Wild fail to clinch playoff berth, learn hard lesson in loss to Golden Knights

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:55:28 GMT

Wild fail to clinch playoff berth, learn hard lesson in loss to Golden Knights LAS VEGAS — With a chance to clinch a playoff berth on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the Wild learned a hard lesson, which could end up being a blessing in disguise down the road.Not much has gone wrong for the Wild over the past month. They seemed virtually invincible at times during a 16-1-4 stretch that helped them skyrocket up the Western Conference standings.On this particular night, however, the Wild got a healthy dose of reality in a 4-1 loss to the Golden Knights.Though it’d be easy to place the blame solely on Marc-Andre Fleury because he allowed a couple of goals he’d likely want back, the Wild left him hung out to dry a few too many times with some sloppy play in their own zone.Those type of breakdowns can’t happen in the playoffs. In that sense, the Wild taking it on the chin now right now is better than in a couple of weeks.The motivation from the Wild was on display in the early stages of the game as they held the Golden Knights...

Rapids manage to hold defending MLS champions LAFC off the scoresheet but are unable to score in 0-0 tie

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:55:28 GMT

Rapids manage to hold defending MLS champions LAFC off the scoresheet but are unable to score in 0-0 tie COMMERCE CITY — Holding the MLS champions scoreless? Another building block for the Colorado Rapids, even if it didn’t result in three points at home.Colorado (0-3-3, 3 points) managed to keep the defending champions LAFC off the scoreboard Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park as the Rapids earned a second clean sheet of the season in a 0-0 tie.Colorado looked particularly dangerous on its set pieces throughout the match. The team finished with 10 corner kicks, as both Bryan Acosta and Connor Ronan were the takers for the injured Jack Price, but it didn’t result in any goals.Jonathan Lewis was dangerous on the left-hand side early on as he forced a pair of corners.From the opening whistle, the teams played openly and chances were there for the taking for both sides. LAFC (3-2-0, 11 points) had a pair of chances in the 21st minute as William Yarbrough denied Carlos Vela’s header and then sprinted and dove to get a paw to Denis Bouanga’s sho...

Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen lead Avalanche to crucial 5-2 win over Dallas Stars, reclaiming destiny in Central division

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:55:28 GMT

Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen lead Avalanche to crucial 5-2 win over Dallas Stars, reclaiming destiny in Central division The only passengers Saturday night were the thousands of Avalanche fans buckled into Ball Arena seats for the ride Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen were taking them on.MacKinnon scored twice and Rantanen registered four points, including his 49th goal, to lead the Avs to a 5-2 win in their last regular-season meeting with the Stars.With 10:51 remaining after Dallas had seemingly closed the gap to 3-2, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar challenged for goalie interference in a high-stakes roll of the dice. Losing would mean a Dallas power play in a one-goal game. But Bednar won, and the lead stuck.The Avalanche (45-24-6) desperately needed a win to keep its division title hopes alive on the heels of a regulation loss to first-place Minnesota on Wednesday. Entering the night, the Avs trailed Dallas by two points and Minnesota by three. It could have been the night the division got almost out of reach, with the Wild facing Vegas. But MacKinnon and company delivered, never trailing in an im...

Stolen car suspect crashes into a Glendale shopping mall during pursuit

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:55:28 GMT

Stolen car suspect crashes into a Glendale shopping mall during pursuit A man was arrested after crashing into The Americana at Brand shopping mall in Glendale during a pursuit on Saturday morning.Officers attempted to pull over the suspect who was driving a stolen vehicle near Doran and Adams Streets around 3 a.m., according to the Glendale Police Department.Instead of stopping, the suspect drove off, leading officers on a pursuit.The chase lasted around 10 minutes before the suspect crashed into a building at The Americana mall, authorities said. Images from the scene show the vehicle completely totaled after slamming into an elevator area inside a parking structure.Stolen car suspect crashes into The Americana at Brand mall in Glendale after a pursuit on April 1, 2023. (KeyNews.TV)Stolen car suspect crashes into The Americana at Brand mall in Glendale after a pursuit on April 1, 2023. (KeyNews.TV)Stolen car suspect crashes into The Americana at Brand mall in Glendale after a pursuit on April 1, 2023. (KeyNews.TV)Stolen car suspect crashes into The Am...

San Diego State and UConn, with Bay Area ties, set to play on college basketball’s biggest stage

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:55:28 GMT

San Diego State and UConn, with Bay Area ties, set to play on college basketball’s biggest stage The San Diego State men’s basketball team has a handful of players with connections to the Bay Area. UConn has its own local tie.Now those players, and the rest of the Aztecs and Huskies teams, will now be playing on college basketball’s biggest stage.San Diego State beat Florida Atlantic 72-71 in Houston on Saturday as Lamont Butler’s buzzer-beater put the Aztecs into the national championship game for the first time in school history.Monday, they’ll face a UConn team that has destroyed every opponent in its path over the last three weeks, including the Miami Hurricanes, who the Huskies walloped 72-59 in the other national semifinal.For UConn (30-8), guard Joey Calcaterra attended Marin Catholic High School and is from Novato. The Huskies will be vying for their fifth national title since 1999, but their first since coach Dan Hurley was hired five years ago to resurrect the storied program.The Huskies will be favored over a San Diego State team that lost to Saint Mary’s 68-61 in a ...

DC mayor announces 2023 Open Streets events

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:55:28 GMT

DC mayor announces 2023 Open Streets events D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has released dates for this year’s Open Streets events, where community residents take over usually busy and car-filled roadways for some mile-long fun in the sun.The annual tradition was announced for Sunday, June 4, this year on 12th Street NE in Ward 5 between Franklin Street and Michigan Avenue, and Saturday, Oct. 7, on Georgia Avenue in Wards 1 and 4. Both events will happen rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.More Local NewsMore DC News“Every year, Open Streets events provide an opportunity for residents to come together, be active, and enjoy our vibrant and thriving communities in new ways,” Bowser said in a release, also saying the events are about coming together – “to enjoy our beautiful city, to support local businesses, and to think about the future our streets and the future of public space in DC.”Since 2019, the yearly events have given the community the possibility to reimagine public spaces that prioritize public use over car...

Civale goes 7, Guardians hit 2 HRs to beat Mariners 2-0

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:55:28 GMT

Civale goes 7, Guardians hit 2 HRs to beat Mariners 2-0 SEATTLE (AP) — Aaron Civale pitched seven smooth innings, and Josh Naylor and Andrés Giménez homered as the Cleveland Guardians beat the Seattle Mariners 2-0 on Saturday night.Civale allowed only two hits and a walk with three strikeouts. The seven-inning stint matched his longest outing of last season.Julio Rodríguez had both hits off Civale, and Tommy La Stella doubled for the Mariners.Emmanuel Clase pitched the ninth for his first save, completing a crisp game that took just 2 hours, 4 minutes.It was the third career start for Civale in Seattle, and his first win. In his previous two he was 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA and had given up four homers.On a chilly night, pitching dominated. Mariners starter Logan Gilbert nearly matched Civale, striking out seven in six innings and allowing four hits. Gilbert’s only costly mistake came in the fourth, when Naylor hit Cleveland’s first homer of the season. Diego Castillo relieved in the seventh and promptly gave up a one-out homer to Giménez, the...

No shoe-in: Miami’s Pack benched for time after shoe blowout

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:55:28 GMT

No shoe-in: Miami’s Pack benched for time after shoe blowout HOUSTON (AP) — Nijel Pack might need to up his shoe game. The Miami guard was relegated to the bench for part of the second half of the Hurricanes’ Final Four loss to UConn on Saturday night after busting a sneaker.“One of my shoes that I was wearing, it ended up breaking where I couldn’t tie my shoe,” he said.Pack left the game with about 14 minutes left and was seen on the bench holding some sneakers and talking to staff as they scrambled to find a replacement.Soon, multiple members of Miami’s staff could be seen sprinting to the bench with different shoes for him to try. Finally they found a winner and he returned to action with just under 10 minutes remaining. Though he looked antsy on the bench as they found him a new pair, Pack said he wasn’t upset with the delay.“They were running their butts off from the locker room to the court — and we know how far of a run that is — to grab the right shoes and things like that,” he said. “So I appreciate their effort.”Pack fin...

LAFC, Colorado play to scoreless draw

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:55:28 GMT

LAFC, Colorado play to scoreless draw COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — John McCarthy finished with four saves for Los Angeles FC and William Yarbrough saved two shots for the Colorado Rapids as the two clubs played to a scoreless draw on Saturday night.It was just the second time in nine all-time meetings where the home team wasn’t victorious. The only road win in the series was a 3-0 victory by LAFC in 2018.LAFC (3-0-2) has gone unbeaten through five matches in four of the last five seasons. Colorado (0-3-3) entered play with three straight home wins in the series. The Rapids have scored just two goals through six matches, their lowest total in club history.The Rapids outshot LAFC 14-11 with a 4-2 edge in shots on goal.LAFC returns home to host Austin on Saturday. Colorado travels to play Sporting KC on Saturday.____AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportSource

Today in History: April 2, Pope John Paul II dies

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:55:28 GMT

Today in History: April 2, Pope John Paul II dies Today in History Today is Sunday, April 2, the 92nd day of 2023. There are 273 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On April 2, 2005, Pope John Paul II died in his Vatican apartment at age 84. On this date: In 1792, Congress passed the Coinage Act, which authorized establishment of the U.S. Mint. In 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and most of his Cabinet fled the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, because of advancing Union forces. In 1912, the just-completed RMS Titanic left Belfast to begin its sea trials eight days before the start of its ill-fated maiden voyage.In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany, saying, “The world must be made safe for democracy.” (Congress declared war four days later.) In 1982, several thousand troops from Argentina seized the disputed Falkland Islands, located in the south Atlantic, from Britain. (Britain seized the islands back the following June.) In 1986, four American passen...