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The NHL returns from All-Star Weekend with the Edmonton Oilers looking to make history Tuesday night. Edmonton can tie the NHL record for most wins in a row with a victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas. The game will be exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu at 10 p.m. ET.

The Colorado Avalanche will also be on ESPN+/Hulu on Tuesday, hosting the New Jersey Devils at 8 p.m. ET.

The Knights are currently second in the Pacific Division (64 points), with the Oilers (59 points) in third just five points behind despite having played five less games. Edmonton hasn’t lost a game since Dec. 19 and has improved its record from 13-15-1 to 29-15-1 over that span.

Can the Oilers extend their streak and put themselves in the NHL record books? Here are some key things to watch with intel courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information:


Edmonton
Oilers
vs.

Vegas
Golden Knights

Tuesday, 10 p.m. ET | ESPN+/Hulu
T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas)

Oilers

play

1:31

Connor McDavid on Oilers’ 16-game win streak: It came out of desperation

Connor McDavid joined “The Point” to discuss the Oilers’ winning streak and their push to make the playoffs.

Power Rankings position: 7
Leading scorer: Connor McDavid: 20 G | 47 A
Record: 29-15-1 (59 points)

  • Early coaching change: The Oilers began the season by losing 8-1 in their opener against the Canucks in Vancouver. They would go on to start 3-9-1 before firing coach Jay Woodcroft on Nov. 12. Kris Knoblauch was named Woodcroft’s replacement and has guided Edmonton to an NHL-best 26-6-0 record since his first game on Nov. 13.

  • The Oilers have averaged more than a goal more per game under Knoblauch (3.91 vs. 2.69) and are giving up more than 1.6 goals less (2.28 vs. 3.92).

  • Elite goaltending and defense: Since the 16-game win streak began Dec. 21, Edmonton’s goaltender duo of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have allowed a combined 1.50 goals per games. Skinner has a 1.41 GAA and a .950 save percentage in 12 games and Pickard has 1.74 GAA and a .931 save percentage in his four wins. Skinner’s 12 consecutive wins are the most by an Oilers goaltender in a season in franchise history, surpassing the previous record of 10 straight by Grant Fuhr in 1985-86.

  • The line of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman has been thriving since Knoblauch’s hire, scoring 26 goals together during their time on the ice during that span. That’s the most of any forward grouping in the NHL during Knoblauch’s tenure.

  • McDavid has been especially stellar since Knoblauch took over, posting 57 points over that span, including 26 during the current win streak. McDavid recorded his 20th goal Saturday to giving him his eighth consecutive 20-goal season, joining Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and Auston Matthews as the only players who’ve had eight straight since 2016-17.

  • Hyman leads the Oilers with 30 goals this season. On Saturday, he became the third Oilers skater in the past 30 seasons with 30-plus goals in team’s first 45 games of a season, joining his teammates McDavid and Draisaitl. Hyman is on pace for 55 goals this season, which would shatter his career high of 36 last season. If he gets to 50, Hyman would become the seventh player in Oilers history to hit the mark, joining Wayne Gretzky (8 times), Jari Kurri (4), Draisaitl (3), Glenn Anderson (2), Mark Messier (1) and McDavid (1).

  • According to NHL Edge, Evan Bouchard has 71 shot attempts of at least 90 mph this season, 24 more than the next-closest player (Victor Hedman). Of Bouchard’s 11 goals this season, eight have come from long-range shots, the most in the NHL. His 10.4% shooting percentage on long-range shots is second among defensemen (Drew Doughty, 12.7%) and eighth among all skaters. He has already matched his career high with 43 points this season, averaging 0.96 points per game. The last Oilers defenseman to average a point per game for a season was Paul Coffey (1.14 in 1986-87).

  • The Oilers’ recent run has them as the betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup, according to odds by ESPN BET. The Oilers are +750, followed by the Bruins and Avalanche at +800. According to Stathletes, the Oilers have a 14.1% chance to win the Stanley Cup, ahead of the Panthers at 13.7%. No Canadian franchise has won the Stanley Cup since the Canadiens in 1993.


Knights

Power Rankings position: 9
Leading scorer: Mark Stone: 15 G | 34 A
Record: 29-15-6 (64 points)

  • Vegas has 18 wins at T-Mobile Arena, tied with the Canucks for the second-most home wins behind the Avalanche with 20. The Golden Knights have a .760 points percentage at home this season, fourth in the league. Since the Golden Knights joined the NHL in 2017-18, they have the fourth-most home wins (161) and the seventh-highest points percentage (.673). The only Western Conference team better than Vegas in both categories is the Avalanche (163, .704).

  • Vegas has scored first in 28 games this season, tied for third in the NHL behind the Canucks (33) and Bruins (30). The Knights have scored first in 56% of their games, the eighth-highest rate in the league.

  • Jonathan Marchessault is on pace for 37 goals, which would be a career high and the second most in a season in Golden Knights history behind William Karlsson‘s 43 in 2017-18 (no Vegas player besides Karlsson has scored more than 33 goals in a season). Marchessault has scored 10 goals off the rush this season, tied for fourth most in the NHL. The only players in front of Marchessault are Travis Konecny (12), Joel Farabee (11) and William Nylander (11).

  • Mark Stone has a team-leading 49 points this season (15 G, 34 A), playing all 50 games. His next point will mark his eighth 50-point season, but his first since 2020-21, when he had 61.

  • Alex Pietrangelo leads the Golden Knights in time on ice per game at 24:00. This season, he’s one of three players to average at least 18 minutes at even strength, 2 minutes of power play time and 3 minutes of shorthanded time, alongside Cam Fowler and Devon Toews.

  • Adin Hill leads the NHL in GAA (1.94) and save percentage (.936).

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker had the fans on their feet, roaring and pumping their fists as he rounded the bases after hitting the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. His screaming line drive cleared the right-field wall with plenty of room to spare.

The Chicago Cubs went from giving up 10 runs in the eighth to scoring six in the bottom half and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11 on Friday in one of the wildest games on record.

The two teams combined for 21 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with the Cubs scoring 11 runs and the D-backs plating 10. It was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which both teams scored 10 or more runs from the seventh inning on, and the third game overall, according to ESPN Research.

“That’s kind of baseball,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially with how many games we play.”

There haven’t been many games like this, though.

The Cubs are just the seventh team in at least the past 125 seasons to allow 10 or more runs in an inning and win. They are also the fifth team to give up 10 or more runs and score six or more in the same inning.

The 16 combined runs in the eighth were the most in an inning at Wrigley Field, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“If you’ve seen that one, you’ve been around for a while,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a laugh. “It was crazy. You know, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and we won. So it was a wild game, but we kept going, and, you know, there’s 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it, and you’re just happy to get out with a win.”

On a warm day with the ball carrying, Carson Kelly homered twice. Ian Happ belted a grand slam and Seiya Suzuki went deep, helping the Cubs open a weekend series on a winning note.

“You’ve seen it early — having some tough losses, coming back winning the next day,” Happ said. “Losing the first game of the series, winning the series. Little things like that. Today’s a great example of professional hitters going out there and continuing to have really good at-bats.”

The way things transpired in the final two innings was something to see.

Kelly hit a two-run homer in the second against Corbin Burnes, and Happ came through with his grand slam against Ryne Nelson as part of a five-run seventh. But just when it looked as if the Cubs were in control with a 7-1 lead, things took a wild turn in the eighth.

Eugenio Suarez cut it to 7-5 with a grand slam against Porter Hodge, Geraldo Perdomo singled in a run and Randal Grichuk put Arizona on top by one with a two-run double. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a three-run homer, making it 11-7.

The crowd of more than 39,000 let the Cubs hear it, but their team regrouped in the bottom half. Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner leading off and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong before Kelly drove a three-run homer to center. Tucker, the Cubs’ prized offseason addition, came through after Happ singled with one out. Suzuki followed with his drive against Joe Mantiply to give the Cubs a 13-11 lead.

Arizona, which had won five straight, became just the third team over the past 50 seasons to lose a game in which it had a 10-run inning at any point, according to ESPN Research.

“You just got to stay locked in,” Kelly said. “Obviously, you don’t want to … give up 10 in an inning. Obviously, you don’t want to do that. I think the biggest thing is coming back, regrouping and continuing to fight.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount, the result of his actions during Thursday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning by plate umpire John Bacon for arguing after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low.

Minutes later, he posted on his X account, “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” then deleted the post.

“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.

“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool. I got to be better than that. … I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”

Michael Hill, the league’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said Friday’s discipline was for Chisholm’s “conduct, including his violation of Major League Baseball’s Social Media Policy for Major League Players.”

MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”

Chisholm did appeal the decision, allowing him to play in Friday night’s 1-0 win against the Rays. He started at second base and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Shohei Ohtani is away from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the birth of the two-way superstar’s first child.

Manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ series opener Friday night against the Rangers that Ohtani was with his wife and going on MLB’s paternity list.

“He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know,” Roberts said. “I don’t know when he’s going to come back and I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby, but obviously they’re together in anticipation.”

The 30-year-old Ohtani posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and his 28-year-old wife, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.

“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” said the Dec. 28 post that included a photo showing the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.

Ohtani can miss up to three games while on paternity leave. The Dodgers have a three-game series in Texas before an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.

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