Connect with us

Published

on

BOSTON — Former first-round pick Brandt Clarke scored on a breakaway with 27 seconds left in overtime for his first career goal, and the Los Angeles Kings rallied to beat the slumping Boston Bruins 5-4 on Saturday.

Clarke, the No. 8 overall selection in 2021, had just been sprung from the penalty box for taking down David Pastrnak and was all alone when he skated in on Linus Ullmark and slipped the puck past the Boston goaltender.

“I think from when I touched it at the red line to when everyone was jumping on me, I don’t even really remember that section, but that was pretty wild,” Clarke said. “I’m happy we got the job done.”

David Rittich stopped four shots in overtime and the Kings successfully killed the hooking minor on Clarke before he ended it with his first goal in 17 career NHL games.

“We added to our problems today. We had breakdowns that shouldn’t be happening within our structure,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “And then also, just game management. You’ve got to close out a game.”

Anze Kopitar tipped in a goal with 1:35 remaining to tie it at 4-all and force overtime. Matt Roy, Vladislav Gavrikov and Alex Laferriere scored goals for the Kings, who improved to 3-2 since Jim Hiller was named interim coach after Los Angeles fired Todd McLellan.

Pierre-Luc Dubois had two assists for the Kings.

James van Riemsdyk scored twice and added an assist for the Bruins, and Ullmark finished with 30 saves. Trent Frederic and Anthony Richard also scored for Boston, which has lost five of six and led this one 3-1 late in the second period.

Boston was in good position to stop the skid when Pastrnak drew a penalty on Clarke with 2:36 left in OT, but the Bruins couldn’t capitalize during the 4-on-3 advantage that ate up much of the last few minutes of overtime but allowed just enough time for the Kings to win it.

“In the overtime, our power play has to put it away,” Montgomery said. “And we didn’t.”

Van Riemsdyk scored first-period goals on rebounds and Richard scored 13:04 in the second to put Boston up 3-1. The Kings pulled within 3-2 when a wrist shot by Gavrikov from the point deflected off Boston defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and got past Ullmark.

Alex Laferriere, who played at Harvard, tied it with a goal 5:51 into the third.

After being outshot 16-8 in the opening period, the Bruins controlled much of the pace in the second and held the Kings to just six shots.

Frederic swooped in for a rebound after Rittich stopped Morgan Geekie from just in front of the crease and scored to put Boston back up 4-3 with 12:48 left in the third. Van Riemsdyk had an assist for his third point of the game.

It was the second two-goal game for van Riemsdyk since he signed with the Bruins as a free agent last summer. Van Riemsdyk also scored twice against Nashville on Oct. 14 in the second game of the season.

The Kings tied it up 11:02 into the game when Matt Roy got off a shot from the side of the net and the puck slowly crossed the goal line as Ullmark scrambled to stop it. Multiple players squared off when a scrum developed during the Kings’ celebration and Andreas Englund, who joined Trevor Lewis with an assist on the goal, and Trent Frederic exchanged punches in the game’s first fight.

Pastrnak also scored for Boston, but the goal was disallowed after the Kings challenged and officials reviewed video of the play and found Boston’s Jake DeBrusk was in the crease while fighting for position with Mikey Anderson. The review wiped out a great play by Pastrnak, who spun a full 360 degrees at the top of the right circle and came out of the spin with a wrist shot that beat Rittich to the stick side.

The Kings, who sit in the No. 1 wild-card position in the Western Conference, will wrap up a four-game road trip against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night.

“They’re a desperate team,” Montgomery said of the Kings. “They’re fighting for their playoff lives, and we’re going to get a lot of that now. And our desperation, I think, since the [All-Star] break, has not matched our opponents.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Canes’ Andersen, 35, secures deal before Round 2

Published

on

By

Canes' Andersen, 35, secures deal before Round 2

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes have signed goaltender Frederik Andersen to a one-year contract for next season, worth $2.75 million for the 35-year-old veteran.

General manager Eric Tulsky announced the deal Saturday, a little over 48 hours before his team starts the second round of the playoffs against the Washington Capitals.

Andersen could earn up to $750,000 in incentives for games played and his participation in a potential run to the Eastern Conference finals next season. He would get $250,000 for playing 35 or more games, another $250,000 for getting to 40 and $250,000 if the Hurricanes reach the East finals and he plays in at least half of the playoff games.

“Frederik has played extremely well for us and ranks in the top 10 all-time for winning percentage by an NHL goalie,” Tulsky said. “We’re excited that he will be staying with the team for next season.”

Andersen and the Hurricanes, the No. 2 seed in the Metropolitan Division, advanced past the New Jersey Devils in Round 1 last week. They will meet the Capitals, who won the division crown, for the right to make the NHL’s final four.

Extending Andersen could give the team a goaltending tandem with Pyotr Kochetkov for less than $6 million combined.

Anderson, a Denmark native who previously played for the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs, has become coach Rod Brind’Amour’s most trusted option in net. He is expected to return to the starting role for Game 1 of the Capitals series after getting injured in the first round against New Jersey.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Sovereignty outduels Journalism to capture Derby

Published

on

By

Sovereignty outduels Journalism to capture Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Sovereignty outdueled 3-1 favorite Journalism down the stretch to win the 151st Kentucky Derby in the slop on Saturday.

Trainer Bill Mott won his first Derby in 2019, also run on a sloppy track, when Country House was elevated to first after Maximum Security crossed the finish line first and was disqualified after a 22-minute delay.

This time, he knew right away.

Sovereignty won by 1½ lengths and snapped an 0-for-13 Derby skid for owner Godolphin, the racing stable of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

It was quite a weekend for the sheikh. His filly, Good Cheer, won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and earlier Saturday, Ruling Court won the 2,000 Guineas in Britain.

Sovereignty covered 1¼ miles in 2:02.31 and paid $17.96 to win at 7-1 odds.

Journalism found trouble in the first turn and jockey Umberto Rispoli moved him to the outside. He and Sovereignty hooked up at the eighth pole before Sovereignty and jockey Junior Alvarado pulled away.

Baeza was third, Final Gambit was fourth and Owen Almighty finished fifth.

Rain made for a soggy day, with the Churchill Downs dirt strip listed as sloppy and horse racing fans protecting their fancy hats and clothing with clear plastic ponchos.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Zilisch to miss Xfinity race in Texas after wreck

Published

on

By

Zilisch to miss Xfinity race in Texas after wreck

FORT WORTH, Texas — Connor Zilisch, the 18-year-old driver already with two NASCAR Xfinity Series race wins, will miss Saturday’s race at Texas because of lower back injuries sustained in a last-lap wreck at Talladega.

Trackhouse Racing said Wednesday that its development driver will return as soon as possible to the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. The team didn’t provide any additional details about Zilisch’s injuries.

Cup Series regular Kyle Larson will drive the No. 88 in Texas. After that, the Xfinity Series has a two-week break before racing again May 24 at Charlotte.

Zilisch, sixth in points through the first 11 races, was driving for the win at Talladega Superspeedway when contact on the backstretch sent his car spinning, and head-on into inside wall.

Zilisch won in his Xfinity debut at Watkins Glen last Sept. 14. He added another win this year at Austin, the same weekend that he made his Cup Series debut. He has six top-10 finishes in his 15 Xfinity races.

Continue Reading

Trending