{allcanada} Barnes’s 27th double-double of the season leads Raptors past Pelicans

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TORONTO — Scottie Barnes had a double-double as the Toronto Raptors routed the New Orleans Pelicans 119-106 on Friday.

Barnes had 23 points, 12 assists and six rebounds for Toronto (41-32). Jakob Poeltl also had a double-double with 18 points and 11 boards.

Raptors point guard Immanuel Quickley missed the game as he recovers from plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Ja'Kobe Walter started in his stead but Barnes was Toronto's de facto playmaker. Walter was one of four Toronto players to finish with 18 points.

Zion Williamson had 22 points and added seven rebounds as New Orleans (25-50) lost its fourth straight.

Dejounte Murray (injury management) and Trey Murphy (ankle) sat out for the Pelicans. Murray had drawn the ire of Toronto fans on March 11 when he crossed up Jamal Shead and stood over the prone Raptors guard, shouting and flexing.

The game's tipoff was at 8:30 p.m. local time, an hour later than most Toronto home games as the Raptors had just returned from a lengthy West Coast road trip that ended with a 119-94 loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles.

"The trip from L.A., it's really hard to do it right after the game," said head coach Darko Rajakovic pre-game. "It would bring you home around 5, 6 in the morning, which is pretty late.

"So we decided to stay over to get some extra rest. (...) We just wanted to push a little bit to give our guys another hour of rest and sleep."

Takeaways

Pelicans: Both teams struggled to shoot the three ball, but New Orleans was especially bad from beyond the arc. The Pelicans went 7-for-28 from with forward Saddiq Bey responsible for three of those threes.

Raptors: Barnes — who had played every position this season — had more than 10 assists for a third consecutive game, a career high. It was also his 27th double-double of the season, a career best, surpassing the 26 he had last campaign.

Key moment

Barnes stole the ball from Williamson with 2:17 left in the second, feeding Poeltl for a layup to cap a 12-0 Toronto run and a 21-point lead.

Key stat

The win, coupled with Atlanta's 109-102 loss to the Boston Celtics, moved the Raptors into sole possession of fifth in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks were half a game back of Toronto.

Up next

Toronto: Hosts the Orlando Magic on Sunday in a critical game for both teams vying for a playoff berth.

New Orleans: Hosts the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

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{allcanada} Oilers and Golden Knights heading opposite directions after playoff-like atmosphere

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Edmonton's 4-3 overtime victory at Vegas on Thursday night had all the makings of a playoff-type atmosphere in what has been an emotional rivalry.

It also was a matchup of teams heading in different directions.

The win moved the Oilers two points ahead of the Golden Knights for second place in the Pacific Division. Edmonton made the Stanley Cup Final each of the past two years despite finishing second in the division in 2024 and third last season.

And now the Oilers have won four of six games — their losses were to Florida and Tampa Bay — even with Leon Draisaitl likely out for the remainder of the regular season with a lower-body injury. He could return for the playoffs.

"We got to string more wins together before we start to pipe ourselves up," Oilers winger Zach Hyman said. "But I think every year everybody doubts what we can do. We have the team that when we commit to playing the right way, it's hard to score against us. It's hard to play against a team that defends.

"On the other side, we got guys who can break the game open. Obviously, we're missing one. We'll get him back. When we do get him back, if we're playing like this, we got a chance."

Losing Draisaitl, who has 97 points in 65 games, clearly would be a difficult blow for any team. But the Oilers have a 22-year-old rookie in Matt Savoie, who since being elevated to the top line six games ago has produced three goals and an assist.

And any team with Connor McDavid, tied with the Lightning's Nikita Kucherov for first in the NHL with 121 points, would be difficult to count out.

"We're looking more like we're playing a playoff game," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. "More attention to detail. We're simplifying our game. It's nice to see. Everyone seems like they're dialed in and they know the urgency to play right."

The Golden Knights are trying to find their way.

They entered the Olympics break four points ahead of Edmonton for first place in the division, but have gone 5-11 since returning to action. That includes losses in five of their past six games.

Until Mark Stone scored two goals against Edmonton, he had just two power-play assists since action resumed. Jack Eichel picked up an assist Thursday to end a six-game stretch without a point.

The loss to the Oilers assured the Golden Knights will not have more wins than losses for the first time in their nine-year history.

Even more jarring, they are in danger of missing the playoffs for just the second time. Los Angeles (76 points) is only three points behind the Golden Knights for the final spot in the division. Utah (80) and Vegas (79) could wind up being the wild-card teams in the Western Conference, but Nashville (77) and Seattle (74) lurk nearby.

"We're just trying to get our game together and get in," Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. "It's been a battle for us since the Olympic break to win games, so let's get winning again to feel good about ourselves. Take care of winning, and then we'll worry about if and when and whoever our opponent is."

Should they get in, the Golden Knights could face the Oilers yet again.

The Oilers have dominated the Golden Knights in recent meetings, winning the past five regular-season matchups and nine of the past 10 overall with last year's second-round Edmonton five-game playoff victory included.

"We just need to find ways to win," Eichel said. "It feels like we've been doing the opposite. It's the end of March, and that's all that really matters."

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{allcanada} Canada to start St. Clair vs. Iceland, Crepeau against Tunisia

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Canada manager Jesse Marsch confirmed the expected on Friday with word that goalkeeping duty for the team's Toronto friendlies will be split between the two top contenders for the No. 1 shirt at this summer's FIFA World Cup.

Inter Miami's Dayne St. Clair will be in goal on Saturday against Iceland before Maxime Crepeau of Orlando City dons the gloves against Tunisia on Tuesday. Both matches are at BMO Field.

A 28-year-old native of Pickering, Ont., St. Clair is in his first season with the defending MLS Cup champions, signing as a free agent in the offseason following six seasons at Minnesota United. He has made 10 saves in his first four league matches this season. Saturday's match will be his 19th in a Canada shirt.

The 31-year-old Crepeau is also in his first season with a new squad. An eight-year MLS veteran, Crepeau joined Orlando City in the offseason after spending the past two years with the Portland Timbers. Crepeau has 18 saves through four league matches. An MLS Cup winner with Los Angeles FC in 2022, Crepeau has been capped 29 times by Canada.

The third goalkeeper in Canada's camp is 22-year-old Owen Goodman of Crystal Palace. Currently on loan at Barnsley, Goodman has yet to make his senior debut for Canada.

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{allcanada} Moguls star Kingsbury to retire after this weekend’s Canadian championships

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Mikaël Kingsbury was just four years old when he first put on skis in Saint-Sauveur, Que. Some 29 years later, after becoming the greatest athlete in his sport with an illustrious career, the Canadian moguls star will take his final bow in the same place.

After a thrilling Milan Cortina Winter Games — where he won silver in the individual event before capturing gold in the first-ever Olympic dual moguls competition — the "King of Moguls" will come full circle at this weekend's Canadian freestyle skiing championships.

Though he remains competitive, Kingsbury sees his final competition much more as a chance to celebrate where it all began. He had even been planning to retire after the event since last summer.

"I started skiing here. I did my first competition on the same course where I'll do my last," the 33-year-old from Deux-Montagnes, Que., said Thursday in an interview with The Canadian Press. "I have no regrets about my career. For me, it's already mission accomplished. I've won what I wanted to win, so this weekend is like a bonus."

"For me, (the Games) were the end of my real competitive career," he added. "(Nationals) are more of a celebration. I put my skis on for the first time (Wednesday) since winning Olympic gold, so let's just say it's not the best preparation."

Kingsbury will therefore be surrounded by family and friends when he takes to the moguls course one last time. He even took the opportunity to ski with his brother.

"I had so much fun (Thursday). I got to ski with (Maxime), who was on Team Quebec until he was 17," Kingsbury said. "He wants to become a chiropractor, but he's still an excellent skier. We were a bit competitive, seeing what our times were and the differences between them."

It's unclear who was faster. But with 100 victories, 143 podiums and 29 Crystal Globes on the World Cup circuit, plus nine world titles and five Olympic medals — including two gold — in as many Games, Mikaël certainly has the ability to beat just about anyone.

A stats enthusiast, Kingsbury reflected on his 100th victory, achieved this winter at Val Saint-Côme, Que. He reached the milestone despite an adductor tear that complicated his Olympic preparation, and made it more painful.

That injury could have had a significant impact on his next season.

"I like round numbers, and I love stats. I was going to retire once I got to at least 100," he said. "It was clear in my mind. I wanted to reach 100."

But if he had to pick the greatest moment of his career, Kingsbury would choose his dual moguls win at last month's Olympics.

"Winning (duals) this year, and doing it in front of my whole family, my son (Henrik), that's number one, knowing also that it was my last performance," he said. "That's what I wanted: win (duals) at the Games, then retire. With the injury, it seemed difficult, almost impossible at times. But I always believed. I couldn't have asked for a better scenario."

The risk of injury and the recent arrival of Henrik also factored in Kingsbury's decision to close this chapter.

"I'm a father. I want to play with my son. I want to ski with him, do lots of sports with him and stay healthy," he said. "That definitely weighed a lot in the balance."

So what's next for Kingsbury?

"I'm going to Japan. I have my ski camp for kids (in Saint-Sauveur). A few things with sponsors. Then just rest. Maybe a vacation at home, or somewhere warm. I'm excited about all the opportunities ahead," he said, without going into detail.

FROM OBSERVER TO CHAMPION

Kingsbury would, of course, like to win in Saint-Sauveur. But all the meaning surrounding the competition outweighs the result, he said. It's where he first skied down a slope, landed his first jumps and discovered his passion.

"When I was seven, I thought the moguls team here in Saint-Sauveur looked really cool. They all wore the same jacket," he recalled with a smile. "I asked my parents if it would be possible one day to join that team, and when it happened, that's really when the passion started."

Kingsbury climbed the ranks one step at a time until he earned a spot on his first World Cup stop. That came on Jan. 8, 2010, in Calgary, just weeks before the Vancouver Olympics.

Feeling nervous, he finished 36th and 54th in the two individual events. But beyond the results, the experience allowed him to measure himself against – and learn from – the best for the first time.

Canada's Alexandre Bilodeau, Australia's Dale Begg-Smith and France's Guilbaut Colas were the three skiers he studied closely.

"I'd say that's when I had the realization of becoming a real competitor," he said. "I had an athlete pass, so I could go to the top of the course and watch how the best in the world, my idols, prepared. I changed my mindset a bit when I went back to the North American circuit. After that, that's when I started to become dominant."

And the rest is history.

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