SUNDAY SPORTS
NFL
The Pro Football Hall of Fame will add seven more busts this summer.
Running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Terrell (tuh-REHL’) Davis are part of the Hall’s Class of 2017, along with quarterback Kurt Warner, sackmaster Jason Taylor and kicker Morten Andersen. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has made the Hall in the contributor’s section, while Seahawks safety Kenny Easley was selected as a senior nominee.
Taylor and Tomlinson are first-ballot Hall of Famers.
The Hall selections were announced at the same pre-Super Bowl ceremony in which the AP’s NFL individual awards were handed out in Houston. The award-winners were selected by 50 media members who regularly cover the league.
Quarterback Matt Ryan is the first Atlanta Falcon to win The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award. He received 25 votes compared to 10 for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
It’s the fourth consecutive year and ninth in the past 10 a quarterback has won the award.
Ryan also won the Offensive Player of the Year award after guiding Atlanta into the Super Bowl. Ryan is the first Falcon to win the award after throwing for 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions while compiling a 117.1 passer rating. He claimed 15 1/2 votes, 3 1/2 more than Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Defensive end Khalil Mack is the second Oakland Raider to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, edging Denver linebacker Von Miller by one vote. Mack had 11 sacks, took part in 73 tackles, forced five fumbles, recovered three fumbles and had an interception for a touchdown.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott won a two-man race with teammate Ezekiel Elliott for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Prescott ranked third in passing behind the two Super Bowl quarterbacks, throwing for almost 3,700 yards with 23 TDs and just four interceptions.
Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa (BAH’-sah) captured the 2016 Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award in a landslide, finishing 27 votes ahead of Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Bosa racked up 12 1/2 sacks despite missing the first four games following a contract holdout and a preseason injury.
Green Bay’s Jordy Nelson is an overwhelming choice as the Comeback Player of the Year, returning from a severe right knee injury to provide 97 receptions for 1,257 yards and a league-high 14 touchdowns.
The Cowboys’ Jason Garrett is the NFL Coach of the Year after leading Dallas to an NFC-best 13-3 record. New England’s Bill Belichick is the runner-up.
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NHL
The Washington Capitals now enjoy a five-point lead in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division following their win in Montreal and the Columbus Blue Jackets’ loss to New Jersey.
Nicklas Backstrom notched a power-play goal in the third period to put the Caps ahead 3-1 in a 3-2 win at Montreal. Braden Holtby stopped 19 shots and blanked the Canadiens after Max Pacioretty scored with 12:11 remaining.
The Capitals have come away with at least one point in 14 straight road games at Montreal since a regulation loss there in January 2009. Holtby has won his last 10 starts, one reason why Washington owns the NHL’s best record.
The Jackets were 5-1 losers at Newark as Taylor Hall scored twice in the Devils’ sixth straight road win. Travis Zajac had a goal and an assist to support Cory Schneider’s 31 saves.
Columbus is just 6-8-1 since a team-record 16-game winning streak put them atop the NHL overall standings.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
– Montreal still tops the Atlantic Division by seven points after second-place Ottawa absorbed a 4-0 loss to Buffalo. Kyle Okposo opened the scoring with his 16th goal and Robin Lehner made 37 saves in his fourth career shutout.
– Minnesota rode Mikael Granlund’s first career hat trick and one assist to a 6-3 win at Vancouver, allowing the Wild to stay atop the Western Conference by four points over the Blackhawks. Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise and Mike Reilly also scored for the winners.
– Trevor van Riemsdyk’s go-ahead goal with 4:03 left sent Chicago past Dallas, 5-3. The Stars led 3-2 until Patrick Kane tied the game midway through the third period.
– Radim Vrbata scored the shootout clincher and Mike Smith handled 38 shots as Arizona surprised the Sharks. 3-2 at San Jose. The Sharks still lead the Pacific Division by three points over the Ducks.
– Nikita Kucherov set up goals by Jonathan Drouin and Alex Killorn before Brian Boyle scored in the fourth round of a shootout to lift Tampa Bay past Anaheim, 3-2. The Lightning won for just the fourth time in 15 games.
– Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby has a league-best 30 goals after scoring twice and getting an assist in a 4-1 win at St. Louis. The Penguins are 20-0-2 when Crosby scores a goal.
– The Los Angeles Kings won their fifth in a row as Peter Budaj stopped 17 shots and Jeff Carter scored his 27th goal in a 1-0 overtime victory at Philadelphia. Carter tallied 2:35 into the extra session to secure Budaj’s league-leading seventh shutout.
– Mike Green’s first-period goal was enough offence for Detroit to beat Nashville, 1-0. Petr Mrazek is 5-0 against the Predators after making 17 of his 42 saves in the final period.
– Carolina pulled out a 5-4 win over the New York Islanders on Ron Hainsey’s goal 2:08 into overtime. Hainsey scored twice and Cam Ward handled 33 shots in the Hurricanes’ third straight win since the All-Star break.
– William Nylander got his first career hat trick and James van Riemsdyk scored twice as Toronto dumped Boston, 6-5 to end a three-game losing streak. Van Riemsdyk’s tiebreaking goal with 1:36 left leaves the Maple Leafs one point behind the Bruins for third place in the Atlantic.
– Colorado had dropped nine straight before Matt Nieto scored twice and Matt Duchene had three assists to send the Avalanche past Winnipeg, 5-2.
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PGA
SCOTTSDALE – South Korea’s Byeong Hun An will take a one-shot lead over Scotland’s Martin Laird into Sunday’s final round of the party-hardy Phoenix Open. An’s 6-under 65 leaves him 16-under through 54 holes as he seeks his first PGA Tour win.
John Peterson, Graham DeLaet, Hideki Matsuyama and Michael Kim are tied for third at minus-12.
(Associated Press)
