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LAS VEGAS — The Golden Knights won Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Panthers by doing something they have done throughout the postseason — rallying from an early deficit before surging to a late lead and winning.

Vegas led 2-1 until Florida’s Anthony Duclair tied the score with 10.2 seconds left in the second period. Duclair’s goal set up a third period that saw both teams become a bit more aggressive, but the Golden Knights exploded for three goals in a 5-2 win Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

“It was an unfortunate bounce there at the end of the second, so I still thought we had played a pretty solid second period there and started to gain some momentum,” Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said. “Really liked the way we were playing. I thought the third period, obviously they’re a good team and they create stuff, but overall I thought we had a pretty solid period.”

Nine. That’s the number of times the Golden Knights have fallen behind in a game during these playoffs only to come back and win. Technically, that happened again Saturday, given that they trailed in the first period when Eric Staal scored. The Panthers’ lead was short-lived, with Jonathan Marchessault scoring later in the period for a 1-1 tie. The Golden Knights took a 2-1 lead midway through the second when Shea Theodore scored his first goal of the playoffs.

Duclair’s goal was the product of a faceoff scrum that was just to the left of goaltender Adin Hill. A loose puck was up for grabs when Duclair barely skated a full stride and instantly ripped a wrist shot that was deflected off Zach Whitecloud‘s stick before beating Hill to tie the score at 2.

Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said the Panthers deserved to score a goal in the second period. He referenced how the Panthers kept threatening, such as when Aleksander Barkov had a shot that bounced off the post from the point that could have made a difference earlier in the frame.

To Cassidy’s point, the Panthers controlled possession in the second with a shot share of 59.46% in 5-on-5 play, according to data from Natural Stat Trick.

“I hate to say that, but they had earned some really good opportunities,” Cassidy said. “So for us it was a little bit, yeah, we gave up a late goal. But I rather it then than at the start of the third, to be honest with you. So we have time to go in and regroup and sort of say ‘settle down’ and ‘get back to work.’ … They had generated some good looks. It wasn’t like we played this perfect period and it was demoralizing.”

Panthers coach Paul Maurice said he thought both teams traded scoring chances to start the third period. While true, the Panthers appeared to be more aggressive.

It started when Hill stopped a wrist shot from Nick Cousins barely 20 seconds into the period and continued when the Panthers generated four shot attempts within 40 seconds less than four minutes into the third.

“We had a good chance right out the gate, and I think they came down and had a chance,” Maurice said. “The game opened up a little bit. We were all right with that too. We’ll play a tight game, we’ll play a loose game — not that we prefer to, but we don’t mind the rush a little bit at times.”

Fending off that Panthers barrage eventually led to the Golden Knights controlling possession before Whitecloud scored the first of three straight goals with a shot from the point that beat Sergei Bobrovsky for a 3-2 lead with 13:01 left.

Then came the goal from Stone that saw the two-way winger knock down a puck out of midair, corral possession and launch a wrist shot to beat Bobrovsky for a 4-2 advantage. Reilly Smith scored an empty-netter with more than two minutes left to push the lead to 5-2.

Asked what went wrong for the Panthers, Maurice offered a little levity to the situation. He referenced how the Panthers had fallen into holes earlier in the playoffs en route to making the Stanley Cup Final.

“Everybody just f—ing breathe,” Maurice said. “I feel like you people that have been here, you’re tight. Let’s loosen you up a bit.”

Cassidy spent part of his postgame news conference talking about Hill’s 33-save performance, which was highlighted by a paddle save that was reminiscent of former Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby.

The Golden Knights coach said he would rank Hill’s Game 1 performance among the strongest of the postseason.

“The shutout the other night in Dallas I thought was more of a team effort than an individual effort,” Cassidy said. “But certainly tonight — and it’s a team effort, don’t get me wrong — I just thought we were rock-solid in front of him [against Dallas] but we had some holes today, including right to the end where we gave up a short-handed breakaway with two defensemen on the ice.

“It was just one of those nights, I think, the emotion was in the building and everyone was caught up in a little bit, and thank God he was nice and calm.”

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Red Sox call up Fulmer in Tommy John return

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Red Sox call up Fulmer in Tommy John return

CHICAGO — Former American League Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer, returning from Tommy John surgery, was brought up from the minor leagues Sunday when the Boston Red Sox placed right-hander Richard Fitts on the 15-day injured list with a right pectoral strain.

A 32-year-old right-hander, Fulmer has not pitched in the big leagues since 2023 with the Chicago Cubs. He had Tommy John revision surgery on Oct. 18, 2023, signed a minor league contract with Boston the following Feb. 2 and did not pitch last year.

Fulmer had a 0.79 ERA in five spring training appearances for the Red Sox, striking out 12 and walking three in 11⅓ innings. He had a 3.09 ERA in two starts and one relief appearance for Triple-A Worcester, striking out 18 and walking six in 11⅔ innings. His four-seam fastball averaged 92.4 mph.

He won the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year with the Detroit Tigers, had Tommy John surgery on March 27, 2019, and returned to the major leagues on July 27, 2020, just after the start of the pandemic-shortened season.

Fulmer is 37-50 with a 3.94 ERA in 90 starts and 172 relief appearances for the Tigers (2016-22), Twins (2022) and Cubs (2023).

Fulmer’s contract was selected from Worcester. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he expects to use Fulmer out of the bullpen.

Fitts will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of his injury, Cora said. The 25-year-old left Saturday’s game against the White Sox with shoulder discomfort as he was facing Miguel Vargas, Chicago’s first hitter in the sixth inning.

Making his seventh big league start, Fitts had a 2-0 lead and allowed two hits. He was in position for his first major league win when he was replaced by Zack Kelly with a 2-2 count on Vargas. Vargas walked, and two batters later Luis Robert Jr. hit a two-run homer,

Chicago went on to win 3-2 on pinch-hitter Brooks Baldwin‘s RBI single in the ninth.

Fitts has a 2.39 ERA in seven starts for the Red Sox over two seasons. He is 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA this year.

Fulmer has a contract paying a $1.5 million salary while in the major leagues and $180,000 while in the minors.

He can earn $2 million in performance bonuses for innings and $500,000 for relief appearances. Fulmer would get $50,000 each for 75, 80, 85, 90 and 95 innings, $100,000 apiece for 100, 110, 120, 130 and 140, and $250,000 each for 150, 160, 170, 180 and 190. He would earn $100,000 each for 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 relief appearances.

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NFL draft hopeful, ex-LSU WR Lacy found dead

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NFL draft hopeful, ex-LSU WR Lacy found dead

Former LSU receiver Kyren Lacy was found dead Saturday night in Houston, an LSU official confirmed to ESPN on Sunday.

Lacy was 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. On Jan. 12, he turned himself in to authorities, was jailed and then released on $151,000 bail, according to police records.

Lafourche (Louisiana) Parish Sheriff’s Office records indicated that Lacy was charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run with death and reckless operation of a vehicle. According to WAFB-TV, a grand jury was to begin hearing evidence in the case Monday.

According to a news release from Louisiana State Police, 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.

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

Lacy declared for the NFL draft on Dec. 19, two days after the crash, and did not play in LSU’s win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl. He participated in March at LSU’s pro day and was ranked as high as the No. 6 receiver prospect in the draft by ESPN’s Mel Kiper in December. Lacy was not ranked among the top 10 available wide receivers in Kiper’s most recent Big Board, which was published last month.

Lacy played three seasons at LSU after starting his career at Louisiana. Lacy had his best season last year when he caught 58 passes for 866 yards and a team-leading nine touchdowns.

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Cubs feast in Dodgers’ worst home shutout loss

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Cubs feast in Dodgers' worst home shutout loss

LOS ANGELES — The Chicago Cubs had a big night against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

One night after being shut out, the Cubs broke out for 14 runs and 15 hits in the final three innings of a 16-0 victory Saturday night to hand the Dodgers their first home loss of the season and their worst home shutout defeat in franchise history.

The Cubs finished with 21 hits, including nine for extra bases.

“The boys came out swinging, and it was pretty cool to see,” said Chicago’s Carson Kelly, who homered twice among his three hits and drove in three runs. “Kudos to our guys for working at-bats, really working counts, getting good pitches to drive and not missing them. We also ran the bases well and took our walks. … I think it’s just the mentality of this team that we’re going to fight to the end no matter what the score is.”

Michael Busch, once a top prospect in the Dodgers’ farm system, had four hits, including a homer and two doubles, and drove in three runs. The first baseman is batting .308 (12-for-39) with three homers, six doubles and 11 RBIs in 10 career games against the Dodgers.

Ian Happ had three hits and scored two runs, and Miguel Amaya replaced the injured Seiya Suzuki (right wrist pain) in the fifth inning and homered among his two hits and drove in three runs.

Kelly keyed a five-run seventh inning with a homer 384 feet over the left-field wall against Dodgers reliever Ben Casparius and then crushed a 391-foot homer on a floater from infielder-turned-pitcher Miguel Rojas for a two-run shot in the ninth.

“You have to take a quick swing, not a big swing,” Kelly said, when asked how hard it is to homer off a 40-mph pitch. “You have to find the right timing of it.”

The Cubs pushed their major league-leading run total to 112, which is 21 more than the second-place New York Yankees (91), and they have outscored opponents by 41 runs, a margin nearly twice as much as any team.

Busch, who homered off Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki for a 1-0 lead in the second, came within inches of a monster game when he was robbed of a grand slam by center fielder Andy Pages to end the third.

“I saw him [make the catch] — unfortunately,” said Busch, a former minor league teammate of Pages. “He’s a good player. I didn’t want him to do that, so we’re going to have to have a conversation.”

Sasaki (0-1) left with a 1-0 deficit after allowing one run and four hits in five innings, striking out three and walking two. However, the Cubs broke through against a Dodgers bullpen that entered the contest with a 2.15 ERA, the fourth-best mark in baseball.

Busch doubled and scored on Justin Turner‘s RBI single off Casparius for a 2-0 lead in the sixth, and Amaya (single), Busch (single), Dansby Swanson (single) and Nico Hoerner (sacrifice fly) drove in runs after Kelly’s leadoff homer in the seventh.

Kyle Tucker had a two-run single and Amaya a two-run homer in the eighth, and the Cubs teed off on Rojas in the ninth.

The offensive outburst backed a superb start by Cubs right-hander Ben Brown, who used only two pitches — a four-seam fastball that averaged 95.6 mph and a knuckle-curve that averaged 86.9 mph — to blank the Dodgers on five hits in six innings, striking out five and walking none.

Brown (2-1) gave up five runs and seven hits in four innings of his previous start, a no-decision against San Diego.

“Just trying to do the exact opposite of last week,” Brown said. “This past week was a grind working on things, mentally going through things, but I put in that effort, and it obviously showed tonight.

“I was able to slow the game down, slow the heart rate down, execute pitch by pitch and go back to where I was last year … when my stuff is there, we can get through lineups like that.”

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