LOCAL SPORTS
The first game of the Rural League Finals went to Pleasantdale, who blanked Heatherton 2-0 last night at the Antigonish Arena.
At the NSSAF Girls Provincial Curling Championships held at the Truro Curling Club, Team Grady from Guysborough Academy captured Bronze Medals in a tie-breaker team draw to the button against Cobequid Education Centre.
Antigonish Bantam A Female Bulldogs are league champions, after a 4-3 win over the Pictou County Subway Selects. Bulldog goals by: Grace MacDougall, Brooklyn Carter, Lauren Keats, and Julia MacDonald. Gracie Chisholm had the win in nets. The team will take part in the Provincial Day of Champions in Truro April 14th at 3:00.
Brody Blair’s pro record improves to 5-2 after his headline bout last night at the Wellness Centre. The Pictou County fighter scored a TKO in the first round against his opponent, Eduardo Canjas of Mexico.
NATIONAL SPORTS
A plan to establish a C-F-L franchise in Atlantic Canada has taken a big step forward. Schooners Sports and Entertainment says the group has signed a letter of intent with Canada Lands Company that would see a sports and entertainment hub built in Dartmouth near Halifax Harbour. Anthony LeBlanc, one of the group’s partners, says a scaled-back, 130-million-dollar stadium in Shannon Park would be made available for amateur and recreational sports for about 300 days each year. LeBlanc confirmed talks with Canada Lands took longer than expected, which is why his group hasn’t submitted a formal proposal to the municipality or the province.
Rickard Rakell was the difference tonight in Edmonton. Rakell scored a natural hat trick in the second period as the Anaheim Ducks pulled out a 5-1 victory over the Oilers. Edmonton is eight points out of the playoffs with just four games to play. A single point from Colorado or another loss will officially end the Oilers’ season.
Dallas will have to try one more time to clinch a playoff spot. Markus Granlund scored in the eighth round of the shootout, leading the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 home victory over the Stars. The loss snapped a three-game win streak for Dallas and halted its chance for a playoff berth.
The Canadiens remained in contention for a playoff spot with a 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at Bell Centre. Montreal and Columbus are tied with 92 points each, but the Blue Jackets have a game in hand and the tiebreaker. And Craig Anderson made 42 saves as the Ottawa Senators beat the Maple Leafs 4-2 at Canadian Tire Centre.
NHL
Anaheim 5 Edmonton 1
Vancouver 3 Dallas 2 (SO)
Montreal 3 Winnipeg 1
Ottawa 4 Toronto 2
Florida 4 Boston 1
Carolina 5 Philadelphia 2
N.Y. Islanders 5 Buffalo 1
Washington 6 Tampa Bay 3
St. Louis 3 New Jersey 2 (OT)
Columbus 5 Nashville 2
San Jose 4 Vegas 3 (OT)
Los Angeles 3 Chicago 2 (OT)
MLB
American League
Baltimore 5 N.Y. Yankees 3
Cleveland 2 Minnesota 1
Kansas City 8 Chicago White Sox 6
Toronto 3 Detroit 0
Tampa Bay 3 Houston 1
Oakland 4 L.A. Angels 2
Seattle 6 Boston 5
National League
N.Y. Mets 11 Washington 8
Philadelphia 8 Atlanta 6
Miami 7 Colorado 3
Milwaukee 4 St. Louis 2
San Francisco 3 San Diego 2
L.A. Dodgers 18 Arizona 5
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, postponed
Interleague
Texas 8 Chicago Cubs 6
The Raptors picked up their third straight win, and they did it without two of their biggest producers. Serge Ibaka had 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Toronto routed the Bulls 124-101 despite playing without Kawhi (kuh-WYE’) Leonard and Pascal Siakam. Leonard was excused for personal reasons. Siakim was healthy and on the bench, but got the night off to rest.
LeBron James’ first season with the Lakers is over. The team announced he will sit out the remainder of its games, allowing him more time to rest the first significant injury of his career. It’s the first time James won’t play in the post-season since 2005, when he was in his second N-B-A season with Cleveland. He had appeared in the last eight N-B-A Finals.
NBA
L.A. Clippers 132 Cleveland 108
Brooklyn 110 Boston 96
Houston 119 Sacramento 108
Detroit 99 Portland 90
Orlando 121 Indiana 116
Miami 100 New York 92
Philadelphia 118 Minnesota 109
Toronto 124 Chicago 101
Memphis 120 Phoenix 115
MLS
Chicago 1 New York 0
New England 2 Minnesota United 1
Sporting Kansas City 7 Montreal 1
Los Angeles FC 5 San Jose 0
Columbus 2 Atlanta 0
Philadelphia 2 Cincinnati 0
FC Dallas 4 Real Salt Lake 2
Houston 4 Colorado 1
Seattle 0 Vancouver 0
NCAA Men’s Basketball
Virginia 80 Purdue 75 (OT)
Texas Tech 75 Gonzaga 69
NCAA Women’s Basketball
Iowa 79 NC State 61
Baylor 93 South Carolina 68
Notre Dame 87 Texas A&M 80
Stanford 55 Missouri State 46