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Atlanta Dream Exercise Aari McDonald’s Fourth-Year Option

WNBA Editor
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Atlanta Dream Exercise Aari McDonald’s Fourth-Year Option

Atlanta Dream have exercised the fourth-year option on guard Aari McDonald’s rookie scale contract, the team announced today.

The Dream drafted McDonald with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft out of Arizona. She saw a breakout year in her second season in the WNBA in 2022, averaging 11.1 points, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. In her rookie season, McDonald received WNBA and Associated Press All-Rookie Team honors after leading all first-year players in the league with 59 assists and 25 total steals.

Transaction: The Atlanta Dream exercised the team option for Aari McDonald (fourth-year option, 2024)

NHL Preview: Colorado Avalanche (31-19-5) at Winnipeg Jets (35-22-1)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: Colorado Avalanche (31-19-5) at Winnipeg Jets (35-22-1)

COLORADO AVALANCHE NOTES:

UPCOMING GAMES

Date Opponent Time (MT) TV Radio
Fri, Feb. 24 at Winnipeg 6 p.m. Altitude 92.5 FM
Sat, Feb. 25 CALGARY 8 p.m. Altitude, CBC 950 AM
Mon, Feb. 27 VEGAS 7 p.m. Altitude 92.5 FM

TONIGHT’S GAME
COLORADO @ WINNIPEG
6:08 p.m. MT / 7:08 p.m. CT
Altitude / 92.5 FM
The Colorado Avalanche heads to Winnipeg to face the Jets tonight at Canada Life Centre … This evening’s contest is the first half of a back-to-back for the Avs, who will return home to host Calgary tomorrow night … Tomorrow’s contest will end a run three consecutive sets of back-to-back games for the Avalanche … All three back-to-backs will require travel in between (either home/road or road/home) and all three opponents on the second half of the back-to-back will be waiting for the Avs … Colorado has won three straight games, is 4-0-1 in its last five and 11-2-2 in itslast 15 contests… The Avalanche have won three consecutive road games and are 6-1-1 in the last eight away from home … Colorado has played only 55 games, fewest in the NHL (tonight is 56 which will tie for the fewest).

ON THE CALL
Altitude TV: Marc Moser (play-by-play), Mark Rycroft (analyst), Katie Gaus (reporter)
Altitude Radio: Conor McGahey

LAST GAME
Feb. 19 – Colorado 6, Edmonton 5 in overtime
Mikko Rantanen scored with 22 seconds left in overtime to cap the Avalanche’s largest comeback win of the season, 6-5, over the Oilers at Ball Arena … J.T. Compher had a goal and three assists for the Avs, who trailed 0-3, 2-4 and 3-5 … Logan O’Connor pulled the Avalanche within a goal with 10:30 left in the third period and Artturi Lehkonen notched the tying marker with 4:12 left in regulation … Valeri Nichushkin also scored and Nathan MacKinnon added a goal and two helpers.
SF: 42 SA: 40 PP: 0-4 PK: 1-1

The three-goal rally was Colorado’s largest comeback win of the season

The Avs are two-thirds the way through their run of three consecutive sets of back-to-back games (3-0-1 so far)

The Avalanche have won three straight, are 4-0-1 in their last five and 11-2-2 in their last 15 games Colorado improved to 5-0 in day games this year and is a league-best 18-3-1 (.841) in day games since 2019-20

The Avalanche are 5-2-0 in the second game of back-to-back this season

Rantanen’s overtime winner was his third OT goal of the year, tying the single season Avalanche/Nordiques franchise record…He equaled the mark shared by Cale Makar in 2021-22, Nathan MacKinnon in 2017-18, Tyson Barrie in 2013-14 and David Jones in 2010-11

Rantanen’s three overtime winners are tied with Carolina’s Martin Necas for the league lead this season The goal was Rantanen’s 29th career game-winning tally, passing Alex Tanguay (28) and tying Matt Duchene (29) for ninth place in franchise history

Mikko’s 36 goals this season have matched his career high set a year ago

Compher tied a career high with four points (1g/3a), a mark he set earlier this season on Dec. 1 at Buffalo MacKinnon recorded his fifth straight multi-point game (5g/7a) … He extended his home point streak to nine contests (6g/11a) and now leads Colorado in scoring with 67 points

Lehkonen’s goal was his 38th point of the season, matching his career high set last year with Montreal and Colorado Alexandar Georgiev is 7-1-1 in his last nine appearances

Samuel Girard picked up his second straight multi-assist game and has 11 points (1g/10a) in his last 10 contests

CURRENT INJURIES
Pavel Francouz – lower body (Feb. 14 – present)
Darren Helm – lower body (Jan. 14 – present)
Erik Johnson – lower body (Feb. 14 – present)
Gabriel Landeskog – lower body (Oct. 12 – present)
Cale Makar – head (Feb. 19 – present)
Total: 311 (3rd in NHL)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Feb. 23 – Brad Hunt, Jonas Johansson recalled from the Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Feb. 21 – Justus Annunen reassigned to the Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Feb. 19 – Ben Meyers reassigned to the Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Feb. 17 – Justus Annunen, Ben Meyers recalled from the Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Feb. 15 – Josh Manson activated from Injured Reserve … Brad Hunt, Jonas Johansson reassigned to Colorado (AHL)

TONIGHT’S OPPONENT – WINNIPEG JETS
Tonight marks the third of four meetings between the Avalanche and Jets this season and the second and final matchup in Manitoba … The Avs are 0-1-1 so far against the Jets this season but are 7-3-1 in their last 11 against Winnipeg.

SCHEDULE vs. JETS
Oct. 19 vs. Winnipeg (O, 3-4)
Nov. 29 @ Winnipeg (L, 0-5)
Feb. 24 @ Winnipeg
Apr. 13 vs. Winnipeg

RECORD vs. JETS
THIS SEASON 2021-22 ALL-TIME PLAYOFFS
Overall: 0-1-1 Overall: 3-1-0 Overall: 26-21-7 Series: None
Home: 0-0-1 Home: 2-0-0 Home: 16-7-4
Road: 0-1-0 Road: 1-1-0 Road: 10-14-3

WINNIPEG JETS NOTES:

Scene Setter
The Winnipeg Jets begin a three-game homestand on Friday night when they host the Colorado Avalanche for the second time this season. The Jets lost 2-1 to the New York Islanders on Wednesday night to end a four-game road trip with a 1-3-0 record. The Jets continue the homestand on Sunday afternoon against the Islanders before entertaining the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.

Tale of the Tape
WPG Stat COL
58 GP 55
35 W 31
22 L 19
1 OT 5
71 PTS 67
181 GF 181
150 GA 150
21.9% PP 23.5%
84.3% PK 77.5%

Next Five Games
Date Opp TV Radio
Feb. 24 COL TSN CJOB/Power 97
Feb. 26 NYI TSN CJOB/Power 97
Feb. 28 LAK TSN CJOB/Power 97
Mar. 3 At EDM TSN CJOB/Power 97
Mar. 4 EDM SN CJOB/Power 97

Recent Five Games
Date Opp SC Res Streak
Feb. 14 SEA 3-2 SOW 3W
Feb. 16 At CBJ 3-1 L 1L
Feb. 19 At NJD 4-2 L 2L
Feb. 20 At NYR 4-1 W 1W
Feb. 22 At NYI 2-1 L 1L

Broadcast Information
TV: TSN
Play-By-Play: Dan Robertson
Analyst: Kevin Sawyer
Rinkside: John Lu
Radio: 680 CJOB/Power 97
Play-By-Play: Paul Edmonds
Analyst: Jamie Thomas
Host: Kelly Moore

Upcoming Schedule
Friday, February 24
Morning Skate 10:30 a.m.
Jets vs. Colorado Avalanche 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 25
Practice – hockey for all centre 12:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 26
Jets vs. New York Islanders 2:30 p.m.
All Times Local

Last Game
New York Islanders 2
Winnipeg Jets 1
Jets Scorer: Ehlers (5)
Islanders Scorers: Aho (5), Holmstrom (4)
Jets Goaltenders: Connor Hellebuyck (20 sv, 2 ga)
Islanders Goaltender: Ilya Sorokin (25 sv, 1 ga)
Jets PP: 1-for-4
Jets PK: 4-for-4
Recap: Nikolaj Ehlers tied the game in the second period, but the Jets lost 2-1 to the New York Islanders on Wednesday. Fifteen of Winnipeg’s 18 skaters had a shot on goal. Pierre-Luc Dubois won 15-of-18 faceoffs, while Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves.

Wins Leaders
The Jets earned their 35th win on Monday, which leads the Western Conference… Winnipeg is on pace for 49 wins for just the second time in franchise history… The Jets won a franchise record 52 games in 2017-18.

Central Rivals
The Jets are 14-4-0 against their Central Division counterparts this season, which is tops in the Central Division… Winnipeg has won nine of their past nine 11 against Central Division teams… Winnipeg went 14-6-6 against their Central Division rivals last season and have a winning record in each of the past five seasons in which the Jets have been in the Central Division… Josh Morrissey (6G, 18A) leads the Jets in scoring against their divisional foes this season with 24 points in 18 games, while Blake Wheeler (9G, 12A) has 21 points in 17 games… Seven members of the Jets have at least 10 points against the Central Division this season, while Mason Appleton has six points (1G, 5A) in six games… Both Connor Hellebuyck (11-4-0) and David Rittich (2-0-0) boast .932 save percentages against the Central Division this season.

Home Comforts
The Jets are 20-8-0 at Canada Life Centre this season, becoming the fourth team in the NHL to win 20 games at home this season… Winnipeg has a winning streak of at least three games at home for the third time this season… Kyle Connor (14G, 23A) leads the team with 37 points in 28 home games… Mark Scheifele’s 18 goals at home leads the team and has him six goals behind his career high 24 goals he had at home during the 2018-19 season… Connor Hellebuyck has been stellar on home ice this season, going 16-7-0 with a 1.98 goals-against average, .935 save percentage and three shutouts… Winnipeg is 249-157-36 all-time at Canada Life Centre and have posted a .500 record or better at home in six consecutive seasons… The franchise is four goals away from reaching 1,400 goals scored at Canada Life Centre since relocation in 2011.

Jets vs. COL Records
Overall Record
GP W L OT
54 27 15 12
Home Record
GP W L OT
27 16 7 4
Away Record
GP W L OT
27 11 8 8

Jets vs. COL Notes
Season Series
The Jets and Avalanche face each other four times this season – twice in the first half and twice in the second half… The second half meetings are Friday and Apr. 13 in Colorado, which is the Jets last game of the regular season… Winnipeg won the first meeting, 4-3 in overtime, in Colorado on Oct. 19, and shut out the Avalanche 5-0 at Canada Life Centre on Nov. 29.

Recent History
The Jets have won three consecutive games against the Avalanche dating back to last season… The Jets are 13-6-5 in their last 23 games against Colorado.

In Winnipeg
Winnipeg is 9-2-1 in their past 12 games against the Avalanche at Canada Life Centre… Ten of the 12 games have been decided by three goals or more.

Player Notes
Blake Wheeler leads the Jets in scoring against Colorado with 57 points (23G, 34A) in 40 games, including a hat trick and four-point game in
the Nov. 29 meeting… Mark Scheifele (36 pts in 31 GP) is also averaging more than a point per game against the Avalanche… Josh Morrissey has one assist in each of his past five games against Colorado.

Jets vs. COL Past 10 Games
Date Opp Res G GA S PPO PPG PIM SA PPOA PPGA PIMA
02/20/2019 @Col L 1 7 27 4 1 33 46 6 1 21
04/04/2019 @Col OTL 2 3 36 3 0 8 38 4 0 6
11/12/2019 Col L 0 4 40 2 0 6 25 3 1 4
12/31/2019 @Col W 7 4 26 1 1 10 43 4 2 4
01/06/2022 @Col L 1 7 35 5 1 14 42 4 3 16
02/25/2022 @Col L 3 6 29 2 0 20 42 4 0 6
04/08/2022 Col OTL 4 5 43 3 1 6 37 3 1 6
04/24/2022 Col W 4 1 44 2 0 4 31 2 0 4
10/19/2022 @Col W 4 3 28 2 1 6 33 1 1 8
11/29/2022 Col W 5 0 23 2 1 8 40 3 0 6

NHL Preview: Los Angeles Kings (32-19-7) at New York Islanders (30-24-7)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: Los Angeles Kings (32-19-7) at New York Islanders (30-24-7)

LOS ANGELES KINGS NOTES:

FEB. 24 vs. New York Islanders – 7:30 PM ET (4:30 PM PT) // Venue: US Arena // TV: Bally Sports West // Radio: iHeartRadio

  • The LA Kings visit the New York Islanders for the first of two meetings between these two clubs this season (March 14).
  • The Kings swept the season series against the Islanders last year, outscoring NY 8-3.
  • Tonight’s game marks the third game of the of team’s five-game road trip (2-1 L at MIN on Feb. 21; 4-3 OTL at NJD on Feb. 23; Feb. 26 at NYR; Feb. 28 at WPG).

WARM-UPS
1) Tonight is the second game of the Kings’ ninth set of back-to-backs this season. Prior to this weekend, the team is 9-4-3 in back-to-backs 6-2-0 in the first game, 3-2-3 in the second).

2) The Kings have won three of their last four against the Islanders (3-1-0), dating back to Nov. 27, 2019.

3) Viktor Arvidsson (1-0=1) tallied his 17th goal of the season last night for his 40th point on the year (17-23=40). It is his second 40-
point campaign in as many seasons and fifth of his career.

4) The Kings have points in their last four consecutive games against Metro Division opponents (3-4 OTL at NJD on Feb. 23; 6-0 W vs. PIT on Feb. 11; 5-4 OTL at CAR on Feb. 31; 4-3 OTW at PHI on Feb. 24).

5) Forward Alex Iafallo skates into UBS Arena with points in five of his last six games against the Islanders (2-4=6).

vs. NY ISLANDERS ALL-TIME:
All-Time Record: 51-47-12-3
Home: 30-18-7-1
Away: 21-29-5-2
OT: 3-6 (2 ties)
Shootout: 1-1
2021-22: 2-0-0
2022-23: 0-0-0

FRANCHISE LEADERS vs. NY ISLANDERS:
Dave Taylor – 46 GP, 44 PTS (17-27=44)
Marcel Dionne – 42 GP, 44 PTS (17-27=44)
Luc Robitaille – 29 GP, 36 PTS (16-20=36)
Butch Goring – 32 GP, 33 PTS (14-19=33)
Wayne Gretzky – 15 GP, 31 PTS (11-20=31)
*-denotes active roster player

LAST MEETING vs. NY ISLANDERS: Feb. 26, 2022 – LAK 5 at NYI 2
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
LAK Goals: Danault (15), Roy (1), Byfield (2), Lemieux (8), Moore (9)
NYI Goals: Lee (14), Pageau (8)
Goalies: LAK: Petersen (W; 26 saves – 28 shots) NYI: Varlamov (L; 30 saves – 34 shots)
LAK PP: 0-for-5
LAK PK: 3-for-3

THE NEXT THREE:
Sun., Feb. 26 | at New York Rangers | 5:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. PT) | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
Kevin Fiala has 15 points (7-8=15) in 11 career games against the Rangers for a points-per-game average of 1.36, the fourth-highest among active skaters vs. NYR (min. GP: 10).

Tues., Feb. 28 | at Winnipeg Jets | 7:00 p.m. CT (5:00 p.m. PT) | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
The Kings have points in six of their last eight games against the Jets in Winnipeg, dating back to Nov. 13, 2016 (3-2-3).

Thurs., March. 2 | vs. Montreal Canadiens | 7:30 p.m. PT | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
The Kings have won their last three consecutive games against Montreal and have picked up points in 10 of their last 13 matchups (9-3-1).

INJURY & MGL REPORT
Player, Games Missed, Date(s), Status
F Alex Iafallo, 23 games, Oct. 18 – Dec. 3 (lower-body)
F Brendan Lemieux, 18 games, Nov. 14 – Dec. 20 (lower-body)
F Arthur Kaliyev, 18 games, Dec. 22 – Jan. 31 (lower-body)
F Trevor Moore, 17 games, Dec. 27 – Jan. 31 (upper-body); Feb. 23 – Pres. (upper-body)
F Carl Grundstrom, 13 games, Jan. 19 – Pres. (lower-body)
F Gabriel Vilardi, 10 games, Nov. 27 (lower-body); Jan. 19 – Feb. 13 (undisclosed)
F Quinton Byfield, 6 games, Oct. 27 – Nov. 5 (illness)
F Viktor Arvidsson, 3 games, Oct. 13 (illness); Oct. 25 (illness); Jan. 11 (illness)
D Sean Durzi, 2 games, Nov. 19 – Nov. 22. (lower-body)
D Drew Doughty, 1 game, Dec. 11 (lower-body)
2022-23 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 111

RECENT TRANSACTIONS (as of 2/23/23)
Feb. 10 – Pheonix Copley (G) re-signed to a one-year contract extension with an AAV of $1.5M
Feb. 11 – Trevor Moore (F) and Arthur Kaliyev (F) activated off injured reserve. Jacob Moverare (D) recalled from Ontario (AHL).
Feb. 12 – Jacob Moverare (D) loaned to Ontario (AHL).
Feb. 13 – Tobie Bisson (D) recalled from Ontario (AHL).
Feb. 14 – Tobie Bisson (D) loaned to Ontario (AHL).
Feb. 15 – Mikey Anderson (D) signed to an eight-year contract extension with an AAV of $4.125M.
Feb. 17 – Tobias Bjornfot (D) recalled from Ontario (AHL).

NEW YORK ISLANDERS NOTES:

LAST GAME
DATE NYI RESULT SCORE NYI SCORERS IN GOAL
Wednesday, Feb. 22 Win NYI 2 vs. WPG 1 Aho, Holmstrom Sorokin (25/26)
Sebastian Aho opened the score with his fifth goal of the season, then Simon Holmstrom scored the go-ahead goal in the
third period, as the New York Islanders defeated the Winnipeg Jets, 2-1, Wednesday night at UBS Arena. Goaltender Ilya
Sorokin made 25 saves on 26 shots in his third straight victory, while Matt Martin, Brock Nelson and Bo Horvat tallied
assists to help the Islanders earn their third win in their last four games.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Feb. 22 Andy Andreoff has been returned on loan to Bridgeport. Otto Koivula has been recalled from loan.
Feb. 19 Arnaud Durandeau has been emergency recalled from Bridgeport.
Feb. 17 Otto Koivula has been returned on loan to Bridgeport.
Feb. 16 Jean-Gabriel Pageau has been placed on IR. Andy Andreoff has been recalled from loan (Bridgeport)

INJURIES GAMES MISSED

3 Adam Pelech Dec. 9 – Jan. 21

8 Noah Dobson Jan. 23 – Jan. 28

10 Simon Holmstrom Dec. 23 – Jan. 6

12 Josh Bailey Nov. 29, Feb. 18 –

13 Mathew Barzal Jan. 6, Feb. 20 –

15 Cal Clutterbuck Oct. 13, Nov. 8, Dec. 2- Dec. 6, Dec. 17 – Jan. 3, Jan. 21 –

20 Hudson Fasching Jan. 19 – Jan. 28

21 Kyle Palmieri Nov. 23 – Dec. 13, Dec. 17 – Jan. 21

25 Sebastian Aho Oct. 13 – Oct. 20

26 Oliver Wahlstrom Oct. 13, Dec. 29 –

40 Semyon Varlamov Dec. 19 – Jan. 1

44 Jean-Gabriel Pageau Feb. 14 –

Man Games Lost: 142

RECENT RESULTS
Wednesday, Feb. 22 vs. Winnipeg W (2-1)
Monday, Feb. 20 at Pittsburgh W (4-2)
Saturday, Feb. 18 at Boston L (6-2)
Friday, Feb. 17 vs. Pittsburgh W (5-4)
Tuesday, Feb. 14 vs. Ottawa L/SO (3-2)

SEASON SERIES
DATE LOCATION RESULT/TIME
Feb. 24, 2023 UBS Arena 7:30pm
Mar. 14, 2023 Crypto.com Arena 10:30pm

UPCOMING GAMES
Feb. 26 at Winnipeg Canada Life Centre (Winnipeg, MB) 3:30pm
Feb. 28 at Minnesota Xcel Energy Center (St. Paul, MN) 8:00pm
Mar. 4 vs. Detroit UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 12:30pm
Mar. 7 vs. Buffalo UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 7:30pm
Mar. 9 at Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh, PA) 7:00pm

LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS. LOS ANGELES:
Feb. 26, 2022 Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, CA) Loss (5-2)
Jan. 27, 2022 UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) Loss (3-2)
Feb. 6, 2020 Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY) Win (5-3)
Nov. 27, 2019 Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, CA) Loss (4-1)
Feb. 2, 2019 Nassau Coliseum (Uniondale, NY) Win (4-2)

vs. THE KINGS:
2021-22 0-2-0
Last five games 3-2-0
Franchise History 50-50-12-1
NYI Home 31-20-5-1
NYI Away 19-30-7-0

TEAM NOTES
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Tonight, the New York Islanders host the Los Angles Kings in the first of two matchups between the two clubs this season. These teams last met on February 26, 2022, in Los Angeles, a 5-2 decision in the Kings’ favor. It is the first time the Islanders have hosted Los Angeles at UBS Arena since January 27, 2022. A win tonight against Los Angeles would be the Islanders’ first since February 6, 2020. The Islanders have collected points in seven of their nine games this month (5-2-2 since returning from the All-Star Break). They are also 5-1-1 at UBS area since January 27. This season, they have won five of their six home contests against a Pacific Division foe. The Islanders have a four game point streak on home ice (3-0-1). On Wednesday night, they captured their first win against a Central Division opponent since December 4, 2022, when they defeated the Winnipeg Jets.

THREE STRAIGHT
Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin has won each of his last three starts, turning aside 109 of 116 shots in that span. His 25-save outing on Wednesday night against Winnipeg was his 20th win of the season and 59th of his career, passing teammate Semyon Varlamov for 10th-most in club history. Sorokin has never faced the Los Angeles Kings. Sorokin, 27, has made 40 or more saves in two of his last three starts. Monday night’s victory in Pittsburgh was the seventh time this season he has made 40-plus saves in a single outing. Sorokin is 5-1-2 when facing at least 40 shots. He enters tonight’s game with a .925 SV% in 42 starts, tied with Connor Hellebuyck for fourth-most amongst NHL netminders with at least 17 games played this season. Sorokin is tied with Darcy Kuemper (WSH) for the league-lead in shutouts so far this season (5). He earned the 15th of his career on February 7. His 15 shutouts lead the league since his NHL debut in 2021 and are fourth-most in franchise history. The ezhdurechensk, RUS native has recorded a shutout in 13.2% of his starts, which is the best in the NHL since 1943-44 among goalies with at least 100 starts.

NHL Preview: Ottawa Senators (27-25-4) at Carolina Hurricanes (38-10-8)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: Ottawa Senators (27-25-4) at Carolina Hurricanes (38-10-8)

OTTAWA SENATORS NOTES:

LAST GAME: Feb. 20, 3-1 loss at Boston: Pastrnak scored twice including his 40th goal of the campaign as Boston earned a 3-1 victory at TD Garden. He became the fifth Bruins player with consecutive 40-goal seasons. DeBrusk opened the scoring for the home side as Boston reached the 90-point mark to match the NHL record for fewest games to 90 points in a season. McAvoy provided an assist on each of the Bruins’ three goals. Giroux had Ottawa’s lone goal in the contest giving him 23 on the year, tied for sixth most by a player in their first year with the team. Ullmark earned the win for Boston with 30 saves while Mandolese took the loss for Ottawa in turning aside 30 shots. Scratches: Brassard, Heatherington; Injuries: Forsberg, Holden, Norris, Sanderson, Talbot; Shots: OTT – 31,
BOS – 32; PP: OTT – 0-3, BOS – 0-4.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: This evening’s game against Carolina will be broadcast regionally on TSN5 and RDS2. On the radio, the game will be available locally via TSN 1200 (English) and 94,5 Unique-FM (French).

WHAT’S NEXT: Ottawa concludes a three-game road trip tomorrow evening at Montreal at 7 p.m. The contest will mark the fourth of four regular-season meetings and the second of two matchups at Bell Centre.

INJURY REPORT: G Forsberg and C Norris are on IR and will not oppose the Hurricanes this evening. Total man-games lost: 203.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS: Re-assigned D Heatherington, D Larsson and G Mandolese to Belleville (AHL) on Feb. 20; Acquired future considerations from Chicago in exchange for D Zaitsev and two draft picks on Feb. 22; Recalled D Larsson from the B-Sens on Feb. 24.

OTTAWA vs. CAROLINA – History:
2022-23 (0-0-0): Feb. 24 @ Carolina, March 4 @ Carolina, March 10 @ Ottawa
2021-22 (2-0-1): 12/2/21 @ Carolina (3-2 win), 1/27/22 @ Ottawa (3-2 SO loss), 2/8/22 @ Ottawa (4-3 win)
Series record (includes Hartford): Overall: 43-52-8-7; Home: 28-21-4-4; Away: 15-31-4-3
Last Ottawa win: @ Ottawa: 2/8/22 (4-3); @ Carolina: 12/2/21 (3-2)
Last Carolina win: @ Ottawa: 1/27/22 (3-2 SO); @ Carolina: 11/11/19 (8-2)
Last OT result: 11/1/16 (2-1 OT win) @ Ottawa
Last shootout: 1/27/22 (3-2 SO loss) @ Ottawa
Most goals, game: Scored: 6, (5x, Last: 12/12/07, 6-0 win); Allowed: 8, (11/11/19, 8-2 loss); Both teams: 11, (3/18/03, 6-5 win)
Last Game: 2/8/22, 4-3 win @ Ottawa; OTT Goals: Tkachuk (x2), Formenton, Tierney; CAR Goals: Svechnikov, Smith, Trocheck;
OTT Scratches: Bishop, Kelly, Mete; OTT Injuries: Batherson, Norris, Pinto, Sabourin, White; OTT Goalie: Forsberg; CAR Goalie:
Raanta; OTT PP: 0-5; CAR PP: 0-4; Shots: 31-45.
Career vs. Carolina: Giroux leads all players in career games played (48), in assists (33), in points (46) and is tied with DeBrincat in
goals (13); Hamonic leads in penalty minutes (24) against Carolina.

ROAD SCHOLARS: The Senators have a record of 11-13-2 on the road this season … Brady Tkachuk leads with 12 goals on the road this season while also ranking first with 16 assists while the Senators serve as visitors … Through 26 road games this season, Tkachuk maintains the club lead with 28 points … The Senators registered an 18-20-3 record over 41 road contests in 2021-22.

BACK-TO-BACK GAMES: Ottawa will play back-to-back games on 12 occasions in 2022-23 and will open their eighth set of the season this evening when the team visits Carolina ahead of visiting Montreal tomorrow night … The Senators played 17 back-to-back sets last season and earned a record of 6-9-2 in the first half of contests on consecutive nights (5-2-0 this season) while posting an 8-8-1 record (4-3-0 this season) in the second half of games on consecutive days.

ON THE POWER PLAY: The Senators are 54 for 210 (25.7%) on the power-play in 2022-23 … Drake Batherson leads with 11 powerplay goals while Batherson, Alex DeBrincat, Tkachuk and Stützle maintain the club lead with 22 points while the team enjoys a man advantage … Ottawa has recorded multiple power-play goals 13 times in an individual contest in 2022-23 after having done so 11 times in 2021-22.

ON THE PENALTY KILL: Ottawa has overcome 166 of the 203 occasions the team has been shorthanded in 2022-23 to maintain an efficiency of 81.8% through 56 regular-season games … The team has registered five (Joseph x2, Watson x2, Motte) shorthanded markers this season after recording nine such goals in 2021-22.

CAROLINA HURRICANES NOTES:

LAST GAME
The Hurricanes earned a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues at PNC Arena on Tuesday, extending their win streak to four games. Seth Jarvis (1g, 2a) and Andrei Svechnikov (2g, 1a) each tallied three points, and Sebastian Aho (1g, 1a) and Brent Burns (2a) added multi-point games of their own as the four skaters combined for all 10 of Carolina’s points. Frederik Andersen stopped 35 of 36 shots in net to record his third straight win.

INJURY REPORT
Jake Gardiner, upper-body, missed 56 games (10/12-2/21)
Ondrej Kase, concussion, missed 55 games (10/14-2/21)
Max Pacioretty, torn Achilles, missed 11 games (1/21-2/21)
2022-23 Man-Games Lost Due to Injury: 218

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
None

UPCOMING GAMES
DATE OPPONENT TIME TV RADIO
Feb. 24 Ottawa 7 p.m. BSSO HRN
Feb. 25 Anaheim 7 p.m. BSSO HRN
March 1 at Vegas 10 p.m. TNT HRN
March 3 at Arizona 9:30 p.m. BSSO HRN
March 5 Tampa Bay 3 p.m. TNT HRN

  • All times are Eastern | BSSO = Bally Sports South | HRN = Hurricanes Radio Network

HURRICANES vs. SENATORS SERIES NOTES
— Carolina is facing Ottawa in the first of three meetings between the teams during the 2022-23 season. The Senators return to PNC
Arena on 4/4, and the Hurricanes travel to Canadian Tire Centre on 4/10.

— The Hurricanes and Senators are meeting for the 111th time in their regular-season histories. Carolina holds a 59-38-8-5 overall record,
including a 34-13-4-2 home record and a 40-34-5-5 record since relocation.

— Ottawa won the season series 2-0-1 in 2021-22 (Carolina: 1-2-0), but the Hurricanes are 8-4-0 in the teams’ last 12 meetings dating
back to 2/24/17 (Senators: 4-7-1).

— Carolina suffered a 3-2 loss against Ottawa at PNC Arena on 12/2/21. Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen scored for the Hurricanes, and Sebastian Aho tallied two assists as Antti Raanta made 17 saves in net.

— The Hurricanes posted a 3-2 shootout win over the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on 1/27/22. Nino Niederreiter and Derek Stepan lit the lamp for Carolina, and Andrei Svechnikov scored the game-deciding goal in the shootout as Frederik Andersen stopped 37 of 39 shots faced in regulation and overtime before denying all three of Ottawa’s shootout attempts to earn the win.

— Carolina fell to Ottawa, 4-3, at Canadian Tire Centre on 2/8/22. Brendan Smith, Andrei Svechnikov and Vincent Trocheck scored for the Hurricanes, while Antti Raanta made 27 saves in net.

— Sebastian Aho has registered 13 points (5g, 8a) in 14 career regular-season games against Ottawa.

— Brent Burns has recorded 22 points (6g, 16a) in 21 career regular-season games against the Senators.

— Calvin de Haan is a native of Carp, Ont., about 25 miles southwest of Ottawa, and played youth hockey with the Ottawa Valley Titans.

— Jordan Staal has earned 29 points (10g, 19a) in 42 career regular-season games against the Senators.

— Paul Stastny has tallied 19 points (6g, 13a) in 27 career regular-season games against Ottawa.

— Hurricanes Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour was born in Ottawa.

— Hurricanes Assistant Coach Tim Gleason was selected by the Senators in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2001 NHL Draft, but he was traded to LAK before appearing in an NHL game with the Senators.

— Julien Gauthier was selected by the Hurricanes in the first round (21st overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft and tallied one assist in five NHL games with Carolina in 2019-20. He also played 184 AHL games with Charlotte from 2017-20, posting 103 points (69g, 34a). Gauthier recorded eight points (5g, 3a) in 17 postseason games in 2019 to help the Checkers capture their first Calder Cup.

HOME COOKIN’
With their win over the Blues on Tuesday, the Hurricanes have improved to 20-6-2 (42 points) on home ice this season. Carolina’s .750 home points percentage ranks tied with TOR for third in the NHL, trailing only BOS (24-2-3, .879) and TBL (22-4-2, .841). The Hurricanes have now posted at least 20 home wins in each of the past three seasons (2020-21: 20-3-5, 2021-22: 29-8-4), joining the Lightning (also 2020-21: 21-7-0, 2021-22: 27-8-6) as just the second NHL team to accomplish the feat. This marks just the fourth time that Hartford/Carolina has won 20 or more home games in at least three consecutive seasons, as the Whalers/Hurricanes also accomplished the feat in four straight seasons from 1985-89, three straight seasons from 1998-01 and a franchise-record seven straight seasons from 2005-12.

NHL Preview: Montréal Canadiens (24-29-4) at Philadelphia Flyers (23-26-10)

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NHL Preview: Montréal Canadiens (24-29-4) at Philadelphia Flyers (23-26-10)

MONTREAL CANADIENS NOTES:

À SURVEILLER CE SOIR / KEEP AN EYE ON…

  • The Canadiens and Flyers are facing each other for the 204th time in regular season. Including the playoffs, this will be the 241st match-up between the two teams.

DERNIER MATCH / LAST GAME – MTL 5 @ NJD 2 (@ PRUDENTIAL CENTER)
Buts MTL Goals – Barron, Kovacevic, Suzuki, Pitlick, Matheson
Buts NJD Goals – Bratt, Mercer (AN/PP)
Gardien MTL Goalie – Montembeault (38-40)
Gardien NJD Goalie – Vanecek (13-17)
Avantage numérique MTL Powerplay – 0/2
Avantage numérique NJD Powerplay – 1/3
Meneurs MTL Leaders – TOI (Matheson – 27:27) ; S (Anderson – 5) ; HT (Harris – 3) ; BS (Schueneman – 5)

MATCHS À VENIR / UPCOMING GAMES
25 FÉV. VS. OTTAWA 19 h / 7 p.m.
28 FÉV. @ SAN JOSE 22h30 / 10:30 p.m.
2 MARS @ LOS ANGELES 22h30 / 10:30 p.m.
3 MARS @ ANAHEIM 22 h / 10 p.m.
5 MARS @ VEGAS 18 h / 6 p.m.

RAPPORT MÉDICAL DE LA SAISON / SEASON INJURY REPORT
Joueur Player Date Blessure Injury Matchs ratés Games lost Retour Return
C. Price – Genou / Knee 57 –
P. Byron – Hanche / Hip 57 –
J. Evans – Bas du corps / Lower-body 14 –
B. Gallagher – Bas du corps / Lower-body 19 –
K. Guhle – Bas du corps / Lower-body 21 –
J. Slafkovsky – Bas du corps / Lower-body 13 –
S. Monahan – Bas du corps / Lower-body 32 –
C. Caufield – Épaule / Shoulder 11 –

RÉAFFECTATIONS, SIGNATURES ET TRANSACTIONS / ROSTER MOVES, SIGNINGS AND TRANSACTIONS
Les Canadiens ont réclamé l’attaquant Chris Tierney au ballottage (23/02)
The Canadiens have claimed forward Chris Tierney off waivers (02/23)
Les Canadiens ont rappelé le défenseur Corey Schueneman du Rocket de Laval (18/02)
The Canadiens have recalled defenseman Corey Schueneman from the Laval Rocket (02/18)
Les Canadiens ont rappelé les attaquants Alex Belzile et Jesse Ylönen du Rocket de Laval (09/02)
The Canadiens have recalled forwards Alex Belzile and Jesse Ylönen from the Laval Rocket (02/09)
Les Canadiens ont cédé les attaquants Alex Belzile et Jesse Ylönen au Rocket de Laval (31/01)
The Canadiens have loaned forwards Alex Belzile and Jesse Ylönen to the Laval Rocket (01/31)
Les Canadiens ont cédé l’attaquant Owen Beck aux Petes de Peterborough (28/01)
The Canadiens have loaned forward Owen Beck to the Peterborough Petes (01/28)

STATISTIQUES D’ÉQUIPE / TEAM STATISTICS – AVANT LES MATCHS DU 23/02 – BEFORE GAMES ON 02/23
PTS (52 – 26e/26th)
V/W (24 – 25e/25th)
BP/GF (152 – 29e/29th)
BC/GA (207 – 26e/26th)
Tirs-PM/Shots-PG (27.8 – 30e/30th)
Tirs accordés-PM/Shots allowed-PG (34.0 – 28e/28th)
MÉ/Hits (1101 – 28e/28th)
MP/PIM (713 – 2e/2nd)
AN/PP (16.7% – 28e/28th)
DN/PK (73.6% – 28e/28th)

LES CANADIENS CONTRE CHAQUE DIVISION L’AN DERNIER / THE HABS VS. EVERY DIVISION LAST SEASON
Adversaire Opponent Fiche Record PTS Buts pour Goals for Buts contre Goals against
Atlantique 9-14-3 21 84 89
Centrale 3-9-4 10 39 65
Métropolitaine 6-17-1 13 55 103
Pacifique 4-9-3 11 43 62
Total 22-49-11 55 221 319
*Inclut les buts en fusillade / Includes the shootout goals

LES CANADIENS CONTRE CHAQUE DIVISION CETTE SAISON / THE HABS VS. EVERY DIVISION THIS SEASON
Division Fiche Record PTS Buts pour Goals for Buts contre Goals against
Atlantique 4-11-1 9 33 67
Centrale 8-5-2 18 48 45
Métropolitaine 7-7-0 14 39 52
Pacifique 5-6-1 11 36 43
Total 24-29-4 52 156 207
*Inclut les buts en fusillade / Includes the shootout goals

MARTIN ST-LOUIS EN CHIFFRES / MARTIN ST. LOUIS’ NUMBERS…
Matchs/Games : 94
Victoires/Wins : 38
Fiche : 38-48-8
Points de classement/Standing points : 84

CANADIENS VS. PHILADELPHIE
À vie / All-Time
CANADIENS vs. PHI 93-74-30-6 (203 PJ / GP)
Dom. / Home 53-33-14-3 (103 PJ / GP)
Étr. / Away 40-41-16-3 (100 PJ / GP)
Dern. Match / Last game:
VTB 5-4 SOW @ MTL (19/11/22)
J. Allen 4-29 | C. Hart 4-32
BG / WG: N. Suzuki (TB/SO)

10 DERNIERS MATCHS CONTRE PHILADELPHIE / LAST 10 GAMES VS. PHILADELPHIE:
19/11/22 – PHI 4 @ MTL 5 (TB/SO)
21/04/22 – PHI 6 @ MTL 3
13/03/22 – MTL 4 @ PHI 3 (P/OT)
16/12/21 – PHI 2 @ MTL 3 (TB/SO)
16/01/20 – MTL 4 @ PHI 1
30/11/19 – PHI 4 @ MTL 3 (P/OT)
07/11/19 – MTL 2 @ PHI 3 (P/OT)
19/03/19 – MTL 3 @ PHI 1
21/02/19 – PHI 1 @ MTL 5
19/01/19 – PHI 5 @ MTL 2

CETTE SAISON CONTRE PHILADELPHIE / THIS SEASON VS. PHILADELPHIE
Match #1: 19/11/2022 @ MTL – VTB/SOW 5-4
Match #2: 24/02/2023 @ PHI
Match #3: 28/03/2023 @ PHI

MEILLEURS BUTEURS CONTRE PHILADELPHIE / LEADING GOAL SCORERS VS. PHILADELPHIE:
1) Sean Monahan (11-5-16, 17 pj/gp)
2) Mike Hoffman (10-8-18, 22 pj/gp)
3) Brendan Gallagher (10-8-18, 25 pj/gp)

MEILLEURS POINTEURS CONTRE PHILADELPHIE / LEADING SCORERS VS. PHILADELPHIE:
1) Mike Hoffman (10-8-18, 22 pj/gp)
2) Brendan Gallagher (10-8-18, 25 pj/gp)
3) Sean Monahan (11-5-16, 17 pj/gp)

MENEURS MINUTES DE PÉNALITÉ CONTRE PHILADELPHIE / MOST PENALTY MINUTES VS. PHILADELPHIE:
1) Joel Edmundson (24, 13 pj/gp)
2) Mike Matheson (22, 21 pj/gp)
3) Brendan Gallagher (20, 25 pj/gp)

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS NOTES:

TONIGHT’S GAME
Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Wells Fargo Center
TV: NBCSP | Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

UPCOMING GAMES
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (ET) BROADCAST INFO.
Sat., Feb. 25 New Jersey Devils Prudential Center 7:00 p.m. NBCSP, 93.3 WMMR
Wed., March 1 New York Rangers Wells Fargo Center 7:30 p.m. TNT, 93.3 WMMR
Sun., March 5 Detroit Red Wings Wells Fargo Center 6:00 p.m. NBCSP, 97.5 The Fanatic

CURRENT INJURIES
PLAYER INJURY DATES GAMES MISSED
Cam Atkinson IR-upper body 9/25-present 59
Sean Couturier IR-back 9/19-present 59
Ryan Ellis LTIR-groin/hip/back 10/11-present 59
Travis Konecny upper body 2/21-present 1
Tanner Laczynski IR-lower body 12/7-present 33
Zack MacEwen upper body-jaw 1/28-present 9
2022-23 TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 312

FLYERS VS. CANADIENS: HEAD-TO-HEAD
FLYERS MONTREAL
80-83-40 ALL-TIME RECORD 93-74-36
44-36-20 HOME 53-33-17
36-47-20 ROAD 40-41-19
1-1-3 LAST 5 MEETINGS 4-1-0
4-3-3 LAST 10 MEETINGS 6-2-2
603 GOALS SCORED 637
23.4% POWER PLAY 24.6%
75.4% PENALTY KILL 76.6%
van Riemsdyk: 30 pts (18-12=30) in 42 GP
Hayes: 11 pts (4-7=11) in 22 GP
Konecny: 10 pts (6-4=10) in 14 GP
TEAM SCORING LEADERS Hoffman: 18 pts (10-8=18) in 22 GP
Dadonov: 11 pts (7-4=11) in 14 GP
Drouin: 10 pts (1-9=10) in 15 GP
Hart: 2-2-3, 2.99 GAA, .910 SV% in 7 GP
Ersson & Sandstrom: Have not faced MTL
TEAM GOALTENDERS Allen: 1-3-0, 3.55 GAA, .883 SV% in 4 GP
Montembeault: 1-0-0, 3.54 GAA, .878 SV% in 2 GP

2022-23 SEASON SERIES (ALL TIMES EASTERN)
November 19 Bell Centre MTL (5), PHI (4) SO
February 24 Wells Fargo Center 7 p.m.
March 24 Wells Fargo Center 7 p.m

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
2/13 – Recalled F Kieffer Bellows and G Sam Ersson from Lehigh Valley (AHL); Placed F Zack MacEwen on Injured Reserve
2/11 – Loaned F Kieffer Bellows to Lehigh Valley (AHL)
2/11 – Recalled F Olle Lycksell from Lehigh Valley (AHL)

TEAM NOTES
QUICK HITS

  • Philadelphia faces Montreal Friday for the second of three season meetings. The Flyers earned a point in the first meeting with a 5-4 shootout loss in Montreal. Philadelphia is 3-1-3 in the last seven contests against the Canadiens.
  • The Flyers are 12-9-3 in their last 24 games.
  • Philadelphia has allowed the opposing team to score first in 34 of its 59 games this season. Philadelphia ranks T-7th in the NHL with 11 wins when trailing first in a game. The Flyers have scored first in 14 of their last 22 games, ranking T-7th in the NHL in wins (9) when scoring first since Jan. 2.
  • The Flyers tallied 40 hits Feb. 11 vs. NSH for their sixth game of 40-plus hits this season. The six games of 40-plus hits are the most in a single season since recording 13 games during the 2014-15 season.
  • Philadelphia recorded a franchise-best 59 hits Nov. 12 vs. OTT. The 59 hits are tied for the ninth-most in a regular season game in NHL history.
  • Philadelphia registered 30 blocked shots Monday at CGY for its fifth game of the season with 30-plus blocked shots

– the most 30-plus blocked shot games in a Flyers season since 2005-06. The Flyers tallied a season-high 32 blocked shots Oct. 27 vs. FLA.

  • The Flyers lead the NHL with 1,658 hits and with 1,045 blocked shots.

HOME COOKIN’

  • Philadelphia’s Friday contest is its last home game for the month of February. The Flyers will play nine of their 13 games in March at home, including a season-high seven-game homestand, March 14-28.
  • The Flyers have played in three extra session games in the last five home contests, posting a 1-0-2 record in those games. Flyers are 1-0-3 in extra play games at home this season.
  • Philadelphia is 5-5-2 in its last 12 home games and 11-14-3 in 28 home games this season.
  • The Flyers have scored three-plus goals in nine of its last 15 home games. The Flyers are 10-3-2 at home this season when scoring three-plus goals.

BACK-TO-BACKS

  • The Flyers play in two sets of back-to-backs this week, marking the team’s 11th & 12th back-to-back sets out of 15 this season.
  • Monday’s and Tuesday’s set was the fourth and final road back-to-back of the season:
  1. Oct. 18 at TBL (3-2 W); Oct. 19 at FLA (4-3 L)
  2. Nov. 1 at NYR (1-0 OTL); Nov. 2 at TOR (5-2 L)
  3. Dec. 22 at TOR (4-3 L); Dec. 23 at CAR (6-5 L)
  4. Feb. 20 at CGY (4-3 W); Feb. 21 at EDM (4-3 L)
  • Friday’s and Saturday’s set is the third of four home-to-road back-to-backs this season:
  1. Nov. 25 vs. PIT (4-1 L); Nov. 26 at NYI (5-2 L)
  2. Jan. 8 vs. TOR (6-2 L); Jan. 9 at BUF (4-0 W)
  3. Feb. 24 vs. MTL; Feb. 25 at NJ
  4. April 1 vs. BUF; April 2 at PIT
  • The Flyers are 4-5-2 in the first game of a back-to-back this season and 2-9-0 in the second.

NBA Preview: Sacramento Kings (33-25) at Los Angeles Clippers (33-28)

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NBA Preview: Sacramento Kings (33-25) at Los Angeles Clippers (33-28)

When the Los Angeles Clippers play the Sacramento Kings at home on Friday for the first time since the All-Star break, all eyes will be on their extensive roster experiment.

The Clippers added another significant player this week when they signed nine-time All-Star Russell Westbrook following his abrupt departure from the Los Angeles Lakers. The Clippers had already made a number of deals before the NBA trade deadline.

At the last minute, Westbrook was traded to the Jazz from the Lakers and released in a contract buyout in Utah. Following the departures of Marcus Morris Sr. and Paul George, Westbrook joined the Clippers. made an open request for his inclusion.

The Clippers, who started the season with hopes of making the NBA Finals, have had a difficult season, with George and Kawhi Leonard having to overcome injuries. Now that they are both healthy, they must combine their skills with the mysterious Westbrook.

The Clippers are currently tied with Sacramento for fourth place in the Western Conference with a record of 33-28.

The Kings are a good example of how a team can succeed after changing its roster. At the trade deadline last year, Sacramento sent Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Domantas Sabonis. This year, Sacramento did not make a significant move.

Sabonis returned to the All-Star Game this season, averaging 18.8 points and a NBA-best 12.4 rebounds. Haliburton’s All-Star performance for the Pacers was a refreshing sign that the trade worked out well for both teams.

The Kings defeated the visiting Portland Trail Blazers by a score of 133 to 116 on Thursday, the first night of a back-to-back, to begin the post-All-Star schedule in third place in the Western Conference. De’Aaron Fox scored 31 points, while Sabonis had a triple-double of 18 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Malik Monk returned to the Sacramento Kings for the break and scored 15 points in 21 minutes after missing two games with an ankle injury.

The Kings are 7-7 since going on a six-game winning streak in January.

Over the course of eight days, the Clippers and Kings will play each other twice; On March 3, they meet once more in Sacramento. This season, they split their previous two meetings.

Leonard did not play for the Clippers in either of the Clippers’ previous two games against the Kings, and George was also injured when Sacramento won on Dec. 3.

NBA Preview: Houston Rockets (13-45) at Golden State Warriors (29-30)

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NBA Preview: Houston Rockets (13-45) at Golden State Warriors (29-30)

When the Houston Rockets come to San Francisco on Friday night for a battle of floundering teams, it seems like the Golden State Warriors are getting exactly what they need.

On Thursday, the Warriors suffered their second double-digit defeat in a row in Los Angeles, falling 124-111 to the Lakers in a game that was not nearly as close as the final score would have you believe.

The Warriors were only able to use 11 players because Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and four other players were out, and they were 28 points behind and lost badly on the same court for the second game in a row. In the final game before the All-Star break, Golden State was defeated by the Clippers 134-124.

Nine days apart, there was more consistency than just the lopsided loss. Both were also played without Curry, who skipped the All-Star Game in an effort to speed up his recovery from a slight left knee ligament tear.

The day before the Lakers game, Curry was able to do some light exercise in Los Angeles. However, the Warriors later issued an update stating that it would be another week before he was even examined again, let alone considered for possible return to action.

In two previous encounters with the Rockets, Curry recorded two double-doubles: 33 points and 15 assists in a victory on the road in November and 30 points and 10 assists in a victory at home in December.

Additionally, it is likely that the Warriors, who are vying for the final playoff spot in the play-in tournament, will have to contend once more without Wiggins. He was taking care of a family issue while he was away from the team during the All-Star break.

Curry was challenged by former Northern California prep star Jalen Green when Golden State last played Houston. Green responded with 16 and 13 points in the two previous encounters. Green, on the other hand, will join Curry on the sidelines this time because he injured his left groin in Houston’s most recent game, a 133-96 loss to the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 15.

Houston’s poor health continues, even though it will play for the first time in nine days. The Rockets will be without their top two scorers because Kevin Porter Jr. is still out with a toe injury.

Eric Gordon, John Wall, and Danny Green, all of whom were acquired or traded in the previous week, will also not be available to the Rockets.

Rafael Stone, the general manager of the Rockets, suggested that opponents attack his team now before it reloads through the draft and free agency leading up to the following season after watching his team lose seven games in a row and fall to the bottom of the overall NBA standings with only 13 wins.

With Green and Porter out of action on Friday, TyTy Washington Jr. is expected to make his debut. In Porter’s absence, the rookie has seen his bench time increase, and he responded with a career-best 20-point performance in a five-game stretch in which he has played 19 or more minutes four times.

NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (28-30) at Phoenix Suns (32-28)

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NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (28-30) at Phoenix Suns (32-28)

When star guard Devin Booker was sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Phoenix Suns were underachievers earlier in the season.

However, Phoenix won 11 of 15 games before the All-Star break, Booker is healthy again, and Kevin Durant’s acquisition reenergized the team. With just 22 games remaining in the regular season, the Suns are suddenly seen as a contender for the title once more.

Although Durant won’t be on the court Friday night when Phoenix plays the Oklahoma City Thunder at home after the All-Star break, his impact is already clear.

On January 8, while he was a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Durant suffered a sprain to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. He impressed his new teammates during a serious scrimmage on Thursday, and he is close to returning, possibly on Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks or Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets.

On the court, Durant, who has been named an All-Star 13 times, has always been focused. Phoenix, which is fifth in the Western Conference, hopes that he will be the missing component in its quest for a championship.

Two years ago, the Suns made it to the NBA Finals, but they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. They were eliminated earlier in the season when the Dallas Mavericks beat them by 27 and 33 points in the Western Conference semifinals’ final two games.

In addition, Phoenix coach Monty Williams stated that Durant will have an impact on both sides of the ball, despite the fact that he is well-known for his tremendous offensive prowess, which includes winning four scoring titles.

The Thunder, Durant’s former team for nine seasons, starting with one campaign in Seattle, returned to action on Thursday night and lost to the host Utah Jazz 120-119 in overtime.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an All-Star guard, had 39 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. He also had a chance to win the game, but his 16-foot bank shot in overtime ran out of time.

As the second half of a back-to-back series that comes before a six-game homestand ends, the Thunder are half a game out of the West’s final play-in spot.

Daigneault found the performance of his team to be encouraging despite Thursday’s agonizing outcome.

When Oklahoma City defeated the Suns 117-96 at home in their final meeting of the season, it ended a five-game skid in the series.

NHL Preview: Minnesota Wild (31-21-5) at Toronto Maple Leafs (35-15-8)

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NHL Preview: Minnesota Wild (31-21-5) at Toronto Maple Leafs (35-15-8)

MINNESOTA WILD NOTES:

SERIES NOTES
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
All-Time Wild Record: 13-14-0 (8-5-0 at Xcel Energy Center, 5-9-0 at Toronto)

2022-23: Minnesota fell 4-3 in the series-opening game at Xcel Energy Center (11/25)…The Wild received two-point performances from D Alex Goligoski (0-2=2), LW Kirill Kaprizov (1-1=2) and RW Mats Zuccarello (1-1=2)…G Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24-of-28 shots faced for the Wild…C John Tavares led the Maple Leafs with two points (0-2=2))…Toronto received goals from C Zach AstonReese (1-0=1), C Calle Jarnkrok (1-0=1), RW Mitchell Marner (1- 0=1) and RW William Nylander (1-0=1)…G Matt Murray saved 25- of-28 shots faced for the Maple Leafs.

WILD LEADERS: Zuccarello leads the Wild with 25 points (12- 13=25) in 22 contests against Toronto…Goligoski has 13 assists in 26 matches…LW Marcus Foligno owns 12 points (4-8=12) in 31 contests…D Jon Merrill owns eight points (2-6=8) in 19 games.

WILD GOALIES: G Marc-Andre Fleury is 19-13-4 with a 3.01 GAA, a .897 SV% and one shutout in 38 career games (35 starts) vs. the Maple Leafs…G Filip Gustavsson is 1-0-0 with a 3.00 GAA and a .909 SV% in one career start (5/12/21).

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS: C Ryan O’Reilly leads Toronto with 33 points (16-17=33) in 53 contests against the Wild … D Mark Giordano has 25 points (9-16=25) in 51 games…Tavares has 20 points (8-12=20) in 20 matches…D Morgan Rielly has 13 assists in 16 contests.

MAPLE LEAFS GOALIES: Murray is 3-1-0 with a 2.51 GAA and a .914 SV% in four career starts against the Wild…G Ilya Samsonov has not faced Minnesota.

FAST FACTS: Minnesota is 10-6-0 in its last 16 games against Toronto, including a seven-game win streak (11/13/13-12/7/16)… The Wild has scored one goal or less in nine of its 14 all-time losses to the Maple Leafs…In its 13 wins, Minnesota has outscored Toronto, 42-20.

ON THE POWER PLAY
• The Wild has converted 28.4 percent (27 of 95) of power-play opportunities at home this season, fifth-best in the NHL.

• Since Jan. 19, Minnesota ranks second in the NHL with 12 power-play goals. Minnesota is 12-for-47 (25.6%) with the man advantage during that span, scoring a power-play goal in 11 of 15 contests.

PENALTY KILLERS
• The Wild has killed 22 consecutive shorthanded situations and has not allowed a power-play goal in a season-high nine consecutive games dating back to Feb. 8 at DAL.

• For the season, the Wild is tied for seventh in the NHL with a 81.9 penalty-kill percentage (154 for 188).

• Since Nov. 8, Minnesota is third in the NHL with a 83.8 penalty-kill percentage (129 for 154).

• Minnesota is tied for sixth in the NHL with a 82.3 penalty-kill percentage (79 of 96) on the road this season.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Score: Toronto 6 at Buffalo 3
Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2023
TOR Goals: O’Reilly, O’Reilly, Tavares, Bunting, Nylander (PP), O’Reilly (EN)
BUF Goals: Quinn, Tuch, Skinner
TOR Goaltender: Samsonov, 29/30, .906 SV%
BUF Goaltender: Luukkonen, 6/10, .600 SV% – Anderson, 17/18, .944 SV%
TOR Power Play: 1-for-2
TOR Penalty Kill: 1-for-1

Player Notes:

  • Ryan O’Reilly posted the fourth hat trick of his NHL career and the 21st multi-goal game of his NHL career. Per NHL Stats, “O’Reilly (3 GP) became the ninth player in Maple Leafs history to score a hat trick within his first three games with the club, a feat also achieved by teammates Auston Matthews (1 GP; Oct. 12, 2016) and John Tavares (3 GP; Oct. 7, 2018).” O’Reilly also recorded the primary assist on Tavares’ goal. O’Reilly tied a single-game NHL career-high four points, which he has marked on seven occasions during his NHL career.
  • John Tavares scored for the Maple Leafs at 7:14 of the first period and added three assists in Toronto’s win. Tavares recorded his second four-point game of the season and 14th game of his NHL career with four or more points. Tavares has scored in back-to-back games.
  • William Nylander scored on a Maple Leafs power play opportunity at 14:36 of the second period and recorded the secondary assist on Bunting’s goal. Nylander extended his current point streak to five games where he has posted nine points (4G, 5A). With his goal, Nylander posted the 50th power play goal of his NHL career and, per NHL Stats, “a mark only two other active players have achieved with the club: Auston Matthews (73) and Phil Kessel (52).”
  • Mitch Marner recorded the primary assist on all three of O’Reilly’s goals, the secondary assist on Tavares’ goal and the secondary assist on Nylander’s power play goal. With five assists, Marner set a new single-game NHL career-high. Per NHL Stats, “Marner (0-5—5) tied Pep Kelly (March 14, 1940 at MTL), Babe Pratt (Dec. 17, 1942 at MTL) and Borje Salming (Dec. 16, 1977 at MNS) for the most assists in a road game in franchise history.” Marner has posted 51 assists this season, the fourth time in his NHL career to surpass the 50-assist mark.
  • Morgan Rielly recorded the primary assist on Bunting’s goal. Rielly has recorded three assists through his last two games. With the assist, Rielly recorded the 331st assist of his NHL career, claiming sole possession of ninth place on the franchise leader board for most assists surpassing Ted Kennedy.
  • Ilya Samsonov stopped 29 of 32 shots he faced in Tuesday’s win. Samsonov earned his 20th win of the season improving to 20-7-2 record through 29 games. Per NHL Stats, “Samsonov required the second-fewest games to reach 20 career wins with the franchise behind Jack Campbell (27 GP from 2019-20 – 2020-21).”

TONIGHT’S GAME
2022-23 Matchups vs. Minnesota: Second of Two
2021-22 Record vs. Minnesota: 1-0-1
Toronto Season Record: 35-15-8
Toronto Home Record: 22-6-4

TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
The Maple Leafs are scheduled to face-off against the Minnesota Wild tonight in the second of two matchups between the clubs this season. Toronto won their first meeting of the 2022-23 campaign against the Wild 4-3 on November 25th at Xcel Energy Center. John Tavares led the team in points during Toronto’s win with two assists. The Maple Leafs have earned at least one point in five-consecutive games against Minnesota (4-0-1). Toronto has posted a 22-6-4 record on home ice this season, currently the second-best home record in the league. Following tonight’s home appearance, the Maple Leafs begin a five-game road trip on Sunday against the Seattle Kraken. Mark Giordano has registered 2,041 blocks during his NHL career, currently three blocks away from tying Kris Russell for the all-time NHL record for most blocked shots. Giordano leads the Maple Leafs with 110 blocks this season. With five assists recorded on Tuesday night against Buffalo, Mitch Marner set a new single-game NHL career-high in assists. Marner leads the Maple Leafs in assists this season with 51, which ranks him fifth in league among assist leaders.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: TSN4 RADIO: Sportsnet 590

NEXT GAME
Date: Sunday, February 26, 2023
Opponent: at Seattle Kraken
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Broadcast Information: Sportsnet Ontario (TV), TSN 1050 (Radio)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
February 18, 2023 The Maple Leafs have recalled goaltender Erik Källgren from the Toronto Marlies (AHL) on an emergency basis. Forward Pontus Holmberg has been loaned to the Marlies.

February 17, 2023 The Maple Leafs acquired Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari in a three-team trade with St. Louis and Minnesota. St. Louis receives Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette, Toronto’s 1st round pick in ’23, Ottawa’s 3rd round pick in ’23 and Toronto’s 2nd round pick in ’24. Minnesota receives Toronto’s 4th round pick in ’25. St. Louis will retain 50% and Minnesota will retain 25% of O’Reilly’s salary as part of the trade. Toronto also received Josh Pillar from the Minnesota Wild as part of the transaction.

February 15, 2023 The Maple Leafs have loaned forward Alex Steeves to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

February 14, 2023 The Maple Leafs have recalled forward Pontus Holmberg, forward Alex Steeves and goaltender Joseph Woll from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

INJURY REPORT
Carl Dahlström Shoulder (LTIR)
Victor Mete Lower Body (LTIR)
Matt Murray Ankle (LTIR)
Jake Muzzin Neck (LTIR)
Nick Robertson Shoulder (LTIR)

ALL-TIME VS. MINNESOTA WILD:
First Matchup between Clubs: October 25, 2000 (Toronto 6 vs. Minnesota 1)
All-Time Record: 14-11-0-2 (27 Games)
All-Time Record at Home: 9-5-0-0 (14 Games)
All-Time Record on the Road: 5-6-0-2 (13 Games)
Last Home Win vs. Opponent: February 24, 2022 (Toronto 3 vs. Minnesota 1)

ACTIVE LEADERS VS. MINNESOTA WILD:
Games Played: Ryan O’Reilly (53), Mark Giordano (51), TJ Brodie (31)
Goals: Ryan O’Reilly (16), Mark Giordano (9), John Tavares (8)
Assists: Ryan O’Reilly (17), Mark Giordano (16), Morgan Rielly (13)
Points: Ryan O’Reilly (33), Mark Giordano (25), John Tavares (20)
Penalty Minutes: Mark Giordano (47), TJ Brodie (16), Alexander Kerfoot (12)

2022-23 AVERAGES
Points % GF/Game GA/Game PP% PK% SF/G SA/G FO%
Toronto .672 3.45 2.67 25.7 81.1 32.3 29.0 52.6
Minnesota .595 2.85 2.74 23.5 81.9 31.1 30.2 47.6

THE MAN ADVANTAGE IN 2022-23
Power Play: 25.7%
Power Play Goal Leader: 11 – Tavares
Power Play Point Leader: 28 – Marner (6G, 22A)
2021-22 Power Play: 63/231 (27.3%)

ON THE PK IN 2022-23
Penalty Kill: 81.1%
Shorthanded Goal Leader: 2 – Marner
Shorthanded Point Leader: 3 – Järnkrok (1G, 2A), Marner (2G, 1A)
2021-22 Penalty Kill: 192/234 (82.1%)

FAST FACTS
Friday games 5th of 6 (4 home, 2 road)
Back-to-Backs played 9 of 14
Record in first game of back-to-back 6-3-0
Record in second game of back-to-back 5-3-1
February games 8th of 9 (5 home, 4 road)

NHL Preview: Buffalo Sabres (29-23-4) at Florida Panthers (29-25-6)

NHL Editor
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0
NHL Preview: Buffalo Sabres (29-23-4) at Florida Panthers (29-25-6)

BUFFALO SABRES NOTES:

LAST GAME
Thursday, Feb. 23
Buffalo 6 at Tampa Bay 5 (OT)
Goals: Thompson (3), Girgensons, Quinn, Lyubushkin
Goalies: Comrie (36 saves/41 shots)
PP: 1/2; PK: 2/3; Shots: Tampa Bay 41 – Buffalo 23

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 103)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
N/A

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST SEVEN DAYS
N/A

UPCOMING GAMES
Sunday, Feb. 26: Washington at Buffalo, 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 28: Columbus at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 2: Buffalo at Boston, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 4: Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 12:30 p.m.
Monday, March 6: Edmonton at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.

TODAY’S GAME
SABRES AT PANTHERS
• This is the third of four meetings between the Sabres and Panthers this season.
• Last meeting: Florida defeated Buffalo 4-1 in Buffalo on Jan. 16.
• Next meeting: Saturday, April 4 in Florida
• The Sabres are 3-7-0 in their last 10 games against the Panthers; 2-6-2 on the road.
• This is the 110th game all-time between Buffalo and Florida; Buffalo has a 52-48-9 series record.
• The Sabres are 22-25-5 on the road against the Panthers all-time.

FLORIDA PANTHERS NOTES:

BAPTIST HEALTH INJURY REPORT

  • F Anthony Duclair | Games Missed: 60
  • F Patric Hornqvist | Games Missed: 35
  • F Sam Bennett | Games Missed: 3
    Total Man Games Lost Due to Injury: 182

LAST GAME
Panthers 4, Ducks 3 [OT] – Feb. 20 – FLA Live Arena
FLA Goals: E. Staal (11), M. Staal (2), Lomberg (8), Verhaeghe (30-OT)
ANA Goals: McTavish (13), Vatrano (15-PPG), Kulikov (3)
FLA Goalie: Bobrovsky (W) – 29 Saves
ANA Goalie: Gibson (L [OT]) – 51 Saves
FLA Shots: 55
ANA Shots: 32
Notes: Carter Verhaeghe tallied his 2nd career regular-season OT goal…Matthew Tkachuk (0-2-2) extended his point streak to two games (1-2-3)…Nick Cousins posted an assist for his second point in as many games (1-1-2)…Eetu Luostarinen posted two assists…Eric and Marc Staal’s goals represented the 2nd instance of two brothers scoring in the same game for the Panthers…Florida’s 55 shots on goal tied for the 2nd-most in a game in club history…FLA PP: 0-2, FLA PK: 1-2

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

  • Feb. 23: F Chris Tierney claimed off waivers by MTL
  • Feb. 22: G Alex Lyon recalled from Charlotte (AHL) | G Spencer Knight and F Grigori Denisenko loaned to Charlotte (AHL)

PANTHERS vs. SABRES
ALL-TIME vs. BUF: 53-44-4-8
ALL-TIME HOME vs. BUF: 29-19-1-3
2022-23 vs. BUF: 2-0-0

CATS STATS

  • Matthew Tkachuk’s 52 even-strength points lead all NHL forwards this season.
  • Aleksander Barkov has recorded 30 points (9-21-30) over 26 career games against Buffalo.
  • Matthew Tkachuk has amassed 17 points (8-9-17) over 12 career games vs. the Sabres.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Panthers are 7-2-0 over their past nine games at FLA Live Arena, outscoring their opponents 39-26. Overall at home this season, Florida owns a 16-8-3 record and will play eight of their next nine games on home ice. Their only road trip over that span being to Tampa Bay on Feb. 28, the Panthers next nine games will all take place in the state of Florida. Of Florida’s 22 remaining games in the 2022-23 regular season, 14 will be on home ice. The Cats have scored 105 goals at FLA Live Arena this season (5th-most) for a 3.89 goals for per game average at home that ranks second behind TBL. Matthew Tkachuk leads the Cats with 42 points (14-28-42) over 25 home games in 2022-23; his 1.68 points per game on home ice ranks fourth among League skaters.

CATS AND SABRES
Florida will face off against Buffalo for the third time this season, and the first of two matchups at FLA Live Arena (also April 4). The Cats earned the win in each of their prior two visits to KeyBank Center this season, tallying four goals in each contest. Matthew Tkachuk leads Florida with five points (1-4-5) against the Sabres this season, while Brandon Montour (2-0-2) has scored a goal in both games against his former team in 2022-23. The Panthers have won each of their prior six games against Buffalo since Dec. 2, 2021, posting an 8-1-0 record against the Sabres at FLA Live Arena since Dec. 20, 2016.

POUR IT ON
Following games played Feb. 22, the Panthers ranked third among NHL teams with 207 goals scored, and their 137 even-strength goals ranked second behind SEA. The Cats lead all NHL clubs averaging 36.4 shots on goal per game.

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