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BOSTON — The Boston Bruins finished the NHL regular season with loads of confidence, having set records for wins and points in the standings. But in Game 1 of their series against the Florida Panthers on Monday night, the Bruins admitted they had opening night playoff jitters in a 3-1 victory.

“Definitely. I think everyone was nervous. I was nervous. I’m sure a lot of guys were. This is what we’ve been building for all year,” said winger Brad Marchand, who had a goal in the win. “It’s only normal for guys to feel that way. But it’s nervous excitement, too. It’s a chance for us to build on what we’ve done all year and trust the process.”

Coach Jim Montgomery liked the team’s first six minutes against Florida, but then “the intensity of the playoffs surprised us a little bit” after that.

“I think we had a little bit of nerves,” he said.

Boston took a 1-0 lead on David Pastrnak‘s power-play goal at 5:58 of the first period. It remained that way until Marchand made it 2-0 at 3:41 of the second period. But Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk answered that goal just under three minutes later, cutting the lead to 2-1.

“They’re a good team. We knew they were going to push hard and they did. When we started turning too many pucks over in the neutral zone and the top of the circles in the second period, we kind of got away from our game,” Marchand said.

Winger Jake DeBrusk calmed things down when he scored an unusual goal at 17:32 of the second period, poking a loose puck off goalie Alex Lyon‘s pad and into the net.

“I just saw the puck on his pad. I just tried to dive to get it, but I thought that if I hit his pad it would be goaltender interference, so I tried to get over top of it,” he said.

Goaltender Linus Ullmark, who was a game-time decision due to illness and injury, made the lead stand up with 31 saves.

“That was nice. You know, we just got to get 15 more,” Ullmark said.

Montgomery wants to see a better effort in front of his goalie.

“When we look at our 5-on-5 game, we’re not happy with our process. The result comes from the fact that we had some players play really well, especially our goaltender,” he said.

The Bruins were without captain Patrice Bergeron, who was a game-time decision but didn’t come out for warmups. Whether his absence was due to an illness going through the Bruins’ dressing room or a lingering injury, he couldn’t play in Game 1 — but his presence was felt.

“He was around all day and kind of talked to us before the game. He’s such a presence. You can tell that he can’t wait to get out there,” DeBrusk said. “It gives you a boost seeing him around. We want to do it for him. That was a main goal at the start of the year. We got off on the right foot tonight. But it’s really early.”

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Boston.

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Ex-LSU WR Lacy turns himself in, released on bail

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Ex-LSU WR Lacy turns himself in, released on bail

Former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy, accused of causing a crash that killed a 78-year-old man on Dec. 17 and then fleeing the scene without rendering aid or calling authorities, turned himself in to authorities Sunday night, was jailed and then released on $151,000 bail, according to police records.

Lafourche (Louisiana) Parish Sheriff’s Office records indicate that Lacy was charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run with death and reckless operation of a vehicle.

A warrant had been issued for Lacy’s arrest, and police on Friday said they had been in contact with Lacy and his attorney to turn himself in.

According to a news release from Louisiana State Police on Friday, Lacy was allegedly driving a 2023 Dodge Charger on Louisiana Highway 20 and “recklessly passed multiple vehicles at a high rate of speed by crossing the centerline and entering the northbound lane while in a designated no-passing zone.”

“As Lacy was illegally passing the other vehicles, the driver of a northbound pickup truck abruptly braked and swerved to the right to avoid a head-on collision with the approaching Dodge,” a Louisiana State Police news release said.

“Traveling behind the pickup was a 2017 Kia Cadenza whose driver swerved left to avoid the oncoming Dodge Charger. As the Kia Cadenza took evasive action to avoid impact with the Dodge, it crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a southbound 2017 Kia Sorento.”

Police alleged that Lacy, 24, drove around the crash scene and fled “without stopping to render aid, call emergency services, or report his involvement in the crash.”

Herman Hall, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, who was a passenger in the Kia Sorento, later died from injuries suffered in the crash, according to state police. Hall was 78.

The drivers of the Cadenza and Sorento also sustained moderate injuries, according to police.

Lacy’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, said in a statement that his client is “fully cooperating with the authorities.”

Lacy played two seasons at Louisiana before transferring to LSU in 2022. This past season, he had 58 catches for 866 yards with nine touchdowns and declared for the NFL draft on Dec. 19, two days after the crash.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach contributed to this report.

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Sawyer gets his ‘moment,’ sends OSU to CFP final

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Sawyer gets his 'moment,' sends OSU to CFP final

ARLINGTON, Texas — As the confetti fell around him, Jack Sawyer raised his arms, lifted his head and closed his eyes. As a boy growing up in a Columbus suburb playing catch with his dad in the backyard wearing a scarlet and gray jersey, Sawyer had often dreamed that one day he might become an Ohio State hero with an iconic moment that would go down in Buckeyes history.

On Friday night, playing against Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, that moment finally happened.

On fourth-and-goal with just over two minutes remaining, Texas needed one play to tie the score and potentially force overtime. Instead, Sawyer ended the Longhorns’ season and catapulted the Buckeyes to the CFP National Championship game, where they will face Notre Dame.

Sawyer screamed past right tackle Cameron Williams and sailed toward Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, his freshman-year roommate at Ohio State. As he crashed into Ewers’ back, the ball popped loose. Off one bounce, Sawyer scooped it up and raced 83 yards for a touchdown that won’t be forgotten in Columbus.

“I almost blacked out when I saw nothing but green grass ahead of me,” he said.

With that play, the Buckeyes defeated Texas 28-14. And Sawyer cemented an Ohio State legacy.

“To make a play like that in that moment. … You want to leave a legacy behind? You become a legend. He just became a legend at Ohio State,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day told ESPN on the field after the game.

The longing for just that moment is why Sawyer put off the NFL to come back for his senior season. After three losses to Michigan with no Big Ten championships or national titles, Sawyer and several other Ohio State seniors who could have been Day 1 or 2 NFL draft picks opted to return for “one last ride,” as he put it.

Their disappointing 2023 season ended with a deflating loss to Missouri in the same Cotton Bowl stadium. Sawyer said he just couldn’t stomach ending his Ohio State career that way.

“I wanted to go to the NFL and chase my dream more than the next guy,” Sawyer told ESPN over the summer. “But I haven’t won a championship. And you walk around the Woody [Hayes Athletic Center] and all you see is championships and championship posters and banners. Having not helped our team win any of those, it’s something that wears on me and it’s something that motivates me every day.”

Sawyer nearly had that moment six weeks ago. Yet, in a turn, what followed was a career low point for him and the Buckeyes.

He intercepted Michigan quarterback Davis Warren at the goal line midway through the fourth quarter. But with the score tied, the Buckeyes couldn’t capitalize on the turnover. On their ensuing possession, the Wolverines nailed a game-winning field goal for a stunning 13-10 victory, handing the Buckeyes — and Sawyer — their fourth straight loss in the series.

As Michigan’s players planted their flag at midfield of The Horseshoe, Sawyer charged in along with his teammates and ripped it away, leading to a melee that lasted five minutes and was finally broken up by police with pepper spray.

But with the expanded 12-team playoff, Ohio State’s seniors got one final chance to end their careers with hardware. With his scoop-and-score, Sawyer brought the Buckeyes within a game of winning their first national championship since 2014.

“The resiliency of this team from a month ago has been incredible,” said Sawyer, who became the first FBS player in a decade to produce multiple pass breakups and a sack in three straight games, according to ESPN Research, all coming during Ohio State’s playoff run. “We sat up here last year with a sore taste in our mouth and heard a lot of things. We come back and heard the same things a month ago. But we kept swinging.”

The underdog Longhorns kept swinging too.

After the Buckeyes took a 21-14 lead, Ewers led Texas all the way to the Ohio State 1-yard line. But on second-and-goal, safety Lathan Ransom dropped Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner for a 7-yard loss on a risky sweep.

“We had a plan to try to get the ball on the edge,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “It’s one of those plays if you block it all right, you get in the end zone — and we didn’t.”

After an incompletion, Texas faced fourth-and-goal from the 8. Ewers, who began his career at Ohio State before transferring to Texas after one season, said he thought he had time to get off the pass. But his onetime roommate got to him before he could.

“Obviously, it’s not like I tried to give him the game,” Ewers said. “He is a great player, great individual, great person. … It sucks, but Jack’s a good player and he made a great play.”

Sawyer’s fumble recovery was the longest in CFP and Cotton Bowl history. As Ohio State quarterback Will Howard took a knee, Day jumped into Sawyer’s arms.

“I don’t know if there’s a guy … who loves being a Buckeye more,” Day said. “This is somebody … who has always wanted to be a Buckeye, who has always wanted for a moment like this. So to see him get the moment that he had today — I mean, he’s become like family to me.”

Day and Sawyer both cautioned that their last ride together isn’t over quite yet. They have one game left and a national title still to win. But they also both acknowledged the magnitude of the moment. And Sawyer’s looming place in Ohio State history.

“I love Columbus, I love the state of Ohio, I love Ohio State football,” Sawyer said. “And I’m so fortunate to be playing in the national championship my last year here.”

ESPN’s Dave Wilson contributed to this report.

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Minnesota’s Hetherman joins Miami as new DC

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Minnesota's Hetherman joins Miami as new DC

Minnesota defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman has resigned his post with the Gophers and accepted the same position at Miami.

Hetherman helped the Gophers to an 8-5 record this season, including a 5-4 mark in the Big Ten. Minnesota closed the season with a 24-10 victory over Virginia Tech in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl earlier this month.

The Hurricanes fired defensive coordinator Lance Guidry last month after late-season defensive woes effectively cost Miami a chance to play for a conference championship, as well as a potential berth in the College Football Playoff.

Guidry spent two seasons on the Miami staff after arriving from Marshall. Though Miami showed growth in the early part of the season, the Hurricanes regressed in the final month, including a 42-38 loss to Syracuse in the regular-season finale with an ACC championship game berth on the line.

Miami blew a 21-0 lead, finished the regular season with losses in two of its final three games and failed to advance to Charlotte to play for the conference title. Miami finished two spots outside the final CFP spot.

Then, in its season finale, a 42-41 Pop-Tarts Bowl loss to Iowa State, Miami blew a 10-point third-quarter lead — allowing the Cyclones to score the go-ahead touchdown with 56 seconds remaining. Guidry was fired three days later.

“In a continuous effort to always improve all aspects of our program, I have decided to make a change on defense,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said at the time. “We will move forward and make decisions that provide our players, staff and program the best opportunity to win and develop at the highest level.”

The Hurricanes open next season at home against Notre Dame, which will play for the CFP title next week.

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