{allcanada} Hardaway, Pistons top Raptors to clinch playoff berth

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TORONTO - Tim Hardaway Jr. had 23 points as the Detroit Pistons fended off the Toronto Raptors 117-105 on Friday to clinch a playoff berth.

Jalen Duren had a double-double with 21 points and 18 rebounds as Detroit (43-34) hung on to win after leading by as many as 22 points. Malik Beasley added 21 points.

Rookie guard Ja'Kobe Walter led Toronto (28-50) with 22 points. 

Jakob Poeltl had a double-double for the Raptors with 10 points and 11 boards. Immanuel Quickley flirted with a triple-double with 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Scottie Barnes was out for the Raptors with a finger contusion on his right hand. RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., had the night off to rest.

Before the game Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic said that Brandon Ingram (sprained left ankle) and Gradey Dick (right knee bone bruise) were done for the season.

Takeaways

Pistons: Hardaway went off for 11 points in the third quarter, making all four of his field-goal attempts. He was 3 for 3 from three-point range as Detroit led by as many as 22 points in the quarter.

Raptors: Already eliminated from the post-season picture, Rajakovic relied more heavily on his bench players, even benching his starting lineup for a spell with seven minutes left in the game and the lead within reach. As a result, Toronto's bench outscored Detroit's 44-21. The Raptors reserves did cut the Pistons' lead down to six points in the fourth, however.

Key moment

Detroit held a 10-point lead at the intermission but blew the game open with an 11-0 run in the first three minutes of the third quarter. Duren's emphatic dunk added an exclamation to the run for a 76-55 Pistons lead.

Key stat

Rookie guard Jamal Shead — who came off Toronto's bench Friday — had nine assists to reach 290 on the season and surpass Jose Calderon (288) for second-most helpers by a Raptors rookie. Damon Stoudamire's 653 assists in the 1995-96 season are the most by a rookie in team history.

Up next

Toronto: The Raptors will visit the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday for their fourth-last game of the season.

Detroit: The Pistons will return home to host the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.

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{allcanada} Rose scores, Canadian women's soccer team blanks Argentina

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VANCOUVER - Jade Rose scored her first goal for Canada's women's soccer team, helping the country to a 3-0 victory over Argentina in a friendly matchup on Friday. 

The 22-year-old defender from Markham, Ont., touched a ball over the line off of a free kick in the 24th minute to open the scoring.

Nichelle Prince also scored for the seventh-ranked Canadians, converting a rebound in the 39th minute for her 17th goal for the senior national team. 

Hometown talent Julia Grosso sealed the score in the 87th minute and Kailen Sheridan recorded a clean sheet as Canada improved to 7-0-0 against No. 33 Argentina.

The victory punctuated Casey Stoney's first game on home soil since being appointed head coach of the Canadian squad in mid-January. The team is now 3-0-1 during her tenure. 

The two countries will meet again for another friendly in Langford, B.C., on Tuesday. 

Canada dominated the match from the beginning, testing Argentine 'keeper Solana Pereyra early and often. 

Thirteen minutes in, Canada won a free kick when captain Jessie Fleming was cut down as she charged up the field. Fleming sent the ball sailing into the six-yard box where Pereyra jumped up to collect it. 

Another set piece got Canada on the board in the 24th minute. 

Adriana Leon floated a free kick into the penalty area and Vanessa Gilles nodded a header toward the Argentine goal. Pereyra got a touch on the shot, but couldn't control it and Rose rushed in to push the ball in over the line. 

Canada had another prime opportunity in the 33rd minute when Marie-Yasmine Alidou blasted a header on net, but Pereyra stretched out and tapped the shot away just in time. 

The home side bested the Argentine 'keeper again in the 39th minute.

Leon deked and twisted around several defenders, then slipped a cross to Prince at the back post. The veteran forward unleashed a shot and Pereyra got in front of it, but Prince stayed with it and booted the rebound in to give Canada a 2-0 lead. 

The Canadians appeared to add to their tally in the 49th minute when Leon blasted in a shot from the top of the penalty area, but the offside flag darted up, nullifying the goal. 

Grosso, who came on for Alidou in the 59th minute, made it 3-0 for Canada in the 87th minute after Janine Sonis' shot pinged off the post. Grosso collected the ball and sent a long-range blast sailing in for her fifth goal for the national team.

NOTES: Canadian midfielder Quinn was honoured before kickoff for making their 100th appearance for the national squad last year. … An announced crowd of 12,219 took in the game at B.C. Place.

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{allcanada} Gretzky joins Capitals locker room celebration after Ovechkin ties goals record

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Alex Ovechkin was showered with love in the locker room on Friday, literally.

The Washington Capitals gave their captain a beer shower after he tied Wayne Gretzky on the NHL career goals list during the team's game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Capital One Arena.

Ovechkin threw his arms up in the air as his teammates surrounded him and sprayed him with their beverages.

"Don't waste it," one Capitals players told his captain.

"Best shower of my life," Ovechkin said after the celebration.

Ovechkin scored career goals No. 893 and 894 in the Capitals 5-3 win over the Blackhawks to tie Gretzky on top of the NHL goals list.

Gretzky alongside the entire fan base at Capital One Arena gave Ovechkin a standing ovation after he tied the record.

The "Great One" also stopped by the Capitals locker room to congratulate Ovechkin. The two posed for a picture with goal No. 894's puck.

A special video message from Gretzky to Ovechkin was posted by the Capitals.

"Hello, Ovi! Wayne Gretzky here. Congratulations on typing the record at 894," Gretzky said in the video. "It's a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication. Good for you man. Happy for you and your family and all your friends and more importantly, all your teammates. Good for you!"

Video: https://x.com/Capitals/status/1908344761477398530

https://x.com/Capitals/status/1908344761477398530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1908344761477398530%7Ctwgr%5E370f39699b80a6aadf7a5c6fa0cdf8efffaf2de9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nhl.com%2Fnews%2Fwayne-gretzky-capitals-celebrate-alex-ovechkin-in-locker-room

https://x.com/Capitals/status/1908344761477398530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1908344761477398530%7Ctwgr%5E370f39699b80a6aadf7a5c6fa0cdf8efffaf2de9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nhl.com%2Fnews%2Fwayne-gretzky-capitals-celebrate-alex-ovechkin-in-locker-room

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{allcanada} Argonauts re-sign global punter Haggerty

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TORONTO - Global punter John Haggerty re-signed with the Toronto Argonauts on Friday.

Contract details weren't divulged. Haggerty became a free agent Feb. 11. 

Haggerty, a 30-year-old Australian, was an East Division all-star in 2024 after posting the CFL's second-best punt average of 50.3 yards, a career high. 

The six-foot-five, 225-pound Haggerty averaged a league-best 48 yards per punt in 2023 and was again a division all-star in 2022.

Toronto selected Haggerty fourth overall in the 2022 CFL global draft. Over three seasons, he has averaged 48.9 yards on 260 career punts in 47 regular-season games.

Haggerty has also helped Toronto win Grey Cup titles in 2022 and '24.

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{allcanada} Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl expected back before playoffs after sustaining lower-body injury

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl is "out short term" but should return "well before" the playoffs begin after sustaining a lower-body injury against the San Jose Sharks the previous night, head coach Kris Knoblauch said Friday.

Draisaitl, who leads the NHL with 52 goals this season, didn't practice Friday and won't play against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. He missed the second half of the second period and all of the third period in a 3-2 win over the Sharks.

Knoblauch expects Draisaitl back before the postseason begins on April 19, where the Oilers are likely to face the Kings in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

"We think it's going to be back well before that, so we're not too concerned, especially with Leon's pain tolerance and things that he's played through before, but he will be missing some time," Knoblauch said.

Draisaitl missed four games in late March because of an undisclosed injury. Knoblauch said this new ailment is unrelated.

Draisaitl was on pace to set a new career-high in scoring after reaching the 50-goal mark for the third time in four seasons, and his 106 points is third in the league.

The one-two punch of Draisaitl and fellow superstar center Connor McDavid powered the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final last year, but Edmonton is currently without both players as they try to chase down the Kings for second place in the Pacific Division and home-ice advantage for the first round.

McDavid has not played since sustaining a lower-body injury in a collision with Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey on March 20.

In spite of those absences, Edmonton has won three straight and is 7-2-1 in its past 10 games.

"It's impressive," forward Trent Frederic said. "Even last night, it's a big win there. … No, the team's looked unreal."

Frederic was acquired from the Boston Bruins in a three-team trade on March 4 but has yet to play for the Oilers because of an ankle injury. He took part in practice Friday and could make his Edmonton debut on Saturday.

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{allcanada} Ovechkin ties Gretzky’s record with his 894th goal. He needs one more to break it

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Ovechkin has tied Wayne Gretzky's NHL goals record by scoring the 894th of his career.

Ovechkin scored his second goal of the Washington Capitals' game Friday night against the Chicago Blackhawks on the power play with 13:46 left in the third period. And he did so with Gretzky in attendance for the first time during this chase.

Earlier, he got his 893rd to move one away from tying and two from breaking Gretzky's mark that long seemed unapproachable. The 39-year-old Russian superstar is now one away from breaking it with 10:56 to go in the game and six left to play this season.

On his first of the night, Ovechkin beat Spencer Knight 3:52 in, taking a pass from Dylan Strome behind the net and banking the puck off the far post and the goaltender's back and in.

After a few seconds, Ovechkin's personal goal song, "Shake, Rattle & Roll" by Big Joe Turner," started blaring from arena speakers as mascot Slapshot flipped the counter in one corner from 892 to 893. Fans chanted, "Ovi! Ovi!" before and after play resumed.

Scoring in a fourth consecutive game, Ovechkin reached 40 goals for a 14th time in 20 seasons, which is the most in league history. With his second, he is at 41.

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{allcanada} Gretzky set to be at Blackhawks-Capitals game with Ovechkin 3 goals from breaking his NHL record

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ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Wayne Gretzky is expected to be in attendance Friday night in Washington with Alex Ovechkin two goals from tying and three from breaking the Canadian great's NHL record.

The Capitals' game against Chicago marks the start of Gretzky joining the chase in person.

"It's great," Ovechkin said after his team's morning skate. "He's been supportive all the time to me. It's a fun time right now. We'll see what's going to happen, but right now it's all attention to a hockey game. It's a pretty cool moment."

Commissioner Gary Bettman, Ovechkin's wife, Nastya, and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis were in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday night. Ovechkin scored his 892nd goal in that game, putting him a hat trick on home ice away from passing Gretzky's mark of 894 that long seemed unapproachable.

"It's going to be fun," said winger Tom Wilson, who like Gretzky is from Ontario. "It's bigger than the game right now. It's bigger than hockey. It's the 'Great One.' I mean, no one would have ever thought that would happen. The energy around this thing the whole year, it's been second to none, and it's been something no one's ever gone through."

Not at least in 31 years, since Gretzky passed "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe's all-time mark of 801 career goals. Gretzky is accompanying Ovechkin on the approach to 895 like Howe did for him on the way to 802 in 1994.

"The greatest player of all time is coming to follow us for however long it takes, so it's exciting," Capitals center Dylan Strome said. "I think Ovi and Gretzky have a pretty good relationship. And obviously the ambassador that he's been for the game for as many years as he has, he does a ton for hockey and a ton for Canada, so it's cool."

The anticipation is building around hockey for what's being billed the "GR8 chase," and Gretzky being in the building is the latest piece of that.

"It just shows you how close the players are in the game and how much respect there is between both of them," said retired defenseman Jason Demers, an NHL Network analyst who will also be at the game with "NHL Live" moving on site for the occasion. "Having Wayne be there and support Ovechkin, who's going to basically break his record and take him out of the record books, I know he's got 20 or 30 more of them, but it's just wild to think about the support that guys have for one another, and that's what makes our sport so great."

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{allcanada} Canadiens sign goalie Jacob Fowler to entry-level contract

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Jacob Fowler is starting his professional career.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed the goaltender to a three-year, entry-level contract, which is set to begin next season, the team announced Friday morning.

The deal was first reported by Jimmy Murphy of The Sick Podcast on Thursday and was later confirmed by Sportsnet's Eric Engels.

The 20-year-old will be joining the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, for the remainder of this season on an amateur tryout.

Fowler, from Melbourne, Fla., was selected by the Canadiens in the third round (69th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft.

He spent the past two seasons playing for Boston College in the NCAA. Across 35 games in 2023-24, Fowler recorded a 25-7-2 record, a 1.63 goals-against average, and a .940 save percentage.

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{allcanada} Brady Tkachuk could miss at least 2 more games for Senators

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Brady Tkachuk is questionable to play against the Florida Panthers on Saturday (2 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN5, SCRIPPS) and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday because of an upper-body injury.

The forward, who has missed the past two games with the injury, has not yet resumed skating.

"I was hoping he was going to skate today, but he's not going to," coach Travis Green said Friday. "So, it's about all I can say about it."

Tkachuk was injured on a hit by Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves during Ottawa's 1-0 overtime loss March 30 and remains day to day.

He leads Ottawa with 29 goals in 71 games, and his 55 points are third.

"He's a big piece to our team," forward Ridly Greig said. "He brings a lot of compete and that kind of emotional side of the game. Everybody has kind of got to step up a little bit and there's a lot more minutes for somebody out there, so guys have to step up."

The Senators hold the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, five points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens.

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{allcanada} The Oilers beat the Sharks 3-2 despite losing Leon Draisaitl to an undisclosed injury

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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Jeff Skinner tipped in the tiebreaking goal late in the second period and the Edmonton Oilers overcame an injury to Leon Draisaitl and beat the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on Thursday night.

Skinner scored just a few minutes after Draisaitl went to the locker room with an undisclosed injury. He never returned to the game.

Connor Brown and Viktor Arvidsson also scored to give the Oilers their third straight win. Calvin Pickard made 27 saves.

Edmonton kept pace with Los Angeles in the race for second place in the Pacific Division and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Oilers trail the Kings by two points headed into their game Saturday night in Los Angeles.

Jack Thompson and Tyler Toffoli scored for San Jose. Georgi Romanov made 35 saves.

Oilers: Edmonton is already without star Connor McDavid, who has been sidelined since getting hurt March 20 and can ill afford another key injury with the playoffs starting in a little more than two weeks. Draisaitl, who leads the NHL with 52 goals this season, missed four games last month with an undisclosed injury.

Sharks: San Jose is winless in its last four games and remains in last place in the NHL after losing the first of three meetings with the Oilers in the final two weeks of the season.

Pickard slid across his crease to make a key save against Collin Graf from point-blank range in the final minute to preserve the 3-2 lead.

Mario Ferraro had two assists and has points in three straight games for San Jose. It was his second multipoint game of the season with the other coming Jan. 23 against Nashville.

The Oilers visit Los Angeles on Saturday night and the Sharks host Seattle.

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{allcanada} Comrie records shutout as Jets beat Golden Knights 4-0 in matchup of divisional leaders

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LAS VEGAS (AP) Backup Eric Comrie made 26 saves for his second shutout in two months as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0 on Thursday night in a matchup of Western Conference divisional leaders.

The Jets took a step toward securing the Central Division and home-ice advantage for the Stanley Cup playoffs. They have three more points than Washington in the race for the Presidents' Trophy and four more than Dallas in the Central.

Vegas, after back-to-back losses this week, finds its once solid grip on the Pacific Division more tenuous. Los Angeles is within three points after beating the Utah Hockey Club 4-2 on Thursday night.

Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry, Colin Miller and Cole Perfetti scored and Nino Niederreiter had two assists. Comrie, who backs up Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, got his first shutout since Feb. 4 against Carolina.

Adin Hill stopped 16 of 19 shots while playing the first two periods for the Golden Knights. Hill was replaced by Henderson call-up Akira Schmid in the third. Schmid saved both shots he faced.

Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers was twice injured after getting hit by the puck.

Jets: Winnipeg clogged up the neutral zone through the first two periods to limit the Golden Knights to 13 shots on goal and two high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Golden Knights: Vegas entered the week comfortably ahead in the Pacific, but the Golden Knights are now in a battle for the division or risk falling into a potential first-round matchup with the Oilers.

Scheifele's goal was his 799th career point. Blake Wheeler is the only Jets player to reach the 800-point mark.

The Jets are one victory from breaking the franchise record. Their 52 wins tied the mark set last season and in 2017-18.

The Jets are at Utah and the Golden Knights at Calgary, both on Saturday.

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{allcanada} Blake Coleman scores twice in the Flames' 4-1 victory over the Ducks

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CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Blake Coleman scored twice, Dustin Wolf made 26 saves and the Calgary Flames beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Thursday night.

Yegor Sharangovich and Kevin Rooney also scored for Calgary.

Olen Zellweger scored for Anaheim, which was eliminated from the playoff race with the loss. Ducks goalie John Gibson left after the second period because of a lower-body injury.

Flames forward Martin Pospisil collided with Gibson with 24 seconds left in the second. Pospisil was driving to the net and was hauled down by Anaheim's Radko Gudas, who was penalized for holding.

Gibson finished the period, allowing three goals on 26 shots. Lukas Dostal made eight saves in the third.

Kadri got the Flames off to a fast start, scoring his team-leading 31st goal of the season 16 seconds in. Zellweger tied it at 8:01 of the first.

Coleman put Calgary back on top with 9:35 left in the second with a short-handed goal, and Rooney scored with 4:42 left in the period. Coleman added his 15th of the season on a power play at 1:17 of the third.

Ducks: Anaheim missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season.

Flames: Calgary moved within five points of Minnesota Wild for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Flames are 6-2-1 in their last nine.

Halfway through the second period with the scored tied 1-1 and the Ducks on the power play, Coleman got his stick on a cross-ice pass at the blue line and, on the ensuing breakaway, fired a shot past Gibson for his first short-handed goal of the season.

Wolf improved to 25-16-6 in his rookie season.

Both teams play Saturday. The Ducks are at Vancouver, and the Flames host Vegas.

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{allcanada} Sharpe scores 36 as Trail Blazers keep postseason hope alive with a win over Raptors

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TORONTO (AP) — Shaedon Sharpe scored 36 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers past the Toronto Raptors 112-103 on Thursday night.

Sharpe, from London, Ontario, was in an all-Canadian backcourt with Toronto's Dalano Banton as Portland (34-43) won back-to-back games to keep its Western Conference postseason hopes alive. Sharpe added six rebounds and five assists. Banton added 23 points.

Deni Avdija finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds for Trail Blazers, who trail idle Sacramento, which holds the final play-in spot in 10th place.

RJ Barrett, of Mississauga, Ontario, had 18 points, five rebounds and four assists for Toronto (28-49). Orlando Robinson added 14 points. Ochai Agbaji finished with 15 points and A.J. Lawson, of Brampton, Ontario, 13 off the bench.

Takeaways

Trail Blazers: Sharpe was dominant in the first half, scoring 11 points in the first quarter and nine in the second. He didn't slow down in the third either, adding seven more points in the first five minutes of the period.

Raptors: Because Toronto's looking at a lottery pick, head coach Darko Rajakovic leaned on his depth with an eye to developing young players for next season. As a result, the Raptors reserves outscored Portland's 47-14, but the Trail Blazers ran a shorter bench to seal the win.

Key moment

A driving Sharpe layup with 5.4 seconds left in the third quarter capped a 17-8 Trail Blazers run to close the final 4:26 of the period. That gave Portland a seven-point lead that held throughout the fourth.

Key stat

Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups spoke pre-game about the pros and cons of crashing the boards for offensive rebounds. Portland won that battle on Thursday, getting 22 second-chance points to Toronto's 11.

Up next

Both teams play Friday. Portland closes out a five-game trip at Chicago, while Toronto hosts Detroit.

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{allcanada} Lightning fall 2-1 to Senators, still wrap up playoff spot with Avs' victory over Blue Jackets

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OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Linus Ullmark made 31 saves, Shane Pinto and Jake Sanderson scored and the Ottawa Senators beat Tampa Bay 2-1 on Thursday night, with the Lightning wrapping up a playoff spot after the game when Colorado beat Columbus.

Pinto opened the scoring for the Senators with 6:15 left in the first period, and Sanderson made it 2-0 on a power play at 5:17 of the second. Brandon Hagel got one back for Tampa Bay at seven minutes of the second with his 34th of the season.

Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 shots for Tampa Bay, playing the second game of a four-game trip. The Lightning had won four in a row.

Ottawa holds the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Lightning: Tampa Bay generated a number of chances on the power play, but was unable to capitalize.

Senators: Ottawa struggled defensively at times and relied heavily on Ullmark.

With Ottawa up 2-1, Ullmark made a huge save on Jake Guentzel with 23 seconds remaining in the second period.

The Lightning are at Buffalo on Saturday night. The Senators host Florida on Saturday and Columbus on Sunday night.

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{allcanada} Canadiens beat the Bruins 4-1 for their 3rd straight victory.

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MONTREAL (AP) Nick Suzuki and Brendan Gallagher each had a goal and an assist, Sam Montembeault made 18 saves and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 on Thursday night for their third straight victory.

Christian Dvorak and Cole Caufield - with his team-leading 35th - also scored for Montreal. The Canadiens hold the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the New York Rangers.

Suzuki assisted on Caufield's goal for his 80th point of the season, then added an empty-netter for his 26th goal of the season. He's the second Canadiens player in the past 25 years to reach the 80-point mark, joining Alex Kovalev (84 in 2007-08).

Elias Lindholm ended Montembeault's shutout bid with 6:41 remaining.

Jeremy Swayman made 27 saves for Boston. Last in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins have lost seven in a row.

Bruins: Swayman kept the Bruins in it with several high-end saves. The Canadiens dominated the shots 17-2 in the second. Boston recorded its first shot with 6:28 left in the period.

Canadiens: The third line of Dvorak, Gallagher and Josh Anderson keeps making an impact. The trio has combined for 13 goals in the last 10 games, including five from Dvorak, who scored his 11th of the season Thursday.

The game featured several hard hits and scrums after the whistle between the Original Six rivals. Tensions boiled over when Montreal's Kaiden Guhle fought Boston's Cole Koepke with six minutes remaining in the second period.

Boston has a 10-game winless streak (0-9-1) for the first time since 2009-10.

Both teams play at home Saturday night. The Bruins will face Carolina, and the Canadiens will play Philadelphia.

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{allcanada} Canadiens sign goalie Jacob Fowler to entry-level contract

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Jacob Fowler is starting his professional career.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed the goaltender to a three-year, entry-level contract, which is set to begin next season, as confirmed by Sportsnet's Eric Engels. The deal was first reported by Jimmy Murphy of The Sick Podcast.

The 20-year-old will be joining the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, for the remainder of this season on an amateur tryout.

Fowler, from Melbourne, Fla., was selected by the Canadiens in the third round (69th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft.

He spent the past two seasons playing for Boston College in the NCAA. Across 35 games in 2023-24, Fowler recorded a 25-7-2 record, a 1.63 goals-against average, and a .940 save percentage.

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{allcanada} Canada moves to best-ever 30th in FIFA rankings

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Canada climbed one spot to an all-time best No. 30 in the latest FIFA rankings released Thursday.

The Canadian men had reached their previous high in November after climbing four places to No. 31. They were unchanged in the end-of-year December list.

Canada had previously been as high as No. 33, achieved in February 2022 under former coach John Herdman after turning heads with an unbeaten run in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and being named the "Most Improved Side" in 2021 by FIFA.

Canada's lowest ranking was No. 122 in October 2014.

The latest move up comes in the wake of last month's 2-1 win over the U.S. and 2-0 loss to Mexico in CONCACAF Nations League Finals play.

The Canadian men started 2024 in 48th place, falling to No. 50 in February, and were ranked 49th in the world when Jesse Marsch took over as coach in mid-May. Since then, the team has been on a steady climb to No. 48, 40, 38, 35, 31 and now 30.

Canada's next games are against No. 25 Ukraine and No. 41 Ivory Coast at the Canadian Shield Tournament in June.

The U.S. remains unchanged at No. 16 to top CONCACAF teams with Mexico, up two places, at No. 17. Panama, which beat the U.S. in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal, is fourth in the region at No. 33 after rising three places.

Argentina remains No. 1 overall after victories over No. 5 Brazil and No. 13 Uruguay, with Spain leapfrogging France to take over at No. 2. The French, who lost 2-0 to Croatia before rallying to win their UEFA Nations League quarterfinal in a penalty shootout, are No. 3 followed by England and Brazil.

The Dutch overtake Portugal to move into No. 6 with Belgium, Italy and Germany completing the top 10.

No. 11 Croatia and No. 12 Morocco, both up two places, are just outside the top 10.

Other countries moving up were Norway (No. 38, up five), Czechia (No. 39, up three) and the Ivory Coast (No. 41, up five). Paraguay (No. 48, up five) and Tunisia (No. 49, up three) returned to the top 50.

Myanmar (No. 162, up seven) was the biggest climber, jumping seven spots to No. 162. Guinea-Bissau suffered the biggest drop, down eight places to No. 128.

A total of 245 internationals have been played since the December rankings. Teams from Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America were involved in World Cup qualifying while CONCACAF and UEFA sides took part in Nations League competitions and friendlies.

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{allcanada} Jets look to make statement vs. Golden Knights after 'measuring stick' comment

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The Winnipeg Jets are the measuring stick in the eyes of head coach Scott Arniel. 

Arniel bristled when asked if he saw Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings as a measuring stick for his first-place club. 

The basis for the question was the Jets dropping to 0-3 against the Kings this season, shrinking their Central Division lead over the Dallas Stars to four points.

"We're sitting on top right now," Arniel replied after the loss. "So I don't know if there's a measuring stick.

"...We don't measure that way. We go about how we play hockey. How we go against each and every opponent. We lost three games. At the end of the day, those happen. They're all tight games, empty netters at the end type of thing. They're a really good team. They're in a tight division themselves. It is what it is."

Winger Cole Perfetti also downplayed the loss to the Kings, who have an NHL-best 28-4-4 record on home ice. 

"They're obviously a really good team in this building and don't give up much, but I thought we created some chances and had our looks," Perfetti said. "A couple self-inflicted wounds, and they capitalized on some of their chances. … Obviously, you want to get a win, but we didn't play that bad."

 

Presidents' Trophy, Central Division far from secure

The Jets are not interested in overanalyzing Tuesday's loss, but there's no denying their hold on the Central Division isn't as firm as it once was entering another tough test Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Eric Comrie appears set for a rare start Thursday after working in the away net during the gameday skate. Comrie has a 8-9-1 record with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage in 18 games this season. Star netminder Connor Hellebuyck is 43-11-3 over 58 games with a .924 save percentage and a 2.03 GAA.

Winnipeg continues to sit atop the NHL standings, owning a one-point lead over the Washington Capitals in the Presidents' Trophy race. The Stars are third place in the league, sitting just four points back of the Jets with one game in hand. 

And the Stars, who have just one regulation loss in their past 10 games, are focused on taking the top seed. 

"We're still trying to hunt down Winnipeg," Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said after Monday's 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. "And we're probably going to have to win almost every night here in order to have a chance to do that, and that's our group's goal."

Dallas is a heavy favourite at -300 to defeat the visiting Nashville Predators on Thursday at FanDuel. The Jets are slight underdogs on the road in Vegas, going off at +104, compared the Golden Knights at -125 to get the win. 

A Stars win paired with a Jets loss on Thursday would open the door to Dallas pulling level with a victory on Saturday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Jets visit the Utah Hockey Club later on Saturday.

Finishing atop the Central could be paramount to playoff success for both teams this spring. The second-place finisher in the Central will be in line to face the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, while the top seed will draw the worse of the two wild-card seeds, likely either the St. Louis Blues or Minnesota Wild.

The Jets are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games to continue to lead the NHL standings. A key game against the Stars lies ahead on April 10.

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{allcanada} Redblacks extend head coach Dyce through 2026

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OTTAWA - The Ottawa Redblacks have signed head coach Bob Dyce to a contract extension through the 2026 CFL season, the team announced Thursday. 

Dyce, 59, of Winnipeg, begins his third full season on Ottawa's sideline. The Redblacks posted a 9-8-1 record last season to make the CFL playoffs for the first time in six years.

Under Dyce, Ottawa posted a franchise-best 7-1-1 home record in 2024.

"Coach Dyce has demonstrated the ability to get the best out of our players on a daily basis. His leadership sets the standard, and provides a blueprint to who we want to be as a team both on and off the field," general Manager Shawn Burke said. "I am thrilled to get the opportunity to continue our partnership in leading our organization to more success and greater achievements."

"I eagerly look forward to continuing the growth our team saw last season, as we work toward achieving our ultimate goal. We have a great group of players, coaches, and staff, along with tremendous support from Shawn and our ownership group, and are all working daily towards bringing the Grey Cup back to Ottawa," said Dyce. "Holding this position is something I never take for granted, and I express my sincere gratitude to all of them for their unwavering belief in what we are building together."

Overall, Dyce has a 14-25-1 record with Ottawa. He was named the Redblacks' interim head coach late in 2022 before becoming the full-time head coach shortly after that season.

Dyce originally joined the Redblacks in 2016 as their special-teams co-ordinator. 

He has won Grey Cups as an assistant with Ottawa (2016) and Saskatchewan (2013).

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