January 6, 2023 3:49 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists in his return from a lower-body injury and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Thursday night. Vegas leads the Western Conference and is tied for second in the NHL at its midway point of the season. Pittsburgh, a 2-1 loser in Boston on Monday in the Winter Classic, has lost six straight, going 0-4-2 since Dec. 27. After giving the Knights a 2-0 lead early in the first period, Eichel – back after missing 11 games – assisted on goals by Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone. Phil Kessel and Paul Cotter also scored and Adin Hill made 38 saves. Ty Smith and Sidney scored for Pittsburgh. Pens next see action Sunday in Arizona.
January 6, 2023 3:54 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were among the first round of All-Star selections revealed by the NHL. Crosby was selected for his ninth All-Star Game and Ovechkin his 13th, a Washington Capitals record. The league’s hockey operations department picked the first 32 All-Stars, one from each team. Fans will choose the final 12 players who make it. Reigning Norris Trophy winner and playoff MVP Cale Makar from the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche was also among those chosen. All-Star Weekend is set for Feb. 3-4 in South Florida.
January 6, 2023 3:51 am
The NFL won’t resume the Bills-Bengals game that was suspended Monday night after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed and went into cardiac arrest on the field. The league announced its decision on Thursday. The NFL said its decision creates “potential competitive inequities in certain playoff scenarios.” The league said clubs on Friday, in a special league meeting, would consider a resolution recommended by the commissioner and approved by the Competition Committee. The Bills-Bengals game had major playoff implications. Buffalo entered Monday night needing a win to maintain the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The Kansas City Chiefs currently hold that spot. The Bengals had a chance to earn that top seed with two more wins and a loss by the Chiefs.
January 6, 2023 3:53 am
KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) – Jon Rahm shares the lead at the Sentry Tournament of Champions with a 64. Collin Morikawa and J.J. Spaun also had 64. The low scoring is nothing new to Rahm. Last year he shot 33-under on the Plantation Course at Kapalua. That would have been a PGA Tour record except that Cameron Smith went one better. Rahm says he doesn’t feel like Kapalua owes him one. It was perfect weather and low scoring. Weather was perfect for the opening round of the year. Rahm says if it stays that way, Smith’s record is in danger.
January 5, 2023 3:45 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett has been announced as the recipient of this year’s Joe Greene Great Performance Award, given annually by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America to the team’s standout rookie player. Kenny Pickett took over as the team’s starter in Week 5 and has grown more and more comfortable within Matt Canada’s attack. Over the course of the campaign, he’s completed 232 of his 360 passes for 2,209 yards, six scores, and nine picks. In each of the last two weeks — against Las Vegas and Baltimore — Pickett has orchestrated late drives that were capped by exhilarating go-ahead touchdown passes, keeping the Steelers in the postseason conversation.
January 5, 2023 3:48 am
The NFL is still considering various options following the suspension of the Bills-Bengals game, including possibly eliminating the bye week before the Super Bowl. The Bills-Patriots game set for Sunday and the rest of the Week 18 games remain on schedule. The pivotal Bills-Bengals game was suspended Monday night after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest while making a tackle in the first quarter. A marketing representative for his family says Hamlin’s recovery is moving in “a positive direction” two days after the 24-year-old player had to be resuscitated on the field. NFL executive Jeff Miller said there has been no decision on whether to resume the Bills-Bengals game at a later date. A decision will be made in the coming days.
January 5, 2023 3:50 am
Joe Thomas, Darrelle Revis and Dwight Freeney are finalists in their first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2023. The 15 modern-day players who will be considered later this month by the selection committee include returning finalists DeMarcus Ware, Patrick Willis, Zach Thomas and Andre Johnson. Six other returning finalists were announced with Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, Ronde Barber, Devin Hester, Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne getting back to this stage. Defensive backs Albert Lewis and Darren Woodson made it to this stage for the first time after previously being eliminated in the semifinal stage.
January 5, 2023 3:49 am
BOSTON (AP) – Rafael Devers has agreed to an 11-year contract worth $331 million to stay with the Boston Red Sox. That’s according to a person with knowledge of the agreement who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the deal. Locking up Devers was an important move for the Red Sox and their uneasy fans after All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts, slugger J.D. Martinez and pitcher Nathan Eovaldi departed in free agency. The 26-year-old third baseman is a two-time All-Star. The deal was reached one day after Devers agreed to a one-year, $17.5 million contract to avoid arbitration.
January 4, 2023 3:57 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Blake Hinson scored 16 points, Jamarius Burton added 15 and Pittsburgh rallied past No. 11 Virginia 68-65. The Panthers used a 14-0 second-half run to get back in it and then took charge late to keep Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett at 326 career wins at Virginia, still tied with Terry Holland for the most in program history. A layup by Federiko Federiko with 59 seconds left put the Panthers up 62-60. Pitt forced the Cavaliers into a shot-clock violation on their ensuing possession. Six straight made free throws in the final seconds pushed the Panthers to their best start in ACC play since the 2013-14 season.
January 4, 2023 3:58 am
The NFL has informed the Bills and Bengals their suspended game will not be resumed this week while the Week 18 schedule remains unchanged. The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the pivotal Bills-Bengals game at a later date. The game was suspended Monday night in the first quarter when Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest. The 24-year-old Hamlin remained in critical condition a day after the Bills said his heart stopped after making a tackle in the opening quarter of a game against the Bengals. Medical staff restored his heartbeat during frantic moments on the field before he was loaded into an ambulance. Players from both teams were crying and praying during an emotional scene on the field.
