Connect with us

Published

on

TEMPE, Ariz. — With his parents at the top of Mullett Arena in a suite, Josh Doan scored two goals, including the go-ahead tally, in his first NHL game, and the Arizona Coyotes defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 on Tuesday night.

Doan, son of the Coyotes’ longtime captain and all-time goal leader Shane Doan, scored an unassisted goal in the second period to put Arizona ahead 2-1, backhanding the puck past Columbus netminder Elvis Merzlikins at close range. He scored the winner in the third period, deflecting the puck past Merzlikins right in front of the crease at the 8:29 mark.

“I almost missed it,” Shane Doan, speaking on the Coyotes’ postgame telecast on Scripps Sports, said of his son’s first goal. “It’s so cool.”

Josh Doan, from nearby Scottsdale, is the first Arizona native to play for the franchise. The 22-year-old played collegiately at Arizona State. He was called up Monday from Tucson of the AHL after leading the Roadrunners with 26 goals and 20 assists in 62 games.

“I was a little bit nervous,” Doan said on the Coyotes’ postgame show. “But my mom [Andrea] was up there, wearing the emotions a little bit harder.”

The rookie admitted being taken aback by the fans after his first goal.

“The reaction was definitely something special,” he said, “and hearing how loud the building got for that was cool.”

All along, from the bench, he was keeping an eye on the Doan suite, though.

“I noticed that my younger brother [Carson] was about to come out of the suite at some point. That was one thing that I definitely noticed,” Doan said. “But he’s been the best supporter since day one, so I don’t expect anything less from him.”

Nick Bjugstad, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther and Matias Maccelli — also among Doan’s biggest supporters on his grand night — scored, as well, as Arizona pulled away with four goals in the third period. The goals from Schmaltz and Guenther were short-handed. Schmaltz’s was his 20th of the season.

“It was awesome all night, on the ice and on the bench,” Doan said of his teammates. “They were very supportive and talking me through it. It was a real team effort, with everyone making sure we stuck to the game plan.”

Karel Vejmelka, who allowed the first goal of the game, stopped 24 shots for the Coyotes in the win.

Boone Jenner and Zach Werenski scored for Columbus, which has lost five straight. Merzlikins had 29 saves for the Blue Jackets, who haven’t won since March 16.

A minute after Doan’s first goal, Arizona’s Michael Kesselring was penalized for tripping, and with 38.8 seconds left in the period, Werenski scored on the power play for Columbus to tie it. Werenski assisted on Jenner’s goal, and Johnny Gaudreau assisted on both.

The Coyotes were officially eliminated from postseason play on Tuesday when the eighth-place Vegas Golden Knights picked up a point in a 5-4 overtime loss at the Nashville Predators. The Blue Jackets were ousted from the playoff race on Sunday.

Arizona right winger Clayton Keller‘s five-game goal streak come to an end. It is the franchise’s longest streak since Daniel Briere had six in January 2001. Keller did have an assist on Maccelli’s goal.

The Blue Jackets had a goal taken off the board in the final minute of the first period when Alexandre Texier was penalized for high sticking before scoring in front of the net.

There were fights in each period. Two minutes in, Mathieu Olivier and Liam O’Brien squared off near center ice. Each got five minutes for fighting. Erik Gudbranson and Josh Brown fought in the second period. And with 1:21 to go, Michael Carcone and the James Malatesta — making his NHL debut for the Blue Jackets — exchanged punches.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Braves’ Riley on IL; Holmes passes on TJ surgery

Published

on

By

Braves' Riley on IL; Holmes passes on TJ surgery

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley on Monday was placed on the 10-day injured list for the second time in two months with a strained lower abdominal muscle.

Right-hander Grant Holmes, meanwhile, has opted to rehab his injured right elbow rather than undergoing Tommy John surgery, manager Brian Snitker told reporters.

Riley suffered the injury while tagging out Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz near home plate in the Braves’ 4-2 win on Sunday in the rain-delayed MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Riley also landed on the IL on July 12 with a strained abdomen. He returned on July 25.

The Braves recalled infielders Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Gwinnett before opening a home series against Milwaukee on Monday night. The team optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Gwinnett following Sunday’s game.

Riley is hitting .260 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs.

Snitker said Holmes, who has damage to his UCL, made the decision to not have surgery at the present time after consulting with two doctors. The pitcher could also reconsider and have surgery after the season.

Snitker did not give a timeline as to when Snitker, who was placed on the 60-day injured list on July 27, will begin throwing again. He is not eligible to be activated until Sept. 26.

Holmes is 4-9 with a 3.99 ERA and 123 strikeouts this season. He had 15 strikeouts in a game against the Colorado Rockies in June.

The Braves’ other Opening Day starters also are all on the injured list, with AJ Smith-Shawver out for the season after having Tommy John surgery.

Snitker said All-Star left-hander Chris Sale threw a bullpen session as he works his way back from a fractured rib. He is next scheduled to throw live batting practice.

Reynaldo Lopez, who was placed on the IL on March 29 with shoulder inflammation after one start, is playing catch, but Snitker said there is no timetable for his return.

Spencer Schwellenbach, who is recovering from a fractured elbow, has not resumed throwing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Astros’ Paredes to forgo season-ending surgery

Published

on

By

Astros' Paredes to forgo season-ending surgery

Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes has opted to forgo season-ending surgery on his strained right hamstring and instead will rehab the injury in an effort to return this season, general manager Dana Brown told reporters Monday.

The 26-year-old Paredes, who is hitting .259 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs this season, was placed on the injured list on July 20 after he was hurt while running to first base. Brown said the injury was “severe.”

Paredes has received a platelet-rich plasma injection and has had multiple rounds of imaging. His rehab stint, which will mostly take place in Houston around the team, will begin after a “long period” of letting the hamstring rest before beginning any sort of exercise, Brown said.

If Paredes undergoes surgery, he likely wouldn’t be able to return for at least six months.

“His whole opinion on this is, he wants to work hard to try to get back this season,” Brown said Monday. “Of course, he’s going to dedicate himself to getting back.”

The Astros were proactive at the trade deadline, acquiring infielder Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins. Correa, a Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star in his prior stint with the Astros, has agreed to move from shortstop to third base while Paredes is out of the lineup.

The Astros (62-50) currently lead the AL West with around 50 games remaining in the regular season.

“He’s doing well and he’s working hard,” Astros manager Joe Espada said of Paredes. “He’s in good spirits, and I know he would rather be on the field. We hope for the best.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Yankees sign veteran Maeda to minor league deal

Published

on

By

Yankees sign veteran Maeda to minor league deal

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees signed right-hander Kenta Maeda to a minor league deal.

New York announced the move Monday. The 37-year-old Maeda had been pitching for Triple-A Iowa, the top minor league affiliate for the Chicago Cubs, but he was released Saturday.

The Yankees assigned Maeda to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Maeda had a 7.88 ERA in seven relief appearances for Detroit before he was designated for assignment on May 1. He went 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 17 starts and 12 relief appearances in his first year with the Tigers after agreeing to a $24 million, two-year contract in November 2023.

Maeda pitched well in his last two starts with Iowa, giving up one run and five hits in 12 innings. He went 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 12 starts with the Triple-A team.

Maeda made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, going 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 32 starts. He went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts for Minnesota during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, finishing second in AL Cy Young Award balloting.

Maeda, who sat out the 2022 season because of Tommy John surgery, is 68-56 with a 4.20 ERA in 226 major league games, including 172 starts.

Continue Reading

Trending