August 28, 2020 3:57 am
The NHL postponed its Stanley Cup playoff games scheduled for Thursday and Friday in response to the Blake shooting. The decision was reached by the league and the NHL Players’ Association, and was made after members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance asked the NHL to postpone the playing of games. San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane says the HDA strongly feels this sends a clear message that human rights take priority over sports.
August 28, 2020 3:53 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says his surgically repaired right elbow feels better than it has in years. Roethlisberger missed most of the 2019 season after tearing three flexor tendons in his right elbow in Week 2 against Seattle. The 38-year-old says the elbow had been bothering him for quite some time but now he is able to throw pain-free. While the team is trying to keep Roethlisberger on a “pitch count” as he prepares for his 17th season, he’s taken on a heavier workload this camp than he has in previous years.
August 27, 2020 3:51 am
CHICAGO (AP) – Jose Abreu hit his seventh homer in five games, Dallas Keuchel pitched six dominant innings, and the surging Chicago White Sox pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-3 for their ninth win in 10 games. Abreu’s 12th home run was Chicago’s fourth of the game and broke it open. Eloy Jimenez, Danny Mendick and Edwin Encarnacion also homered for Chicago, which leads the AL with 60 home runs. Keuchel (5-2) allowed two runs on four hits and struck out seven in his third straight win. Trevor Williams (1-5) took the loss and Jacob Stallings had a two-run single and Erik Gonzalez hit a solo homer for Pittsburgh.
August 27, 2020 3:52 am
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) – Three NBA games were expected to be played on Wednesday. The players thought otherwise. The games were postponed as players around the league chose to boycott in their strongest statement yet against racial injustice. The dramatic series of moves began when the Milwaukee Bucks declined to take the court against Orlando in the early game. The state of Wisconsin has been rocked in recent days by the shooting by police officers of Jacob Blake, a Black man. Players had been discussing boycotting games in the bubble after the shooting of Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Rockets and Thunder were slated to play, as were the Lakers against the Trail Blazers. The NBA said all three games would be rescheduled, yet did not say when. The WNBA followed suit by postponing its Wednesday games. Five of the six scheduled MLS games were postponed, as were three Major League Baseball games.
August 27, 2020 3:48 am
TORONTO (AP) – Phillippe Myers scored 2:40 into overtime to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Wednesday, tying the second-round playoff series at a game apiece. The Islanders overall a 3-0 first-period deficit, with Jean-Gabriel Pageau getting the tying goal with 2:09 left in regulation. Myers ended it quickly, connecting on a shot from the right point that glanced off the stick of the Islanders’ Anders Lee on the way in. Kevin Hayes scored twice in the first period for Philadelphia, Sean Couturier also had a goal, and Carter Hart made 31 saves. Lee and Anthony Beauvillier also scored for the Islanders. Semyon Varlamov had seven saves before he was benched late in the first period. Thomas Greiss finished with 20 stops in relief.
August 26, 2020 3:51 am
CHICAGO (AP) – Jose Abreu hit his seventh homer in five games, Dallas Keuchel pitched six dominant innings, and the surging Chicago White Sox pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-3 for their ninth win in 10 games. Abreu’s 12th home run was Chicago’s fourth of the game and broke it open. Eloy Jimenez, Danny Mendick and Edwin Encarnacion also homered for Chicago, which leads the AL with 60 home runs. Keuchel (5-2) allowed two runs on four hits and struck out seven in his third straight win. Trevor Williams (1-5) took the loss and Jacob Stallings had a two-run single and Erik Gonzalez hit a solo homer for Pittsburgh.
August 26, 2020 2:07 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The retooling of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ roster is underway. The Penguins acquired forward Kasperi Kapanen from Toronto as the centerpiece of a trade between the two clubs that reunites the 24-year-old Kapanen with the team that originally drafted him with the 22nd overall pick in 2014. The Maple Leafs sent Kapanen, well-traveled forward Pontus Aberg and defensive prospect Jesper Lindgren to the Penguins for Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in this year’s draft as well as forward Evan Rodrigues, defenseman David Warsofsky and Swedish forward Filip Hallander.
August 26, 2020 3:54 am
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – The NHL has fined Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella $25,000 for his conduct during a media session after his team was eliminated from the playoffs. Following the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Game 5 victory over the Blue Jackets, Tortorella ended his video news conference after two questions and walked away.
August 25, 2020 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is just fine if the team sticks to the plan that made him an All-Pro last season. Fitzpatrick’s arrival in a trade last September proved to be the spark that helped the Steelers become one of the NFL’s most dominant defenses. Fitzpatrick’s five interceptions tied for the team lead and his two touchdowns helped keep the Steelers in playoff contention until late in the season. The Steelers say Fitzpatrick’s versatility gives them flexibility on defense, but coach Mike Tomlin added they plan to keep Fitzpatrick in his role as the center fielder in the secondary.
August 25, 2020 3:50 am
UNDATED (AP) – The New York Islanders are the lowest seed remaining in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but they were good enough to open their second-round series with a win against the No. 1 Philadelphia Flyers. Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 shots and the Islanders opened their second-round series with a 4-0 win over the Flyers. Varlamov has posted consecutive playoff shutouts after failing to record one since 2011. He is the first Islander to record back-to-back shutouts. Andy Greene opened the scoring at the 6:06 mark, his first playoff goal in a decade. It remained 1-0 until Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee scored in the first nine minutes of the third. Devon Toews added an empty-netter shortly after Carter Hart was replaced by an extra attacker with about eight minutes left. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars made it two straight wins over the Avalanche by rallying for a 4-2 victory. Dallas trailed 2-0 until Joe Pavelski and Radek Faksa scored power-play goals 43 seconds apart midway through the second period. Alexander Radulov notched the tiebreaking goal about five minutes later after contributing two goals and an assist in Game 1 on Sunday.
Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen each had a power-play goal and an assist for Colorado. Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin was otherwise perfect while the Avs outshot Dallas, 41-27.
