The New York Islanders still enjoy a two-point lead in the NHL's East Division. Anthony Beauvillier scored 21 seconds into overtime and the Isles rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Bruins, 4-3. The Islanders trailed 2-0 after one period, but Jean-Gabriel Pageau cut the margin in half in the second before third-period goals by Josh Bailey and Oliver Wahlstrom gave New York a brief lead with 2:56 left in regulation. The Islanders have won 12 of their last 14 games and are 5-0 versus the Bruins this season.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
Mika Zibanejad collected six points against the Flyers for the second time since St. Patrick's Day, providing three goals and three assists in the Rangers' 8-3 thumping of the Flyers. Adam Fox had five assists and Pavel Buchnevich added two goals for the Blueshirts, who torched Philadelphia, 9-0 on the 17th. Ryan Strome, K'Andre Miller and Filip Chytil also scored as the Rangers won their third straight and fifth in their last seven games.
The Sabres' winless skid has reached 16 games after Jared McCann scored a pair of power-play goals and Casey DeSmith made 36 saves to lead the Penguins to a 4-0 shutout win over Buffalo. Radim Zohorna picked up a goal on his first NHL shot, and Sidney Crosby had three assists to raise his career point total to 1,300 as Pittsburgh swept a pair from the NHL's worst team with relative ease. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams had to go behind the bench after interim coach Don Granato was put in COVID-19 protocol.
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice and Alex Ovechkin netted his 721st career goal in the Capitals' 4-3 win over the Devils. Ovechkin has scored eight times in Washington's last nine games, with the Caps winning eight of those contest. Kuznetsov notched the game-winner with about eight minutes to play.
The Maple Leafs pulled out a 3-2 win over the Senators on Justin Holl's goal at 4:42 of overtime. Holl scored after Toronto star Auston Matthews broke up an Ottawa 3-on-1 in the neutral zone. Jason Spezza and Ilya Mikheyev also scored for the Leafs, and Jack Campbell made 29 saves.
Sebastian Aho scored 1:26 into overtime to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 victory and a split of their four-game series with the Blue Jackets. Oliver Bjorkstrand scored from the doorstep to tie the game for Columbus with 16 seconds left in regulation. Cedric Paquette, Nino Niederreiter and Martin Necas also scored for the Hurricanes, and Alex Nedeljkovic followed up a shutout on Monday night with 33 saves.
The Stars pulled out a 4-3 win over the Lightning as Roope Hintz scored on a breakaway with 1:21 remaining. Hintz and Joe Pavelski each had a goal and two assists to help Dallas beat the defending Stanley Cup champs for the first time in five tries this season. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 39 saves for Tampa Bay, but his franchise-record 12-game winning streak was snapped.
Kevin Lankinen made 41 saves in his second career shutout, guiding the Blackhawks' 3-0 win versus the Panthers. The rookie goaltender also denied Jonathan Huberdeau on a rare 3-on-0 break with about three minutes left in the second period. Patrick Kane and Brandon Hagel each had a goal and an assist as Chicago earned its second straight victory against Florida after dropping its first four meetings this season.
Rocco Grimaldi tied a team record with four goals in the Predators' fifth win in six games, 7-1 against the Red Wings. Grimaldi opened the scoring at 5:34 of a wild, four-goal first period for the Predators, his first tally since Feb. 13. Eeli Tolvanen, Mikael Granlund and Mathieu Olivier also scored, and Juuse Saros made 20 saves as Nashville continues to move back into the hunt for the final Central Division playoff slot.
Cam Talbot made 37 saves for his second shutout of the season, helping the Wild earn their team-record 11th consecutive home win, 2-0 over the Blues. Kariil Kaprizov notched his 11th goal to pad his lead among all league rookies. Marcus Johansson also scored for the Wild, who improved to 13-3 at Xcel Energy Center despite being outshot 37-11.
Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog both recorded a goal and an assist while the Avalanche scored four times in the second period of a 4-1 verdict over the Golden Knights. Joonas Donskoi and J.T. Compher also scored in a pivotal middle period during which the Avalanche turned a 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 lead. Philipp Grubauer stopped 17 shots in his eighth straight win as Colorado pulled even with Vegas for first place in the West Division.
In hockey news, the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship kicks off Friday. No. 2 UMass will take on No. 3 Lake Superior State Friday night at 6:30 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Notre Dame has pulled out of this weekend’s Albany Regional, citing a positive COVID-19 test and public health guidelines. They had been scheduled to play Saturday as part of the first event with in-person fans at the Times Union Center in more than a year. Now, No. 1 Boston College automatically advances to Sunday’s championship game against either No. 2 St. Cloud State or No. 3 Boston University.
NBA
The Philadelphia 76ers continue to cruise without the services of All-Star center Joel Embiid. The Sixers earned their fourth straight win as Danny Green hit eight 3-pointers and scored 28 points in their fourth straight victory, 109-101 over the slumping Lakers. Seth Curry scored 19 points and Tobias Harris added 15 for the Eastern Conference leaders, who have won 10 of 11 overall and seven of eight since Embiid's injury. Los Angeles cut an 18-point deficit and trailed 102-98 with 2:20 left before falling. Playing without superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers are on their second four-game skid since mid-February. Kyle Kuzma scored 25 points and Montrezl Harrell added 20, but the defending NBA champions remained winless since James sprained his ankle last Sunday.
Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:
Alec Burks scored 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter of the Knicks' 106-102 comeback over the Wizards. RJ Barrett added 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Knickerbockers, who trailed by 17 in the third quarter and didn't lead until the fourth. Wizards starting guards Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook shot a combined 11-for-38, with Westbrook going 3-for-15 with eight turnovers.
Reggie Jackson scored 28 points and the Clippers picked up tier fourth straight win by topping the Spurs, 98-85. Paul George had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Los Angeles, which played without Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka and Patrick Beverley due to injury. DeMar DeRozan had 23 points, and Dejounte Murray added 18 in San Antonio's fourth loss in a row.
The Trail Blazers came away with a 125-122 win over the Heat on Damian Lillard's three free throws in the final second. CJ McCollum had 21 of his 35 points in the first quarter for Portland, which got 22 points from Lillard and 20 from Carmelo Anthony. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro each had 29 points for Miami, which dropped its fifth straight and fell to 22-23.
De'Aaron Fox poured in a career-best 44 points on 16 of 22 shooting and had seven assists as the Kings crushed the Warriors, 141-119. The mercurial point guard has topped 40 points twice this season and has had 30 or more in six of his last 10 games, averaging 30.7 points during that span. Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points with a career-best six 3-pointers, and Richaun Holmes had 25 points and 11 rebounds in Sacramento's fifth win in six games.
On the NBA's trade deadline day:
The immovable objects proved to be Kyle Lowry, Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge. The irresistible force was the Orlando Magic roster as several key swaps were completed. Lowry was expected to be dealt by Toronto. Instead, Lowry stayed put as the Raptors sent Norman Powell to the Trail Blazers for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood. Miami was one of the biggest pursuers for Lowry and may still target him as a free agent later this year. A person familiar with the situation tells the AP the Cavaliers are working on a contract buyout of center Andre Drummond after failing to move the two-time All-Star before the deadline. Drummond hasn't played since Feb. 12 while the team sought to deal him. The Spurs did likewise with Aldridge, working out a buyout after finding no suitable trade partner. Failing to land Lowry, Miami picked up guard Victor Oladipo from Houston for Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a pick swap in 2022.
The Clippers addressed a need at point guard by landing Rajon Rondo from Atlanta. The Clippers gave up Lou Williams in the swap, sending him back to his home state.
The Nuggets added JaVale McGee in a deal with Cleveland for Isaiah Hartenstein and two draft picks.
A person familiar with the situation says the Mavericks have acquired veteran shooting guard JJ Redick and Italian forward Nicolo Melli from New Orleans. Dallas gives up power forward James Johnson, small forward Wesley Iwundu and a second-round draft choice to the Pelicans.
The Pistons have agreed to trade guard Delon Wright to the Kings for guard Cory Joseph and two second-round draft picks. That's according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
In other NBA news, former head coach Stan Albeck has died in hospice care, less than two weeks after having a stroke. Albeck coached the ABA's Denver Rockets in 1970-71 before runs with the NBA's Cavaliers, Spurs, Nets and Bulls between 1979 and '86. He took San Antonio to consecutive Western Conference Finals in 1982 and 1983. Albeck was 89.
MLB
Chicago White Sox slugger Eloy Jiménez is expected to be sidelined for five to six months because of a ruptured left pectoral tendon that requires surgery. Jiménez was hurt trying to make a play in the outfield during an exhibition game Tuesday and the injury has put his season in jeopardy. The 24-year-old Jiménez batted .296 with 14 homers and 41 RBIs in 55 games during the pandemic-shortened season.
In other MLB news:
Right-hander Tommy Hunter was released from a minor league contract by the Mets after going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA in five spring training appearances. Hunter agreed last month to a contract that would have called for a $2.25 million salary in the major leagues had he been added to the 40-man roster.
Bobby Brown, who won five World Series as an infielder with the New York Yankees and later became a cardiologist and president of the American League, has died at 96. Brown played with the Yankees from 1947-54 and won five championships in his eight-season career. Overall, he batted .279 with 22 home runs and 237 RBIs. Brown was president of the American League from 1984-94.
A person familiar with the injury says Rays reliever Nick Anderson has a partially torn ligament in his pitching elbow and likely will be sidelined beyond the All-Star break. Anderson went 2-1 with a 0.55 ERA and six saves in 19 outings during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season before appearing in 10 of the team's 20 postseason games. He is not expected to need surgery.
Padres manager Jayce Tingler says right-hander Yu Darvish will be his opening day starter against the Diamondbacks. Darvish finished second in NL Cy Young Award voting for 2020 after going 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA. Left-hander Blake Snell is scheduled to follow Darvish in the rotation.
Pitcher Gio Gonzalez says he has retired after 13 major league seasons. The 35-year-old left-hander had signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins and made one exhibition appearance. He has a career record of 131-101 with a 3.70 ERA in 13 seasons for four teams. He was a two-time All-Star, with Oakland in 2011 and Washington in 2012.
Max Fried will make his first opening day start for the Atlanta Braves, getting the nod in the wake of two stellar seasons. Fried went 7-0 with a 2.25 ERA last season, finishing fifth in the NL Cy Young Award balloting.
Jimmy Nelson has earned a job with the World Series champion Dodgers after missing last season due to a back injury. The former Brewer allowed an unearned run over seven innings in four spring training appearances, giving up four hits and holding batters to a .160 average.
NFL
The Patriots have re-signed running back James White. The deal is for one year and according to reports will pay him a guaranteed $2.5 million, returning White to New England for his eighth season.
In other NFL news:
The Bills have agreed to sign running back Matt Breida to a one-year contract. Breida was limited to 254 yards rushing and 96 receiving in 12 games for Miami last year.
The Arizona Cardinals have added cornerback Malcolm Butler on a one-year deal. The two-time Pro Bowl selection comes to the Cardinals about a week after the team lost cornerback Patrick Peterson, who signed with the Vikings. Butler started all 16 games for the Tennessee Titans last season and had four interceptions and a career-high 100 tackles.
The Seahawks have bolstered their pass rush by signing former San Francisco defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr. Hyder is coming off his best season after setting career highs in starts, sacks and tackles with the 49ers last year.
PGA
Make it eight in a row for Kevin Kisner. The defending champion in the Dell Technologies Match Play built a big lead over Justin Thomas and then hung on to beat the No. 2 seed in 17 holes. Kisner's streak is the fifth-longest streak since this tournament began in 1999. Tiger Woods holds the record at 13 in a row from 2003 to 2005. Bob MacIntyre of Scotland gave the world's No. 1 player all he could handle before Dustin Johnson rallied just to escape with a tie. MacIntyre build a 2-up lead with three holes to play when Johnson birdied the 16th, and then tied the match with a tough 18-footer. That sent the match down the 18th, and both players had birdie chances that missed. U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau won his second match as a pro with a 2-and-1 victory over Si Woo Kim. DeChambeau was trailing with five holes to play when he rallied to win.
In the LPGA, Michelle Wie West struggled through a round of 9-over 81 in her first tournament in nearly two years, while Inbee Park shot a 6-under 66 to take the first-round lead in the Kia Classic at Aviara. Park had a solid, bogey-free round in rainy, breezy conditions in the afternoon. Fellow South Korean Hyo Joo Kim was a stroke behind, and Sophia Popov, In Gee Chun, Stephanie Meadow and Mel Reid shot 68. The 31-year-old Wie West is in her first event since giving birth to daughter Makenna nine months ago. This is her first tournament since the Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine in June 2019, when she shot 84-82.
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