SUNDAY SPORTS PAGE: CRITICAL LOSS FOR FLAMES, PATS WIN AGAIN
The Colorado Avalanche won their fifth game in a row Saturday night, dismantling the visiting Calgary Flames 4-1 in the process. Nathan MacKinnon, Alex Newhook, Mikko Rantanen and Denis Malgin scored for the Avs. MacKinnon’s goal came on the first shot of the game. Tyler Toffoli scored for the Flames, who have dropped two straight and dropped four points behind Minnesota and Seattle for the final playoff spot.
Andrei Vasilevskiy made 45 saves for his 30th NHL shutout and the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning cooled off the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 on Saturday night. Nikita Kucherov reached 699 points with a goal and an assist, Brayden Point also had a goal and an assist and Alex Killorn added an empty-net goal to help the Lightning win for the second time in five games.
The New Jersey Devils honoured their 2003 Stanley Cup championship team before playing the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, and then they went out and played like the NHL’s best team. Dawson Mercer scored in his sixth straight game, Akira Schmid made 24 saves in posting his first shutout and the Devils pounded the Flyers 7-0.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
Boston 3 Vancouver 1
Columbus 6 Edmonton 5
Ottawa 5 Montreal 2
Washington 6 N.Y. Rangers 3
Pittsburgh 3 St. Louis 2 (OT)
Anaheim 3 Carolina 2
Tampa Bay 3 Detroit 0
Chicago 4 San Jose 3
SCOTTIES
Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg will be in Sunday’s final at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Kamloops, B-C. The veteran Winnipeg skip defeated Krista McCarville’s Northern Ontario team 8-5 on Saturday night in the Page playoff 1 versus 2 game. McCarville will play three-time defending champion Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Manitoba, in Sunday’s semifinal. The winner advances to play Jones in Sunday night’s final for the Canadian women’s curling crown.
WHL
REGINA – Alexander Suzdalev scored three goals and added an assist as the Regina Pats beat the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings 6-3 in Western Hockey League action on Saturday night.
Connor Bedard chipped in for the Pats (29-24-2-1) with a goal and two assists. Tanner Howe and Stanislav Svozil netted singles for the home squad while Kelton Pyne made 35 saves. It was the Pats’ fourth straight win.
Nolan Ritchie, Nate Danielson and Evan Groening scored for the Wheat Kings (22-26-8-0), who led 3-1 after the first period.
The Pats were outshot 38-29. The attendance was 5,861.
TIGERS 7 BLAZERS 3
MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – Andrew Basha scored twice and added an assist as the Medicine Hat Tigers knocked off the red-hot Kamloops Blazers 7-3.
Bogdans Hodass, Reid Andresen, Brett Calhoon, Bendan Lee and Tyler MacKenzie also scored for the Tigers (24-23-8-1).
Olen Zellweger scored twice for the Blazers (38-11-4-2), while Caedan Bankier netted a single.
Medicine Hat led 2-1 after the first period and 5-2 after 40 minutes.
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THUNDERBIRDS 4 WINTERHAWKS 1
SEATTLE, Wash. – The Seattle Thunderbirds spotted the visiting Portland Winterhawks an early 1-0 lead, but then stormed back to beat the visitors 4-1.
Reid Schaefer, Jeremy Hanzel, Tij Iginla and Lucas Ciona scored for the Western Conference-leading T-Birds (45-9-1-1), who trailed 1-0 after the first and were tied 1-1 heading into the final frame.
Marcus Nguyen scored for the Winterhawks (36-16-2-3), who were outshot 32-30.
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HURRICANES 4 HITMEN 3
CALGARY, Alta. – Logan Wormald scored at 17:48 of the third period to snap a 3-3 deadlock as the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes edged the Calgary Hitmen 4-3.
Noah Chadwick, Brayden Edwards and Hayden Smith also scored for the Hurricanes (31-21-3-3), who led 2-0 after the first period and 3-2 after 40 minutes. Cole Shepard chipped in with two assists.
Carter Yakemchuk scored twice for the Hitmen (24-26-5-2) and Sean Tschigerl netted a single.
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CHIEFS 4 AMERICANS 2
SPOKANE, Wash. – The Spokane Chiefs scored two goals in the third period to upend the visiting Tri-City Americans 4-2.
Michael Cicek, Grady Lane, Raegan Wiles and Cade Hayes scored for the Chiefs (13-36-3-4), who were outshot 26-22.
Deagan McMillan and Jalen Luypen scored for the Americans (27-23-5-2).
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BLADES 3 RAIDERS 1
PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – The visiting Saskatoon Blades scored three first-period goals and then hung on to defeat the Prince Albert Raiders 3-1.
Jayden Wiens, Brandon Lisowsky and Jake Chiasson scored for the Blades (38-13-4-1).
Ryder Ritchie scored in the third period for the Raiders (24-29-3-0).
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BRONCOS 4 WARRIORS 0
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – Josh Filmon and Caleb Wyrostok each scored twice as the Swift Current Broncos beat the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors 4-0.
Reid Dyck made 31 saves to post the shutout for the Broncos (26-27-1-2).
The Warriors (35-20-0-3) outshot the Broncos 31-27 but could not score on Dyck.
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SILVERTIPS 3 GIANTS 1
LANGLEY, B.C. – Jesse Heslop scored at 17:53 of the third period to snap a 1-1 tie and the visiting Everett Silvertips defeated the Vancouver Giants 3-1.
Caden Zaplitny and Aidan Sutter (empty net) also scored for the Silvertips (28-24-2-1).
Ty Thorpe, with his 30th goal of the season, scored for the Giants (21-27-5-2), who were outshot 39-23.
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COUGARS 6 ROYALS 5 (OT)
VICTORIA, B.C. – Chase Wheatcroft scored at 16:28 of the third to force overtime, then he scored at 3:13 in overtime to lift the visiting Prince George Cougars past the Victoria Royals 6-5.
Wheatcroft, who scored another goal and added an assist, helped the Cougars erase a 4-1 deficit.
Hudson Thornton, Ethan Samson and Viliam Kmec also scored for the Cougars (28-23-4-0).
Justin Kipkie scored twice for the Royals, while Austin Zemlak, Teydon Trembecky and Jason Spizawka netted singles for the Royals (15-36-6-1).
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REBELS 5 ROCKETS 1
RED DEER, Alta. – The Red Deer Rebels scored the first four goals then coasted to a 5-1 win over the visiting Kelowna Rockets.
Ollie Josephson, Jace Weir, Ben King, Jace Isley and Mats Lindgren scored for the Rebels (38-15-1-3), who led 3-0 after the first and 4-1 heading into the third.
Turner McMillen scored for the Rockets (21-31-3-0).
NLL
SASKATOON SK – Keegan Bal scored 11 points and Aaron Bold turned aside 51 shots as the Vancouver Warriors walked into Sasktel Centre and walked out with a 16-12 victory before a stunned 9000 fans in Saskatoon.
A six-goal second quarter was a difference maker for the Warriors in this one, turning a 3-3 first quarter tie into a 9-4 lead at halftime, a lead that Vancouver would never relinquish.
The Warriors were led on offense by Keegan Bal. The Coquitlam BC player lit the lamp three times and also set up eight others for an 11 point night. Vancouver spread the scoring out in the victory, Kyle Killen, Shawn Evans and Adam Charalambides also had hat tricks on the night, while Ryan Martel netted a pair, with Chase Scanlan and Tyrell Hamer-Jackson rounded out the scoring.
Aaron Bold, who three weeks ago received a call to join the Warriors, stepped between the pipes and turned aside 51 shots on the evening, and was also named first star in Sasktel Centre and received a standing ovation post game from Rush fans who remember when Aaron Bold helped their club win multiple NLL Championships.
It was Bold’s first win since March 5, 2022, when Bold started and beat the Warriors in Halifax 14-12.
The Vancouver Warriors’ next home game is on Friday, March 17th when they host the San Diego Seals as the Warriors will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Rogers Arena. Game time is at 7 PM.
NBA
DETROIT (AP) – Pascal Siakam had 29 points and eight rebounds and Toronto extended its winning streak to four games with a 95-91 win over Detroit.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 19 points and Scottie Barnes added 12, all in the second half, as the Raptors won for the seventh time in eight games. Precious Achiuwa chipped in 10 points off the bench.
Detroit’s Marvin Bagley III had a season-high 21 points and 18 rebounds in his first game since fracturing his right hand on Jan. 2. Isaiah Livers, Hamidou Diallo and Bojan Bogdanovic had 11 points apiece for the Pistons, who lost their fourth straight.
(Canadian Press, VancouverWarriors.com/Photo: Colorado Avalanche)
