LOCAL SPORTS
AUS: Two goals in the final minute of the second period pushed the X-Women Hockey team to a hard fought 2-1 win over the visiting UPEI Panthers at the Keating Centre. Joanna Martinsen & Landyn Pitts scored for the X-Women. Tonight, the X-Women are on the road for a match up with Mount Allison, while it’s the X-Men’s turn to host UPEI. Both games begin at 7.
Also tonight, St. FX is in Wolfville for a pair of basketball games against Acadia – the women play at 6, followed by the men at 8.
Ice Jam Tournament in HRM: Playoffs begin today – in the U15 League, the Novas take on the Wearwell Bombers at 2:45. In the U18 League, the Weeks Majors have a morning contest against the Notre Dame Hounds at 11:30. The Cabot Highlanders did not advance to the playoffs with a record of 0-2-1.
NS Junior: The Antigonish Bulldogs shoveled in eight goals in the first period, on the way to a 10-2 trouncing of the Eskasoni Eagles.
Maritime Hockey League: The Pictou County Weeks Crushers beat the Bearcats 4-1 in Truro.
Maritime Major Female Hockey League: The Northern Subway Selects host the Cape Breton Lynx at 4 at the Hector Arena in the first of a home-and-home series this weekend.
Rural League: At the Antigonish Arena, the Pleasantdale Panthers face off with the St. Croix Angels at 7, followed by the Heatherton Warriors versus the County Outlaws at 8:30.
NATIONAL SPORTS
Joel Farabee scored his second goal of the night in overtime to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Tyson Forester and Owen Tippett also scored for the Flyers, who have won three of four.
Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist in the third period as the Nashville Predators beat the Dallas Stars 6-3. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and two assists, and Jeremy Lauzon, Tommy Novak, Gustav Nyquist and Juuso Parssinen also scored for Nashville.
Lauri Markkanen scored 22 points and had nine rebounds to lead the Utah Jazz to a 145-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points and Collin Sexton added 20 for the Jazz. Pascal Siakam led Toronto with 27 points. Scottie Barnes added 19 points and Immanuel Quickly chipped in 15 for the Raptors, who lost their third straight.
Victor Wembanyama had 26 points and 11 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs routed Charlotte 135-99, spoiling Hornets star LaMelo Ball’s return from a 20-game absence. Ball had 28 points, five assists and five steals in his first game since spraining his right ankle November 26.
Wesley Chiu emerged as the early leader for a Canadian men’s figure skating championship after winning the short program. The 18-year-old from Vancouver, who was a bronze medallist in 2022 and 2023, shook off a rocky warm-up to post a commanding score of 88.98 at Calgary’s WinSport Arena. Chiu was the only man to land both a quad-triple combination and a triple axel.
Friday’s Scoreboard
NHL
Nashville 6 Dallas 3
Philadelphia 4 Minnesota 3 (OT)
NBA
Indiana 126 Atlanta 108
Houston 112 Detroit 110
Philadelphia 112 Sacramento 93
L.A. Clippers 128 Memphis 119
Minnesota 116 Portland 93
Golden State 140 Chicago 131
San Antonio 135 Charlotte 99
Miami 99 Orlando 96
Utah 145 Toronto 113
Denver 125 New Orleans 113
Saturday’s Games (All times Eastern)
NHL
N.Y. Rangers at Washington, 1 p.m.
San Jose at Ottawa, 4 p.m.
Vancouver at Buffalo, 4 p.m.
New Jersey at Florida, 6 p.m.
Philadelphia at Winnipeg, 7 p.m.
Colorado at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Anaheim at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Los Angeles at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Arizona at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Boston at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Dallas at Chicago, 8 p.m.
N.Y. Islanders at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Calgary at Vegas, 10 p.m.
PWHL
Ottawa at Toronto, 1 p.m.
Boston at Montreal, 3:30 pm
NFL Playoffs – Wild Card Round
Cleveland at Houston, 4:30 p.m.
Miami at Kansas City, 8 p.m.
NBA
Houston at Boston, 7 p.m.
Washington at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Golden State at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.
New York at Memphis, 8 p.m.
Orlando at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.
Chicago at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.
New Orleans at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Utah, 9:30 p.m.