPS.

Since the Detroit, Michigan native made his Major League debut in 2020, Misiewicz ranks 7th among American League leaders in appearances (119, 7th) and holds (32, T-5th). The former Michigan State Spartan also led Seattle in appearances in back-to-back seasons: 66 games in 2021 and 21 games in 2020.

Additionally, St. Louis announced that it designated right-handed pitcher James Naile for assignment. The Cardinals 40-player roster remains at capacity with today’s transaction.

MBB-FBS: USC Trojans (17-6) at Oregon Ducks (14-10)

NCAABB Editor
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MBB-FBS: USC Trojans (17-6) at Oregon Ducks (14-10)

The USC Trojans (17-6, 9-3) will play at the Oregon Ducks (14-10, 8-5) at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. on Feb. 9 at 8:00 p.m. The game will air on ESPN2 with Roxy Bernstein and Corey Williams calling the action.

USC’S STELLAR STRETCH — USC won a school-record 73 games over the last three seasons (22 in 2020, 25 in 2021 and 26 in 2022). The previous school record for wins in three consecutive seasons was 71 (2016-18). The three consecutive seasons of 20+ wins also equals the school record for most consecutive 20-win seasons set from 2016-18.

WINNING WAYS — USC’s 73 total wins the previous three seasons tied for the third most among all Power 6 basketball programs, trailing only the last two NCAA champions Kansas (83) and Baylor (81). Also, USC’s 160 wins the previous seven seasons ranked 13th among all Power 6 conference teams.

ENFIELD WINS 200TH AS HEAD OF THE USC PROGRAM — USC head coach Andy Enfield is in his 10th season at USC and has compiled an 200-124 record. He picked up his 200th win on Feb. 4 vs. Washington. Enfield’s win total ranks fourth on USC’s all-time wins list, trailing only Sam Barry (260), Forrest Twogood (251) and Bob Boyd (216). Including his two seasons as the head coach at FGCU (2012-13), Enfield has compiled a 241-152 record.

FACING OREGON — The Oregon Ducks (14-10, 8-5) are coming off a 75-70 win at Arizona State on Feb. 4. Oregon is 10-4 at home. Senior guard Will Richardson leads the Ducks in scoring with a 14.0 average. USC and Oregon split the season series last year with both teams winning on the other’s court, USC winning 70-69 at Oregon and Oregon winning 79-70 at USC. The Trojans have won 7 of the last 10 meetings with Oregon. USC lead the all-time series with Oregon 67-59* (2 wins later vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 69-59).

OREGON STATE ON DECK — USC’s next game will be at the Oregon State Beavers (9-15, 3-10) on Feb. 11 at 3:00 p.m. Freshman guard Jordan Pope leads Oregon State in scoring with a 12. 6 average. Eleven of the 15 players on the Beavers’ roster are freshmen or sophomores. USC defeated Oregon State 63-62 in Los Angeles on Dec. 4, overcoming an 11-point halftime deficit. USC has won 11 of its last 14 games against the Beavers. USC leads the all-time series with Oregon State 78-66 (2 USC wins vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 80-66).

NIGHTTIME IS THE RIGHT TIME — USC is 11-0 this season when the tip is set for 7 p.m. PT or later.

IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE — USC held California to 27.7 shooting on Nov. 30, the lowest by an opponent since holding Stanford to a 25.4 shooting percentage on March 3, 2021. USC allowed Washington State to make a 2022-23 opponent high 49.1 percent of its shots on Jan. 1. USC has held 13 of its 23 opponents this season to under 40 percent shooting. USC is holding its opponents to a 38.9 shooting percentage this season, 9th in the country. Over the last four seasons, USC’s defense has held the opposition to 38.8 FG percentage, 3rd in the country.

LEADERS OF THE PAC — USC is third in conference regular season wins among Pac-12 teams for the past six seasons (since the 2017-18 season). USC is 69-37, Arizona is 71-36, while UCLA is 70-35 in that stretch, through games of Feb. 6. Next up would be Oregon at 66-39 and Colorado at 60-48.

ENJOYING THE HOME COOKING — USC is 12-1 at the Galen Center this season, losing the opener to FGCU on Nov. 7, then winning the next 12 games. The 12-game home winning streak is USC’s longest single-season home winning streak since the Trojans won the first 15 games at the Galen Center in the 2015-16 season.

PETERSON PROVIDING THE ASSIST — Guard Drew Peterson leads USC and is fifth among Pac-12 players with 109 assists. Peterson is one of two players in a Power 6 conference (Jalen Pickett of Penn State) averaging at least 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game this season. Peterson is averaging 14.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

JEKYLL & HYDE FROM WAY OUTSIDE — USC made 47.4 percent of its 3-pointers vs. Washington State on Feb. 2, its eighth game this season making at least 38 percent from 3-point range. In those eight games USC has made 45.5 percent of its 3-pointers (75-for-165), while it has averaged 24.0 percent from beyond the arc in the other 15 games (60-for-250).

I’M YOUR BOOGIE MAN – Senior guard Boogie Ellis has averaged 18.7 points the last 12 games, including scoring a career-high 31 points vs. UCLA on Jan. 26. He began his streak by scoring a then career-best 28 points vs. Auburn on Dec. 18. He scored in double figures in USC’s first 7 games, then totaled 29 points in the next four games, before scoring in double figures the last 13 games. Ellis leads USC with a 16.5 scoring average and leads the team with 51 three-pointers made and 76 free throws made. He is also second among Trojans with 36 steals.

WE KNOW WHAT YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION WAS… — USC has averaged 10.8 turnovers per game in its nine games in 2023 (97 total), after averaging 14.4 turnovers per game in its first 14 contest (201 total) played in 2022. USC has had 12 or more turnovers twice in its last nine games, while reaching 12 or more turnovers in 12 of its first 14 games.

WHERE DO WE STACK IN THE PAC? — In Pac-12 play, USC leads conference teams in field goal defense (39.2 percent), blocked shots (5.58 bpg) and free throw percentage (78.8 percent) and is second in scoring offense (71.4 ppg) and field goal percentage (45.5 percent).

MBB-FBS: California Baptist Lancers (13-11) at Utah Valley Wolverines (18-6)

NCAABB Editor
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UTAH VALLEY HOSTS CALIFORNIA BAPTIST ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE UCCU CENTER

  • Utah Valley returns to Orem for a two-game home stand this week at the UCCU Center. The Wolverines will host California Baptist on Wednesday night before taking on in-state rival Southern Utah on Saturday night. Both games will tip off at 6 p.m.
     
  • Utah Valley’s game against California Baptist on Wednesday night will be Salute to Service Night at the UCCU Center. Those that come to the game wearing the UVU T-Shirt they created at the T-Shirt Bar in the UVU science atrium earlier in the week will get into Wednesday night’s game for free. A limited edition t-shirt from UVU’s Veteran Success Center will be given out to students that attend the game (while supplies last). UVU student Nolan Hicken, a Marine Officer Candidate, will also be honored. Hicken was the top graduate in his class at the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School this past summer. 
     
  • Le’Tre Darthard scored a season-high 26 points and Aziz Bandaogo recorded his 13th double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead Utah Valley to a 76-69 road win over Utah Tech last Thursday in the Old Hammer Rivalry at Burns Arena. Justin Harmon was also in double figures with 12 points to go along with eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Trey Woodbury scored nine points with eight rebounds.
     
  • Utah Valley has won 15 of its last 17 games over a two-month period. During that stretch, Utah Valley rattled off 11 straight wins that began with an 88-78 win over Long Beach State on Dec. 3 and ended in an 85-80 loss to Seattle U on Jan. 14. The 11-game streak is the second longest streak in program history behind the 2011-12 team, which won 13 straight.
     
  • Utah Valley had a streak of seven straight road wins come to an end at Southern Utah on Jan. 26. The streak was tied for the third-longest road win streak in the nation at the time. Prior to the loss at SUU, the Wolverines had not lost a road game since falling at Boise State on Nov. 26. UVU’s seven-game road win streak included wins at BYU, Northern Arizona, Oregon, UT Arlington, UTRGV, California Baptist, and Grand Canyon. The Wolverines have now won seven of their last eight road games.
     
  • Utah Valley is the top shot blocking team in the nation with 154 blocks and a 6.4 blocks per game average. The Wolverines sit ahead of Iona (6.3), Florida (6.0), and Illinois (5.9). Utah Valley also ranks third nationally in defensive rebounds per game (29.79) and sixth in rebounds per game (40.21).
     
  • Aziz Bandaogo ranks in the top-10 nationally in six statistical categories. He ranks fourth in blocks (68), sixth in rebounds (259), sixth in blocks per game (2.83), seventh in defensive rebounds per game (7.83), eighth in double-doubles (13), and 10th in rebounds per game (10.8).


BROADCAST INFORMATION
Wednesday’s game against California Baptist will be broadcast live on the ESPN+, which is available on the ESPN+ app and at ESPNplus.com. The game will also be broadcast over the Utah County airwaves on ESPN 960 AM with Jim McCulloch on the call.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
California Baptist enters Wednesday’s game with a 13-11 overall record and a 5-6 mark in WAC play. The Lancers hold a 4-4 road record this season. CBU has lost three straight, including a pair of games at home last week to Southern Utah (72-71) and Abilene Christian (87-71). In the loss to ACU on Saturday, Taran Armstrong led the tea with 14 points. Reed Nottage and Riley Battin were also in double figures against the Wildcats with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Teran Armstrong leads the team in scoring this season at 12.1 points a game. He also fronts the team in assists at 4.8 a contest, which leads the WAC. CBU ranks 38th nationally in bench points per game at 25.71. The team also ranks 52nd in the country and leads the WAC in three-point percentage defense at 31 percent.  

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE LANCERS
Utah Valley and California Baptist will meet for the 10th time on the basketball hardwood on Wednesday. The Wolverines hold an all-time 6-3 advantage in the series. UVU has won four of the last five meetings against the Lancers, including a 71-67 win in Riverside earlier this year on Jan. 11. The two teams split last season’s two-game series with each team winning on its home floor. The Wolverines took a 63-54 win over the Lancers in the last game played between the two teams in Orem. UVU holds an all-time 4-1 record against CBU in games played at the UCCU Center.

All-Time Results vs. CBU (UVU Leads Series, 6-3)
Jan. 11, 2023    Utah Valley def. California Baptist, 71-67        Riverside, California
Feb. 26, 2022    Utah Valley def. California Baptist, 63-54        Orem, Utah
Jan. 15, 2022    California Baptist def. Utah Valley, 75-73        Riverside, California
Jan. 09, 2021    Utah Valley def. California Baptist, 81-77        Orem, Utah
Jan. 08, 2021    Utah Valley def. California Baptist, 77-50        Orem, Utah
Feb. 26, 2020    California Baptist def. Utah Valley, 73-66        Riverside, California
Jan. 29, 2020    California Baptist def. Utah Valley, 65-61        Orem, Utah
March 02, 2019    Utah Valley def. California Baptist, 64-63        Riverside, California
Jan. 30, 2019    Utah Valley def. California Baptist, 79-62        Orem, Utah

LAST TIME vs. CBU: Utah Valley 71, California Baptist 67 (January 11, 2023 – Riverside)
Trailing by two points, 66-64, Trey Woodbury knocked down a three with 13 seconds left on the clock that gave Utah Valley a lead it would not relinquish in a 71-67 road win over California Baptist on Jan. 11 at the CBU Events Center.

SWAT VALLEY
Utah Valley is the top shot blocking team in the nation with 154 blocks and a 6.4 blocks per game average. The Wolverines sit ahead of Iona (6.3), Florida (6.0), and Illinois (5.9). 

UTAH VALLEY REGAINS TOP SPOT IN WAC RESUME SEEDING SYSTEM, SITS ATOP LEAGUE STANDINGS
Utah Valley is back on top in the latest WAC resume seeding system standings and holds the best record in the WAC standings. The WAC will be seeding its teams at the WAC Tournament based on an algorithm that will rate performance against all teams faced in the regular season, not just conference play, that will rank teams for the conference postseason tournament. Using this resume seeding system, teams will receive more credit by playing stronger opponents than if they play weaker opponents. WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton and WAC Associate Commissioner of Basketball Drew Speraw worked with Ken Pomeroy of kenpom.com to put together this formula.

NHL Preview: Minnesota Wild (27-18-4) at Dallas Stars (29-13-10)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: Minnesota Wild (27-18-4) at Dallas Stars (29-13-10)

MINNESOTA WILD NOTES:

SERIES NOTES
DALLAS STARS
All-Time Wild Record: 36-36-13 (23-13-5 at Xcel Energy Center, 13-23-8 at Dallas)
2023-23: The Wild is 1-1-0 in the season series with the Stars… Minnesota won the series opening game at American Airlines Center, 6-5, in a shootout (12/4)…Dallas earned a 4-1 victory at Xcel Energy Center in the second game (12/29)… LW Kirill Kaprizov (2-0=2), D Jared Spurgeon (0-2=2) and RW Ryan Reaves (0-2=2) lead Minnesota with two points each…C Connor Dewar (1-0=1), C Joel Eriksson Ek (1-0=1), LW Jordan Greenway (1-0=1), and D Jake Middleton (1-0=1) have all scored goals…G Marc-Andre Fleury is 1-1-0 with a 3.87 GAA and a .896 SV% in two starts for the Wild…C Roope Hintz leads Dallas with five points (3-2=5)…C Joe Pavelski (0-3=3) and LW Jason Robertson (1-2=3) each have two points…G Jake Oettinger is 1-0-0 with a 3.01 GAA and a .875 SV% in two starts for Dallas…G Scott Wedgewood entered during the first game (12/4) and stopped 14 of 15 shots faced, earning the loss.

WILD LEADERS: Spurgeon leads Minnesota with 19 points (6-13=19) in 40 contests against Dallas…RW Mats Zuccarello owns 18 points (3-15=18) in 21 games against Dallas…C Ryan Hartman has 14 points (7-7=14) in 25 matches…D Matt Dumba owns 12 points (6-6=12) in 28 games.

WILD GOALIES: Fleury is 13-6-1 with a 2.18 GAA, a .927 SV% and one shutout in 20 games played (20 starts) vs. the Stars…G Filip Gustavsson is 2-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA and a .959 SV% in two starts.

STARS LEADERS: Pavelski (21-23=44 in 51 matches) and C Tyler Seguin (18-26=44 in 39 matches) each own 44 points to lead Dallas against Minnesota…LW Jamie Benn has 43 points (18-25=43) in 50 games… Hintz has 13 points (6-7=12) in 14 contests.

STARS GOALIES: Oettinger is 3-0-0 with a 3.19 GAA and a .878 SV% in five career games (four starts)…Wedgewood is 0-1-2 with a 3.25 GAA and a .887 SV% in four games (two starts).

FAST FACTS: Minnesota is 18-11-5 in its last 34 games against Dallas…The Wild is 12-5-3 in the last 20 games against the Stars at Xcel Energy
Center…Minnesota has points in 11 of the last 18 games (9-7-2) played at American Airlines Center…Minnesota was defeated by Dallas in six games in the 2016 First Round.

FINDING THEIR GROOVE
HOME SWEET HOME
• Since Oct. 25, the Wild is eighth in the NHL with 26 wins and 11th with 55 points.

• Since Oct. 25, Minnesota is giving up 2.55 goals per game (third in the NHL), allowing 29.6 shots per game (eighth in the NHL) and recording a .914 save percentage (tied for seventh in the NHL).

ON THE POWER PLAY
• The Wild have converted 30.1 percent (22 of 73) of power-play opportunities at home this season, third-best in the NHL.

• Minnesota recorded a power-play goal in a season-high six consecutive games from Nov. 23 – Dec. 4, going eight-for-19 (42.1 pct.) during that span. The streak tied for the fifth-longest in franchise history.

PENALTY KILLERS
• Since Nov. 8, Minnesota is ninth in the NHL with a 81.3 penaltykill percentage (109 for 134).

• Minnesota is tied for fifth in the NHL with a 81.9 penalty-kill percentage (77 of 94) on the road this season.

SHORT (HANDED) KINGS
• Minnesota is third in the NHL with eight shorthanded goals this season.

• The total is tied for the highest in franchise history through a season’s first 49 games (eight SHG in 2001-02 and 2006-07 seasons).

• Minnesota has not eclipsed eight shorthanded goals in season since recording nine during the 2008-09 campaign.

DALLAS STARS NOTES:

LAST DALLAS STARS GAME
Feb. 6, 2023 – STARS 3 vs. DUCKS 2 (shootout)
In captain Jamie Benn’s 1,000th career regular-season game, the Stars pulled off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Anaheim Ducks in front of 18,145 at American Airlines Center on Monday. Dallas jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from defenseman Nils Lundkvist (1-0—1) and forward Roope Hintz (1-0—1) in the first and second periods, respectively. Forwards Radek Faksa (0-1—1) and Mason Marchment (0-1—1) recorded assists on Lundkvist’s goal, while forwards Denis Gurianov (0-1—1) and Jason Robertson (0-1—1) tacked on helpers on Hintz’ tally. The Ducks answered back with two goals in a span of 1:26 in the third period, but the Stars hung on in overtime (killing off a 4-on-3 in the process) and scored twice in three rounds of the shootout (Robertson and Tyler Seguin), while goaltender Jake Oettinger (32 saves) stopped two of three to ensure the extra point. With the win, the Stars extended their point streak to six consecutive games (3-0-3) and remain atop the Central Division with 68 points (29-13-10). PP: 0-5 | PK: 3-4 | SF: 41 | SA: 34 | DAL TOI: Heiskanen (28:53 – game high) | Attendance: 18,145
Three Stars: 1. DAL – J. Benn 2. DAL – J. Robertson 3. ANA – J. Gibson

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time (CT) Location TV/Radio
Wed., Feb. 8, 2023 Minnesota Wild 7:30 p.m. American Airlines Center TNT/KTCK
Sat., Feb. 11, 2023 Tampa Bay Lightning 12 p.m. American Airlines Center ABC/KTCK
Tue., Feb. 14, 2023 Boston Bruins 7:30 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSW/KTCK
Fri., Feb. 17, 2023 Minnesota Wild 7 p.m. Xcel Energy Center BSSW/KTCK
Sat., Feb. 18, 2023 Columbus Blue Jackets 5 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSW/KTCK

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Jan. 1 – Signed forward Joe Pavelski to a one-year contract extension through the 2023-24 season
Jan. 2 – Recalled forward Fredrik Olofsson from Texas (AHL)
Jan. 16 – Loaned forward Nick Caamano to Texas (AHL)
Jan. 24 – Loaned forward Fredrik Olofsson to Texas (AHL)
Feb. 8 – Recalled forward Marian Studenic from Texas (AHL)

INJURIES
Man-games lost, 2022-23: 21
NAME INJURY # OF GAMES DATES
D Miro Heiskanen Upper body 3 Oct. 25-29
G Jake Oettinger Lower body 4 Nov. 1-8
F Denis Gurianov Upper body 6 Nov. 11-21
F Roope Hintz Lower body 1 Nov. 19
F Roope Hintz Upper body 7 Jan. 10-21

DALLAS STARS NOTES
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Stars continue their homestand tonight against the Minnesota Wild at American Airlines Center. (7:30 p.m. CT, TV: TNT, Radio: The Ticket 96.7-FM/1310-AM). This is the second game of four in a row at home coming out of the break, while it’s also a stretch that sees the Stars play eight consecutive contests at AAC. This is the third of four meetings between the Stars and Wild and the final contest in Dallas. They’ll wrap up the four-game set in nine days in St. Paul.

MY SOURCES SAY THE ROADS ARE CLEAR AND STREET SIGNS POINT THE WAY

  • The Stars are 1-0-1 against the Wild this season, losing 6-5 in a shootout on Dec. 4, 2022 at American Airlines Center and winning 4-1 at Xcel Energy Center on Dec. 29, 2022.
  • Dallas is 48-28-9 all-time vs. Minnesota, including a 30-8-6 mark at home.
  • Forward Roope Hintz (3-1—4) recorded his second career hat trick and tied his career high for points in a game in the series opener on Dec. 4, 2022 accounting for four of his five points in two games against them this season.
  • Hintz has 13 points (6-7—13) in 14 career games vs. Minnesota.
  • Forward Jason Robertson has a goal and three points (1-2—3) in two games against the Wild this season and 10 points (6-4—10) in six career contests against them.
  • Forward Tyler Seguin (2-0—2) potted two goals in Dallas’ 4-1 victory on Dec. 29, 2022 at Xcel Energy Center. Among active Stars, Seguin ranks first in assists (26), co-leads in points (18-26—44) and shares second in goals (18) in 39 career games vs. the Wild. He paces the club in shots on goal (167) and shares second in game-winning tallies (3).
  • Forward Joe Pavelski (0-3—3) assisted on three of Dallas’ four third-period goals in the game on Dec. 4, 2022 to match the franchise record for most in a single period – a feat last achieved by Tyler Seguin on April 2, 2022 (0-3—3 in the first period).
  • Pavelski leads active Stars in goals (21), co-leads in points (21-23—44) and ranks third in assists (23) in a team-high 51 games against Minnesota. Six of his 21 goals have come on the power play, tied for first on the club.
  • Captain Jamie Benn (1-0—1) lit the lamp in the most recent contest between these clubs. Benn ranks second in assists (25), shares second in goals (18) and ranks third in points (18-25—43) in 50 career games against Minnesota. Benn also paces the club in game-winning markers (4) and is one of three players on the active roster with a shorthanded goal against them (also Radek Faksa and Esa Lindell).
  • Forward Mason Marchment (1-1—2) recorded a multi-point performance in the Stars’ shootout loss against Minnesota on Dec. 4, 2022. Marchment has four goals and five points (4-1—5) in just three career games against the Wild.
  • Defenseman Miro Heiskanen enters tonight’s game with 10 points (1-9—10) in 13 career contests vs. Minnesota.
  • Defenseman Colin Miller (0-1—1) picked up an assist in the series opener against Minnesota and has seven points (all assists) in 12 career games against them.
  • Lakeville, Minnesota native Jake Oettinger is 3-0-0 with a 3.19 goals-against average and .878 save percentage in five career appearances against Minnesota.
  • Goaltender Scott Wedgewood is 0-1-2 with a 3.29 GAA and .897 SV% in four career appearances vs. the Wild.

2022-23 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
Dec. 4 vs. Minnesota – L, 6-5 (shootout)
Dec. 29 at Minnesota – W, 4-1
Feb. 8 vs. Minnesota
Feb. 17 at Minnesota

NHL Preview: Vancouver Canucks (20-26-4) at New York Rangers (28-14-8)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: Vancouver Canucks (20-26-4) at New York Rangers (28-14-8)

VANCOUVER CANUCKS NOTES:

TV: Sportsnet, MSG, TVA
Radio: Sportsnet 650

MATCH-UP INFO
• Tonight marks the first of two meetings between the Canucks and Rangers this season: Feb. 8 (away), and Feb. 15 (home).

• Vancouver is 38-78-8-3 all-time against New York, including a 17-41-5-2 record on the road.

• The Canucks are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games against the Rangers, including 5-0-0 in their last five.

• Recent Canucks acquisition Anthony Beauvillier leads active Canucks skaters in career points against New York with 23 (13-10-23 in 27 GP), his highest point total against a single team in his NHL career.

• Oliver Ekman-Larsson has 10 points (2-8-10) in 17 career games against the Rangers.

• J.T. Miller has nine points (4-5-9) in nine career games against the Rangers.

• Luke Schenn leads active Canucks in career games played (37) against New York.

• Spencer Martin has yet to face the Rangers in his NHL career.

• Collin Delia has played one career game vs New York, turning aside 29 of 32 shots.

QUICK NUMBERS
• Quinn Hughes has 14 points (4-10-14) in his last 11 games.

• Elias Pettersson has 15 points (4-11-15) in his last 13 games.

• J.T. Miller has 15 points (5-10-15) in his last 14 games.

• Andrei Kuzmenko has 12 points (7-5-12) in his last 13 games.

• Conor Garland has five points (1-4-5) in his last five games.

LAST MEETING – FEB. 27/22: VAN 5 at NYR 2
Tanner Pearson opened up scoring at 3:12 in the first period assisted by J.T. Miller…Tyler Myers followed up with a goal at 19:21 in the first…J.T. Miller and Matthew Highmore recorded assists on the play…Juho Lammikko scored the GWG at 6:06 in the second period assisted by Luke Schenn…Matthew Highmore scored a power play goal…Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Tyler Myers collected the assists…Elias Pettersson scored an empty netter at 17:51 in the third assisted by Thatcher Demko…J.T. Miller (0-2-2), Matthew Highmore (1-1-2), and Tyler Myers (1-1-2) each tallied multi-point games…Luke Schenn led the team in hits (3)…Quinn Hughes led the game in TOI (24:23)…Thatcher Demko made 31 saves.

2022.23 TEAM RANKS
VAN NYR
Goals For/Game 3.32 (11th) 3.20 (13th)
Goals Against/Game 3.94 (31st) 2.62 (3rd)
Power Play % 22.7 (t-14th) 21.8 (17th)
Penalty Kill % 65.8 (32nd) 81.0 (11th)
Penalty Min./Game 9:36 (21st) 7:49 (5th)
*Rankings are accurate as of 11:30am PT on February 7, 2023

LAST GAME PLAYED – FEB. 6/23: VAN 4 at NJD 5 (OT)
Andrei Kuzmenko opened the scoring 3:35 into the first period…Luke Schenn and Elias Pettersson recorded the assists…Schenn scored his third of the season with 4:31 left in the second period…Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland picked up the assists…Curtis Lazar slid home his second of the season with 27 seconds left in the second…Riley Stillman and Garland were credited with the assists…Phil Di Giuseppe scored his first as a Canuck just past the six-minute mark of the third to tie the game…J.T. Miller and Ekman-Larsson recorded the assists…Quinn Hughes led the team with five shots on goal…Lazar led the team with five hits…Delia made 29 saves.

LAST 5 vs NEW YORK
• Feb. 27/22: VAN 5 at NYR 2
• Nov. 2/21: VAN 3 vs NYR 2 (OT)
• Jan. 4/20: VAN 2 vs NYR 1
• Oct. 20/19: VAN 3 at NYR 2
• Mar. 13/19: VAN 4 vs NYR 1

CANUCKS: LONGEST RUNNING SHOW ON BROADWAY
Having won their last five matchups against the Rangers, the Canucks enter Wednesday night’s game on the cusp of setting a new record for the franchise’s longest winning streak against the Rangers, currently tied with a five-game streak from Oct. 2/99-Nov. 16/02. No other team possesses as long of an active wining streak against the Rangers.

• This is Vancouver’s second-longest active win streak against a single franchise, training only the team’s eight game streak against the San Jose Sharks (Jan. 18/20-present).

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
• Phillip Di Giuseppe, Vasily Podkolzin, and Nils Aman recalled from Abbotsford, Feb. 4

NEW YORK RANGERS NOTES:

LAST GAME
New York Rangers 5, Calgary Flames 4 – OVERTIME – February 6, 2023 – Madison Square Garden
NYR Goals: F. Chytil (17, 18), M. Zibanejad (23, 24), A. Lafreniere (OTG – 7)
CGY Goals: B. Coleman (11), T. Toffoli (19) , A. Mangiapane (11), M. Stone (5)
NYR Goalie: J. Halak (W – 28/32)
CGY Goalie: J. Markstrom (OTL – 28/33)
NYR Shots: 33
CGY Shots: 32
NYR PP: 1/3
NYR PK: 2/3

RECAP/NOTES: In a wild night at MSG, the Rangers returned from the All-Star Break with a 5-4 overtime win. Filip Chytil and Mika Zibanejad scored two goals each and Alexis Lafreniere capped off the night with his second career overtime winner. Jacob Trouba delivered six hits in the win, including two that resulted in the Blueshirts getting a power play. In the win, New York recorded their 13th comeback victory of the season and their sixth comeback when trailing in the third period.

RANGERS RUNDOWN

  • The New York Rangers continue a three-game homestand when the Vancouver Canucks visit Madison Square Garden for the first of two matchups between the teams this season (8:00 PM ET – TV: MSG Network – Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). The Canucks are one of two teams the Blueshirts have yet to play this season, Buffalo being the other.
  • The Rangers will play six of their next seven games against Western Conference opponents. Against the West, New York is 15-5-3 and is 6-2-2 against Pacific Division teams.
  • The Blueshirts have earned a point in a four-straight games (3-0-1) and have now earned points in five of their last six games (4-1-1) and 12 of their last 14 games (9-2-3). Dating back to November 30, Rangers have points in 22 of their last 27 contests (18-5-4).
  • Monday night was the Blueshirts’ 50th game of the season as they compiled a 28-14-8 record for 64 points in the first 50 games. This is second-straight season in which the Rangers have recorded 28 or more wins in their first 50 games and fifth time since 2011-12 (2022-23, 2021-22, 2016-17, 2014-15, 2011-12).
  • At home, New York has won three in a row and are 10-3-0 in their last 13 games at MSG.
  • The Blueshirts have scored five or more goals in 14 games this season, tied for the sixth most in the NHL. New York is 18-0-0 when scoring four or more goals, one of three teams with a perfect record when reaching the total (VGK, ARI).
  • New York’s 62 third period goals rank sixth in the NHL and their plus-15 third period goal differential ranks tied for fourth. The Rangers’ plus-59 shot differential in the third period is fourth in the league.
  • Mika Zibanejad has points in four of his last five games against the Canucks (1G-3A) and seven of 10 games (3G5A) with the Rangers against Vancouver.
  • The Rangers defensemen group has collected 122 points, the fifth most in the NHL and 96 assists, tied for the sixth most. 27.9 percent of all Rangers points this season have been contributed to a defenseman.

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES ET)
DATE/TIME OPPONENT/LOCATION TV RADIO
Feb. 10/7:00 PM Seattle/MSG MSGSN ESPN 1050 AM
Feb. 11/7:00 PM Carolina/PNC Arena MSG 2 ESPN 1050 AM
Feb. 15/10:00 PM Vancouver/Rogers Arena MSGSN ESPN 1050 AM
Feb. 17/9:00 PM Edmonton/Rogers Place MSG Network ESPN 98.7 FM
Feb. 18/10:00 PM Calgary/Scotiabank Saddledome MSG Network ESPN 98.7 FM

LAST FIVE GAMES
DATE OPPONENT RESULT
Feb. 6 Calgary OTW, 5-4
Jan. 27 Vegas W, 4-1
Jan. 25 at Toronto OTL. 3-2
Jan. 23 Florida W, 6-2
Jan. 19 Boston L, 3-1

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
February 5 – Sammy Blais recalled from conditioning stint and Will Cuylle recalled Hartford

SPECIAL TEAMS

  • New York has averaged the fourth fewest (tied) PIM/GP with a 7.8 mark.
  • The Rangers’ plus-27:44 special teams time differential is the sixth highest clip in the NHL.

NHL Morning Skate – Feb. 8, 2023

NHL Editor
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NHL Morning Skate – Feb. 8, 2023

* Bo Horvat scored his first goal in an Islanders uniform and received a warm welcome at UBS Arena, while Ilya Sorokin recorded his 15th career shutout and climbed the franchise’s all-time list in the process.

* Connor McDavid extended his career-high road point streak to 15 games – a feat achieved by only one other player in Oilers history – as Edmonton earned a win at Little Caesars Arena.
 

* Wednesday’s two-game slate features the Canucks clashing with the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Sportsnet and TVA Sports as well as the Stars squaring off with the Wild at American Airlines Center in an NHL on TNT contest.
 

HORVAT, SOROKIN HELP ISLANDERS BEST KRAKEN AT UBS ARENA
Bo Horvat scored his first goal as a member of the Islanders and Ilya Sorokin turned aside all 32 shots he faced to help New York (27-22-5, 59 points) keep pace with Pittsburgh (25-16-9, 59 points), which also won Tuesday courtesy of Kris Letang’s overtime tally, in the race for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
 
* Horvat, who was traded to the Islanders by the Canucks on Jan. 30, scored his career-high 32nd goal of the season – eclipsing his previous best of 31 he set in 2021-22 – as the crowd at UBS Arena chanted his name.
 
* Sorokin recorded his 15th career shutout and moved past Tommy Salo (14) for sole possession of fourth place on the Islanders’ all-time list, behind only Glenn Resch (25), Billy Smith (22) and Rick DiPietro (16).




McDAVID EXTENDS STREAKS AS OILERS CLIMB CROWDED PACIFIC DIVISION
League scoring leader Connor McDavid (41-52—93 in 51 GP) had an assist to extend his overall and road point streak to 13 and 15 games, respectively, as Edmonton improved to 8-0-1 in its last nine contests dating to Jan. 11. The Oilers (29-18-4, 62 points) kept pace with the Golden Knights (30-18-4, 64 points), who grabbed top spot in the Pacific Division via a victory Tuesday, and now trail the second-place Kraken (29-16-5, 63 points) and third-ranked Kings (28-18-7, 63 points) by just one point.



MEIER, POINT REACHING 30-GOAL MARK FEATURED IN LIVE UPDATES
Tuesday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured more notes from the six-game slate, including Sharks forward Timo Meier (30-21—51 in 52 GP) and Lightning forward Brayden Point (31-26—57 in 50 GP) reaching the 30-goal mark as San Jose snapped Tampa Bay’s franchise-record home winning streak at 12 contests.


QUICK CLICKS

* Predators wear special warmups to celebrate Black History Month
* Dylan Cozens agrees to 7-year, $49.7 million contract with Sabres
* CHEL Intel – Issue No. 2
* AHL has much to celebrate at 2023 All-Star Classic
* 2023 All-Star Game sees double-digit viewership increase, audience expansion on ESPN


 

WEDNESDAY FEATURES NATIONAL BROADCASTS IN BOTH CANADA AND THE U.S.

Wednesday opens with a clash between the Canucks (20-26-4, 44 points) and Rangers (28-14-8, 64 points) on Sportsnet as well as TVA Sports and closes with the Stars (29-13-10, 68 points) squaring off against the Wild (27-18-4, 58 points) in the first NHL on TNT game since the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend.

NBA Preview: Golden State Warriors (28-26) at Portland Trail Blazers (26-28)

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NBA Preview: Golden State Warriors (28-26) at Portland Trail Blazers (26-28)

The Golden State Warriors hope to continue doing something they’ve done well this season — celebrate birthdays — when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

Golden State improved to 3-0 on player birthdays when Kevon Looney turned 27 as the Warriors produced a 141-114 home blowout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night. Looney chipped in with a game-high 11 rebounds to complement four points and four assists off the bench.

Two days later, it’s Klay Thompson’s turn to don the party hat as he performs in his childhood hometown on his 33rd birthday.

Thompson, who was born in Los Angeles but spent much of his youth in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego, turned back the clock in Monday’s win, going for 42 points and sinking 12 3-pointers.

He joins teammate Stephen Curry as the only players in NBA history with 12 or more threes in multiple games, each accomplishing the feat twice. Thompson holds the NBA single-game record, 14 treys against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 29, 2018.

Despite posting career-best stats in January and tipping off February with a 23.3-point scoring average over three games, Thompson insisted he’s not sitting by the phone expecting to get a call to replace the injured Curry in next week’s All-Star Game.

In their first game since losing Curry for at least two weeks with ligament damage in his left knee, the Warriors missed matching a franchise record by one 3-pointer when they buried 26 against the Thunder. Jordan Poole (five treys) and Donte DiVincenzo (four) added the biggest numbers to Thompson’s total.

All three also came up big when the Warriors beat the Trail Blazers 118-112 at home on Dec. 30. Poole hit five 3-pointers and finished with 41 points, while Thompson added seven threes to account for a majority of his 31 points. DiVincenzo, meanwhile, chipped in with nine points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals.

In the rematch, Portland will be attempting to shake a two-game losing streak that includes a 127-108 defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks in the opener of a five-game homestand on Monday night. Damian Lillard had 28 points and Anfernee Simons 21 in the loss.

With the Trail Blazers having slipped outside the top 10 in the Western Conference, speculation has heated up regarding the possibility that this could be Lillard’s final game for Portland. The trade deadline is Thursday.

The Oakland, Calif., native has been consistent in insisting his preference would be to stay in Portland. But at the same time, he’d like to be playing come postseason time, which might require some roster moves.

Lillard has averaged 36.9 points over his past 16 games, but Portland has gone just 7-9 in that stretch.

NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (29-26) at Los Angeles Clippers (31-26)

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NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (29-26) at Los Angeles Clippers (31-26)

New era set to begin when Kyrie Irving, Mavs visit Clippers

The Kyrie Irving era with the Dallas Mavericks is set to take flight Wednesday, although the team’s full on-court vision will not be realized until the weekend at the earliest.

Officially acquired Monday in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, Irving is expected to make his debut with the Mavericks in a game against the host Los Angeles Clippers. But his much-anticipated pairing with fellow star Luka Doncic will have to wait.

Doncic has been ruled out for a third consecutive game with a heel injury. His return is expected to come either on Friday or Saturday at Sacramento as the Mavericks are set to face the Kings in consecutive games.

Irving, who requested a trade out of Brooklyn last week, practiced with his new Dallas teammates Tuesday on the University of Southern California campus. Afterward, he touched on some reasons why he wanted a fresh start.

His desire for ultimate respect will be tested early. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd wasted no time saying that the Mavericks will continue to be Doncic’s team to lead.

Irving’s first game with the Mavericks will provide him the opportunity to make an immediate statement. The Mavs enter the day in sixth place in the Western Conference, one game behind the fourth-place Clippers.

Los Angeles will be wrapping up the season series between the teams after winning two of the first three games against the Mavericks. Their most recent meeting was a 112-98 Clippers victory on Jan. 22 in Dallas.

The Clippers return home from a 4-2 road swing through the Eastern Conference that closed with a 124-116 victory Monday against Irving’s old team, the Nets.

With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George healthy and back on the court together again, the Clippers are 8-2 since Jan. 20, with nine of those 10 games on the road.

Los Angeles has made its push up the standings by essentially going to an eight-man rotation as of late, although the team had nine players see at least 15 minutes of action Monday as George scored 29 points and Leonard added 24.

The Clippers reportedly made a push to add Irving themselves, before the Mavs won out.

NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves (29-28) at Utah Jazz (27-28)

NBA Editor
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NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves (29-28) at Utah Jazz (27-28)

Though the Utah Jazz have a losing record amid a roster overhaul, the team has been competitive in most games.

Monday night was an embarrassing exception to that rule.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah’s next opponent, probably feel even worse about their most recent game coming into a Wednesday matchup against the Jazz in Salt Lake City.

The Jazz collapsed in the fourth quarter of a 124-111 home loss against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, who were playing without Luka Doncic and every player involved in the Kyrie Irving trade.

Utah was done in by the unlikely duo of Josh Green and Jaden Hardy, who each scored a career-high 29 points.

The Hardy from the other locker room disagreed.

Jazz coach Will Hardy said, “This is the first game all season where I’ve felt disappointed in our focus. There (are) always nights where bounces don’t go your way, but I felt collectively we did not have the necessary focus on the little things. That’s why we lost the game.”

As for the Timberwolves, they trailed by 30 points after the first quarter at Denver on Tuesday and never recovered, taking a 146-112 shellacking from the Nuggets.

Nobody struggled more than former Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who went scoreless on 0-for-2 shooting and grabbed just five rebounds. Denver center Nikola Jokic, meanwhile, racked up a triple-double in 28 minutes, registering 20 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds.

The only positive for Gobert? He played just 19 minutes, so he should be well-rested for his second return trip to Utah, where he played nine seasons and earned the Defensive Player of the Year award three times.

Gobert looked like his usual All-Star self when Minnesota visited Utah on Dec. 9, amassing 22 points and 13 rebounds in the Timberwolves’ 118-108 win.

The Stifle Tower played just five minutes in the Timberwolves’ 126-125 loss to Utah on Jan. 16 in Minneapolis. On that night, Jazz rookie center Walker Kessler, who was a piece in the blockbuster Gobert trade last offseason, had career highs of 20 points and 21 rebounds.

Kessler has been a bright spot for the Jazz, playing even better than his averages of 7.9 points and 7.4 rebounds would suggest. He also is blocking 2.1 shots per game while averaging just 20.4 minutes.

Even though the 7-foot rookie played better against Dallas, finishing with 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocks — compared to two points and five boards in the previous game vs. the Atlanta Hawks — the Jazz seemed out of sorts against the Mavericks.

On a positive note for Minnesota, the team was accompanied on the current road trip by Karl-Anthony Towns, who has been sidelined due to a calf injury since late November.

NBA Preview: Sacramento Kings (30-23) at Houston Rockets (13-41)

NBA Editor
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NBA Preview: Sacramento Kings (30-23) at Houston Rockets (13-41)

With De’Aaron Fox back, Kings look for more success vs. Rockets

It is no coincidence that, after winning nine of the previous 12 games with guard De’Aaron Fox orchestrating their high-scoring offense, the Sacramento Kings dropped both of the contests that Fox missed prior to his return to the starting lineup on Monday against the Houston Rockets.

And right on cue, the Kings appeared whole again, throttling the Rockets 140-120 to square their record at 3-3 on a seven-game road trip, which concludes Wednesday with the second half of a two-game visit to Houston.

Fox paired 16 points with eight assists and added four rebounds, two steals and one block in 29 minutes. The Kings, who through Monday were first in the NBA in scoring at 119.3 points per game and second in offensive rating (117.2), eclipsed 130 points for a league-best 12th time this season.

Fox was not selected for the All-Star Game but appears likely to earn a spot as an injury replacement with Warriors guard Stephen Curry expected to be sidelined for several weeks with a leg injury.

With Fox back in the fold, the Kings appeared as offensively vibrant as ever, with five others joining Fox in double figures paced by rookie forward Keegan Murray, whose career-high 30 points were punctuated by eight 3-pointers, a new franchise mark for a rookie.

Murray needed only 17 shots to set his personal best in points and added six rebounds and one assist to his glittering stat line. He was 1-for-16 from behind the arc in his three previous games.

Rockets coach Stephen Silas was equal parts livid and bewildered in the aftermath of a second consecutive blowout defeat and third this season against the Kings.

Houston failed to produce a competitive effort on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder and then showcased minimal defensive intensity against the Kings, who shot 58.4 percent overall while hitting 21 3-pointers.

The Rockets have allowed the Kings to shoot 53.5 percent over three games this season, including an eye-opening 60-for-129 from behind the arc, good enough for 46.5 percent. The Kings have averaged 138 points against Houston on an incredible 64.7 percent effective field goal percentage. For comparison, the Brooklyn Nets lead the NBA in effective field goal percentage at 58.1 percent.

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