NHL
Vincent Trocheck scored twice, Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist each and the New York Rangers downed the Detroit Red Wings 5-3. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson had two assists and Jonathan Quick made 25 saves for the Rangers. Panarin extended his season-starting points streak to 12 games. The Rangers swarmed the Red Wings through the first two periods as New York returned home after their six-game winning streak was snapped Saturday with a shootout loss in Minnesota. The Rangers led 5-0 after two periods before Detroit scored three times in the third.
Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek scored on consecutive shots in the third period Tuesday night, lifting the Minnesota Wild to a 4-2 win over the New York Islanders. Pat Maroon scored on the opening shift of the game and Vinni Lettieri tied the game in the second for the Wild. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury had 26 saves. Noah Dobson scored for the second straight game for the Islanders, who received a go-ahead goal in the second from Oliver Wahlstrom but had their point streak snapped at five games. Goalie Semyon Varlamov, starting at home for the first time this season, collected 27 saves.
Martin Necas scored his second overtime winner of the season, converting 90 seconds into the extra session as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2. Necas tipped in the puck from near the crease. He also scored in overtime Oct. 26 against Seattle. Carolina defensemen Tony DeAngelo and Brady Skjei, who also had an assist, scored in regulation to help the Hurricanes win for the fifth time in six games. Antti Raanta made 20 saves, including two early in overtime. Alex Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin scored Buffalo’s goals. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 24 shots. Necas’ fifth goal of the season came off the second assist of the game for Sebastian Aho.
The San Jose Sharks snapped an 11-game losing streak that tied for the longest skid to start the season in NHL history with a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers last night. Anthony Duclair had a goal and an assist, Mackenzie Blackwood made 38 saves and William Eklund added a power-play goal as San Jose (1-10-1) won. The Sharks had allowed 10 goals in each of their last two games. Joel Farabee scored for Philadelphia (5-7-1), which lost for the fifth time in its last six games despite out-shooting San Jose 39-19.
Ryan Johansen scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and the Colorado Avalanche broke out of an offensive slump with a 6-3 win over the shorthanded New Jersey Devils. The Avalanche also got two goals Mikko Rantanen, including an empty-net goal in the final moments. Nathan MacKinnon, Miles Wood and Ross Colton also scored. Colton drew successive boarding and cross-checking penalties that landed him in the penalty box for seven minutes during which New Jersey produced a pair of power-play scores. Timo Meier, Dougie Hamilton and Tyler Toffoli had goals for New Jersey.
The Pittsburgh Penguins snapped the Anaheim Ducks’ six-game winning streak with a 2-0 victory. Tristan Jarry and Magnus Hellberg combined on a 32-save shutout after Jarry left with an injury late in the second period. Radim Zohorna scored in the first period for the Penguins, who avenged Anaheim’s spectacular 4-3 comeback victory in Pittsburgh eight days ago. John Gibson made 34 saves against his hometown team for the Ducks, who hadn’t lost since Oct. 22 in their longest winning streak in two years.
Some early trends are showing in the NHL. Alex Ovechkin has matched his slowest 10-game start and needs to pick things up in his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record. The San Jose Sharks lost their first 11 games, setting a pace to be among the worst teams in league history. And the Edmonton Oilers’ goaltending is threatening to sink Connor McDavid’s playoff chances. Elsewhere, the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights are rolling, Connor Bedard is scoring for Chicago and the Boston Bruins are back following a disappointing first-round exit.
NFL
The Los Angeles Rams are signing quarterback Carson Wentz, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press. The source spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday because Wentz needed to pass a physical before the deal could be announced. Wentz has been out of the NFL this season after starting seven games last season for the Washington Commanders. The seven-year NFL veteran was Philadelphia’s starter for five years, and he started all 17 games for Indianapolis in 2021. The Rams are in need of another passer behind Matthew Stafford, who missed Los Angeles' most recent game with a thumb injury.
New Orleans edge rusher Carl Granderson and Dallas offensive lineman Terence Steele joined a short list of undrafted players to get contracts with at least $30 million guaranteed. Both signed earlier this season. Granderson and Steele aren't saying if they splurged after defying the odds and earning a big payday. That fits the profile of players who are grateful to get the money and mindful of their roots. Carolina receiver Adam Thielen followed a similar path to a big contract with Minnesota. Tampa Bay's Shaquil Barrett took a slightly different route to riches with the Bucs.
NBA
San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama has experienced the wide spectrum of highs and lows during this first couple of weeks in the NBA. He has scored 38 points in a game, played in a back-to-back for the first time, has been part of two 40-point losses, wasted a huge lead and lost, overcame a huge deficit and won. It’s been an education. And by all accounts, the French rookie who stands nearly 7-foot-4 is passing the tests. Wembanyama’s averages so far are 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. The last player to have such averages over the first seven games of his career was Shaquille O’Neal in 1992.
MLB
Nine-inning World Series games averaged 3 hours, 1 minute, the fastest since 1996, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The first postseason of the pitch clock also included defensive shift limits and larger bases, leading to increased stolen bases and appearing to contribute to higher batting averages. Postseason nine-inning games overall averaged 3:02, down from 3:23 last year and 3:37 in 2021, the last season before the PitchCom electronic pitch-calling device. That mirrored a regular season with an average game time of 2:40, the lowest since 1985.
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Atlanta 4 Columbus 2
Orlando City 1 Nashville 0
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Michigan is preparing to take possible legal action if the Big Ten punishes the football program before a full investigation of allegations of an impermissible scouting and sign-stealing scheme orchestrated by a low-level staffer. A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press about Michigan's plans but did not provide details. Michigan has been given notification of potential disciplinary action from the conference. The Big Ten gave the school until this week to respond.
The Pac-12 has two teams in No. 5 Washington and No. 6 Oregon that are in the hunt for a College Football Playoff spot. The league also has two programs in Washington State and Oregon State that are about to be left behind when schools scatter from the conference after the season. For 10 Pac-12 programs, it’s off to the promise of greener pastures in mega-conferences. The question that remains is how big is too big for a league. The Big 12 expands to 16 with the incoming Pac-12 arrivals, while the Big Ten balloons to 18 and the ACC to 17. Some programs may end up getting lost in the reshuffle.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UMass 92 UAlbany 71
Kansas coach Bill Self has signed a lifetime contract that will pay him $53 million over the first five years. That surpasses Kentucky coach John Calipari for the richest deal ever given to a college basketball coach at a public university. Self will make more than $13 million this season overall from the top-ranked Jayhawks. At the conclusion of each year, another is added to the deal. Self will earn a one-time $5 million retention bonus if he serves out the first five.
(8)Creighton 105 Florida A&M 54
(20)Baylor 88 Auburn 82
GOLF
Tiger Woods now has his hands in everything about TGL. He helped develop the tech-infused golf league. He's playing in it. And now he's a team owner. Woods and investor-owner David Blitzer are leading the sixth and final team called Jupiter Links Golf Club. Blitzer is the first person to have an ownership stake in five North American major sports leagues. That includes the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils. Woods will be part of Jupiter Links. He says he's looking forward to playing and starting a new chapter as a team owner. The league begins Jan. 9.
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Philadelphia is at New England 7 p.m.
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