SATURDAY SPORTS PAGE: SASK BRIER DREAM STILL ALIVE

They are down to the Final Four at the Canadian men’s curling championship in Regina. Mike McEwen’s Saskatchewan foursome eliminated Jamie Koe’s Northwest Territories team with a 7-0 victory in one playoff game Friday night, while Matt Dunstone eliminated Reid Carruthers 6-2 in an all-Manitoba matchup. The other two teams still alive at the Brier are defending champion Brad Gushue’s Team Canada and Brendan Bottcher of Alberta. Playoffs continue Saturday and the final is Sunday.

NHL

• NHL teams combined to make 23 trades on Friday, dealing a total of 33 players and more than 20 draft picks, before the league’s deadline with some teams and players seeming to win — and some seeming to lose. The defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, the three-time defending Metropolitan Division-champion Carolina Hurricanes and league-leading Florida Panthers appear to have made the most of the opportunity.
• Valeri Nichushkin scored a power-play goal 2:32 into overtime in his return to the lineup after a two-month absence, Alexandar Georgiev stopped a penalty shot late in regulation and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Friday night.
• Connor Ingram made 28 saves against Detroit to tie for the NHL shutout lead with six and Arizona won at home for the first time in six weeks, beating Detroit 4-0.
• Laurent Brossoit made 17 saves for his first shutout of the season, Mark Scheifele scored his 19th goal 7:15 into the third period and Winnipeg beat Seattle 3-0.
• Roope Hintz had a goal and two assists to surpass 300 career points, Chris Tanev scored his first goal for Dallas and the Stars extended their winning streak to four games, beating Anaheim 6-2.

WHL

WARRIORS 6 PATS 3

MOOSE JAW, Sask. — Matthew Savoie had two goals and an assist as the Moose Jaw Warriors beat the visiting Regina Pats 6-3.

Denton Mateychuk, Lynden Lakovic, Brayden Schuurman and Atley Calvert also scored for the Warriors (41-19-0-2), who outshot the Pats 50-28.

Zackary Shantz, Braxton Whitehead and Zackary Shantz scored for the Pats (21-36-4-2), who trailed 3-1 after the first period and 4-2 heading into the third.

BLADES 3 TIGERS 1

Egor Sidorov’s goal at 16:21 of the second period stood up as the winner as the Saskatoon Blades edged the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers 3-1 in Western Hockey League action on Friday at the SaskTel Centre. Tanner Molendyk and Fraser Minten (empty-netter) also scored for the East Division-leading Blades (44-12-2-3), who outshot the visitors 28-24.

OIL KINGS 3 RAIDERS 2 (OT)

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. — Gavin Hodnett scored at 1:56 of overtime as the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings edged the Prince Albert Raiders 3-2.

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REBELS 4 HITMEN 3

CALGARY, Alta. — Kalan Lind had a goal and assist as the visiting Red Deer Rebels edged the Calgary Hitmen 4-3.

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WHEAT KINGS 4 HURRICANES 0

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — Brett Hyland had a goal and assist and Carson Bjarnason made 23 saves to post the shutout as the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings blanked the Lethbridge Hurricanes 4-0.

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SILVERTIPS 4 ROYALS 1

EVERETT, Wash. — Ben Hemmerling had a goal and two assists as the Everett Silvertips beat the visiting Victoria Royals 4-1.

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THUNDERBIRDS 5 CHIEFS 4

SEATTLE, Wash. — Sawyer Mynio scored twice and Nico Myatovic added two assists as the Seattle Thunderbirds edged the visiting Spokane Chiefs 5-4.

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COUGARS 5 GIANTS 3

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — Terik Parascak and Zac Funk each scored twice as the Prince George Cougars beat the visiting Vancouver Cougars 5-3.

Hudson Thornton also scored for the B.C. Division-leading Cougars (42-15-1-3), who outshot the visitors 44-33.

Cameron Schmidt scored twice for the Giants (29-28-4-0), while Jaden Lipinski netted a single.

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ROCKETS 9 BLAZERS 1

KELOWNA, B.C. — Andrew Cristall scored twice and added five assists as the Kelowna Rockets blitzed the visiting Kamloops Blazers 9-1.

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WILD 8 AMERICANS 1

KENNEWICK, Wash. — Briley Wood scored twice and added three assists as the visiting Wenatchee Wild whipped the Tri-City Americans 8-1.

MLB

Nathan Lukes had a two-run triple as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 2-1 in spring training action at Dunedin, Florida. Lukes has had a hot bat for the BlueJays so far in the pre-season and is hitting .500. Earlier,  2010 National League MVP Joey Votto said he has agreed to a minor-league deal with Toronto.

NFL

Kirk Cousins will be a free agent for the first time since the Vikings gave him the first fully-guaranteed quarterback deal in the NFL. Baker Mayfield is expected to stay put in Tampa Bay. Russell Wilson has to make another move. Joe Flacco could find a new home, too. The quarterback carousel will start spinning when the NFL’s free agency period opens Monday with the legal tampering period. Players can’t officially sign new deals until the opening of the league’s new year on Wednesday. While the quarterbacks get much of the attention, many of the best players available play other positions.

(Canadian Press)