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The Colorado Avalanche, a preseason Stanley Cup favorite now fighting for a wild-card playoff spot as they seek consistency in net, acquired goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

The Avs received Blackwood and forward Givani Smith from the Sharks in exchange for goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, rookie forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick. The Avs also retained $476,000 of Georgiev’s salary.

Blackwood’s arrival is the latest development for a front office that has revamped its goalie tandem over the past 10 days. Colorado swapped backup goaltenders with the Nashville Predators on Nov. 30, picking up Scott Wedgewood in exchange for Justus Annunen.

Wedgewood recorded a 4-0 shutout against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. He also relieved Georgiev, who gave up four goals on eight shots, as the Avs rallied to a 5-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 3.

Figuring how the Avalanche would address their goaltending became a priority in what has become a trying season at times for the 2022 Stanley Cup champions.

What made the need to solve their goaltending crisis even more vital was the disconnect from their defensive metrics. Natural Stat Trick’s data shows the Avs are in the top 10 in fewest scoring chances allowed per 60 and shots allowed per 60 while having the NHL’s second-lowest team save percentage at 88.8%.

That save percentage was further compounded because the Avalanche had already used four different goalies before the team’s 30th game. Last season, the Avs needed only three goalies to get through an 82-game season.

Although Blackwood has a 6-9-3 record with a 3.00 goals-against average, he does have a .910 save percentage, which ranks 12th among goalies with more than 10 games. He also came into Monday with a 3.9 GSVA (goals saved above expected) that ranked 20th.

Blackwood is also a pending unrestricted free agent in the final season of a two-year deal that sees him earn $2.35 million annually, while Wedgewood has another year left on his contract.

Entering Monday, the Avs (16-13-0) were tied with the Edmonton Oilers on points but held the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The rebuilding Sharks (10-15-6) were seven points behind the Avs and seven points ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks for the NHL’s worst record.

Georgiev, who averaged 39 wins in his first two seasons with the Avs, joins Vitek Vanecek as part of the Sharks’ goaltending tandem. They’re both pending UFAs at the end of the season for a team that also has one of the NHL’s top goalie prospects in Yaroslav Askarov in the AHL.

It now gives the Sharks seven UFAs who could potentially be traded ahead of the NHL trade deadline to attain more draft capital.

Kovalenko, the son of former NHL forward Andrei Kovalenko, is a 25-year-old who came to North America last season after playing the past few years in the KHL in Russia. Kovalenko, who has four goals and eight points in 28 games, will be a pending restricted free agent at the end of the season.

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Former coach Fisher makes tearful return to FSU

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Former coach Fisher makes tearful return to FSU

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Jimbo Fisher was brought to tears while returning to Florida State‘s campus for the first time since resigning to take the Texas A&M coaching job in 2017.

Fisher, now an ACC Network analyst, was wildly cheered at the start of the network’s pregame show outside Doak Campbell Stadium. He turned in his chair, did the tomahawk chop to the crowd of garnet-clad fans and started to cry.

“Brings tears to my eyes,” Fisher said. “Remember your family growing up here and hearing that chant. When you heard it, something to it.

“The players, the memories. It’s Miami week.”

Fisher moved back to Tallahassee after Texas A&M fired him in 2023. But he hadn’t stepped foot on campus until his job brought him back.

Fisher coached at Florida State for 10 years (2007-17), first as an offensive coordinator and then as head-coach-in-waiting before taking over for legend Bobby Bowden in January 2010. He won a national title in 2013 in the middle of a three-year run of capturing ACC championships.

He was hired in July as an analyst with ACC Network.

“I always loved Florida State,” Fisher said Friday while meeting with reporters. “Florida State was home. It’s very surreal. I got butterflies. The antsy in your stomach of coming back because it meant so much to you.”

Fisher predicted Florida State would beat Miami on a “wide middle” field goal attempt.

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Cincinnati delivers 1st loss to No. 14 Iowa State

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Cincinnati delivers 1st loss to No. 14 Iowa State

CINCINNATI — Brendan Sorsby passed for 214 yards and two touchdowns, Evan Pryor ran for 111 yards and two TDs and Cincinnati used a 17-point first quarter to beat No. 14 Iowa State 38-30 on Saturday.

The Bearcats (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) beat a ranked opponent at home for the first time since beating No. 16 Houston 35-20 on Dec. 4, 2021.

The Cyclones (5-1, 2-1) trailed 31-7 with 1:08 left in the second quarter before rallying to get within eight with 1:56 left in the game. Cincinnati recovered an onside kick to end the threat.

“It’s a different team,” Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said, simply, when asked the difference between last year’s 5-7 team and this year’s roster. “It’s different players.”

Rocco Becht passed for 314 yards and two touchdowns and ran another two in for the Cyclones.

Sorsby’s 82-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Goodie in the fourth quarter was the Bearcats’ longest pass play since 2015.

Iowa State, one of the least penalized teams in the country, had five penalties for 35 yards in the first half. The Cyclones jumped offside on third down to extend the Bearcats’ opening drive, which led to a 30-yard TD run from Pryor for the game’s first score.

The Cyclones went on to take a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Becht got the Cyclones on the board early in the second on a 14-yard run.

Becht scored on a 4-yard run on the final play of the half and then threw an 11-yard TD pass to Brett Eskildsen on the opening drive in the third quarter.

“Rocco Becht is a dang warrior. You keep looking up and he continues to make plays,” Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said. “That is a huge win for us as we went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the Big 12 over the last few seasons.”

The Cyclones were without 16 injured players, including all-Big 12 defensive backs Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams. They also were without their top two kickers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Pitt QB Heintschel (4 TDs) shines in first start

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Pitt QB Heintschel (4 TDs) shines in first start

PITTSBURGH — Surprise starter Mason Heintschel threw for four touchdowns and led Pittsburgh to five first-half scores during a 48-7 win against Boston College on Saturday.

Heintschel, 18, a true freshman, made his first career start for Pitt (1-1, 3-2 ACC) in place of redshirt sophomore Eli Holstein. Holstein was pulled after throwing two interceptions during last week’s home loss against Louisville. Holstein saw fourth-quarter action Saturday with the result already decided.

Heintschel completed 30 of 41 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns against Boston College (0-3, 1-4), as Pitt raced to a 31-0 halftime lead and piled on 503 yards of total offense.

Kenny Johnson caught a career-high nine passes for a personal-best 115 yards and a touchdown, while Juelz Goff and Ja’Kyrian Turner rushed for scores with All-America running back Desmond Reid sidelined for a second straight game. Justin Holmes, Deuce Spann and Zion Fowler-El also caught Heintschel touchdowns, as Pitt snapped a seven-game losing streak against Power Four teams.

Boston College entered with one of the top passing attacks in the country, but the Eagles suffered their fourth straight loss. Boston College had 136 yards of total offense until a late 80-yard scoring drive.

Dylan Lonergan completed 9 of 18 passes for 89 yards before he was pulled in the third quarter for Grayson James. Shaker Reisig threw a touchdown to Kaelan Chudzinski in the final two minutes of the game.

Boston College had 69 yards of total offense in the first half, including minus-9 yards rushing, as the Eagles punted four times, fumbled and turned the ball over on downs on six first-half drives.

Heintschel guided Pitt to five scores in six first-half drives, including four touchdowns and a field goal.

Heintschel led the Panthers to a touchdown on his first drive, an 11-play, 76-yard series that spanned 5:30. Heintschel was 4-of-4 for 29 yards including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Holmes. He also rushed for 16 yards and helped Pitt convert a pair of third downs.

Pitt scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, including two scores in the last two minutes of the half.

Johnson caught a 12-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-1 to complete a nine-play, 66-yard drive in 3:51. Goff rushed for a 3-yard touchdown with 1:56 to play in the half and Turner added a 6-yard rushing score to give Pittsburgh a 31-0 lead 10 seconds before halftime.

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