Flyers Edge Blue Jackets In OT
(Columbus, OH) — Sean Couturier scored the winning goal in overtime as the Flyers edged the Blue Jackets 2-1 in Columbus. Wayne Simmonds scored Philly’s regulation goal in the second. Michal Neuvirth finished with 35 saves for the Flyers, who have won five of their past six games. Cam Atkinson’s goal with less than four minutes left in regulation forced overtime for the Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky had 23 saves. Columbus has lost seven-of-nine.
Stars Upend Blues
(Dallas, TX) — The Stars managed just 16 shots but made them count as they upended the Blues 2-1 in Dallas. Mattias Janmark started the scoring with a power play goal in the second for the Stars. Stephen Johns padded the lead in the third. Ben Bishop racked up 28 saves as Dallas returned from the five-day break with a win. Brayden Schenn tallied a late power play goal for St. Louis. Jake Allen allowed two goals on 16 shots in defeat. The Blues have dropped three straight games.
Islanders Blank Hurricanes
(Raleigh, NC) — Thomas Greiss stopped all 45 shots sent his way as the Islanders blanked the Hurricanes 3-0 in Raleigh. Johnny Boychuk put the Isles on the board in the second period before Anthony Beauvillier and John Tavares padded the lead in the third. New York has won two straight games by shutout. The Hurricanes outshot the Islanders, 45-22, but failed to find the back of the net. Cam Ward had 20 saves for Carolina, which failed to score a goal for just the second time this season.
Jets Spank Avalanche
(Winnipeg, Manitoba) — A three-goal second period put the game out of reach as the Jets spanked the Avalanche 6-1 in Winnipeg. Blake Wheeler finished with two goals and an assist to lead the way for the Jets. Kyle Connor, Andrew Copp and Patrik Laine tallied in the second to break the game open. The Jets are tied with Nashville for first in the Central Division. Mikko Rantanen’s late goal prevented the shutout for Colorado. Jonathan Bernier gave up four goals in two periods before getting replaced with Semyon Varlamov. The Avs had their two-game win streak snapped.
St. Bonaventure Upsets Rhode Island
(Olean, NY) — Saint Bonaventure put an end to 14th-ranked Rhode Island’s unbeaten conference record with a 77-74 upset win in Olean, New York. LaDarien Griffin dunked home the go-ahead basket with 22 seconds left to lift the Bonnies to their 20th win. Matt Mobley led Saint Bonaventure with 26 points and nine rebounds. Jared Terrell led the Rams with 23 points in defeat. They had won their past 16 games coming in, with the last loss to Alabama on December 6th. Rhode Island now sits at 21-and-4 overall and 13-and-1 in the Atlantic Ten conference.
World Team Dominates USA At Rising Stars Challenge
(Los Angeles, CA) — The World Team was the best team as it dominated Team USA 155-124 in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge in Los Angeles. Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 26 points and nailed seven three-pointers on his way to MVP honors. His teammate Buddy Hield added 29 points in the win, and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray finished with 21 points. Celtics guard Jaylen Brown finished with a game-high 35 points for Team USA, and added 10 rebounds. Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma put up 20 points in front of the home crowd. NBA All-Star Weekend continues Saturday with the Three-Point Contest, the Skills Challenge and the Slam Dunk Contest. The All-Star Game is Sunday.
OLYMPICS=
Lindsey Vonn failed to medal in her Olympic return, falling short in the super-G won by the Czech Republic’s Ester Ledecka in a major surprise. The 22-year-old Ledecka had never made a podium in a world cup skiing event but is a two-time world champion in snowboarding, where she’ll compete in the parallel giant slalom later in these games. Racing on skis borrowed from U.S. star Mikaela Shiffrin, she put forth a stunning run from the back of the pack to edge defending champion Anna Veith of Austria by just .01 seconds. Vonn, who missed the 2014 Sochi Games recovering from knee surgery, briefly lost control around a late turn and wound up tied for sixth. The 33-year-old will have another chance at becoming the oldest woman to earn an Olympic medal when she competes in Wednesday’s downhill, where she took gold in Vancouver in 2010.
Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu successfully defended his 2014 gold in men’s figure skating, becoming the first repeat champion since Dick Button in 1952. The two-time world champion delivered a solid free skate to easily outdistance countryman Shoma Uno with Spain’s Javier Fernandez claiming bronze. It was also a night of redemption
for U.S. champion Nathan Chen, who bounced back from a disastrous short program to land an unprecedented six quadruple jumps while posting the highest score in the free skate. The dazzling performance vaulted the 18-year-old into fifth place after sitting 17th following the short program.
Canada’s men’s hockey team was dealt its first loss in Olympic competition in eight years with a stunning 3-2 shootout defeat to the Czech Republic in group play. The Czechs twice rallied from one-goal deficits to force overtime, then scored twice during the five-round shootout to end Canada’s 11-game winning streak in Olympic play. Canada, which has won three of the last four gold medals, last lost an Olympic game in 2010, falling to the United States in pool play.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL=
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio’s annual contract extension has been approved by the school’s board of trustees with little
discussion. Dantonio’s rolling contract, which stipulates that one year is added to his deal on an annual basis, extends through the 2024 season. Dantonio has denied accusations that he mishandled sexual assault claims against players on his team in the past. According to an ESPN “Outside the Lines” report, a minimum of 16 football players have been accused of sexual assault or violence against women since Dantonio became coach.
GOLF=
Tiger Woods missed the cut in the Genesis Open at Riviera after a 5-over 76. He had three straight bogeys early on the back nine and was unable to recover, finishing at 6-over 148, one shot worse than his PGA Tour debut at Riviera as a 16-year-old. Patrick Cantlay and Graeme McDowell are tied for the lead at 7-under 135.