March 24, 2022 3:46 am
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – Tage Thompson scored two goals and added another in a shootout, Alex Tuch also had a shootout goal, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Wednesday night for their third consecutive win. Zemgus Girgensons also scored for the Sabres, who have won five of six in their best stretch of the season. Craig Anderson made 23 saves and stopped both shots he faced in the shootout. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each had a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who had won three in a row. Kris Letang had the other goal, Bryan Rust had two assists, and Casey DeSmith stopped 29 shots. Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, Pittsburgh opened a two-game trip by dropping its league-best road record to 21-7-5.
March 24, 2022 3:43 am
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) – Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds is heading to arbitration. Reynolds asked for a salary of $4.9 million for the 2022 season. The Pirates countered with an offer of $4.25 million. Reynolds is coming off the best season of his young career, hitting 24 home runs while batting .302. The 27-year-old Reynolds says he understands arbitration cases can get “messy” but said it does not affect the way he feels about staying in Pittsburgh. Reynolds says he would be open to an extension, but the Pirates have not approached him with a long-term offer.
March 24, 2022 3:47 am
UNDATED (AP) – Tyreek Hill has changed teams and received a big pay hike. The Kansas City Chiefs have traded the wide receiver to Miami for a package of draft picks. The Dolphins immediately gave the three-time All-Pro a $120 million, four-year contract extension. The Chiefs will get the Dolphins’ first- and second-round picks along with their fourth-rounder in this year’s draft, and fourth- and sixth-round picks next year. Hill’s agent said the next extension from Miami includes $72.2 million guaranteed.
March 23, 2022 3:44 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Jake Guentzel scored twice in the second period, and the Pittsburgh Penguins breezed past the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1. Radim Zohorna and Bryan Rust also scored during the second for Pittsburgh. Evgeni Malkin added a power-play goal in the third as the Penguins won their third straight. Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots to improve to 7-1 in his last eight starts. Gustav Nyquist gave the Blue Jackets an early lead with a power-play goal but Columbus simply couldn’t keep up.
March 23, 2022 3:47 am
UNDATED (AP) – Back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay wasn’t the only recent Stanley Cup winner to bolster itself at the trade deadline for the playoffs. St. Louis, Washington and Pittsburgh all made moves in the hope of recapturing some old magic this spring. The Blues traded away another member of the 2019 Cup team in Oskar Sundqvist to upgrade on defense with Nick Leddy. The Capitals brought back Marcus Johansson, whom they traded away before winning the Cup in 2018. And the Penguins shuffled out two roster players to add winger Rickard Rakell.
March 23, 2022 3:45 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Nick Castellanos and the Philadelphia Phillies have finalized a $100 million, five-year contract. The All-Star outfielder agreed to the deal last week after the Phillies added slugger Kyle Schwarber. He’ll be introduced at the team’s spring training complex on Wednesday. Castellanos batted .309 with 34 homers, 100 RBIs and a .939 OPS last year for the Cincinnati Reds, making his first All-Star team and winning a Silver Slugger Award. He is a .278 career hitter with 168 home runs, 594 RBIs and an .814 OPS in nine major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and Reds.
March 22, 2022 3:56 am
The Penguins have acquired winger Rickard Rakell from the Anaheim Ducks, a proven offensive weapon with a pair of 30-goal seasons on his resume and another 20-plus goal season. The Ducks will retain 35% of Rakell’s $3.8 million cap. Rakell will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. In exchange, the Penguins sent Anaheim a considerable haul that included NHL roster players Zach Aston-Reese and Dominik Simon, goalie prospect Calle Clang (who was a 2020 third-round pick) and a 2022 second-round pick.
March 22, 2022 3:43 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Minnesota Wild have acquired goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks hours before the NHL trade deadline. The Wild hope the three-time Stanley Cup winner can help them with a late-season playoff push. Minnesota gave up a conditional first-round pick in this year’s draft to acquire the 37-year-old, who won the Vezina Trophy a year ago with Vegas.
March 22, 2022 3:44 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The Associated Press has learned that the Indianapolis Colts have acquired their new quarterback, Matt Ryan, in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons. Indy is sending a third-round pick, No. 82 overall, for the longtime Falcons star. Ryan led Atlanta to its second Super Bowl appearance following the 2016 season. That was the same season Ryan was named the league’s MVP. Ryan’s arrival means the Colts will be starting a new opening-day quarterback for the sixth consecutive year.
March 22, 2022 3:40 am
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) – Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is hoping to turn last season’s cameo into a full-time gig. Cruz made his major league debut last October, appearing in two games and hitting the first home run of his big league career. The 6-foot-7 Cruz is considered a vital piece of Pittsburgh’s rebuilding project. Cruz says his goal during spring training is to earn a roster spot. Manager Derek Shelton thinks Cruz will likely start the season at Triple-A, a move that will allow the team to experiment by moving Cruz to different positions.
