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The college football regular season may be over, but don’t fret, the sport has saved some of the best matchups for conference championship week.

Beginning on Friday night in Las Vegas, teams will battle for not only conference bragging rights but spots in the College Football Playoff field as well.

USC is just one win away from a likely berth in the playoff but will have to get through Utah in the Pac-12 title game Friday night. The Utes handed the Trojans their only loss of the season back on Oct. 15, so revenge and a spot in the top four leave Lincoln Riley’s squad with plenty to play for in Las Vegas.

Speaking of plenty to play for, the surprising TCU Horned Frogs are one win away from a spot in the CFP after closing out the regular season 12-0. If the Frogs are able to beat Kansas State in the title game, they will become the first Big 12 team to break into the playoff field since the 2019 season.

Georgia is already in the playoff, and LSU is out after last week’s loss, regardless of what happens in the SEC title, but the teams will meet in Atlanta for the conference title. Georgia lost in last year’s SEC championship game before going on to win the national title.

In the night window, Michigan, in pursuit of its second straight Big Ten title, faces Purdue while Clemson and North Carolina meet for the ACC crown.

The Tulane Green Wave and UCF Knights also meet in a conference championship game on Saturday for who likely gets to represent the American Athletic Conference and the Group of 5 in a New Year’s Six bowl.

This is our last week of action before bowl season, so get all the top storylines from the best matchups below.


Pac-12 championship: No. 11 Utah (9-3) vs. No. 4 USC (11-1)
(Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Friday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox)

Caleb Williams may be on the brink of winning the Heisman Trophy, but the last time these two teams met, Williams and his five touchdowns during the game somehow didn’t make him the most unstoppable player on the field. For at least one night in Salt Lake City, that honor belonged to Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid.

Over the course of 60 minutes, Kincaid pulled off his best Rob Gronkowski performance and dominated the USC defense to the tune of 243 receiving yards on 16 catches and one touchdown. The Utes’ offensive game plan became simple: When in trouble, target Kincaid.

“Anytime someone has their career game against you, there’s a level of embarrassment about it,” defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said this week. “If he makes big-time catches and we don’t tackle him … I know exactly what’s gonna happen on Friday. It’s gonna be the same damn thing.”

A lot has happened for both teams since that game. USC’s defense has continued to cover any weaknesses with its takeaways and red zone stops, while USC’s offense has skyrocketed as Williams has. Utah, on the other hand, is banged up. Cam Rising is dealing with an unspecified injury, while Kincaid himself missed the game against Arizona with a shoulder injury and was banged up again in last week’s win over Colorado.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham said he expects Kincaid to play on Friday night, but the Utes will likely have to rely more on the run game, just as they have in recent weeks. Until last week, the Trojans’ defense had struggled to limit teams on the ground, but last week’s game against Notre Dame was a different story — the Irish had only 90 rushing yards.

“Everybody doing their job and communicating and being on the same page, when we do that, we’re a hard defense to go up against,” linebacker Shane Lee said.

Lee is among several players who have pointed to that loss at Utah as a pivotal point in USC’s season. The way the loss landed but didn’t linger appeared to give everyone in the locker room the motivation to ensure they didn’t lose again.

“The vibe inside the room was completely different from times when I’ve lost before in college so far,” Williams said. “There were a lot more smiles.”

It is difficult, at this point in the season, to imagine Williams having an off game. And so, USC’s chances — to make it to the playoff and have a chance to win there — will likely come down to how effective, how “on the same page” and how consistent their defense is in these tougher, tighter games. After all, Utah was the one team all season that did something nobody else could: outscore USC.

The optimistic approach after the Utah loss proved to be fortuitous for the Trojans. They knew what they needed to do to bounce back, and so far, they have aced every test since. As they stand just 60 minutes from a conference title and a playoff berth, the question is: Can they keep it going? — Paolo Uggetti


Big 12 championship: No. 10 Kansas State (9-3) vs. No. 3 TCU (12-0)
(AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, Saturday, noon ET, ABC/ESPN app)

Kansas State entered the season as a sleeper pick to win the Big 12. TCU was picked seventh in the conference. After one of the most unlikely seasons in recent history, this game could now be a referendum on TCU’s chances to make the College Football Playoff.

The No. 3 Horned Frogs are one of three undefeated teams in the FBS and, before a blowout win over Iowa State last week, survived a streak of seven straight wins by 10 points or fewer, which tied 1975 UNLV for the longest such string in the AP Poll era dating back to 1936.

So the Horned Frogs know how to win. And none of their five second-half comebacks were bigger than against Kansas State in Week 8, a 38-28 TCU win in Fort Worth after the Wildcats jumped out to a 28-10 lead in the second quarter. The 18-point comeback was TCU’s largest this season.

“We can say all we want about ‘We didn’t do this or didn’t do that,'” K-State coach Chris Klieman said this week. “Give TCU credit. They came back from being down and stayed the course and stayed in the fight. … The biggest thing I think that disappointed us is we couldn’t get off the field on defense. Thus our offense just never had the ball much in that second half.”

This is the eleventh time that the Big 12 title game features a rematch of a regular-season game. Of the 10 previous instances, the winner of the first game won six of them.

TCU coach Sonny Dykes said on Tuesday that he considers this similar to a different season, saying last year’s results don’t affect this season.

“There will be lot of cat and mouse stuff, probably a little more than you normally have, because of the familiarity,” Dykes said.

He said the K-State offense has “taken off” in the past four or five weeks as Will Howard has become more comfortable after coming in for an injured Adrian Martinez (including in the TCU loss), and he’s impressed with how offensive coordinator Collin Klein has utilized the many talents of running back Deuce Vaughn.

Vaughn currently has 1,295 rushing yards and 348 receiving yards this season after 1,404 rushing and 816 receiving yards last year. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, in the past 15 seasons, only one Power 5 running back, Christian McCaffrey, has had multiple seasons of 1,300 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards.

The Wildcats have a chance to play spoiler on Saturday. In the eight years of the CFP, there have been six times when a top-four team was going into the final week and didn’t make the final field. Five of those lost in conference championship games. The other was 2014 TCU, which was notably jumped by Ohio State when the Big 12 did not have a title game.

Dykes knows he won’t have home-field advantage this time, and said he’s always been impressed with Klieman’s team.

“They’re just a good football team. And physical,” he said. “That was a very physical football game. I think that’s a trademark of their program, and it has been for a number of years going back to Coach [Bill] Snyder, and Coach Klieman has kind of kept that tradition alive.”

They’ll need to be physical against TCU running back Kendre Miller, who ranks third in the Big 12 with 650 rush yards after contact this season. He had a season-high 113 against Kansas State earlier this season.

But Klieman knows they’ll have to watch for an explosive TCU team.

“Offensively, defensively, special teams … Collectively, they’re the fastest team we’ve played,” he said. “It’s going to come down to can we win some of these one-on-one matchups because we didn’t win enough one-on-one matchups [in] October, especially in the second half.” — Dave Wilson

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Heather Dinich breaks down TCU’s chances to reach the College Football Playoff even if it loses to Kansas State.


SEC championship: No. 14 LSU (9-3) vs. No. 1 Georgia (12-0)
(Mercedes-Benz Dome, Atlanta, Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS)

Harold Perkins Jr. has been a revelation for LSU this season. His 7.5 sacks rank third in the SEC, despite rushing the passer only 105 times. For comparison, the league leader, Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr., has 10 sacks on 310 pass-rush attempts.

And did we mention that Perkins is only a freshman? The former five-star linebacker from Texas was the jewel of coach Brian Kelly’s first recruiting class.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart remembers evaluating Perkins as a high school prospect.

“He was probably one of the most talented linebackers coming out that season on tape,” he said.

As the season’s gone on, Smart said, “He’s proven that.”

“He’s extremely explosive, athletic,” Smart added. “They do a very good job of utilizing his skill set.”

But, ahead of Georgia and LSU competing in the SEC championship game on Saturday, is it fair to look at Perkins’ production and wonder whether he’s the key to neutralizing the Tigers’ defense?

As LSU made a late-season push, Perkins was dominant. He had five tackles and a sack in a win over Ole Miss, and eight tackles and a sack in a win over Alabama. And during a slugfest at Arkansas in which the LSU offense struggled, Perkins single-handedly carried the team to victory with what might have been the game of the year, racking up eight tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles.

Then you look at LSU’s losses, and there’s a common thread: Perkins didn’t fill up the stat sheet and didn’t affect the quarterback. In losses to Texas A&M, Tennessee and Florida State, he had no sacks and averaged two tackles per game.

But it wasn’t just Perkins who didn’t get after the quarterback in losses. The defense as a whole, which averaged 2.8 sacks and 11.7 quarterback hurries in nine wins, had no sacks and 15 total pressures in three losses.

The loss to the Aggies last week was especially embarrassing for LSU. Giving up 38 points to a lackluster offense was surprising. It was no secret what A&M wanted to do: hand the ball to Devon Achane. Still, Achane rushed for 215 yards and two touchdowns.

Kelly reflected on the loss and felt that the team had gotten away from what led it to a berth in the conference title game: marrying traits with talent.

Perkins, Kelly said, has to do the same thing.

“He’s very, very talented,” Kelly said. “But, like I said, I mean, it’s both: he’s got to bring his traits and talent together. If he brings both of those, he is an elite and special player.”

It will be an uphill battle on Saturday. Georgia, which is a heavy 17.5-point favorite, has given up the third-fewest sacks in the FBS this season (seven).

To have a chance of pulling off the upset, Perkins and LSU will have to find a way to get in the backfield and affect quarterback Stetson Bennett. — Alex Scarborough


ACC championship: No. 23 North Carolina (9-3) vs. No. 9 Clemson (10-2)
(Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN app)

Clemson has made its way back to the ACC championship game, but that is not exactly the major talking point headed into its matchup against North Carolina.

For the second straight year, the Tigers will be left out of the College Football Playoff, and questions about quarterback DJ Uiagalelei have begun to mount once again after he threw for 99 yards in a shocking 31-30 loss to South Carolina last week.

Though Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has once again defended Uiagalelei, saying he was “a long way from being the reason we lost the game,” it is fair to wonder which version of Uiagalelei we will see on Saturday. Especially since North Carolina has first-team All-ACC quarterback Drake Maye on the other side.

In addition, Swinney has also faced questions about whether running back Will Shipley has been given enough carries. Despite averaging 8.8 yards per rush against South Carolina, Shipley only had 15 carries — including just two on the final four drives of the game. Afterward, he candidly said, “As a competitor, hell yeah, I want the freaking rock with five minutes to go and the game on the line against our rival. That is me as a competitor, but that is not how it shakes out all the time.”

But beyond those questions, there are others about the overall program now that Clemson has missed the playoff for two straight seasons. Swinney told reporters Sunday that winning the national championship is not among its list of goals when the season begins.

“Our goals are win the opener, win the division, win the state, win the ACC and win the closer,” Swinney said. “Our goals are set up to allow us to compete at the highest level, but the reason that it doesn’t say win the national championship on there is because we don’t control that. We could win all of our games and somebody could say no, you don’t qualify. We do have an opportunity still to hit four out of five, and if we do that, we’re going to have another great year here and keep moving forward.”

Though there may not be national implications, the game is an intriguing one considering not only the story lines but their recent history. In 2018, North Carolina nearly upset No. 1 Clemson but opted to go for a 2-point conversion and failed with 1:17 left, losing 21-20. When the teams previously met in the ACC championship game in 2015, a disputed offside call on an onside kick allowed No. 1 Clemson to hold off the Tar Heels and win 45-37.

While playing in the ACC championship game is old hat for Clemson, North Carolina has not won an ACC football title since 1980. Only NC State has a longer conference title drought among current ACC schools.

“We’re trying to take steps in our program,” North Carolina coach Mack Brown said. “Four years ago, we won five games in two years, so every step that we take is a step closer to North Carolina football being relevant again. I thank (our guys) for getting us to this point. There’s only 10 teams that will play in Power 5 championships this weekend, and they’re one of 10 out of 131. So that’s pretty cool.” — Andrea Adelson


Big Ten championship game: Purdue (8-4) vs. No. 2 Michigan (12-0)
(Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox)

Purdue is 3-0 against AP top-5 teams under Jeff Brohm, which is an incredible mark.

Brohm and the Boilermakers have another opportunity to face a top-3 opponent on Saturday against No. 2-ranked Michigan in the Big Ten championship game. Purdue is the underdog in the game as the Wolverines are undefeated and coming off of a win against then-No. 2 Ohio State.

Brohm said there isn’t a secret formula to the success he and his teams have had against highly ranked opponents, but he knows it’s going to take a lot to take down Michigan.

“When you play those type of teams, you have a little luck on your side, you’ve got to play your very best,” Brohm said. “A lot of things got to go your way. You know, I do think that we will prepare hard, I do think that we will give it our best shot. I do think that as coaches, we got to put in a plan that has a couple of wrinkles here and there, that gives us an edge.”

Brohm has been watching the film and saw the Michigan team that came out and attacked Ohio State, outscoring the Buckeyes 28-3 in the second half of their game.

“Michigan’s played lights out this week. Very well coached, tremendous defense. I think their front four plus, basically, their front seven will be the most talented team we played to date,” Brohm said. “They’re big, they’re stout, they will rotate a lot of guys in, good in the secondary, just statistically one of the best defenses in the country. And on offense, the running game, the tight ends, the O-line, and now a really athletic, dynamic quarterback who can make plays outside the pocket.”

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said it finally sunk in that his team beat Ohio State and finished the season undefeated when he was traveling back home from the game. He said he tried to answer as many text messages as he could from supporters after the win, but he is focused on this game and what it means for the program.

A second Big Ten championship in a row, a berth in the College Football Playoff for the second year in a row and it seems like the Wolverines have been playing in must-win games like this for the past three weeks.

“The week before was the biggest game in the world, past game was the biggest game in the world to us,” Harbaugh said. “Now this game is the biggest game in the world to us and going about the preparation, the study of our opponent, the meetings, the practices and getting ready for this game. So, we can have the same feeling of winning and thrill of victory.”

Because Michigan has been in so many high-pressured situations, and because Purdue is the underdog, Brohm is looking at this game as one that Purdue doesn’t have to stress about. His team knows that no one picked them to play in this game and that there is a lot riding on it for the Wolverines.

“There’s going to be more pressure on Michigan, of course,” Brohm said. “They’ve got a chance to really do something special this year, they’re in a great position to do that. So, for us, this is a one-game shot to play in a championship game and roll the dice and see what we can do.” — Tom VanHaaren


American Athletic Conference championship: No. 22 UCF (9-3) vs. No. 18 Tulane (10-2)
(Yulman Stadium, New Orleans, Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN app)

The first time Tulane hosted UCF this season, the Knights jumped out to a 24-7 lead and never relinquished it, winning 38-31.

However, Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt saw something out of his team that game. He told ESPN the following week, “I think the one thing that we need to take from [that loss], I think that everyone fought. There was no quit in anyone.” He added that they’d need to show a sense of urgency in the following week.

They had urgency… and then some. Pratt responded by going 9-of-14 passing for 141 yards and three touchdowns, as well as 70 yards on the ground and three more scores from there in a 59-24 win over SMU. The week after, they knocked off then-No. 24 Cincinnati on the road.

Now comes the rematch against a UCF team that rebounded this past week in the War on I-4, after a surprising 17-14 loss against Navy in Orlando. Quarterbacks Mikey Keene and John Rhys Plumlee have shared snaps the last couple of games, giving the Knights a variety of looks offensively, with no shortage of playmakers surrounding them.

The Knights ran for a then season-high 336 yards (176 of which came from quarterback Plumlee) in their first matchup with the Green Wave, which was the most Tulane has allowed all season. UCF’s 38 points in that game was also the most Tulane’s defense has allowed this year.

The Knights have won the previous five games against the Green Wave. In a season where Tulane has been one of the best and most surprising stories, the Green Waves’ next chapter becomes this second chance they’re being given against a UCF hurdle that they haven’t been able to clear.

There won’t be a better time to do it than Saturday afternoon, but as the Knights have established in the past, it’s not going to be easy. — Harry Lyles Jr.

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NHL playoff watch: Potential playoff matchups aplenty on Thursday night

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NHL playoff watch: Potential playoff matchups aplenty on Thursday night

It’s a typically busy Thursday night in the NHL, with 14 games on the schedule. And there are some absolute gems among those 14 contests, including several that could be run back during the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The early window includes three games that could take place in either the first round of the Eastern Conference bracket or further down the road:

A little later, we’ll see a rematch of a first-round matchup from last season (that could potentially be one this season as well), as the Vegas Golden Knights take on the Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+). Meanwhile, it’s looking increasingly likely that the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings will square off in the first round for a third straight postseason, and those two will take the ice against one another Thursday (9 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+).

Two of the best teams in the Western Conference, the division-leading Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks, will square off Thursday (10 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+), and potentially again in the Western Conference finals.

The eyes of the hockey-loving world will be monitoring Thursday’s main event: A potential Stanley Cup Final matchup between two juggernauts, as the New York Rangers visit the Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+).

It’ll be a busy night, with mathematical implications in the standings and psychological implications for possible matchups later this spring.

As we traverse the final stretch of the regular season, it’s time to check in on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2024 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Thursday’s schedule
Wednesday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Boston Bruins vs. WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning
A2 Florida Panthers vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
M1 New York Rangers vs. WC2 Washington Capitals
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 Philadelphia Flyers

Western Conference

C1 Dallas Stars vs. WC2 Vegas Golden Knights
C2 Colorado Avalanche vs. C3 Winnipeg Jets
P1 Vancouver Canucks vs. WC1 Nashville Predators
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings


Thursday’s games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available via NHL Power Play, which is included in an ESPN+ subscription (local blackout restrictions apply).

Washington Capitals at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
New York Islanders at Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Carolina Hurricanes, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary Flames at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m.
San Jose Sharks at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m.
Vegas Golden Knights at Winnipeg Jets, 8 p.m.
New York Rangers at Colorado Avalanche, 9 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers, 9 p.m.
Dallas Stars at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m.
Nashville Predators at Arizona Coyotes, 10 p.m.
Anaheim Ducks at Seattle Kraken, 10 p.m.


Wednesday’s scoreboard

Ottawa Senators 6, Buffalo Sabres 2
Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Boston Bruins 1


Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Points: 99
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 110
Next game: @ WSH (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 97
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 111
Next game: vs. NYI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 89
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 11
Points pace: 103
Next game: vs. WSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 99
Next game: vs. NYI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 98.7%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 90
Next game: @ CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 24.5%
Tragic number: 18

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 82
Next game: vs. NJ (Friday)
Playoff chances: 1.4%
Tragic number: 10

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 76
Next game: vs. CHI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 7

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 76
Next game: vs. PHI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 7


Metropolitan Division

Points: 100
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 114
Next game: @ COL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 97
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 9
Points pace: 109
Next game: vs. DET (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 9
Points pace: 92
Next game: @ MTL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 86.6%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 11
Points pace: 94
Next game: @ TOR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 65.1%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 85
Next game: @ BUF (Friday)
Playoff chances: 11.7%
Tragic number: 13

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 87
Next game: @ FLA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 10.8%
Tragic number: 16

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 83
Next game: vs. CBJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 1.2%
Tragic number: 13

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 66
Next game: @ PIT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E


Central Division

Points: 99
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 111
Next game: @ VAN (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 97
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 111
Next game: vs. NYR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 94
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 10
Points pace: 107
Next game: vs. VGK (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 90
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 103
Next game: @ ARI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 80
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 91
Next game: vs. CGY (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 4.3%
Tragic number: 14

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 89
Next game: vs. SJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 2%
Tragic number: 13

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 74
Next game: vs. NSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 47
Regulation wins: 15
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 54
Next game: @ OTT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E


Pacific Division

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 112
Next game: vs. DAL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 90
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 12
Points pace: 105
Next game: vs. LA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 11
Points pace: 101
Next game: @ EDM (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.3%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 86
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 98
Next game: @ WPG (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 94.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 82
Next game: @ STL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 7

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 82
Next game: vs. ANA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 7

Points: 52
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 59
Next game: @ SEA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 40
Regulation wins: 12
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 46
Next game: @ MIN (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

p — clinched Presidents’ Trophy
y — clinched division
x — clinched playoff berth
e — eliminated from playoff contention


Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Macklin Celebrini, a freshman at Boston University.

Points: 40
Regulation wins: 12

Points: 47
Regulation wins: 15

Points: 52
Regulation wins: 18

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 18

Points: 64
Regulation wins: 21

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 17

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 28

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 26

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 28

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 22

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 31

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 25

Points: 80
Regulation wins: 28

* The Penguins’ first-round pick was traded to the Sharks as part of the Erik Karlsson trade. However, it is top-10 protected.

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Wizards, Caps to stay in D.C. with arena upgrade

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Wizards, Caps to stay in D.C. with arena upgrade

WASHINGTON — The NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals are staying in the District of Columbia for the long term after ownership and the city reached an agreement on a $515 million arena project.

Owner Ted Leonsis and Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a letter of intent on Wednesday for the deal, which keeps the teams in the district through 2050. They announced the development at a joint news conference at Capital One Arena minutes later.

“It’s a great day, and I’m really relieved,” Leonsis said. “This was not only the right thing for the community, the right thing for the city, the right thing for us, it’s a really smart business deal.”

The project is set to include 200,000 square feet of expansion of the arena complex into the nearby Gallery Place space, the creation of an entertainment district in the surrounding Chinatown neighborhood and safety and transportation upgrades.

“We are the current home and the future home of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards,” said Bowser, who donned a Wizards jersey. “As Ted likes to say, we’re going to be together for a long time.”

In a statement, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said residents “could not have been louder or clearer in expressing their desire for the teams to stay.”

“This outcome will have significant positive impacts on economic development, public safety, and overall District energy and spirit generated by the millions of people who attend games, shows, and concerts at Capital One Arena,” Schwalb said.

The Council of the District of Columbia will take up the deal next week and is expected to pass it, chairman Phil Mendelson said at the news conference.

The agreement between Monumental Sports & Entertainment and the city came as Alexandria officials said talks for a new arena that would have moved the teams to Virginia had ended. Leonsis acknowledged Virginia had land as an advantage that the district didn’t.

“You’re in this arms race to build bigger and better and higher quality, and we’ve been running out of space,” Leonsis said, referencing the new entertainment community the agreement envisions that is not nearly as big as the 12 acres that were dedicated to the arena in Virginia. “But it’s enough.”

The ultrawealthy entrepreneur said he generally wanted to avoid discussing Virginia but did throw a few jabs at the state, where political divisions between Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Democrats who control the Virginia General Assembly contributed to the plan’s demise.

“You can’t do it alone, and I felt that we were really in a good partnership,” Leonsis said, “as opposed to where I thought I would have a great partnership.”

The development is a blow to Youngkin, who announced months ago with fanfare the outlines of a proposal negotiated with the teams’ parent company to bring them across the Potomac River.

In a statement on Wednesday, the governor expressed disappointment and frustration, laying blame with Democrats.

“This should have been our deal and our opportunity, all the General Assembly had to do was say: ‘thank you, Monumental, for wanting to come to Virginia and create $12 billion of economic investment, let’s work it out.’ But no, personal and political agendas drove away” the deal, he said.

Democrats responded by saying Youngkin had mismanaged the proposal from the start. House Speaker Don Scott said he was blown away by Youngkin’s statement, which Scott said seemed like it had been written by a teenager, and bristled at the suggestion that the Legislature should have given the deal an easy sign-off.

“He has lost his sense of good judgment right now,” said Scott, who had not fully endorsed the deal but expressed openness to it.

He added that from the tone of the statement, he said Youngkin might retaliate by vetoing the budget lawmakers sent him earlier this month.

Alexandria, which first announced the news, said in a statement posted to its website that it also was disappointed.

“We negotiated a framework for this opportunity in good faith and participated in the process in Richmond in a way that preserved our integrity,” the statement said. “We trusted this process and are disappointed in what occurred between the Governor and General Assembly.”

Matt Kelly, the CEO of publicly traded real estate company JBG SMITH, a partner to the Alexandria deal as the proposed developer, issued a blistering statement that laid blame on “partisan politics” and raised the prospect that “potential pay-to-play” influences had a hand in the project’s downfall.

“Beyond the arena, state and local governments will lose needed tax revenue, economic development credibility, and what could have been Virginia’s last best chance to land a professional sports franchise for at least a generation,” Kelly said.

The Virginia plan called for the creation of a $2 billion development district in the Potomac Yard section of Alexandria, with not only a new arena but also a practice facility and corporate headquarters for Monumental in addition to a separate performing arts venue.

The general assembly was asked to set up an authority that would issue bonds to finance most of the project, backed partly by the city and state governments and repaid through a mix of projected tax revenues recaptured from the development.

Youngkin and other supporters said the development would generate tens of thousands of jobs, along with new tax revenues beyond what would have been needed to cover the financing.

The plan faced opposition from labor unions, Alexandria residents concerned about traffic and District of Columbia officials who feared the loss of the teams would devastate downtown Washington.

Youngkin and other backers also failed to win over powerful Democratic Sen. L. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth, who chairs the Senate’s budget-writing committee. She used that position to block the legislation, citing a range of concerns but foremost the financing structure of the deal: The use of moral obligation bonds put taxpayers and the state’s finances at risk, Lucas said.

Lucas celebrated the proposal’s demise on Wednesday. On social media, she posted a cartoon of herself swatting away a basketball with the word “REJECTED” superimposed. She wrote, “As Monumental announces today they are staying in Washington DC we are celebrating in Virginia that we avoided the Monumental Disaster!”

Leonsis had shifted his tone on social media in recent days, pointing to large crowds in Capital One Arena this month for everything from the Capitals and Wizards to ACC tournament basketball and a Zach Bryan concert. He posted Wednesday that Monumental expected over 400,000 fans to pass through turnstiles in March.

He and Bowser began talks about keeping the teams in the district not long after Virginia disclosed its offer, including through regular meetings in a posh hotel lobby, Leonsis said.

“Until 10 minutes ago, I had never signed a piece of paper,” Leonsis said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Capitals’ Bear enters player assistance program

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Capitals' Bear enters player assistance program

WASHINGTON — Washington Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear has entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

Bear will be away from the team indefinitely while he receives care. The league and union, which jointly run the program, made the announcement Wednesday.

He is fifth player this season announced to be in the program after ColumbusPatrik Laine, Colorado‘s Samuel Girard and Valeri Nichushkin and former teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals put Kuznetsov on waivers after he was cleared to practice, sent him to the minors and then traded him to Carolina.

Bear, 26, has played 24 games since signing a two-year contract with Washington in December. He has been a healthy scratch for the past seven, as the team has won five of those to move into playoff position.

The Capitals recalled defenseman Vincent Iorio as well as winger Matthew Phillips after the news about Bear broke, and with three games left on Tom Wilson’s suspension. They visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

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