SUNDAY SPORTS: SASK 2-0 AT BRIER, REAVES-REMPE FIGHT HAPPENS

REGINA – Ontario’s Scott Howard threw a walk-off double takeout for the first Brier win of his career as a skip in Saturday action at Regina’s Brandt Centre at the Canadian Mens Curling Championship.

The son of four-time Canadian and world champion Glenn skimmed a guard and made the double to score three for a 7-5 win over B.C.’s Catlin Schneider.

In other Pool A openers Saturday, Reid Carruthers beat Matt Dunstone 7-5 in an all-Manitoba matchup, Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher earned an 11-3 win over Andrew Symonds of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Northern Ontario’s Trevor Bonot defeated New Brunswick’s James Grattan 9-4.

Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen (2-0) grabbed the early lead in Pool B with a 7-6 win in the evening over defending champion Brad Gushue.

“I love how we played this game,” McEwen said. “It wasn’t sneaking out one. It was a solid team performance. We’ve got to take advantage of when Brad and his team are not at their best, and they weren’t at their best tonight.”

Said Gushue: “Mike outplayed me. Mike played really well. I didn’t play anywhere near as good as I usually do, so take it on the chin and come out ready tomorrow.”

Alberta’s Aaron Sluchinski (1-0) had the night off. Gushue, Alberta’s Kevin Koe, Northwest Territories’ Jamie Koe, Quebec’s Julien Tremblay and Prince Edward Island’s Tyler Smith were all 1-1.

Kevin Koe defeated younger brother Jamie 8-4, Tremblay beat Nunavut’s Shane Latimer 11-4, and Smith picked up an 11-7 win over Nova Scotia’s Matt Manuel (0-2).

LEAFS 4 RANGERS 3 (SO)

TORONTO – Max Domi centre scored the shootout winner on a night that saw teammate Ryan Reaves drop the gloves with hulking Rangers rookie Matt Rempe in a much-anticipated fight at Scotiabank Centre as Toronto downed New York 4-3.

With the Leafs up 3-2 in the third, Reaves and 6’8″ Rangers rookie Rempe fought in a spirited tilt to raucous applause after Rempe drilled Leafs defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin in the second which knocked him out of the game.

Domi, whose dad, Tie, sits third all-time in NHL penalty minutes, credited both combatants.

“Hardest job in the game,” Domi said on his 29th birthday. “There’s absolutely nothing even close.

“A lot of respect for both those guys.”

Toronto centre John Tavares called it a “throwback” fight in an era where that part of the game has become significantly diminished.

“There was some anticipation, everyone was itching for it,” he said. “I don’t know how anyone would ever want to drop’em with Reavo.”

Elsewhere in the NHL on Saturday:

OILERS 2 KRAKEN 1

SEATTLE (AP) — Leon Draisaitl scored his 30th goal of the season off the league-leading 73rd assist from Connor McDavid, Brett Kulak scored early in the third period, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Seattle Kraken 2-1 on Saturday.

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LIGHTNING 4 CANADIENS 3 (SO)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Victor Hedman scored in the sixth round of the shootout and Tampa Bay stopped a four-game home losing streak, beating Montreal 4-3.

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STARS 3 SHARKS 2 (SO)

DALLAS (AP) — Jamie Benn scored in the seventh round of the shootout to lift Dallas past San Jose.

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FLAMES 4 PENGUINS 3

CALGARY, Alta. (AP) — Yegor Sharangovich scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal with 50 seconds left in the third period, as Calgary rallied from two goals down in the third period to beat Pittsburgh.

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JETS 5 HURRICANES 3

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sean Monahan scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:13 left and Winnipeg rallied from a three-goal deficit in the third period to beat Carolina. Nino Niederreiter added an empty-net goal with 10 seconds left for his second goal of the period. Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele also scored for Winnipeg, which won for the fifth time in six games.

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FLYERS 4 SENATORS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyson Foerster scored twice in the span of 45 seconds, Felix Sandstrom made 24 saves in his season debut and Philadelphia beat Ottawa.

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BLUES 3 WILD 1

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jake Neighbours and Alexey Toropchenko scored as St. Louis snapped a three-game losing streak, beating Minnesota.

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BLUE JACKETS 5 BLACKHAWKS 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Alexandre Texier opened the scoring in the first minute, Zach Werenski had two assists, and Columbus beat Chicago 5-2. Connor Bedard had one assist in a losing cause for Chicago.

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PANTHERS 4 RED WINGS 0

DETROIT (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 21 shots for his fourth shutout of the season, Sam Reinhart scored his 42nd goal, and Florida beat Detroit.

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PREDATORS 5 AVALANCHE 1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cody Glass scored three goals for his first career hat trick and Nashville won its eighth straight.

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ISLANDERS 5 BRUINS 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Palmieri scored three times in the first period for his third career hat trick and New York got its third straight win.

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SABRES 7 GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Dylan Cozens capped Buffalo’s five-goal surge by scoring his second short-handed goal of the game with 2:48 left, and the Sabres got their fifth win in six games.

WHL

SILVERTIPS 5 PATS 3

EVERETT, Wash. — Carter Bear scored a goal and added an assist as the Everett Silvertips beat the visiting Regina Pats 5-3 Saturday night.

Caden Brown, Lukas Kaplan, Rylan Pearce and Julius Miettinen also scored for the Silvertips (39-18-2-3).

Corban Almen, Carson Haynes and Aaron Krestanowich scored for the Pats (21-35-4-2), who have lost six in a row.

Elsewhere in the WHL on Saturday:

BLAZERS 3 GIANTS 2

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Jordan Keller scored once and set up the winning goal as the Kamloops Blazers edged the visiting Vancouver Giants 3-2 in Western Hockey League action on Saturday night at the Sandman Centre.

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COUGARS 5 CHIEFS 4 (OT)

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — Riley Heidt scored at 2:03 of overtime as the Prince George Cougars completed an exciting comeback to edge the visiting Spokane Chiefs 5-4.

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WINTERHAWKS 5 ROYALS 4 (OT)

PORTLAND, Ore. — James Stefan scored 27 seconds into overtime as the Portland Winterhawks edged the visiting Victoria Royals 5-4.

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HURRICANES 4 RAIDERS 3

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. — Dylan Sydor scored the game-winning goal at 6:12 of the second period as the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes edged the Prince Albert Raiders 4-3.

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BLADES 4 WHEAT KINGS 0

BRANDON, Man. — Austin Elliott stopped all 21 shots he faced to earn a shutout as the visiting Saskatoon Blades beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 4-0.

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OIL KINGS 4 BRONCOS 1

EDMONTON, Alta. — Roan Woodward scored twice and Gracyn Sawchyn had four assists as the Edmonton Oil Kings knocked off the visiting Swift Current Broncos 4-1.

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REBELS 2 HITMEN 1

RED DEER, Alta. — Talon Brigley scored the game-winning goal at 19:30 of the third period as the Red Deer Rebels edged the visiting Calgary Hitmen 2-1.

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WARRIORS 4 THUNDERBIRDS 2

SEATTLE, Wash. — Jagger Firkus scored twice as the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors edged the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-2. Atley Calvert and Brayden Yager also scored for the Warriors (39-19-0-2).

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ROCKETS 4 AMERICANS 1

KENNEWICK, Wash. — Andrew Cristall had a goal and assist as the visiting Kelowna Rockets soared past the Tri-City Americans 4-1. Tij Iginla, Brett Calhoon and Max Graham also scored for the Rockets (28-28-3-1).

NLL

Denver, CO – The Saskatchewan Rush picked up a mammoth win in Colorado on Saturday night.

Ryan Keenan and Robert Church each had eight points in the win, while Zach Manns had a hat trick and three assists in the 15-7 victory.

The Rush now sit half a game back of a playoff spot. On Friday, March 8th, they’ll head to Buffalo to face the Bandits at KeyBank Center.

(SaskRush.com)

MLB

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah is day to day with right shoulder soreness. He has been scratched from his scheduled start Sunday. The team says an MRI exam did not reveal any structural issues. Toronto dropped a 6-2 decision to Atlanta in pre-season play Saturday afternoon.

(Canadian Press)