LOCAL SPORTS
AUS: On Coach K Court, the UPEI Panthers came out strong early and held on for an exciting 51-48 win over the X-Women. The Panthers snapped a four-game losing streak, while ending a three-game win streak for the X-Women. The win also pulled the Panthers ahead of the X-Women in the AUS standings. Leading the way for the X-Women was Katie Upham with 11 points and five assists, while Shannon Neita had 9 points and 11 rebounds, with Elizabeth Kennedy scoring nine points off the bench. The teams square off again this afternoon at 2. The X-Men earned a crucial two points, defeating the Panthers 87-79. Player of the Game Dondre Reddick had a huge game, leading all scorers with 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Antoine Vernon was close behind with 17 points, four assists, and four rebounds. Bennett Grumbach chipped in 16 points for the X-Men, 12 from beyond the arc. The men play again on Coach K Court at 4 today.
In a showdown between the top two women’s hockey teams in the AUS standings, the X-Women got the victory, a 2-0 shutout of the UNB REDS. Ireland McClosky and Ashlyn Garnett scored for the X-Women, while Amaya Giraudier stopped all 21 shots she faced for her third shutout of the season. With the loss, UNB drops to four points behind the X-Women. Meanwhile, Acadia’s three-game losing skid came to an end as they beat the X-Men 3-2 in Wolfville. It’s the X-Men’s third straight loss. Zack Trott and Jacob Hudson scored for the X-Men.
NS Junior: The Pictou County Scotians scored in overtime to defeat the Miners 4-3 in Membertou. Tonight the Scotians host the Eskasoni Eagles in Trenton. Game time is 6 pm.
U15: Local teams posted losses on Saturday, as the Wearwell Bombers fell 4-2 to the Bandits and the Novas lost 2-1 to the Truro Bearcats in a shootout. This morning, the Bombers face off with the Rage in Cole Harbour at 11, followed by the Novas hosting the Bandits at 12:30 at the Keating Centre.
U16 AAA: The Cabot Highlanders were edged out 3-2 by the Voyageurs.
U18: The CB West Islanders doubled the Mustangs 4-2 in Lunenberg, while the Weeks Majors fell 3-2 against the Wildcats. Today, the Islanders are in Dartmouth to face Steele Subaru at 1:15.
High School: At the Hector Arena in Pictou, it’s North Nova vs Northumberland at 1:30.
Maritime Major Female League: In Moncton, the Northern Subway Selects trounced the Rockets 6-1. This morning, the Selects are in New Brunswick to face the Western Flames at 11:30 am.
Rural League: The regular season wrapped up at the Arena, as St Croix defeated the Outlaws 5-2, and Pleasantdale got by Heatherton 6-5 in overtime. Playoffs start next week, with Heatherton vs Outlaws & Pleasantdale vs St Croix.
NATIONAL SPORTS
Sam Gagner’s goal at 1:39 of the third period snapped a 1-1 tie and lifted the visiting Edmonton Oilers to a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. It was the Oilers 13th win in a row. Ryan McLeod and Zach HYman also scored for the Oilers. MacKenzie Weegar (WEE-guhr) scored for the Flames, who have lost two straight.
Third-period power-play goals by J-T Miller and Elias Pettersson (uh-LIGH-uhs PEH-tuhr-suhn) lifted the Vancouver Canucks to a 6-4 win over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. Nils (NIHLZ) Hoglander and Conor Garland each scored twice for the Canucks, while Quinn Hughes had three assists. William Nylander (NEE-lan-duhr) scored twice for the Leafs.
Lauriane Rougeau scored the shootout winner as Toronto edged Montreal 4-3 in the first Professional Women’s Hockey League game between the two cities at Verdun Auditorium. Toronto snapped a three-game losing streak. Maggie Connors, Natalie Spooner and Jocelyne Larocque scored in regulation for Toronto, while Marie-Philip Poulin had two goals for Montreal and Sarah Bujold added a single.
Christian McCaffrey scored his second touchdown on a six-yard run with 1:07 to play, and the San Francisco 49ers mounted their first second-half comeback of the season to beat the Green Bay Packers 24-21 in a divisional-round playoff game. Q-B Brock Purdy and McCaffrey did just enough on the last drive to send San Francisco to its third straight N-F-C championship game.
Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes and ran for two majors and the Baltimore Ravens pulled away in the second half for a 34-10 playoff win over the Houston Texans to advance to the A-F-C championship game. Jackson helped the Ravens take control in the third quarter after the teams entered the half tied at 10. Baltimore will host the A-F-C title game for the first time since 1971. The Ravens play the winner of today’s matchup between Buffalo and Kansas City.
Jalen Brunson scored 38 points, former Raptor O-G Anunoby (an-ih-NOH’-bee) added 14 and the New York Knicks won their third straight game by dunking the visiting Toronto Raptors 126-100. R-J Barrett, facing the Knicks for the first time since being dealt to Toronto on December 30th, scored 20 for the Raptors, who trailed 59-57 at halftime. The Raptors have lost two straight.
Saturday’s Scoreboard
NHL
Edmonton 3 Calgary 1
Vancouver 6 Toronto 4
Winnipeg 2 Ottawa 1 (OT)
Boston 9 Montreal 4
Tampa Bay 3 Buffalo 1
Colorado 7 Philadelphia 4
Arizona 3 Nashville 2
Dallas 6 New Jersey 2
St. Louis 3 Washington 0
San Jose 5 Anaheim 3
Vegas 3 Pittsburgh 2
Los Angeles 2 N.Y. Rangers 1
PWHL
Toronto 4 Montreal 3 (SO)
New York 4 Boston 1
NFL Playoffs Division Round
San Francisco 24 Green Bay 21
Baltimore 34 Houston 10
NBA
New York 126 Toronto 100
Milwaukee 141 Detroit 135
Philadelphia 97 Charlotte 89
San Antonio 131 Washington 127
Cleveland 116 Atlanta 95
Chicago 125 Memphis 96
Oklahoma City 102 Minnesota 97
Houston 127 Utah 126 (OT)
Sunday’s Games (All times Eastern)
NHL
Ottawa at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Minnesota at Carolina, 5 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Dallas at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
N.Y. Rangers at Anaheim, 8:30 p.m.
Toronto at Seattle, 9 p.m.
NFL Playoffs Division Round
Tampa Bay at Detroit, 3 p.m.
Kansas City at Buffalo, 6:30 p.m.
NBA
Brooklyn at L.A. Clippers, 3:30 p.m.
Denver at Washington, 6 p.m.
Miami at Orlando, 6 p.m.
Boston at Houston, 7 p.m.
Indiana at Phoenix, 8 p.m.
Portland at L.A. Lakers, 10 p.m.