LOCAL SPORTS
NS Junior: The Antigonish Bulldogs took the first game of their best-of-seven Sid Rowe Division semi-final, defeating the Pictou County Scotians 4-2 at the Antigonish Arena. Tonight, it’s Game 1 between the Strait Pirates and the Junior Miners in Membertou – game time is 7:30 pm.
Maritime League: In Campbellton, the Pictou County Weeks Crushers fell in overtime 4-3 against the Tigers. The Crushers road trip continues as they face Miramichi tonight at 7.
The Antigonish U15AA Bulldogs are hosting the Scotia Minor Hockey League North Conference Championship this weekend at the Antigonish Arena. In action on Friday, the Bulldogs fought the Truro Bearcats to a 2-2 tie, and defeated the CB West Islanders 4-1. In other games, the Pictou County Crushers defeated Truro 8-1, the Islanders fell 4-1 to the Strait Pirates, and the Crushers shutout the Pirates 8-0. Play resumes this morning with the Bearcats vs the Crushers at 10 am, followed by the Ramblers vs the Islanders at 11:30, and the Bulldogs vs the Pirates at 1 pm.
U15 Major: The Wearwell Bombers host the Novas at the Wellness Centre at 2 this afternoon.
U16 AAA: The Cabot Highlanders are in West Hants to play the Armada – puck drops at 4.
U18: In the playoffs, the Weeks Majors have been eliminated after being swept by the Halifax Macs in a 4-0 loss in Game 3. The CB West Islanders were shutout 4-0 by Cole Harbour, but still lead the best-of-five series 2 games to 1. Game 4 goes this afternoon at 2 in Port Hood.
Maritime Major Female League: It’s Game 1 of the playoff series between the Northern Subway Selects and the Penguins. Puck drops at 4 pm at the Hector Arena in Pictou.
Rural League: The finals begin tonight at the Arena, as Heatherton plays Pleasantdale. Game time is 7 pm.
NATIONAL SPORTS
Dylan Guenther’s power-play goal at 4:18 of the third period snapped a 3-3 tie and lifted the visiting Arizona Coyotes to a 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Michael Carcone, J-J Moser, Nick Schmaltz and Matias Maccelli also scored for the Coyotes, who had their 14-game losing streak halted. Vladimir Tarasenko, Drake Batherson and Shane Pinto scored for the Sens, who have lost three straight.
Frank Vatrano scored twice and Lukas Dostal made 51 saves as the Anaheim Ducks knocked off the visiting New Jersey Devils 4-3. Adam Henrique and Max Jones also scored for the Ducks who won their second game in a row. Timo Meier, Jack Hughes and Tyler Toffoli scored for the Devils, who outshot the hosts 54 to 23.
Stephen Curry scored 25 points, Jonathan Kuminga had 24 and the visiting Golden State Warriors beat the Toronto Raptors 120-105 on Friday for their eighth straight N-B-A road victory. The Warriors have won three in a row and 13 of the past 15. R-J Barrett scored 23 points for the Raptors, who slipped to 22-and-38.
Toronto Raptors’ star Scottie Barnes will be sidelined indefinitely after he broke the middle finger on his left hand during the first half of their 120-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Barnes won the N-B-A Rookie of the Year award in 2022. A first-time All-Star this season, the 6-foot-7 forward came into Friday’s game averaging career highs of 20 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists. He scored 10 points before leaving Friday’s game.
Host Saskatchewan eked out a win and defending champ Brad Gushue prevailed 7-4 over Nova Scotia’s Matthew Manuel to open the Canadian men’s curling championship in Regina. Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen beat a persistent P-E-I team skipped by Tyler Smith to win 7-6, while Aaron Sluchinski doubled Kevin Koe 8-4 in a battle of Alberta. Jamie Koe of the Northwest Territories opened with a 7-4 win over Quebec’s Julien Tremblay.
The Toronto Blue Jays surrendered six runs in the second inning en route to an 8-4 loss at the hands of the New York Yankees in spring training action in front of eight-thousand-788 fans in Tampa, Florida. The Jays, who have lost five of seven pre-season games, scored twice in the first inning and added singles in the third and fifth. Davis Schneider and Daniel Vogelbach hit home runs for the Jays, and Ernie Clement had a triple.
Friday’s Scoreboard
NHL
Arizona 5 Ottawa 3
Washington 5 Philadelphia 2
Anaheim 4 New Jersey 3
NBA
Golden State 120 Toronto 105
Philadelphia 121 Charlotte 114
Cleveland 110 Detroit 100
Boston 138 Dallas 110
New Orleans 129 Indiana 102
Portland 122 Memphis 92
Sacramento 124 Minnesota 120 (OT)
Milwaukee 113 Chicago 97
L.A. Clippers 140 Washington 115
MLB Exhibition
N.Y. Yankees 8 Toronto 4
Colorado 10 Seattle 9
Arizona 12 Cincinnati 8
L.A. Dodgers 6 Cleveland 4
Baltimore 3 Atlanta 1
Minnesota 5 Boston 3
Houston 10 Washington 8
Miami 6 Philadelphia (ss) 6
St. Louis 3 N.Y. Mets 2
Detroit 4 Philadelphia (ss) 2
Pittsburgh 12 Tampa Bay 8
Chicago Cubs 10 Chicago White Sox 6
Kansas City 5 Oakland 4
San Francisco 11 Texas 5
L.A. Angels 5 San Diego (ss) 3
Milwaukee 4 San Diego (ss) 3
Saturday’s Schedule (All times Eastern)
NHL
Winnipeg at Carolina, 12:30 p.m.
Florida at Detroit, 3 p.m.
Edmonton at Seattle, 4 p.m.
Colorado at Nashville, 6 p.m.
Minnesota at St. Louis, 6 p.m.
Montreal at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
N.Y. Rangers at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Ottawa at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Vegas at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Boston at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Columbus at Chicago, 8 p.m.
San Jose at Dallas, 8 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Calgary, 10 p.m.
PWHL
Toronto at Ottawa, 3:30 p.m.
Boston at Montreal, 4 p.m.
NBA
Atlanta at Brooklyn, 3 p.m.
Utah at Miami, 5 p.m.
Portland at Memphis, 8 p.m.
Denver at L.A. Lakers, 8:30 p.m.
Houston at Phoenix, 9 p.m.
MLS
Columbus at Minnesota, 2 p.m.
Los Angeles FC at Real Salt Lake, 2 p.m.
Orlando City at Miami, 4:30 p.m.
Charlotte FC at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
CF Montréal at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Cincinnati at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
New York at Houston, 8:30 p.m.
Philadelphia at Sporting Kansas City, 8:30 p.m.
New York City FC at St Louis City, 8:30 p.m.
Nashville at Colorado, 9:30 p.m.
D.C. United at Portland, 10:30 p.m.
LA Galaxy at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.
Austin FC at Seattle, 10:30 p.m.
MLB Exhibition
Baltimore vs N.Y. Yankees at Sarasota, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Boston (ss) vs Washington at Fort Myers, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Detroit vs Pittsburgh at Lakeland, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Houston vs St. Louis at West Palm Beach, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Philadelphia vs Minnesota at Clearwater, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Tampa Bay vs Boston (ss) at Port Charlotte, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Toronto vs Atlanta at Dunedin, Fla., 1:07 p.m.
Miami vs N.Y. Mets at Jupiter, Fla., 1:10 p.m.
Cleveland vs Kansas City at Goodyear, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Texas vs Chicago White Sox at Surprise, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
L.A. Dodgers (ss) vs Chicago Cubs at Phoenix, 3:05 p.m.
San Francisco vs San Diego at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
L.A. Angels vs Arizona at Tempe, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.
Seattle vs Oakland at Peoria, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.
Colorado vs Cincinnati at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.
Milwaukee vs L.A. Dodgers (ss) at Phoenix, 3:10 p.m.