LOCAL SPORTS
University Sport:
In Hockey, the X-Women got back to their winning ways, shutting out the St. Thomas Tommies 3-0 at the Keating Centre. The X Women came into the game shorthanded with only 16 skaters, due to several injuries, and with Lea MacLeod and Maggy Burbidge in Lake Placid, taking part in the FISU University Games. Despite the short squad, the win officially clinched the X-Women a playoff berth as they improve to 14-4-1-1 on the season. Lauren Dabrowski’s goal and assist earned her Subway player of the game honours. The X-Women head to Charlottetown to take on the UPEI Panthers tonight, while the X-Men face UPEI at the Keating Centre tonight at 7.
On Coach K Court, a split decision for St. FX. The UPEI Panthers defeated the X-Women 83-67. Jaya D’Souza was St. FX player of the game with fifteen points on the night. The X-Men fared better, getting their 12th win of the season, 89-58 over the Panthers. Deon Ejim earned Subway player of the game honours with 21 points and nine rebounds. The Panthers return for a rematch this afternoon: the women tip off at 2 pm, followed by the men at 4.
At the FISU games in Lake Placid, New York, Team Canada defeated Slovakia 6-1 to advance to the women’s hockey final. X-Women forwards Maggy Burbidge & Lea MacLeod each had one assist in the win. Canada plays Japan for the gold tonight at 9:35. X-Men forwards Liam Hawel and Matthew Struthers will be on the ice this afternoon as Team Canada faces Kazakhstan in the men’s semi-finals at 2:05.
NS Junior: The Strait Pirates are in Springhill tonight, playing the Cumberland County Blues at 7:30.
Maritime Junior: The Pictou County Weeks Crushers take on the Red Wings in Fredericton. Game time is 7 pm.
U15: The Novas host the Wearwell Bombers at the Antigonish Arena, puck drops at 5.
U16 AAA: The Cabot Highlanders host Kings Hockey Club at 6 pm at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre.
U18: The CB West Islanders face off against the Macs at the Al MacInnis Sports Centre tonight at 6, then the Weeks Majors take on the Mustangs at 7 in Lunenberg.
High School Hockey: Northumberland Nighthawks are in East Hants to play the Tigers at 7.
Maritime Major Female League: The Northern Subway Selects host the Western Flames at the Hector Arena in Pictou at 2:30 this afternoon.
Rural League: Pleasantdale Panthers play the County Outlaws at 7 and St. Croix takes on Heatherton at 8:30 at the Arena.
NATIONAL SPORTS
Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Andrew Cogliano, Valeri Nichushkin and Brad Hunt also scored for Colorado, which extended its win streak to four games. Nathan MacKinnon had two assists to stretch his point streak to seven games. Elias Pettersson scored the lone goal for Vancouver.
Canada’s Jamal Murray got his first career triple-double and the Denver Nuggets extended their winning streak to nine games by beating the Indiana Pacers 134-111. Murray finished with 17 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. Montreal’s Bennedict Mathurin had 19 points for a Pacers team that dropped its sixth straight game.
Kyrie Irving scored 48 points, including 21 in the fourth quarter, and the Brooklyn Nets won for the first time since Kevin Durant’s knee injury with a 117-106 victory over the Utah Jazz. Irving accounted for 18 of the Nets’ 43 baskets by himself. He also tallied 11 rebounds and six assists to lead Brooklyn in both categories. Jordan Clarkson scored 29 points for Utah.
Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 36 points against his former team, and the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a two-game skid by beating the San Antonio Spurs 131-126. The Clippers had seven players in double figures, including Norman Powell with 26 points and Paul George with 16. Keldon Johnson had 23 points for San Antonio, which has lost nine of 11.
Keegan Murray had season highs of 29 points and 14 rebounds as the Sacramento Kings beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-113 for their sixth consecutive win. Murray became the first Kings rookie to record consecutive double-doubles since the 2018-19 season. Canadian Shai Gilgeous Alexander scored 37 points for the Thunder.
Fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open for the third time in four years with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win over Dan Evans. Rublev hit 60 winners, including 10 aces. Rublev will play either ninth-seeded Holger Rune or Ugo Humbert in the last 16.
Friday’s Scoreboard
NHL
Pittsburgh 4 Ottawa 1
Colorado 4 Vancouver 1
NBA
Orlando 123 New Orleans 110
Golden State 120 Cleveland 114
Dallas 115 Miami 90
Atlanta 139 New York 124
L.A. Clippers 131 San Antonio 126
Brooklyn 117 Utah 106
Denver 134 Indiana 111
L.A. Lakers 122 Memphis 121
Sacramento 118 Oklahoma City 113
Saturday’s Games (All Times Eastern)
NFL Playoffs – Divisional Round
Jacksonville at Kansas City, 4:30 p.m.
New York Giants at Philadelphia, 8:15 p.m.
NHL
Anaheim at Buffalo, 12:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Calgary, 3 p.m.
Minnesota at Florida, 6 p.m.
Toronto at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Winnipeg at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at Detroit, 7 p.m.
San Jose at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Carolina at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Arizona at Dallas, 8 p.m.
Chicago at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Edmonton at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Colorado at Seattle, 10 p.m.
Washington at Vegas, 10 p.m.
NBA
Boston at Toronto, 5 p.m.
Orlando at Washington, 7 p.m.
Charlotte at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Milwaukee at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.
Houston at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Indiana at Phoenix, 9 p.m.
Philadelphia at Sacramento, 10 p.m.