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Boxing Preview: Efe “The Silent Roller” Ajagba (16-1-0 13 KO’s) vs Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw (18-0-0, 13 KO’s)

Fight Editor
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Boxing Preview: Efe “The Silent Roller” Ajagba (16-1-0 13 KO’s) vs Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw (18-0-0, 13 KO’s)

January 14: Efe Ajagba-Stephan Shaw Heavyweight Showdown Tabbed as New Main Event at Turning Stone Resort Casino LIVE on ESPN – Shaw replaces Oscar Rivas, who was forced to withdraw with an injury

Ajagba-Shaw & Guido Vianello-Jonnie Rice heavyweight doubleheader will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

WHEN IS AJAGBA VS. SHAW? DATE, START TIME
Date: Friday, January 6
Main card: 3 a.m. GMT / 10 p.m. ET
Main event ringwalks (approx): 5 a.m. GMT / 12 a.m. ET
The fight will take place at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona.
US viewers can watch Ajagba vs. Shaw live on ESPN+ while in the United Kingdom, the event will be broadcast on Sky Sports.
The main card is set to get underway at 3 a.m. GMT / 10 p.m. ET with the Ajagba vs. Shaw ringwalks scheduled for 5 a.m.

The matchups have changed, but a high-octane heavyweight doubleheader will still go down Saturday, Jan. 14, at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

In the 10-round main event, Efe “The Silent Roller” Ajagba will now take on St. Louis native Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw. Oscar Rivas was originally slated to fight Ajagba but had to withdraw with an eye injury.

Guido “The Gladiator” Vianello, who was scheduled to fight Shaw in the co-feature, will now face the upset-minded Jonnie Rice in a 10-rounder.

Ajagba-Shaw and Vianello-Rice will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ and includes a 10-round junior lightweight tilt between Adam “BluNose” Lopez and Abraham “El Super” Nova.

“Stephan Shaw stepped up and has a tough task against one of the division’s biggest punchers in Efe Ajagba,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “We’re pleased that Guido will remain on the card against a formidable opponent in ­Jonnie Rice. This will be a fantastic heavyweight doubleheader at Turning Stone.”

Shaw (18-0, 13 KOs) went 3-0 with two stoppages in 2022, including a shutout eight-round decision over Rydell Booker in November. Ajagba (16-1, 13 KOs) is one of the heavyweight division’s hardest punchers and is coming off a second-round stoppage over Jozsef Darmos in August.

Vianello (10-0-1, 9 KOs), a 2016 Italian Olympian from Rome, has won three fights since a 2020 draw to Kingsley Ibeh. Rice (15-6-1, 10 KOs) has faced a host of heavyweight hopefuls, including Ajagba and Shaw. Following back-to-back losses in 2020, Rice re-energized his career with a fifth-round TKO over then-unbeaten prospect Michael Coffie in July 2021. He repeated the deed on New Year’s Day, outlasting Coffie via a 10-round unanimous decision.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets priced from $49 to $89 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Resort Casino Box Office, charge by phone by calling 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.com.

AJAGBA VS. SHAW FIGHT CARD
Efe Ajagba vs. Stephan Shaw; Heavyweight
Adam Lopez vs. Abraham Nova; Super featherweight
Guido Vianello vs. Jonathan Rice; Heavyweight
Floyd Diaz vs. Edwin Rodriguez; Super bantamweight
Brian Norman vs. Rodrigo Coria; Welterweight
Haven Brady Jr. v. Ruben Cervera; Super featherweight
Rohan Polaco vs. Julian Smith; Welterweight
Dante Benjamin vs. Emmanueal Austin; Light heavyweight
Bruce Carrington vs. Juan Antonio Lopez; Featherweight
Bryce Mills vs. Margarito Hernanez; Super lightweight

Revolution Sign Andrew Farrell to Contract Extension

MLS Editor
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Revolution Sign Andrew Farrell to Contract Extension

Five-time Revolution Defender of the Year and club’s all-time service leader set to begin 11th MLS season

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution have signed defender Andrew Farrell to a one-year contract extension using Targeted Allocation Money for the 2023 MLS season, with two additional option years for 2024 and 2025. Farrell, the Revolution’s all-time leader in games played, starts, and minutes played, is set to begin his 11th MLS season in 2023, all with New England.

“Andrew Farrell is an important player in our team and has represented the Revolution with the utmost class throughout his decade with the club,” Revolution Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena said. “Andrew’s durability on the field and leadership in the locker room will continue to benefit our team. We are happy to reward Andrew with this new contract.”  

Farrell begins the 2023 campaign as one of the league’s top ironmen with the most regular season appearances (304), starts (301), and minutes played (26,792) in MLS since he joined New England as the first-overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. The Louisville, Ky. native has been voted the Revolution Defender of the Year five times by local media, including back-to-back honors in 2021 and 2022. Farrell, who has never missed more than five games in a season over his 10-year MLS career, has also amassed 13 MLS Cup Playoff starts with New England.

The Revolution are back in action at the Socios.com Training Center in Foxborough with the 2023 MLS preseason now underway. New England will travel to Florida on January 29, where the team will play five preseason exhibitions against MLS opponents. New England then begins the 2023 MLS Regular Season on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Charlotte FC (7:30 p.m. ET), before the home opener at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, March 4 vs. Houston Dynamo FC (7:30 p.m. ET). Every Revolution, MLS, and Leagues Cup match airs on MLS Season Pass – all in one place, with no blackouts.

MLS Season Pass: MLS Season Pass will launch on February 1, 2023 – introducing an unprecedented subscription service to fans that features every live MLS and Leagues Cup match, as well as hundreds of MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT games. MLS Season Pass will be available on billions of devices through the Apple TV app Apple TV app on Apple devices,smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, and on the web at tv.apple.com.

Starting February 1, fans can subscribe to MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app for $14.99 per month during the season or $99 per season, and Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up at a special price of $12.99 per month and $79 per season. As an exclusive benefit of their full-season membership, New England Revolution Season Members will receive one MLS Season Pass subscription with each account. Visit Revolutionsoccer.net or call 1-877-GET-REVS to learn more about becoming a Season Member.

TRANSACTION: New England Revolution re-sign defender Andrew Farrell for the 2023 MLS season using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM), with two additional option years for 2024 and 2025, on Jan. 13, 2023.

Andrew Farrell at a Glance:

  • Leads MLS in minutes played, appearances, and starts since entering MLS as the first-overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft.
  • The Revolution’s all-time leaders in starts, games, and minutes across all competitions.
  • Voted the club’s Defender of the Year five times by local media, including four of the last five seasons (2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022.
  • Owns 13 MLS Cup Playoff appearances, all starts.
  • New England’s 2018 Humanitarian of the Year for his notable work with Special Olympics Massachusetts, among other causes.

#88 ANDREW FARRELL

Pronunciation: FAIR-ull

Position: Defender

Height: 5-11

Weight: 185

Hometown: Louisville, Ky.        

Date of Birth: 04/02/1992 (Louisville, Ky.)

Nationality: United States

How Acquired: No. 1 pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft; Re-signed in January 2023.

NHL Preview: Calgary Flames (20-14-9) at Dallas Stars (25-11-7)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: Calgary Flames (20-14-9) at Dallas Stars (25-11-7)

CALGALRY FLAMES NOTES:

FLAMES LAST GAME RECAP
JANUARY 12, 2023 – CALGARY FLAMES [4] vs. ST. LOUIS BLUES [1]
The Calgary Flames continued a five-game Central Division road trip on Thursday night for their second of back-to-back games against the Blues. It was a busy opening 20 minutes of play with the teams combining for 28 first frame shots with the Flames holding a 16-12 shot advantage, but Dan Vladar and Thomas Greiss stood tall to keep the game scoreless after one. The game remained knotted at zero’s with less that five minutes to go in the second until Walker Duehr took a pass from Nazem Kadri and rifled home his first career NHL goal to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. The Blues would draw level just 20 seconds into the third, but the Flames would battle back with Dillon Dube reclaiming the lead for Calgary, followed by a late dagger from Blake Coleman. Dube would add an empty-netter for his second of the night to put the game out of reach, and the Flames prevailed 4-1.
CGY GOAL SCORERS: Duehr (1), Dube (9, 10), Coleman (8)
GOALIE: Vladar (25/26, .962 Sv%)
PP: 0/1 (0%)
PK: 3/3 (100%)
FLAMES LAST FIVE RESULTS, RECORD: 2-1-2

DATE RESULT GWG CGY GOALIE OPP. GOALIE
January 12, 2023 CGY [4] at STL [1] Dube Vladar Greiss
January 10, 2023 CGY [3] at STL 4 Thomas Markstrom Binnington
January 8, 2022 CGY [3] at CHI 4 Domi Markstrom/Vladar Stalock
January 6, 2023 NYI [1] vs. CGY [4] Coleman Markstrom Varlamov
January 3, 2023 CGY [2] at WPG [3] Gagner Markstrom Hellebuyck
*shootout winning goal

FLAMES UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
DATE TIME
(MST) OPPONENT VENUE
January 14, 2023 12:00pm at Dallas Starts American Airlines Center
January 16, 2023 6:00pm at Nashville Predators Bridgestone Arena
January 18, 2023 7:30pm vs. Colorado Avalanche Scotiabank Saddledome
January 21, 2023 1:00pm vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Scotiabank Saddledome
January 23, 2023 7:30pm vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Scotiabank Saddledome

TONIGHTS STORYLINES & STATS
This is the first of three matchups this season between the Flames and Stars. The Flames recorded points in every game against the Stars last season going 2-0-1. This is a Pacific Division versus Central Division matchup; The Flames have an overall record of 5-3-2 against Central Division opponents this season and a record of 13-6-4 against Western Conference opponents.

LAST SPRING VERSUS THE STARS:
This is the first meeting between Calgary and Dallas since their playoff matchup last spring. The Flames and Stars met in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs and the two teams split the first four games. In game five Calgary scored three third-period goals off the sticks of Mikael Backlund, Andrew Mangiapane, and Trevor Lewis to take a 3-2 series lead. The first do-or-die game of the series was in game six, the Flames overcame a two-goal deficit in the second period, but the Stars would stave off elimination and force game seven with a 4-2 win. In game seven, Dallas scored just 40 seconds into the game and held the lead until Tyler Toffoli tied the game in the second. The teams traded goals and through 60 minutes of play the score was deadlocked at two’s, forcing overtime. Calgary prevailed thanks to Johnny Gaudreau who scored to send the Flames to the second round for the first time since 2015.

DALLAS STARS NOTES:

LAST DALLAS STARS GAME
Jan. 12, 2023 – STARS 1 at RANGERS 2 (OT)
Just 0.9 seconds away from what would’ve been a 1-0 shutout victory, the Stars instead fell 2-1 in overtime to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Goaltender Jake Oettinger was perfect up that point, but defenseman K’Andre Miller’s shot through traffic beat the buzzer to force overtime. Then, just 1:16 into sudden death, defenseman Adam Fox sent a backhander over Oettinger’s shoulder to steal a win for the Rangers. Forward Tyler Seguin (1-0—1) opened the scoring at the 17:53 mark of the second period with a power-play tally on assists from forwards Mason Marchment (0-1—1) and Denis Gurianov (0-1—1).
PP: 1-1 | PK: 1-2 | SF: 25 | SA: 31 | DAL TOI: Heiskanen (24:41) | Attendance: 18,006
Three Stars: 1. NYR – A. Fox 2. NYR – I. Shesterkin 3. DAL – J. Oettinger

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time (CT) Location TV/Radio
Sat., Jan. 14, 2023 Calgary Flames 1 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSW/KTCK
Mon., Jan. 16, 2023 Vegas Golden Knights 5 p.m. T-Mobile Arena BSSW/KLIF
Wed., Jan. 18, 2023 San Jose Sharks 9 p.m. SAP Center TNT/KTCK
Thu., Jan. 19, 2023 Los Angeles Kings 9:30 p.m. Crypto.com Arena BSSW/KTCK
Sat., Jan. 21, 2023 Arizona Coyotes 7 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSW/KTCK

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Dec. 12 – Recalled forward Riley Tufte from Texas (AHL)
Dec. 15 – Acquired defenseman Oskari Laaksonen from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Joseph Cecconi
Dec. 23 – Loaned forward Riley Tufte to Texas (AHL)
Dec. 27 – Recalled forward Fredrik Olofsson from Texas (AHL)
Jan. 1 – Loaned forward Fredrik Olofsson to Texas (AHL)
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)

INJURIES
Man-games lost, 2022-23: 16
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 2 Jan. 10-pres.

DID YOU KNOW?
The Flames and Stars have met in the first round of the playoffs twice since the 2019-20 season with both teams each winning a series. Dallas won 4-2 in 2020, Calgary won 4-3 in 2022. The Flames lead the NHL in first period goals with 47. Two Flames players played their first career NHL games against the Dallas Stars. Milan Lucic skated in his first NHL game at the American Airlines Center on October 5th , 2007 and Michael Stone made his NHL debut against the Stars on February 18th, 2012.

CALGARY FLAMES vs. DALLAS STARS
ALL-TIME HOME AWAY L10 STRK
CGY vs. DAL 79-66-25-9 44-25-14-6 35-41-11-3 4-4-2 W2
GAME INFO:
Calgary Flames vs. Dallas Stars
1:00pm CT
American Airlines Center
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet Fan 960
2022-23 Season Series: 0-0-0 (Home: 0-0-0, Road 0-0-0)
Jan.14, 2023 – CGY at DAL
Mar. 6, 2023 – CGY at DAL
Mar. 18, 2023 – DAL at CGY

2021-22 Season Record vs. DAL: 2-0-1 (Home: 1-0-1, Road: 1-0-0)
Last Home Win vs. DAL: April 21, 2023 – Dallas [2] vs. Calgary [4]
Last Road Win @ DAL: February 1, 2022 – Calgary [4] at Dallas [3]
Last Home Loss vs. DAL: November 4, 2021 – Dallas [4] vs. Calgary 3
Last Road Loss @ DAL: December 18, 2018 – Calgary [0] at Dallas [2]
2022-23 CALGARY FLAMES

FLAMES RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
Dec. 18 – recalled Dennis Gilbert (D) from Calgary (AHL); placed Chris Tanev (D) on IR (retroactive)
Dec. 20 – recalled Nick DeSimone (D) from Calgary (AHL); placed Dennis Gilbert (D) on IR
Dec. 20 – reassigned Radim Zohorna (F) to Calgary (AHL)
Dec. 24 – reassigned Matthew Phillips (F) and Nick DeSimone (D) to Calgary (AHL)
Dec. 27 – recalled Radim Zohorna (F) from Calgary (AHL)
Dec. 28 – activated Dennis Gilbert (D) from IR
Dec. 29 – reassigned Dennis Gilbert (D) and Radim Zohorna (F) to Calgary (AHL)
Dec. 30 – recalled Radim Zohorna (F) from Calgary (AHL)
Jan. 7 – recalled Jakob Pelletier (F) and Walker Duehr (F) from Calgary (AHL); placed Brett Ritchie (F) on IR
Jan. 13 – reassigned Radim Zohorna (F) to Calgary (AHL)

FLAMES RECENT INJURIES (Total man games lost – 32)
Noah Hanifin – illness (1 game: Oct. 21)
Chris Tanev – upper-body (5 games: Nov. 3 – Nov. 10)
Jonathan Huberdeau – upper-body (3 games: Nov. 8 – Nov. 12)
Michael Stone – lower-body (11 games: Nov. 7 – Nov. 25)
MacKenzie Weegar – non-COVID illness (1 game: Dec. 12)
Elias Lindholm – upper-body injury (1 game: Dec. 12)
Chris Tanev – upper-body injury (3 games: Dec. 14 – Dec. 18)
Radim Zohorna – non-COVID illness (1 game: Dec. 18)
Dennis Gilbert – lower-body injury (4 games: Dec. 20 – Dec. 27)
Brett Ritchie – upper-body injury (3 games: Jan. 8 – Jan. 12)

DALLAS STARS NOTES
TONIGHT’S GAME: The oddity that is the midway point of the 2022-23 Dallas Stars regular-season schedule continues today as the team returns home for an afternoon affair against the Calgary Flames at American Airlines Center (1 p.m. CT, TV: Bally Sports Southwest, Radio: The Ticket 96.7-FM/1310-AM). Today’s matchup continues a stretch that’s seen the Stars traverse from one coast to the other with a home game split in between. Dallas had road games Jan. 3-4 in LA and Anaheim, respectively, returned for a home game against Florida, then traveled to the East Coast for games against the New York Islanders and New York Rangers earlier this week. Following today’s game, the Stars will head back on the road for games against Vegas, San Jose and LA.

I PUT ON MY OVERCOAT AND WALKED INTO WINTER

  • The Stars and Flames meet today for the first time since Game 7 of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 15, 2022.
  • Dallas went 1-2-0 against Calgary last season, earning a split at Scotiabank Saddledome and losing 4-3 at American Airlines Center on Feb. 1, 2022.
  • The Stars enter today’s game with points in nine of their past 12 (8-3-1) and 11 of their past 16 games overall against the Flames (10-5-1).
  • The Stars are 75-69-35 all-time against the Flames, including a 44-28-18 mark at home.
  • Dallas also has points in four of the past six home games against Calgary (3-2-1).
  • Defenseman Miro Heiskanen led the team with four points (0-4—4) while averaging 24:46 TOI in three games against the Flames last season.
  • Heiskanen has seven points (1-6—7) in nine career games vs. Calgary and leads active Stars in TOI/G against them (24:37).
  • Captain Jamie Benn has points (2-2—4) in four of his past five home games against Calgary. He leads active Stars in goals (20) and ranks second in points (20-15—35) in 37 career matchups vs. the Flames.
  • Forward Tyler Seguin enters today’s game with 12 goals and 24 points (12-12—24) in 26 games against the Flames. He shares the lead in game-winning goals (4; with Benn) and is one of three active Stars with overtime winners against them (also Benn and Joe Pavelski).
  • Forward Joe Pavelski has eight points (2-6—8) in his past eight home games against Calgary and leads active Stars in assists (36) and points (16-36—52) in a team-high 58 games against them. Pavelski also paces the club in power-play goals (7) and shots on goal (173) and ranks second in game-winning markers (3) vs. Calgary.
  • Forward Denis Gurianov has points (2-2—4) in each of his past four games vs. Calgary.
  • Defenseman Ryan Suter has 28 points (5-23—28) with a team-best +11 rating in 57 games against the Flames.
  • Goaltender Jake Oettinger is 0-2-0 with a 3.56 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in two career appearances vs. Calgary, while netminder Scott Wedgewood is 0-2-0 with a 2.87 GAA and .924 SV% in two career games against them.

2022-23 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
Jan. 14 vs. Calgary
March 6 vs. Calgary
March 18 at Calgary

NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 14, 2023

NHL Editor
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NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 14, 2023

* In true Connor McDavid fashion, No. 97 celebrated his 26th birthday by becoming the fastest player to reach the 80-point mark in a season since Mario Lemieux (31 GP), Jaromir Jagr (37 GP) and Ron Francis (44 GP) in 1995-96. 

* Rookie Cole Perfetti tallied a three-assist outing en route to a franchise first as the Jets matched the idle Central Division-leading Stars in terms of points. 

* Connor Bedard dazzled with a hat trick and five-point night as a follow-up to his career-high six point showing in his last game on the day he was named the No. 1 ranked North American skater for the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft as the NHL Central Scouting Bureau released its mid-season rankings presented by BioSteel.

BIRTHDAY-BOY McDAVID BECOMES FIRST PLAYER TO 80 POINTS IN 2022-23
While celebrating his 26th birthday, Connor McDavid (2-1—3) opened the scoring to become the first player this season to reach the 80-point mark and Leon Draisaitl (1-2—3) recorded his 70th career three-point outing while skating in his 600th NHL game as the Oilers scored seven to sink the Sharks at SAP Center. 

* McDavid (37-45—82 in 44 GP) became the third player in Oilers history to record 80 points in 44 or fewer games in a season, following Wayne Gretzky (7x; best: 28 GP in 1983-84) and Jari Kurri (2x; best: 38 GP in 1984-85).

* Draisaitl became the seventh player in Oilers history to record at least 70 games with three-plus points. He joined Gretzky (301x), Kurri (137x), Mark Messier (115x), McDavid (95x), Glenn Anderson (92x) and Paul Coffey (86x).

JETS FLY CLOSER TO THE TOP OF THE CENTRAL DIVISION
Blake Wheeler (1-1—2) and Mark Scheifele (2-0—2) each climbed Jets/Thrashers all-time lists, while Cole Perfetti (0-3—3) achieved a franchise first with his second three-assist outing of 2022-23 as Winnipeg (28-14-1, 57 points) matched idle Dallas (25-11-7, 57 points), which sits atop the Central Division standings, in terms of points.

* Wheeler scored his 38th game-opening goal as a member of the Jets/Thrashers and surpassed Bryan Little (37) for sole possession of the third most in franchise history, behind Scheifele (50) and Ilya Kovalchuk (48).

* Scheifele recorded his 156th career multi-point game and surpassed Kovalchuk (155) for the second most in franchise history, behind only Wheeler (194).

* Perfetti fell one shy of Kovalchuk’s Jets/Thrashers rookie record for most assists in a game (1-4—5 on Jan. 19, 2002), but did become the first rookie in franchise history to post multiple outings with three-plus assists in a single campaign (also Nov. 29, 2022). Perfetti (6-19—25) now has 19 helpers on the season and tied Arizona’s Matias Maccelli for the most by a rookie in 2022-23.

HUGHES HITS 50 POINTS ON #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The most recent edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured Jack Hughes (2-1—3), who became the fifth player in Devils/Scouts/Rockies history to record consecutive 50-point seasons at the age 21 or younger and is now on pace for 100 points.

BEDARD SITS AT TOP OF MID-SEASON DRAFT RANKINGS
Connor Bedard, a center from the WHL’s Regina Pats and the 2023 World Junior Championship MVP, ranked No. 1 among North American skaters for the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft when the NHL Central Scouting Bureau released its mid-season rankings presented by BioSteel on Friday. Leo Carlsson, a forward for Orebro in the Swedish Hockey League, topped all international skaters.  

* Click herefor #NHLStats: 10 Things to Know About Connor Bedard – a mix of on-ice achievements and off-ice storylines including the time he brought a hockey stick on vacation to Hawaii, set Team Canada records at the World Junior Championship and skated in on a 2-on-1 with Connor McDavid (as told by Patrick Kane).

NHL PODCASTS WEEKLY ROUNDUP

* NHL Fantasy (Jan. 9): Fantasy waiver wire pickups: Week 14
* NHL Fantasy (Jan. 9): Action Network Collab: Week 14; Awards races
* Draft Class (Jan. 10):Jason Bukala, Sportsnet scouting analyst
* NHL @ The Rink (Jan. 11):Tom Gulitti joins; Red-hot Kraken, Trophy Tracker, more
* La Tasse de café LNH (Jan. 11): Déboires des Canadiens et retour sur le Championnat mondial junior
* The Chirp w/ Daren Millard (Jan. 12): John Forslund joins for Kraken talk
* NHL Fantasy (Jan. 12): Mailbag; Frederik Andersen’s value; guest Chris Meaney

QUICK CLICK

* Alex Ovechkin cheered by more than 800 kids for goals mark at Capitals skate
* 2023 NHL Draft: Connor Bedard atop Central Scouting midterm rankings
* Martha’s Vineyard high school hockey team subject of new documentary
* NHL All-Star Game Twitter fan vote underway
* Erie Otters to wear special jerseys for Martin Luther King Day game

HNIC DOUBLEHEADER ON A 14-GAME SLATE
The NHL’s busiest day since the turn of the calendar will feature a doubleheader on Hockey Night in Canada, beginning with the Maple Leafs (26-10-7, 59 points) visiting the Bruins (32-5-4, 68 points) at TD Garden and concluding with a clash between the Oilers (22-18-3, 47 points) and Golden Knights (28-13-2, 58 points).

* The Bruins are one home win shy of 20 on the season (19-1-3, 41 points) – the most among all teams in 2022-23. Boston can reach the 20-win mark at home in 24 or fewer games for the sixth time in franchise history and the first since 1973-74, when they did so in 23 contests. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have won each of their past four games against the Bruins dating to Nov. 6, 2021, with Mitchell Marner (2-6—8 in 3 GP) leading his team in assists and points over that span.  

* Logan Thompson, a native of Calgary, Alta., leads all rookie goaltenders with 18 wins through 29 appearances this season. Should Thompson tend the net against Edmonton on Saturday, the 2023 NHL All Star can become just the sixth rookie netminder in the past 20 years to record 19-plus wins through 30 appearances in a campaign – he would join Jordan Binnington (22 in 2018-19), Matt Murray (20 in 2016-17), Frederik Andersen (20 in 2013-14), Ray Emery (20 in 2005-06), Ryan Miller (20 in 2005-06) and Sergei Bobrovsky (19 in 2010-11). 

SEATTLE SEEKS TO SWEEP SEVEN-GAME ROAD TRIP
The Kraken (25-12-4, 54 points), who sit third in the Pacific Division, enter Saturday’s 14-game slate with the NHL’s longest active winning streak at seven contests (7-0-0 dating to Jan. 1), with six of those victories coming on their current road trip which they will close out in Chicago (11-25-4, 26 points). They can become the seventh team in the past 30 years to begin a calendar year with eight or more consecutive wins, joining the Blackhawks in 2016 (10), Devils in 2006 (9), Avalanche in 2018 (8), Capitals in 2017 (8), Hurricanes in 2006 (8) and Predators in 2005 (8).

* Martin Jones has shutouts in each of his past two games – only five active goaltenders (min. 1 GP in 2022-23) have extended their run to three games: Brian Elliott (3 GP in 2011-12, 2012-13 & 2015-16), Jonathan Quick (3 GP in 2011-12), Sergei Bobrovsky (3 GP in 2016-17), Andrei Vasilevskiy (3 GP in 2020-21) and Semyon Varlamov (3 GP in 2020-21).

* Jones (6-0-0 dating to Jan. 1) can tie the longest winning streak by a goaltender this season (also Brian Elliott w/ TBL, Tristan Jarry w/ PIT & Pheonix Copley w/ LAK). He has posted a run of seven or more consecutive victories three times in his career: 8-0-0 in 2018-19 (w/ SJS), 8-0-0 in 2013-14 (w/ LAK) and 7-0-0 in 2017-18 (w/ SJS).

NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (24-19) at Portland Trail Blazers (19-22)

NBA Editor
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NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (24-19) at Portland Trail Blazers (19-22)

Luka Doncic just prevailed in a duel with LeBron James and now he has back-to-back shootouts with Damian Lillard on the slate.

Two of the most dangerous shooters in the NBA will be firing away this weekend, beginning Saturday night when the Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks visit Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Dallas has beaten Portland six straight times by an average of 25 points entering the two-game set. The finale is Sunday, also in Portland.

Doncic leads the NBA in scoring at 34.3 points per game and has tallied 40 or more points on nine occasions, including outings of 50, 51 and his career-best 60.

Lillard ranks ninth in scoring at 28.2 points and is coming off a 50-point effort in a 119-113 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was his 13th career 50-point output during the regular season.

Yet the Trail Blazers have lost a season-worst five straight games and 10 of their past 13.

Meanwhile, Doncic was dealing dagger beams on Thursday night when the Mavericks recorded a 119-115 double-overtime road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

He hit a tying 3-pointer with six seconds left in regulation and another with 47.8 seconds to play in the first overtime to keep the Mavericks alive. Dallas eventually prevailed to improve to 1-2 on a five-game road trip.

Doncic had 35 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists for his 10th triple-double of the season.

The most stunning detail of the night to Doncic was being singularly covered by Dennis Schroder in the final seconds of regulation.

Teammate Christian Wood is in his first season with the Mavericks but is getting used to seeing the Luka show in action.

The 23-year-old Doncic has failed to score at least 20 points just once all season — that coming when he had 19 when ejected with two minutes left in the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 19.

While the Mavericks ascend, Portland is sliding in the competitive Western Conference.

Thursday’s loss to Cleveland was painful as the Trail Blazers never trailed until 4:40 remained on a night their star player was hotter than lava despite playing on two sore ankles.

Lillard, 32, was limping in the first quarter after a Cavaliers’ player landed on one of the ankles but just kept firing away. He feels the squad made progress despite blowing a 14-point lead.

NBA Preview: Philadelphia Sixers (25-16) at Utah Jazz (22-23)

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NBA Preview: Philadelphia Sixers (25-16) at Utah Jazz (22-23)

Utah rookie Walker Kessler, coming off one of the best all-around games of his young NBA career, is pumped up to play against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers in Salt Lake City on Saturday night as the Jazz complete a back-to-back home set.

In the Jazz’s 112-108 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday, Kessler finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven blocked shots.

The former Auburn big man, selected 22nd overall in the 2022 draft, also flashed one of the biggest smiles of his career after making a pair of clutch foul shots with 11.1 seconds remaining to help secure the win. Those free throws came after Kessler, who is starting in place of Kelly Olynyk (ankle), was fouled while grabbing an offensive rebound.

As nice as the 7-footer’s big game was, his statistics pale in comparison to the outing his next opponent compiled in their last meeting.

The Jazz will have to contain Embiid more than they did in their first matchup this season. The center scored a career-high 59 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out eight assists and swatted a season-high seven shots, carrying the Sixers to a 105-98 home win on Nov. 13.

Embiid became the first player to total at least 50 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots since blocks became an official stat in the 1973-74 season.

Embiid scored 26 of the Sixers’ 27 points in the fourth quarter. He produced a game-clinching sequence in the final minutes, first blocking Collin Sexton’s layup attempt with 1:19 remaining and the Sixers up 101-98, then sinking a bucket on the other end.

Philadelphia had Friday off after taking a 133-114 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. Embiid had 30 points and 10 boards, but the 76ers fell apart in the middle two quarters en route to the defeat.

It was a 50-point turnaround from the Sixers’ game on Tuesday, a 147-116 home rout of the Detroit Pistons.

The Saturday game kicks off a five-game Western Conference road trip for Philadelphia, a trek that includes stops in Utah, Los Angeles (against the Lakers and Clippers), Portland and Sacramento.

Utah is looking for its first winning streak of more than two games since shortly before playing at Philadelphia in mid-November. The Jazz, who got off to a blazing 10-3 start this season, won a second game in a row Friday for the fourth time in the past eight weeks.

NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (27-16) at Minnesota Timberwolves (21-22)

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NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (27-16) at Minnesota Timberwolves (21-22)

The streaking Minnesota Timberwolves play the second leg of a back-to-back set on Saturday in Minneapolis, facing a Cleveland Cavaliers team looking to finish a five-game, Western Conference road trip on the right side of .500.

Minnesota scored its fifth win in the past six outings on Friday, beating the visiting Phoenix Suns 121-116. Anthony Edwards scored 31 points, leading six Timberwolves who finished in double figures. It was Edwards’ fourth game of 30-plus points in his past eight outings.

Edwards scored eight points in the final 1:30 on Friday, helping Minnesota avoid a late collapse. The Timberwolves led the Suns by as many as 24 points but were outscored in the fourth quarter 41-29.

Minnesota ranks among the league’s most turnover-prone teams, averaging around 16 per game. The Cavaliers are forcing just shy of 15 per game.

More central to Cleveland’s league-leading defensive yield of 106.9 points per game than takeaways, however, has been the Cavaliers holding opponents to just 38.9 made field goals a contest. That’s the lowest figure in the NBA.

The Cleveland offense was key the last time out, as the Cavaliers come into Minnesota off a 119-113 win at Portland on Thursday. Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland combined for 70 of the Cavaliers’ points, led by Mitchell’s 26.

Allen and Garland both recorded double-doubles, with Allen posting 24 points and 10 rebounds, as well as six assists, while Garland added 20 points and 10 assists. Along with Evan Mobley, who scored three of his 17 points in the final 1:44, the group helped power a 32-22 fourth quarter for the comeback win.

Mitchell, who scored 71 points in a victory against the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 2, lauded Allen’s offensive contributions following the win over the Trail Blazers.

The interior offense of Allen and Mobley will face a stiff challenge on Saturday against Minnesota. The Timberwolves rank among the NBA’s best when defending 2-point field-goal attempts, thanks in part to Rudy Gobert’s presence in the paint.

Gobert is averaging 1.3 blocked shots per game — his lowest average since his rookie season in 2013-14 — but Jaden McDaniels (1.1), Naz Reid (0.9), Kyle Anderson (0.7) and Edwards (0.5) are helping Minnesota rank near the top of the league in blocks per game.

Mobley and Allen average 1.3 and 1.2 blocks per game, respectively, to help bolster the stout Cleveland defense.

NBA Preview: Atlanta Hawks (20-22) at Toronto Raptors (19-23)

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NBA Preview: Atlanta Hawks (20-22) at Toronto Raptors (19-23)

The Toronto Raptors will shoot for their fourth straight victory and a winning homestand Saturday night when they face the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta defeated the Indiana Pacers 113-111 on Friday night at Indianapolis on a tip-in by John Collins in the final second of the game.

The Raptors are 3-2 on their season-high, six-game homestand after defeating the Charlotte Hornets 124-114 Thursday to sweep a two-game set. Toronto has won three straight for the first time this season.

Pascal Siakam scored 35 points on 11-for-13 shooting from the field for the Raptors on Thursday. Toronto shot 51.8 percent (43-for-83) from the field.

Gary Trent Jr. scored 19 points and O.G. Anunoby had 15 points and four steals on Thursday. Anunoby leads the NBA in steals with 2.26 per game.

The Toronto reserves scored 23 points on Thursday, led by Precious Achiuwa, who had 10 points and a career-best five steals.The Raptors had 30 assists on Thursday after having 32 assists on Tuesday vs. the Hornets.

The Raptors and Hawks have split their first two meetings this season.

The Hawks’ victory on Friday was just their fourth in the past 11 games. Trae Young had 26 points and 11 assists for Atlanta. De’Andre Hunter added 25 points, and Onyeka Okongwu had 18 points and a career-best 20 rebounds.

The Hawks feel they are capable of being better than their 20-22 record.

NBA Preview: Memphis Grizzlies (28-13) at Indiana Pacers (23-20)

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NBA Preview: Memphis Grizzlies (28-13) at Indiana Pacers (23-20)

With a series of injuries seemingly behind them, the Memphis Grizzlies are showing why they might be the team to beat in the Western Conference.

Memphis carries a season-high, eight-game winning streak into its matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday in Indianapolis.

Ja Morant is averaging 27.6 points and 7.9 assists for the Grizzlies, who are a half-game behind the first-place Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference standings.

Memphis is 28-13 despite missing several key players due to injury during the first half of the season. The team’s full starting lineup didn’t play together until Dec. 23.

After missing two games earlier this week because of right thigh soreness, Morant scored 38 points in the Grizzlies’ 135-129 win over the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane averages 21.2 points and is returning to his home state to face the Pacers, who will be short-handed again on Saturday.

Point guard Tyrese Haliburton is expected to be out at least two weeks with a left knee bruise and left elbow strain, while center Myles Turner will miss his third straight game with back spasms.

Forward Aaron Nesmith sat out the past two games due to a non-COVID illness and is listed as day-to-day.

With three starters out, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle is giving extra minutes to several reserves, including Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith, along with rookies Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin.

The Pacers lost their second straight game on Friday when John Collins scored with less than a second left to give the Atlanta Hawks a 113-111 victory in Indianapolis.

Mathurin made his third start of the season and delivered with 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting. The Arizona product is averaging 18.2 points over his past six games.

The Pacers lost both meetings against Memphis last season and will need to find a way to slow down Morant, who has scored at least 32 points in four of his past five games.

Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins is monitoring the status of Dillon Brooks (right ankle soreness) and Brandon Clarke (left hip soreness), who are both listed as questionable.

If either is forced to miss the game, the Grizzlies likely will ask for more from their star point guard. Morant proved he is up to the task again on Wednesday, when he shot 14 of 25 from the field in the win over San Antonio.

NBA Preview: Boston Celtics (31-12) at Charlotte Hornets (11-32)

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The Boston Celtics keep finding the correct answer for almost any situation.

The Charlotte Hornets are in a different mode, chasing an elusive winning path.

Those trends will collide when the teams meet Saturday night at Charlotte, N.C., with a second meeting set for Monday.

The Celtics carry a five-game winning streak into the game, while the Hornets have lost three in a row and six of their past seven.

The contrast can best be seen in the nearly reverse records of the teams with the Celtics at 31-12 and the Hornets at 11-32.

The Celtics, who have the best record in the NBA, have shown the ability to make adjustments.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been doing the bulk of the hard work for the Celtics, yet Brown (adductor) didn’t play in Thursday night’s 109-98 victory at Brooklyn. Tatum is scoring a team-best 30.6 points per game, fifth best in the NBA, while Brown is at 27.2 points.

Tatum had a team-best 20 points Thursday in a balanced approach, with that total matching his lowest in a span of a month. Tatum’s 31.8-percent shooting night, his lowest since Dec. 2, was not an issue against the Nets.

With so many options, the Celtics used the night to let others spread their wings as six players scored in double figures.

Payton Pritchard found the right time to contribute with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting, including some key shots in the second half.

Combined with reserve Malcolm Brogdon, the duo of Derrick White and Pritchard gave the Celtics backcourt a boost. Brogdon is averaging a career-low 23.5 minutes per game in his first season with Boston, but his savvy contributions, which include 13.6 points per game, have been valuable.

The Celtics seem comfortable with numerous player combinations on the court.

“They do a lot of things to help this team win that go unnoticed,” Smart said of the cast of reserves.

Tatum poured in 35 points in a 140-105 romp over the visiting Hornets on Nov. 28.

Brown’s status is questionable for Saturday’s game.

The issues impacting the Hornets are widespread.

The teams meet again Monday afternoon at Charlotte, where the Hornets have lost eight of their last nine outings. It marks the second consecutive set of games against the same opponent for the Hornets, who were swept this week in Toronto.

Thursday night’s 124-114 setback for the Hornets at Toronto included point guard LaMelo Ball’s season-high 32 points.

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