The odds are starting to stack up against the Winnipeg Jets. Carey Price stopped 30 shots for his eighth career playoff shutout, and the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Jets 1-0 for a 2-0 lead in their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series. Teams that take a 2-0 lead on the road are 82-and-20 in winning a best-of-seven playoff series.
The Vegas Golden Knights have cut their second-round deficit in half thanks to a quick offensive outburst. Down a goal, Jonathan Marchessault and Max Pacioretty scored 45 seconds apart in the third period as Vegas came back to beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2. The Avalanche now lead the series 2-1.
Kawhi Leonard did everything he could to keep his season alive. Leonard dropped 45 points on 72 per cent shooting from the floor, and the L-A Clippers beat the Dallas Mavericks 104-97 to even their first-round set 3-3. The road team has won all six games so far in the series. Game 7 goes Sunday afternoon back at L-A’s Staples Center.
The Portland Trail Blazers and coach Terry Stotts are parting ways after nine seasons. A second straight first-round playoff exit has made it clear that the Trail Blazers need more than just the heroics of Damian Lillard. Even Lillard fueled speculation about his own future in Portland following the elimination loss to the Denver Nuggets. Portland finished the regular season 42-and-30 and earned the sixth seed in the Western Conference. But the Blazers got eliminated in six games by third-seeded Denver.
Zack Greinke pitched his first complete game since 2017, Carlos Correa homered twice and Martin Maldonado hit a grand slam, leading the Houston Astros over the Toronto Blue Jays 13-1. Maldonado drove in five runs and Aledmys Diaz also homered as Houston handed the Blue Jays their first loss in three games at their temporary home in Buffalo. Randal Grichuk homered for Toronto.
Freddy Peralta carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning on his 25th birthday and Milwaukee defeated Arizona 5-1. Peralta, Brad Boxberger and Trevor Richards combined on a one-hitter. Peralta struck out nine, walked three and allowed one run in 7-and-a-third innings.
Friday’s Games
NHL Playoffs – Second Round
Montreal 1 Winnipeg 0 (Canadiens lead series 2-0)
Vegas 3 Colorado 2 (Avalanche lead series 2-1)
NBA Playoffs – First Round
L.A. Clippers 104 Dallas 97 (Series tied 3-3)
MLB
American League
Boston 5 N.Y. Yankees 2
Baltimore 3 Cleveland 1
Houston 13 Toronto 1
Texas 5 Tampa Bay 4
Kansas City 14 Minnesota 5
Chicago White Sox 9 Detroit 8
L.A. Angels 3 Seattle 2
National League
Washington 2 Philadelphia 1
Pittsburgh 9 Miami 2
Milwaukee 5 Arizona 1
L.A. Dodgers 9 Atlanta 5
Cincinnati 6 St. Louis 4
San Francisco 8 Chicago Cubs 5
San Diego 2 N.Y. Mets 0
Interleague
Oakland 9 Colorado 5
Saturday’s Games (All Times Eastern)
NHL Playoffs – Second Round
Carolina at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m. (Lightning lead series 2-1)
Boston at New York Islanders, 7:15 p.m. (Bruins lead series 2-1)
World Hockey Championship Semifinals at Riga, Latvia
Canada vs. U.S., 7:15 a.m.
Finland vs. Germany, 11:15 a.m.
NBA Playoffs – First Round
Milwaukee at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. (First game)
MLB
American League
Detroit (Skubal 2-7) at Chicago White Sox (Giolito 5-4), 2:10 p.m.
Houston (Urquidy 4-2) at Toronto (Stripling 1-3), 3:07 p.m.
Cleveland (Civale 7-2) at Baltimore (Means 4-1), 4:05 p.m.
Tampa Bay (Hill 4-2) at Texas (Allard 1-1), 4:05 p.m.
Minnesota (Berrios 5-2) at Kansas City (Keller 5-4), 4:10 p.m.
Boston (Rodriguez 5-4) at N.Y. Yankees (Taillon 1-4), 7:15 p.m.
Seattle (Kikuchi 3-3) at L.A. Angels (Cobb 3-2), 10:07 p.m.
National League
Cincinnati (Mahle 4-2) at St. Louis (TBD), 2:15 p.m.
Miami (Rogers 6-3) at Pittsburgh (De Jong 0-0), 4:05 p.m.
Washington (Ross 2-5) at Philadelphia (Howard 0-1), 4:05 p.m.
Arizona (Kelly 2-6) at Milwaukee (Peralta 5-1), 4:10 p.m.
Chicago Cubs (Stewart 1-0) at San Francisco (Gausman 6-0), 7:15 p.m.
L.A. Dodgers (Kershaw 7-4) at Atlanta (Morton 4-2), 7:15 p.m.
N.Y. Mets (deGrom 4-2) at San Diego (Musgrove 4-4), 10:10 p.m.
Interleague
Oakland (Irvin 3-7) at Colorado (Freeland 0-0), 9:10 p.m.