Sports News

Chris Sale extends scoreless streak in Spring Training

Sports News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

NORTH PORT, Fla. – Chris Sale had a wide-ranging opinion about the Grapefruit League start he made in the Braves' 3-2 win over the Phillies on Sunday afternoon at CoolToday Park.

“It was terrible, okay and pretty good all at the same time,” Sale said.

A great sense of humor is one of the many things Braves fans will appreciate about Sale, who is looking to prove he can once again be the dominant pitcher he was before injuries significantly hampered his final four seasons.

Sale still has a long way to go, but his first two starts in spring training have certainly been encouraging. The veteran left-hander used five strikeouts to allow around three hits and two walks in 2 2/3 scoreless innings on Sunday.

“I want to clean up some command things,” Sale said. “It just seemed like it was coming in and out. But on the other hand, I felt like I could do that when I had to make throws or had my back against the wall.”

Sale was also able to get a sense of how much he might be appreciated by his new fan base. This was the first time he pitched in front of Atlanta's home crowd since being acquired from the Red Sox on December 30. So it was definitely nice for him to hear a nice ovation as he walked to the dugout after ending his outing with a strikeout from Garrett Stubbs.

“Just don’t suck and they’ll like you,” Sale said.

But what will really delight Braves fans is Sale's attempt to prove that these first two spring starts were just a sign of things to come. He recorded nine strikeouts in his first 4 2/3 innings without allowing a run.

It is a very small sample size. But the results only confirm the value Sale gained from his first normal offseason since the 2019 season. He's no longer worried about his elbow, shoulder or any other body part he's suffered in recent years, but is striving to get back to where he was from 2012 to 2018, when he was in the Cy Young voting American League Award finishes in the top six in seven consecutive seasons.

“I want to be who I am meant to be for this team and make all the work in the offseason worth it,” Sale said. “There is still a lot to do. There are still a few things to iron out. But I like where we are and the course we are taking.”

The Braves don't expect Sale to compete for a Cy Young Award. But they hope he can make a difference in the postseason. To take advantage of this opportunity, they will have to manage his workload throughout the regular season.

A total of 151 innings have been pitched over the last four seasons. He pitched 102 2/3 innings for the Red Sox last year. How many regular-season innings could he get in this year and still have some energy left in the tank for October?

The Braves have said they will not put an innings number up for sale. Instead, they simply monitor his progress throughout the season and give him an extra day to rest whenever possible.

Here’s Braves manager Brian Snitker’s take on controlling Sale: “He’s done a great job. He threw one behind a right-hander and one behind a left-hander. I said, 'It's good because you didn't hit her.'”

While the Braves will handle the workload, Sale will focus on being the great competitor he has been since arriving in the majors. His competitive spirit was evident on Sunday as he used two strikeouts to overcome the hit and walk he earned in the first two innings.

Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm singled against a fastball in the first inning and hit another single against a changeup in the third inning. Sale ran into trouble when he hit Weston Wilson's foot with a break ball and lost control of a pitch that sailed behind Stubbs' back. But with two runners in scoring position, he fought back to make it 2-0 and ended his outing with a strikeout.

“Throughout the season there will be starts where there are none and you have to figure it out on the fly,” Sale said. “That’s kind of the separation between some good days and some really bad days. I was happy that I was able to overcome some of these hurdles. It was one of those weird moments, I guess.”

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The jets come back and bring the Sabers back to

Sports News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

The Winnipeg Jets scored four goals in the third period to beat the Buffalo Sabers 5-2 on Sunday night at KeyBank Center.

In doing so, the Manitoba club prevented their rivals from winning for the third time in a row, and the second time in less than two weeks.

The game of the day came in the third period when the Jets' persistence finally paid off. Ten minutes before the end of regular time, Josh Morrissey equalized the score. Morgan Barron then gave the visitors the lead with his tenth goal of the season. Vladislav Namestnikov and Sean Monahan ended the Sabres' hopes by hitting the target into an empty net.

Nino Niederreiter was the Jets' first scorer as he equalized for the first time in the first period.

The Sabres' success was due to the bats of JJ Peterka and Eric Robinson. The first reached the plateau of 20 goals this season. This is a first for someone who is only playing his second season in the National League.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was challenged 33 times in front of the Sabres' net. At the other end of the ice, Laurent Brossoit stopped 18 of the crowd favorite's 20 shots.

Getty Images via AFP

Kirill Kaprizov beats the Sharks

At the Xcel Energy Center, Kirill Kaprizov scored a hat trick in the Minnesota Wild's 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks.

The Russian scored his team's last three goals, two of them in the third period. It was his third hat trick of the season and the fifth time he achieved the feat in his career on the Bettman Tour.

The Wild's other scorer was Quebec native Frédérick Gaudreau, while the Sharks' response was the work of Mikael Granlund, Nico Sturm and Anthony Duclair.

It is the seventh defeat in a row for the Californian team. The Wild, for their part, ended a three-game losing streak.

The jets come back and bring the Sabers back to Read More »

Frankie Montas struggles at the start of spring training against the Royals

Sports News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

SURPRISE, Arizona – Not quite spicy, but still healthy.

In his second spring start for the Reds on Sunday, Frankie Montas was hit hard by the Royals in a 7-3 loss at Surprise Stadium. Montas went 2 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk – one strikeout but two home runs.

“… I didn’t really have my fastball command today. It was inconsistent,” Montas said. “The difference for every pitcher is their control of the fastball. I don't see that as a difficult thing. I see it as an attempt to get my throws in.”

Montas allowed two two-out singles in the first inning, including a bloop hit that landed in front of diving left fielder Will Benson. After opening the second inning with Nick Pratto's broken-bat single and a walk, Montas came away with a groundball double play and a groundout.

There was much harder contact in the third inning. Bobby Witt Jr. launched a 3-2 pitch for a long solo home run to left-center field. After Salvador Perez blasted a sharp single through the middle, MJ Melendez hit a first-pitch home run to right field.

In his first appearance on Tuesday against the Cubs, Montas threw two 1-2-3 innings. His fastball velocity was in the 94-96 mph range for most of this game. Against Kansas City, the speed was closer to 92-93 mph, but reached 95 mph on his last pitch when Pratto hit a two-out single in the third inning.

“I tried to start slow and not be exhausted by the third inning,” Montas said. “Even in the third inning when I pushed my arm to get some velo, I still got to 95 [mph].”

Montas, who pitched just 1 1/3 innings with the Yankees last season while recovering from right shoulder surgery, showed no health concerns in camp.

“I thought he got a little tired in the third inning, which is a normal part of the build-up,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He struggled, but I really wanted to get him out of there. “I think sometimes when you get it to the next inning you can tell.”

Benson's hit against LHP
Outfielder Will Benson got his fourth hit of the spring, but the left-handed batter's RBI double in the third inning to the gap in left-center field on Sunday was his first against a left-handed pitcher – Daniel Lynch IV – this spring.

“It’s big,” Benson said. “It’s just more information that I can know and calibrate.”

“It was a great swing,” Bell said. “He missed the next shot just a bit, maybe he caught it a little bit at the end.” Two really good swings. I know he’s working extra hard on it now.”

Benson flied out to right field against Lynch in the fifth inning.

During his strong 2023 season for Cincinnati, Benson had limited opportunities against lefties and did not perform well. He batted .146 with a .400 OPS and no homers in 44 plate appearances against lefties, but managed a lot with a .297 average, .938 OPS and all 11 homers over 285 plate appearances against righties.

After speaking with Bell and general manager Brad Meador, Benson took advantage of the opportunity to hit against the Reds' left-handers in live batting practice sessions whenever possible.

“I asked for this when I first showed up at Spring Training,” Benson said. “If I want to be the best player I know I can be, I have to play regardless of who is on that mound. That’s it.” It’s good that they see I can do it.

Barrero's outfield work
With one out in the top of the second inning against Royals starter Michael Wacha, Jose Barrero launched a 1-0 pitch to left field for a home run, his first of the spring.

Barrero, a former shortstop prospect, is trying to make the team's 26-man roster exclusively as an outfielder. He played right field against Kansas City on Sunday but has the option to play all three outfield spots.

“I feel comfortable out there,” Barrero said through translator Jorge Merlos. “I am glad that this organization has given me the opportunity to hold various positions during my time here.”

Barrero, now 25 after breaking into the major leagues as a 22-year-old shortstop in 2020, is out of options. He is a career .186 hitter in 139 major league games over parts of four seasons.

Proving he can be a strong outfielder and an improved hitter will be crucial for Barrero to have any chance of making the team.

“It’s the mentality I need to have to start here,” Barrero said.

Frankie Montas struggles at the start of spring training against the Royals Read More »

Houston, we have a problem: Paul Houde is gone

Sports News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

Today allow me to tell you about some of the good times I had with Paul Houde, because his death makes me very sad.

Paul Houde was enthusiastic about astronomy, space travel and athletics at the Olympic Games. He was an outstanding comedian and impersonator, radio host and actor in the film Boys in his role as the legendary “Fern”. Whenever there was a question about sports, people would humorously say, “Let’s ask Fern for the answer.”

copycat

Paul was also recognized for his work as a radio impersonator. He took great pleasure in imitating the voice of Ménick, the sports hairdresser. He enjoyed harshly criticizing René Angélil, but one day this turned against Paul.

One evening, during a boxing gala, René Angélil comes up to Ménick and me. “Ménick, you should be ashamed of yourself for making such derogatory comments about me.”

Without hesitation, Ménick tries to explain that it is Paul Houde imitating his voice. No matter what Ménick tries to tell him, René is so angry that he never stops listening.

His brother Pierre Houde allowed me to experience an unforgettable moment with the Houde brothers duo. During Super Bowl XXXIX, Pierre throws a grand party at his house and is the halftime guest singer other than Paul McCartney.

Paul Houde was a great admirer of the Beatles. We sang Beatles songs throughout the game, so much so that the game became secondary to us.

Paul and I were at the last book fair in Montreal, where the topic of conversation was not sports but the total solar eclipse that will take place on April 8th. Paul Houde, an avid astronomy enthusiast, explained the total solar eclipse to me in great detail.

Baseball, hockey, movies

I can't help but think of the baseball game with your son Paul-Frédéric at Wrigley Field in Chicago when Albert Pujols hit three home runs in the same game.

The smile on your face when your favorite team, the Blackhawks, won the Stanley Cup.

Our analyzes of the films and how much you teased me because I enjoyed watching the film “Casablanca” so much.

You have never hesitated to point out that you would never have had such a career without the support of your wife, Francine Audette.

Paul had a passion for space travel. Today I hear the astronaut say, “Houston, we have a problem: Paul Houde is gone.”

Houston, we have a problem: Paul Houde is gone Read More »

Josh Hart leads the Knicks through the Cavaliers after Jalen Brunson's injury

Sports News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

N.B.A

By Stefan Bondy

Published on March 3, 2024

Updated March 3, 2024, 11:41 p.m. ET

CLEVELAND — A terrible moment turned into a courageous victory for the Knicks.

After Jalen Brunson suffered a game-winning knee injury in the first minute, later diagnosed as a left knee contusion based on negative X-rays, the Knicks got a triple-double and a masterpiece from Josh Hart to escape Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse with a 107-98 win -Victory on Sunday.

Brunson collapsed on the court and was initially listed as “questionable to return” with a sore knee, an update that changed to “will not return” in the third quarter.

The Knicks, who had already lost three starters due to injuries, took a big lead in the quarter and never relinquished it. They slipped for two games and remained in fourth place in the East.

“It's huge. “You see it, we're down four starters, they're down one starter,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “If you look at the matchups and what we're doing, we're tough.”

Donte DiVincenzo (right) and guard Miles McBride (2) celebrate the Knicks' win on Sunday night in the first half. AP

As DiVincenzo indicated, the surging Cavaliers were playing without Donovan Mitchell, who missed his second straight game with a knee injury.

They were also without injured sixth man Caris LeVert for the nationally televised contest.

So there was a lack of star power on both sides, and Hart rose to the occasion.

Not only did he provide the box score with 19 rebounds, 10 assists and 13 points in 45 minutes, Hart was also responsible for the two game-winning plays – a contested 3-pointer over the long Evan Mobley that gave the Knicks 1:36 a six-point lead before the end, then a steal on the Cavaliers' ensuing possession.

It was Hart's third triple-double of the season, all since January 30.

Josh Hart drives to the basket for the Knicks on Sunday night. David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

“Some guys get going by knocking down a shot. Honestly, the way I really get going is getting a defensive rebound and getting rebounds,” Hart said. “Now I feel like I’m getting into the game somehow. So that's part of it. And I'm feeling pretty confident right now. I've been working hard over the last two, three, four weeks, just getting back to basics, getting back into rotation. I felt like I shot the ball well today. Had a few of those – the shot clock games that I just had to throw up, but I get better into the swing of things just playing a little bit of toughness games.”

After his big 3-pointer against Mobley, Hart turned to the Cavaliers' bench and made a few comments. One was admiration for Mitchell's gold chain.

“I saw Donovan and that’s obviously my guy, and then I saw the necklace and was like, ‘Ooh! “That’s nice,” Hart said.

Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff said before the release that limiting Hart was a priority for him.

It did not work.

Jalen Brunson helps the court after injuring his knee Sunday night. AP

“He is the heart and spirit of this team, so our focus is to keep him out of the game and not let him make the rush plays, overwhelm us and get the Knicks going,” Bickerstaff said. “You have to keep him away from the boards because he handles falls extremely well and his team benefits from that.”

Miles McBride replaced Brunson and played the final 47-plus minutes. He ended up scoring 16 points – including the Dagger Trey with 33 seconds left.

DiVincenzo led all scorers with 28 points in 39 minutes.

It was the first meeting against the Cavaliers since November 1st, and the circumstances have changed. Cleveland entered Sunday second in the East and secured a top-notch defense during its winning streak.

Jalen Brunson suffered an injury in the first quarter of the Knicks' game against the Cavaliers on Sunday night. AP

The injury-plagued Knicks have struggled recently but still managed to hold on for Cleveland, the same place where they dominated the playoffs last year. The Cavaliers were crushed in that first-round series and carried a chip on their shoulders early in the season, especially against the Knicks.

But they did nothing about it on Sunday. The Cavs cut the deficit to three with 4:40 left, but the Knicks gave up just two points the rest of the way.

“If you are understaffed, the margin for error is low. So you have to play with great intensity and great concentration on every move. I’m proud of that,” Thibodeau said. “Those guys, we haven’t had our starting line in a long time, so add Jalen. But the guys that were in there got the job done.”

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NFL: Tyreek Hill is said to have broken a woman's leg

Sports News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

An influencer has filed a lawsuit against Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

According to TMZ, Sophie Hall claims the star player pushed her “forcibly and intentionally” while they were taking part in a soccer practice at the athlete's mansion.

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In documents filed in Broward County court, the woman claimed the football player felt “humiliated” after she threw him to the ground and then allegedly attacked her “violently and with great force.”

Why did these guys think this would end well? 🤔
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is facing a lawsuit from influencer Sophie Hall for assault, battery and negligence following an incident at a backyard football practice in which she claimed his attack was with “crushing force “I broke her leg pic.twitter.com/mAIVXXQ8AE
– Just Cece 🏈 (@JustCeceSports) February 28, 2024

The one, who has more than two million followers on her Instagram account, broke her leg during the sequence and had to undergo surgery.

Hall is seeking $75,000 in damages. His lawyers are suing Hill for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotion and negligence.

This is far from the first time the receiver has found himself at the center of turmoil. He was investigated by Miami police last year after a man claimed he hit him after a verbal argument. No charges were filed in this case.

In 2019, Hill was suspended by the Kansas City Chiefs, his team at the time, after allegations of physical abuse surfaced against his son. He was also sentenced to three years probation in 2015 after pleading guilty to assault and battery by strangulation of his pregnant ex-girlfriend.

NFL: Tyreek Hill is said to have broken a woman's leg Read More »

Edd Straw's driver standings for the 2024 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix

Sports News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

A new Formula 1 season means it is once again time for Edd Straw to assess the performances of all 20 drivers in qualifying and the Grand Prix.

Here's who he thinks were the best performers at the season-opening Bahrain GP:

How do the rankings work?

The 20 drivers are ranked in order of performance from best to worst each Grand Prix weekend. This will be based on the full range of criteria, ranging from pace and racing skill to consistency and whether they have made crucial mistakes. A key consideration will be how close each driver has come to unlocking the car's maximum performance potential.

It is important to note that this reflects the performance of the entire weekend, bearing in mind that qualifying is effectively “lap 0” of the race and the key to laying the foundation for the race, and is not a ranking of all competitors . round qualities of every driver. It's simply about how they performed on a given weekend. Therefore, the rankings will fluctuate greatly from weekend to weekend.

And since each of the 10 cars has fundamentally different performance potential and “luck” (i.e. factors beyond the driver’s control) contributes to the outcome of the weekend, this ranking will also differ significantly from the overall results.

Started: 1 Complete: 1

This was Verstappen out of a picture book: he fought tirelessly to get the car through practice, followed by a well-executed qualifying session in which he stole pole from a potentially faster Ferrari.

He controlled the race as you would expect, setting the fastest lap and being as untouchable as you would expect from a driver in his class with a power advantage.

Verdict: Picked up where he left off last year.

Started: 3 Complete: 5

Russell exceeded his targets in qualifying as he was one of the few to deliver anything close to the maximum the car was capable of in the third quarter. This surprisingly earned him a third place on the grid.

After briefly running second, cooling management dictated his race and fifth place was realistically the best he could have achieved given the car problems and the racing speed of the Ferraris.

Verdict: A strong start to an important season.

Started: 6 Complete: 9

Alonso's self-proclaimed overperformance in qualifying suggested the Aston Martin was better than it was.

This meant he fell back to the mean in his race, ultimately resulting in a lonely ninth place, which was as good as the car's race speed would allow.

Verdict: Did what he could with the fifth best car.

Started: 2 Complete: 4

Leclerc had the pace for pole position and set the fastest time in second qualifying, but admitted that “the last lap wasn't the best lap”.

This was partly because he only had a set of fresh soft tires available and felt he lost his rhythm and couldn't get the front wing flap adjustment while driving on used tires in the third quarter. But several small moments, particularly in Turn 11, cost him.

The dramatic brake temperature shift, for which there is no evidence he was responsible, affected his race and resulted in what he thought could have been second place ahead of Perez turning into fourth place.

Verdict: Shades Sainz stated that had it not been for the braking problems he would probably have finished at the front.

Started: 4 Complete: 3

Q3 was disappointing, especially after a strong Q1 meant he had two new sets of soft tires available and ended up a tenth behind his teammate, although Leclerc also underperformed.

Losing a place to Perez at the start ultimately cost him the chance of second place as he was unable to hurt the Red Bull driver despite never losing sight of him, which wasn't a huge failure given the car's speed disadvantage.

Verdict: Disappointing qualifying but a decent race.

Started: 5 Complete: 2

Perez was much happier with the car's entry-level stability compared to last year, describing it as “a step better”.

However, he was too conservative in Turn 1 on his final Q3 lap, which cost him a quarter of a second on Verstappen, and therefore should have been closer.

He made good use of the car's speed and had second place in the bag after the first stint without being able to completely overtake Sainz.

Verdict: Red Bull's number two did well.

Started: 17 Complete: 11

Zhou found himself on the wrong side of qualifying after what he called a “tricky and inconsistent” run in practice, finishing just 0.001 seconds ahead of Bottas. But he ran a strong race, staying out of trouble at Turn 1 as he was on the outside line, and went from 13th to 11th thanks to a proactive pit stop strategy on the first lap. He stopped early to take advantage of the undercut and gain positions.

Despite finishing 10th midway through the stint, Stroll's pace in a faster car and similar strategy meant Zhou was always destined for 11th.

Verdict: A well-executed race to start the season.

Started: 12 Complete: 10

With Aston the clear fifth-fastest car, tenth place was probably the preliminary target for Stroll, but life was made unexpectedly difficult for him when he spun at Turn 1 at Hulkenberg.

From then on he delivered a quiet comeback with a strategy based on taking advantage of the undercut and securing a successful tenth place.

Verdict: Qualifying was mediocre, but his recovery from the race was impressive.

Started: 7 Complete: 6

Had he made his final Q3 lap and not just made a slight improvement when a lap started with a slide in Turn 1, Norris could have made the front row.

However, that would have flattered the McLaren and made little difference to his race, other than perhaps giving him a chance to beat Russell, who he was parked behind at the end and didn't have the speed to attack.

Verdict: Could have qualified and done better with a stronger final Q3 lap.

Started: 13 Complete: 15

Since the Williams wasn't as “refined” as he would have liked, Albon was content to have placed the car a few places further up the grid than expected.

Unfortunately his race was marred by cooling problems, meaning it was a frustrating race for management and prevented him from seriously engaging in the fight on the edge of the points positions.

Verdict: Showed good pace but held back in the race.

Started: 11 Complete: 14

Tsunoda's performance level was impressive and he was unlucky to miss the third quarter by 0.007 seconds.

He attributed this to wheelspin at Turn 8, but the 0.149 second lead over Ricciardo clearly reflected their relative speed.

The strategy was against him and resulted in undercutting losses at both stops after he finished tenth in the first stint.

Ricciardo's soft strategy led to a situation at the end of the race where he was slow to let his teammate pass, leading to embarrassing behavior on the slowing lap.

Verdict: Unnecessary antics towards the end of the race or during a slowing lap will damage his ranking.

Started: 8th Complete: 8th

Piastri was always just a fraction away from Norris all weekend, struggling with the balance of the car and unable to give his confident best.

Nevertheless, he was within a tenth of a second in qualifying and would have followed Norris to the finish in seventh had McLaren not allowed Hamilton to get past at the second stops – helped by a moment when Piastri exited the Turn 1 pits.

Verdict: A solid start, but the second best McLaren driver this weekend.

Started: 19 Complete: 17

Ocon had the more orthodox weekend of the two Alpines, delivering roughly what the car was capable of in qualifying and then following a conventional strategy.

Although he briefly fell behind Gasly at the start, he regained the lead when his teammate was held up in Turn 1.

But there was little to be gained with the slowest car in the field.

Verdict: Good performance under hopeless circumstances.

Started: 20 Complete: 18

None of the Alpine riders had the means to do anything other than stand at the back, although Gasly was arguably more unlucky.

Because he was at the back of the queue for the final Q1 runs, his tires were not in good condition for his push lap and he ended up a tenth and a half behind Ocon.

A good start to the race was then undone by the clash between Stroll and Hülkenberg, with Gasly's well-executed three-stopper allowing him to chase down his teammate in the final stint.

Verdict: A good job in a doomed cause.

Started: 10 Complete: 16

Hülkenberg was one of the stars of qualifying and showed good race speed.

It's just that this was all undone by the misjudgment in the first corner that led to him tipping Stroll.

As a result, his front wing was damaged and he had to make a pit stop on the first lap. He then showed good pace to be able to fight for a point, although with the caveat that he benefited from plenty of clean air.

Verdict: A great weekend that was ruined by a mistake in Turn 1.

Started: 9 Complete: 7

Although Hamilton was far more confident with the rear of the Mercedes W15, he was unable to show this because he trailed in qualifying with a setup that was only marginally slower than Russell's, far less than the 0.225 second gap at a snap in Turn 4 costs him.

Like his teammate, waning concerns meant it was more about survival than attacking, meaning little progress could be made.

Verdict: Cooling problems meant little chance of recovering in the race.

Started: 14 Complete: 13

Ricciardo was the second best RB driver all weekend. His arguments with Tsunoda towards the end of the race were due to him having a new set of soft tires for an offensive final stint compared to his teammate's hard tires.

It's clear that he's not completely happy with the car yet, which was reflected in his difficulty getting a clean qualifying lap.

Verdict: A mediocre weekend.

Started: 16 Complete: 19

After a solid but unspectacular qualifying in which he set an almost identical time to his teammate, the first 15 seconds of Bottas' race went brilliantly, he adjusted the start brilliantly and made progress.

Unfortunately, this meant he ended up directly behind the Stroll/Hülkenberg collision and damaged the rear of the Haas.

As a result, he suffered front wing damage, which he carried for the rest of the race, and a wheel nut problem during his second pit stop cost him a further 50 seconds.

Verdict: The racing accident gave him little opportunity to impress.

Started: 15. End: 12

Although Magnussen didn't have the one-lap speed of Hülkenberg and couldn't come close to his teammate in Q3 after struggling with mid-corner understeer, he delivered a successful race to claim 12th place, and could keep him potentially faster cars behind.

This was the kind of racing that last year's tire problems made impossible.

Verdict: The speed of qualification remains an issue.

Started: 18 Complete: 20

Sargeant's pace deficit to Albon was compounded by his tire temperature issues in the final Q1 run, where he failed to improve his lap time. This put him 0.373 seconds behind Albon.

His race was effectively over on lap 10 when an electronics problem caused the brakes to move forward. Although he came back to the pits and had a new steering wheel installed, he was condemned to a distant finale.

Verdict: Unfortunate but unremarkable weekend.

Edd Straw's driver standings for the 2024 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Read More »

The Red Wings are no match for the Panthers

Sports News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

The Detroit Red Wings, one of the teams of the moment in the East, were brought back to earth by the Florida Panthers on Saturday at Little Caesars Arena.

The club, which is at the top of the National Hockey League (NHL) standings, won 4-0.

The Panthers won their fourth game in a row. The Red Wings, for their part, had experienced the joy of victory six times in their last seven games before facing the team from Florida.

In this duel, in which robustness prevailed, the winners took the lead in the second third. Defenseman Brandon Montour scored the first goal, beating goalkeeper Alex Lyon with a generous return shot.

Sam Reinhart then took advantage of a numerical advantage, scoring his 42nd goal of the season and doubling his team's lead. It was the 24th time he hit the target while his team was playing with an extra fielder.

Evan Rodrigues and Carter Verhaeghe hit the mark in the final third.

In front of the victorious cage, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 21 pucks. He recorded his fourth shutout of the season and his 42nd career. At the other end of the ice, Lyon was bombarded with 36 shots.

The referees were also very diligent in this game and awarded a total of 70 minutes of penalties.

Tyson Foerster drives the Flyers

At the Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia Flyers forward Tyson Foerster scored two goals and his team defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-2.

It was the fourth time the 22-year-old Ontario native scored twice in a game this season.

The Flyers' first-round pick (23rd overall) in the 2020 draft collected his two wins in the final minute of the second period. He also benefited from a penalty for his second goal.

Other scorers for the team, which was fighting for a playoff spot in the East, were Joel Farabee and Cam York (empty goal).

In the “Sens” camp, Vladimir Tarasenko and Thomas Chabot brought the puck behind the back of goalkeeper Felix Sandstrom.

The club from the federal capital has suffered a defeat in its last four games.

The Senators, decimated by injuries, recalled defender Maxence Guénette before the game. The former Val-d'Or Foreurs played a second game in the NHL this year. He maintained a +1 differential and scored twice.

Miikka Kiprusoff, an immortal of flames

TVA Sports Direct subscribers can watch the game between the Penguins and Flames starting at 10 p.m. Before the game, Calgary will retire Miikka Kiprusoff's No. 34 jersey.

After being acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the 2003-2004 season, he led the Flames to the Stanley Cup Final straight away, posting a regular-season goals-against average of 1.70.

After a twelve-year career in the National League, he gave up his career in 2013. He won the Vezina and William Jennings trophies in 2005-2006, but missed the awards ceremony.

With the Flames, the Finn had a record of 305-192-68, an efficiency percentage of 0.913 and a goals-against average of 2.46.

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