Avalanche cruise to 9-3 victory over Arizona after a five-goal first period outburst in front of fans - Mile High Sports

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Mar 31, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche right wing Joonas Donskoi (72) is doused with water after scoring a hat trick in the first period against the Arizona Coyotes at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The roar of the crowd, the energy in the building, the feeling that things are slowly returning to normal. The Avalanche welcomed back their home fans to Ball Arena on Wednesday and what a treat they provided.

Colorado exploded for five goals in the first 7:31, led by the club’s fastest hat-trick in history from Joonas Donskoi (3:27), on its way to thumping the Arizona Coyotes 9-3 in front of a handful of frontline healthcare workers and season ticket holders.

The dominating win, combined with a loss for Vegas, also means the Avalanche are now first in the West Division, at least for tonight. The Golden Knights have a game in hand on Colorado and trail by one point (50-49) but will play Minnesota tomorrow.

“First place only counts when the season is over,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “But it certainly is something we’ve been working towards and for, trying to chase Vegas down after a little bit of a rocky start. It just shows that we’re going in the right direction. We talked about it just briefly the other day that it wasn’t going to be the be-all-end-all for us but we understand home ice is very important, especially if we’re putting fans back in.

Nearly everyone on the Avalanche pitched in. Donskoi’s four points led the way. But forwards Gabe Landeskog (two goals, three points), Mikko Rantanen (goal, three points), Andre Burakovsky (two goals) and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (goal, two points) accounted for the other goals while recording multiple points. Superstar Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Sam Girard (two assists, each) also had multi-point efforts for the Avs, who extended their unbeaten streak to 12 games (10-0-2).

In all, 14 Colorado players recorded a point.

“We have a really good team, a lot of depth,” Burakovsky said. “Looking at the last couple games, every line is basically scoring. It’s not easy to come in here and play against us and we’re just going to keep this up.”

After taking in the energy of the pre-game ceremony, the Avs started the game with an extra pep in their step. MacKinnon drew an early penalty to send the Avs to the power play. But two minutes after that penalty expired, Donskoi scored his first — sending the fans into a frenzy — to kick things off.

Burakovsky followed that up with a one-timer feed from center Nazem Kadri 27 seconds later. The Coyotes answered back off the ensuing faceoff to cut the lead in half.

But Colorado had more for its fans.

The next three goals spanned just 1:55. And the crowd was finally given a live look-in of the type of hockey the Avs have played nearly the entire month.

The players even fed off the energy of the crowd, celebrating goals just a little harder thanks to the authentic noise only hockey-starved fans could provide.

“I think the fans had a huge effect,” Donskoi said. “Everybody was fired up. We came out to play and we had a good start.”

Donskoi’s hat-trick was the first in a single period for the Avalanche in 11 years. He scored the first, fourth and fifth goal of the outburst, capping the fastest five-goal clip in Avalanche history (3:27).

“What a game — what a first period — what a first seven-and-a-half minutes for him. That was pretty incredible to watch,” Landeskog said of Donskoi. “I even thought watching that first period from the bench he could’ve had a couple more.”

Donskoi’s second tally chased Arizona goalie Adin Hill. He was replaced by Ivan Prosvetov, who made his NHL debut and surrendered five goals on 28 shots. Colorado outshot the Coyotes 38-31.

For the Avs, goaltender Philipp Grubauer put an end to what has become the best performance of any month in his career. Grubauer made 28 saves, winning his NHL-most 22nd game and improving to 12-2-1 in March — the most wins the Avs have ever had in one month.

The game wasn’t entirely. The Avs took seven minor penalties. They outshot the Coyotes 17-1 midway through the first but three late penalties — one of which Arizona scored on — led to a 12-1 shot advantage for the Coyotes in the final eight minutes.

Colorado’s penalty kill entered the night second in the NHL (87.3 percent) and successfully killed five-of-six.

The final penalties called were the outcome of a tussle between MacKinnon and Arizona’s Conor Garland late in the third period. MacKinnon took exception to Garland’s physicality and the pair began to wrestle in the corner to the right of Prosvetov before Landeskog and other Coyotes players jumped in to help. MacKinnon tossed Garland’s helmet at him during the scrum, resulting in a double minor and a 10-minute misconduct.

Those 14 PIMs alone are more than the 12 MacKinnon had all of last season on his way to winning the Lady Byng Trophy.

“He might a little lighter in the wallet, maybe, but I would think that would be it,” Bednar said of the helmet toss. 

Landeskog’s willingness to stick up for MacKinnon only proves how much this team believes in sticking up for one another and take a penalty when the physicality gets ramped up. Even if it involves two-thirds of your top line.

“Those two guys, they lead by example,” Donskoi said. “If somebody is getting beat up then the teammate is going to stand up for him. We’ve been on top of that lately.”

Donskoi, Landeskog climb the ranks: Donskoi’s hat-trick and Landeskog’s two goals increased their season totals to 15 and 14 goals, respectively — both of which are now top-30 in the NHL.

Alex Newhook signs: Colorado announced earlier Wednesday that 2019 first-round pick Alex Newhook has signed a three-year entry level deal. The former Boston College star was the 2019 NCAA D-1 Rookie of the Year.

He will report to the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League but has the ability to dress in six games for the Avalanche before burning the first year of his entry-level deal.

Listen to “Welcome Back Avalanche Fans” on Spreaker.

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Ducks Bring Five-Match Unbeaten Streak Into the Weekend - GoDucks.com

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• Game Notes: Week 8

Unbeaten in their last five matches (3-0-2), the stretch run of the season for the Ducks begins this weekend when they host Utah (Friday, 2 p.m.) and Colorado (Sunday, 11 a.m.).

WHAT TO WATCH
• The 3-2-1 record in Pac-12 play is Oregon's best six-game mark since the 2006 team stood at 4-0-2.
• Oregon entered the week at No. 45 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings. Colorado is at No. 14.
• Oregon has shutout four straight opponents. That's one shy of the program record of five consecutive shutouts in 2011.
• The Ducks established some program firsts last weekend in the Bay Area. Among those were Oregon's first win at California (1-0), holding Stanford scoreless at the Cardinal's home stadium (0-0) and going undefeated on the Bay Area trip for the first time in program history (1-0-1).
• Ally Cook is tied for the Pac-12 lead with three game-winning goals. She is tied for 14th nationally in game-winners. Her decisive scores have come Feb. 7 against Gonzaga, Feb. 26 versus No. 3 Stanford and March 19 at Oregon State.
• Freshman Leah Freeman was named Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week on Monday after recording shutouts against both California (1-0) and Stanford (0-0). She made seven saves versus Cal and a career-best nine at Stanford.

FREEMAN NAMED PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Freshman Leah Freeman, who helped the Ducks shutout both California and Stanford over the weekend, was named the Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week on Monday. The Berkeley, Calif., native made what was at the time a career-high seven saves in the Ducks' 1-0 win over Cal on Friday. Two days later, she raised her career high to nine saves in a 0-0 overtime tie at Stanford. Freeman is tied for the Pac-12 lead with five shutouts. She ranks third in the league in saves per game (4.09) and fifth in goals against average (0.69). The goalkeeper for the U.S. U-18 and U-16 National Teams and the No. 35 player of the 2019 class is the first Duck to win player of the week honors since Marissa Everett and Emma Eddy in 2018. Freeman is the first Oregon goalkeeper to be recognized since Abby Steele in 2013. She is also just the third Duck freshman to be named Pac-12 Player of the Week. Jessie Chatfield won goalkeeper honors as a freshman in 2005, while Chalise Baysa was an Offensive Player of the Week winner as a freshman in 1998.

BAY AREA HISTORY
Oregon's trip to the Bay Area on March 26-28 was an historic one for the program. March 26, Oregon won for the first time in Berkeley (1-0). March 28 was the first time in program history that Oregon held Stanford scoreless on its own field (0-0). It was also the first time that the Ducks have gone undefeated on the Bay Area trip.

SHUTOUT STANDARD
Oregon has shutout its last four opponents, which is one match shy of the program record for consecutive shutouts, five set in 2011. It has been 396:28 since the Ducks last allowed a goal, which came in the second half against Arizona State on March 12. That is the second-longest scoreless minutes streak at Oregon. The record, 551:21, came during that 2011 stretch. Individually, Leah Freeman now holds both program records for consecutive shutouts (4) and consecutive scoreless minutes (396:28), both reached during the March 28 match at Stanford. She eclipsed Halla Hinriksdottir's scoreless minutes mark of 392:09 during the second overtime period at Stanford. During Oregon's 2011 team record streak, two goalkeepers shared time in the net, thus no individual records came from that period.

COOK IN THE KITCHEN
Sophomore Ally Cook is tied for the Pac-12 lead in game-winning goals with three, which is also tied for 14th nationally. This season, she has scored game-winning goals against Gonzaga (Feb. 7), Stanford (Feb. 26) and Oregon State (March 19).

COOK, HASENAUER CLIMB CAREER LISTS
Zoe Hasenauer and Ally Cook are moving up on the UO career records lists. Cook is now tied for seventh in career game-winning goals with five. Hasenauer ranks tied for eighth in UO career assists (10) and is ninth in shots (109).

FRESHMAN FREEMAN ENTERS CAREER TOP 10?
A solid start in net for freshman Leah Freeman has propelled the Berkeley, Calif., native into Oregon's career top-10 in a couple of categories - more on how that happened in a moment. Through 11 games, Freeman has 45 saves and five shutouts - both of which rank in the UO career top 10. She is sixth in career shutouts (5) and is 10th in both saves (45) and wins (5). How can that be? In the relatively brief, two-plus decades of the program, Oregon's starting goalkeepers have enjoyed a relatively long tenure. The average length of time for a Ducks' starter in net is 2.7 seasons. Amanda Fox (1996-99) and Abby Steele (2011-14) were four-year starters, while Sarah Peters (1999-02), Jesse Chatfield (2005-09) and Halla Hinriksdottir (2015-18) spent three seasons minding the net. In fact, only nine keepers in program history have played more than Freeman's 11 games in goal.

FOR THE DEFENSE
The Ducks have a lot of experience on the back line. Combined the four starters have 166 career starts: seniors Mia Palmer (52) and Chardonnay Curran (60), junior Chai Cortez (28) and sophomore Croix Soto (26).

CORTEZ CORNER
Chai Cortez scored the first goal of her career on a direct corner kick March 26 at California. Her corner went through the goalkeeper's outstretched arms and deflected off a Cal defender in to the goal.
 

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Trudeau Industry Chief Calls for Five Eyes Action on China - Bloomberg

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Francois-Philippe Champagne expects Canada to make a decision on Huawei’s access to 5G in the “not-too-distant future.”

Photographer: David Kawai/Bloomberg

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Canada needs to adopt a united front with its Five Eyes allies on China, according to one of Justin Trudeau’s top ministers who handled trade, foreign affairs and is now in charge of industry.

Francois-Philippe Champagne helped craft the northern nation’s policy toward Beijing and just revamped the rules for conducting national-security reviews of foreign investment.

In an interview this week, he stressed the importance of working with partners in the spy alliance -- the U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand -- to coordinate their approach to the rising Asian power. Important areas of collaboration include policy on critical minerals and sensitive technology, such as whether to ban Huawei Technologies Co. from next-generation wireless infrastructure.

With two of its citizens behind bars in China and scant leverage of its own, the Trudeau government has been increasingly acting with others. Along with the U.S. and U.K., it joined the European Union in issuing sanctions this month over the mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims and in February it rallied 57 other nations to sign a declaration against the use of arbitrary detention.

“It’s bigger than just Canada,” Champagne said via videoconference Tuesday. “It’s really Western democracy which is having a moment. That’s why I feel that countries who share the same values and principles are keen to work together.”

The minister said the new foreign takeover review rules, which are focused on “national security concerns” in technology and critical minerals, are not targeted at one particular country. But he indicated that U.S. and other Western allies should be less concerned about them, adding it is important for Canada to welcome investment “with eyes wide open.”

So far, Canada is the only one of the Five Eyes not to formally ban or restrict Huawei equipment from 5G networks; New Zealand hasn’t fully closed the door to the Chinese company. Champagne said the government “should be in a position to come back to Canadians and the market in a not-too-distant future” with a decision.

Making a call on the state-championed Chinese tech giant’s access to 5G “is probably one of the most consequential decisions when you think about generations to come,” he said.

It’s also one of the most politically delicate for the government.

Huawei is at the center of a geopolitical feud between the U.S. and China that’s sent shrapnel Canada’s way. After authorities arrested Meng Wanzhou, eldest daughter of the company’s billionaire founder, in Vancouver on an American extradition request in late 2018, Beijing locked up two Canadians on spying charges. The men, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, were tried this month but verdicts have yet to be announced.

With the government still deliberating, Canadian telecommunications companies are sidelining the firm in their 5G buildouts.

“When it comes to national security, you don’t cut any corners,” Champagne said of the process, which he conceded has dragged on for “some time.” But “you do the full review, talk to the agencies, get the best advice possible and then you make the decision.”

— With assistance by Danielle Bochove

(Updates with additional context on Huawei 5G decisions in seventh paragraph)

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Exxon Mobil signals first profit in five quarters on price gains - Reuters

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By Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

HOUSTON (Reuters) -Exxon Mobil Corp could post its first profit in five quarters on improved results across its businesses, with higher oil and gas prices providing a lift of as much as $2.7 billion, offset by costs from a February deep freeze.

FILE PHOTO: An Exxon sign is seen at a gas station in the Chicago suburb of Norridge, Illinois, U.S., October 27, 2016. REUTERS/Jim Young/File Photo

The largest U.S. oil producer last year posted consecutive quarterly losses as falling oil prices and refining margins triggered write downs. It slashed operating expenses last year and analysts had forecast a per share profit of 54 cents, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Exxon could top Wall Street estimates based on its Wednesday securities filing, according to brokerage Raymond James & Associates. The data point to a quarterly profit of about $2.55 billion, or 60 cents share, wrote analyst Justin Jenkins in a note.

Shares gained 12 cents to $55.95 in late trading. The stock has gained more than a third this year to date.

The February freeze that cut power to Texas refineries and chemical plants, and curbed oil and gas supplies, caused up to $800 million in damages and lost production volumes, Exxon indicated. ConocoPhillips and Devon Energy earlier warned of production losses from the cold snap.

The filing showed refining remains a troubled business despite sequentially improved operating margins. Refineries have been especially hard hit by a pandemic-related drop in fuel demand and a recent rise in feedstock prices.

That business overall could post a loss of $400 million for the period including costs from the freeze, estimated Jenkins.

Exxon’s chemicals operation, its only business to eke out a profit for 2020, could get a $600 million boost over fourth quarter results on better margins. The business earned $700 million in the final quarter.

Results are scheduled to be released on April 30.

Reported first-quarter earnings could hit $2.34 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES, compared with a year-earlier loss of $610 million.

Reporting by Jennifer Hiller and Shariq Khan; Editing by Anil D’Silva, Diane Craft and Lincoln Feast.

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MLB Opening Day 2021: Dodgers' repeat chances, best pitching matchups among five things to know - CBS Sports

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Major League Baseball will begin its new regular season on Thursday, April 1. The Opening Day slate will get underway just after 1 p.m. ET, with the Toronto Blue Jays taking on the New York Yankees in an American League East battle. Every team is scheduled to play on Thursday, and the action is likely to stretch past 1 a.m. on the east coast thanks to a late-night docket that includes contests between the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels and between the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics. 

It's been a long, and at times eventful offseason. As such, we here at CBS Sports decided everyone could use a refresher course on what happened over the winter. Our method of providing one is to highlight five things worth watching for on Opening Day, ranging from the return of crowds to the best pitching matchups on the docket. But first, let's take a look at the slate of games:

Opening Day schedule
(All times U.S./Eastern)

• Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees, 1:05 p.m., fuboTV (nationally)
  
• Cleveland at Detroit Tigers, 1:10 p.m.
• Minnesota Twins at Milwaukee Brewers, 2:10 p.m.
• Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox, 2:10 p.m., fuboTV (regionally)
  
• Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m., fuboTV (regionally)
• Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies, 3:05 p.m., fuboTV (regionally)
• Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres, 4:10 p.m.
  
• Texas Rangers at Kansas City Royals, 4:10 p.m.
• Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies, 4:10 p.m., fuboTV (nationally)
  
• St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds, 4:10 p.m.
• Tampa Bay Rays at Miami Marlins, 4:10 p.m.
• New York Mets at Washington Nationals, 7:09 p.m., fuboTV (nationally)
  
• Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels, 10:05 p.m., fuboTV (nationally)
  
• Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics, 10:07 p.m., fuboTV (regionally)
• San Francisco Giants at Seattle Mariners, 10:10 p.m., fuboTV (regionally)

You can find all five items below, listed in no particular order.

1. Creeping closer toward normalcy

Let's face it, last season's Opening Day didn't feel like Opening Day. This year's might not either, but it's a step in that direction.

Every team is expected to play a regulation-length season, meaning 162 games. They'll play those in front of crowds, as fans will be permitted back in the stands for the first time in the regular season since 2019, mostly at capacities that allow for social distancing. (The Texas Rangers, who unwisely plan on having a full house for their home opener, are on the road.) Additionally, many of the rule changes from last year, like the universal DH and the expanded postseason, have been scratched, barring a last-minute agreement between MLB and the Players Association. 

It's not quite going to be like the pre-COVID times, but it's going to resemble those days more than what last summer did -- and that should be a positive.

2. Lindor, Arenado lead old faces in new places

One of the neat things about Opening Day is getting to see players who changed teams over the offseason for the first time in their new gear. (We're not counting the spring training threads that a lot of teams wear during the exhibition season.)

George Springer, the winter's top free agent, might be prevented from debuting by an oblique injury. That's OK, there are plenty of other stars in new places, including Francisco Lindor (New York Mets), Nolan Arenado (St. Louis Cardinals), and both Yu Darvish and Blake Snell (San Diego Padres). That's not to mention the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, Trevor Bauer (Los Angeles Dodgers), or countless others who will be relying on Google Maps to get them to their new workplaces.

3. deGrom-Scherzer tops pitching matchups

Perhaps your team doesn't play until late, or perhaps you're one of those fans who just wants to watch the best pitching matchup available at any given point in the day. What games should you be checking out?

Our Mike Axisa recently ranked all 15 of the day's pitching matchups, crowning the Jacob deGrom-Max Scherzer pairing (7:09 p.m. ET start) as the best in class. As for the best potential duels at other start times: Gerrit Cole versus Hyun-jin Ryu kicks off at 1:05 p.m. ET; Jack Flaherty and Luis Castillo at 4:10 p.m. ET; and Lucas Giolito and Dylan Bundy at 10:05 p.m. ET.

You can see the rest of Axisa's rankings by clicking here.

4. Dodgers remain World Series favorites

The last time we saw a meaningful MLB game, it ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers lifting the championship trophy. After a winter that saw them sign Trevor Bauer, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, it's fair to ask: are the Dodgers set up to become the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees?

The Dodgers would appear to be the team most likely to win the World Series in 2021. SportsLine projects them to notch 111 victories and gives them a 99.9 percent chance at making the postseason. The improved San Diego Padres, seemingly the Dodgers' toughest threat in the West, are projected to win 89 games, for comparison.

That's music to Dodgers' fans ears, but what about everyone else? Take solace in the words of our Dayn Perry, who explained why you should bet on the field.

5. Vaughn, India among rookies to watch

The pandemic season wreaked havoc on everything, baseball-related or otherwise, including the Rookie of the Year Award eligibility standards. As a result, individuals like Ke'Bryan Hayes, Ian Anderson, and Sixto Sanchez -- each of whom played a sizable role for their respective teams last season -- are once again eligible to receive consideration.

If, somehow, you're already bored of those players and you want to catch a glimpse of the next wave of youngsters, then Opening Day should still have something for you.

To wit, a pair of former top-five picks will likely be making their debuts during their teams' Opening Day contests. Andrew Vaughn may not start the game in left field for the Chicago White Sox, but it's easy to envision him slotting in at designated hitter, or perhaps getting a high-leverage at-bat as a pinch-hitter. Jonathan India, meanwhile, will probably get the nod at second base for the Cincinnati Reds. 

Indeed, India might become the first player to debut during the 2021 season. It's safe to say he won't be the last.

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Day 3 of Chauvin Trial: Five Takeaways - The New York Times

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The grief and guilt of witnesses have been center stage throughout the first three days of the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd. On Wednesday, the judge temporarily halted the proceedings after a 61-year-old witness broke down in sobs as he recounted his memory of Mr. Floyd’s arrest.

The witness, Charles McMillian, was among several who have spoken through tears on the witness stand. Jurors also heard on Wednesday from Christopher Martin, the 19-year-old Cup Foods employee who first confronted Mr. Floyd about the apparently fake $20 bill that he used to buy cigarettes. Here are Wednesday’s highlights.

• If there were any doubts that witnesses of Mr. Floyd’s arrest have been traumatized by what they saw, those suspicions were dispelled on Wednesday. A major focal point of the trial so far has been the scars that the events of May 25 have left on those who were there. The prosecution has used their stories — and the raw emotion that has come with them — to underscore the case they are building against Mr. Chauvin through videos of Mr. Floyd’s arrest. Witnesses have repeatedly said that they believed that Mr. Floyd was in grave danger. And they have shared feelings of helplessness. It is almost always a crime to interfere with officers as they make an arrest, and several witnesses testified that they have struggled with being stuck just feet away from a man who they knew was dying, with no way to help.

• The testimony of Mr. Martin, the Cup Foods cashier, gave jurors, for the first time, a clearer understanding of what happened in the store before Mr. Floyd’s arrest. Video footage from the store showed Mr. Floyd walking around and chatting with other shoppers before buying cigarettes. Mr. Martin said he quickly recognized that Mr. Floyd’s $20 bill appeared to be fake. At the urging of his boss, Mr. Martin went outside and asked Mr. Floyd to pay or to come in and talk to the manager. Mr. Floyd refused, and eventually a manager asked another employee to call the police.

• Mr. Martin told the court that he felt “disbelief and guilt” when he saw Mr. Chauvin kneeling on Mr. Floyd. He had initially planned to replace the fake $20 bill with a real one of his own, but then changed his mind and told the manager what happened. Had he not taken the bill from Mr. Floyd in the first place, “this could have been avoided,” he said.

• Jurors also watched the arrest from the perspective of the police officers’ body cameras. The footage showed officers confronting Mr. Floyd with their weapons drawn as he sat in a car. “Please don’t shoot me,” Mr. Floyd said, crying. Later, officers struggled to put a distressed Mr. Floyd in the back of a police vehicle. Mr. Floyd told them repeatedly that he was claustrophobic and scared, and officers continued to try to force him into the cruiser. Though Mr. Floyd was clearly distraught, he never appeared to pose a threat to the officers. As they pinned him to the ground next to the vehicle, the body cameras captured the words that reverberated around the world last summer: “I can’t breathe.” After a few minutes, Mr. Floyd went silent. “I think he’s passed out,” one officer said. When another officer told Mr. Chauvin that he couldn’t find Mr. Floyd’s pulse, Mr. Chauvin appeared unmoved.

• With the body camera footage, the jurors are seeing the arrest of Mr. Floyd from every possible angle. Videos from the viewpoint of the officers are particularly jarring. From the beginning of the interaction, Mr. Floyd appeared not as a threat, but as someone who was scared and helpless. It also shows that officers took no action to address Mr. Floyd’s medical condition as he went limp.

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Zion Williamson, Lonzo Ball questionable for Thursday's game vs. Orlando Magic - Pelicans.com

The New Orleans Pelicans listed forward Zion Williamson (right thumb sprain) and guard Lonzo Ball (right hip flexor strain) as questionable on the team’s Injury Report for Thursday’s game against the Orlando Magic.

The Pelicans return home after beating the Boston Celtics on Monday night, where they will face off against the Orlando Magic at 7 p.m. at the Smoothie King Center. The game will be broadcasted by Bally Sports New Orleans and ESPN 100.3

The Magic listed five players on its Injury Report. Karim Mane (right hamstring; sore) is questionable, while Cole Anthony (right rib; non-displaced fracture), Markelle Fultz (left knee; torn ACL), Garry Harris (left adductor; strain) and Jonathan Isaac (left knee; injury recovery) are out.

PREVIOUS GAME STARTING LINEUPS

ORLANDO (16-31, 14TH IN EAST)

Tuesday win at Los Angeles Clippers

Michael Carter-Williams, Dwayne Bacon, James Ennis III, Chuma Okeke, Khem Birch

NEW ORLEANS (21-25, 12TH IN WEST)

Monday win at Boston

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Steven Adams

SEASON SERIES

FIRST HALF

None

SECOND HALF

April 1: at New Orleans, 7 p.m.

April 22: at Orlando, 6 p.m.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Orlando 21-18 (Magic won last 4);

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SF Giants: Wrenzie’s five 2021 draft prospects to watch - Around the Foghorn

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August 20, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; SF Giants catcher Joey Bart (77) bats against Los Angeles Angels pitcher Matt Andriese (35) during the second inning at Oracle Park. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

As we approach the end of March, 2021 MLB Draft season is already in full swing. Many prospects have already seen their places on draft boards shift based on growing samples of competitive games. Some have fallen, but some have risen to the point where the SF Giants have almost no chance of drafting them (so long, Sal Frelick).

While fellow prospect expert Marc Delucchi already listed five first-round prospects to watch, I wanted to offer my own opinions on some other prospects I think could end up highly ranked on the Giants draft board. Speaking of the Giants, they have the 14th pick in this summer’s draft. It remains unclear what direction they will go with their pick. Of course, they have little control over it.

Wrenzie has 5 draft prospects SF Giants fans should keep an eye on.

Picking in the middle of the first round gives the organization a couple of different options. They could target a late-first round prospect they really like and agree to a well-below slot deal to give them the flexibility to be aggressive later. On the other hand, they could also wait to see if anyone from the top of the draft slips to their pick and be ready to pounce.

There have been some notable trends from the Giants’ draft room in recent years. Marc and I have both detailed this in pieces of our own. While  I hope you check out our full articles, here’s a brief bullet-point list of the trends we’ve noticed. These trends inform our own speculation because teams generally follow similar patterns year to year.

Marc’s Draft Trends to Watch:

• No-costly relievers
• Final-season breakouts
• Three-year starters
• Spin over speed

Wrenzie’s Draft Trends:

• Under-slot first-round talents
• Strike zone control (for both hitters and pitchers)
• Unteachable traits (e.g., deception for pitchers and power for hitters)

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SF Giants: Wrenzie’s five 2021 draft prospects to watch - Around the Foghorn
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Lonzo Ball says he didn't want a trade: 'I ended up not getting moved and staying here, where I wanted to be' - CBS Sports

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Lonzo Ball was the subject of trade rumors up until last week's deadline, but they weren't exactly self-initiated. The Pelicans, currently seeded No. 12 in the Western Conference, are having a disappointing season, and Ball's father, LaVar, pushed the issue by publicly calling for a trade, saying his son "can't stay in New Orleans." Ball's father doesn't speak for him, though, as he ultimately was not dealt and seemed quite happy about it Wednesday. 

"I'm happy to be here," Ball told reporters. "It was a long day. But overall, I ended up not getting moved and staying here, where I wanted to be. So it all worked out how it was supposed to." Ball added that he is "comfortable" in New Orleans and that he loves "playing with Z and B," in reference to Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. 

Ball is having a career year in New Orleans. He is shooting a career-best 38.5 percent from behind the arc while averaging 14.2 points, 5.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. He is playing some of the best defense of his career, and all told, that will make him a highly sought-after restricted free agent this offseason. 

That likely played a part in New Orleans' decision to listen to offers at the deadline. Brandon Ingram already signed a max contract extension last offseason, and Zion Williamson will get one after next season. If Ball gets a hefty deal as well, the Pelicans would be committing to a core that currently doesn't even have them in the play-in round of the postseason. They could always trade a core player down the line, but for now, it seems as though New Orleans isn't eager to give Ball the contract he's earned. 

That situation will play out in the offseason, and New Orleans will have the right to match any offer made to Ball in restricted free agency. Ball says he wants to be a Pelican, but at that point, we'll see if the Pelicans want him as badly. 

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Five Nats players to miss opening day after one tests positive - starexponent.com

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1. Five Nats players to miss opening day after one tests positive  starexponent.com
2. At least five players will miss opener after one tests positive  MASNsports.com
3. Five Nationals players will miss opening day after a COVID-19 positive  USA TODAY
4. Nationals Have At Least One Positive Case, Five in Quarantine, Opening Day Roster Impacted  bleachernation.com
5. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Tennis: Women move into top five, men split in Michigan - Inside NU

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Northwestern women’s and men’s tennis have been dominant in conference play, at 7-1 and 7-4, with the Wildcat women making noise on the national level.

Women’s tennis rose in the rankings to No. 4 this week after completing a four-game weekend road trip sweep, including beating No. 48 Wisconsin. The ‘Cats put up two 4-0 matches against Purdue and Indiana and beat Minnesota 4-3 as well.

Currently, two singles players and one duo are ranked in the top 100. The doubles pair of graduate student Julie Byrne and junior Hannah McColgan are ranked 54th while junior Clarissa Hand ranks 65th in singles and first year Maria Shusharina comes in at 89th.

With an overall record of 16-2, the women’s tennis team is currently on a six-match win streak. Its final three matches of the regular season will be on April 9 at Indiana, April 11 against Michigan at home and away at Illinois. They are poised for a deep postseason run and have been dominating the conference thus far, only falling to Michigan 4-2 on March 7.

Northwestern men’s tennis currently ranks No. 47 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) standings. They put up a strong 7-0 win against Michigan State on Friday, winning all matches. They fell to Michigan just two days later 4-3 but have five remaining matches of the regular season.

The ‘Cats are slated for weekend play against Minnesota and Wisconsin at home, two more away matches at Nebraska and Iowa and then return home for senior night against Illinois.

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Series Preview: Five questions with Brew Crew Ball - Twinkie Town

Opening day is tomorrow, and unusually, the Twins are starting the season in Milwaukee. I’m more used to seeing these guys around the Fourth of July, so I, like a lot of you, probably wasn’t as up on the Brewers as I should have been. Fortunately, Jaymes at Brew Crew Ball was a great sport and answered my five (and a half) questions about his team. BCB will be eventually posting my answers to his Twins questions—and I’ll link to them at that time.

1. I didn’t really follow the Brewers’ offseason as closely as I did some AL teams. What were the major moves they made, or didn’t make, and what do you think of their offseason overall?

Like a lot of teams, the Brewers’ winter was largely extremely slow, for the most part. They didn’t do much of anything for most of it, which was equal parts frustrating as most of the NL Central either didn’t do anything or actively got worse and understandable since so much of the Brewers’ revenue came through gate attendance (they’ve had one of the lowest-paying TV contracts for the last 10+ years). Perhaps not so coincidentally, the Brewers got more active once the financial picture for this season started to become more clear. The Brewers signed Kolten Wong to a shockingly cheap contract that makes you wonder why the Cardinals didn’t want a Gold Glove defender and solid bat of his caliber, then added Jackie Bradley, Jr. a little while later — conspiracy theorists would note it was the same day the team got cleared by the local health department to have fans in the stands.

JBJ gives the Brewers a very strong stable of outfielders, along with Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain and Avisail Garcia, and will still likely get a starter’s number of plate appearances between spelling those three (or even possibly forming a soft platoon with Garcia). It’s Wong, though, that could be the steal of the offseason. Keston Hiura can hit, but it’s hard to overstate just how bad he was defensively at second base. Going from Hiura to Wong there is quite literally going from the worst second baseman in the league to arguably the best. That’s going to pay dividends to a team that seems to be leaning heavy on the “run prevention” side of things this year — although Wong is also pretty much a perfect hitter for the Brewers’ home park.

The Cardinals may have made all the headlines this offseason with the Nolan Arenado trade, but you could make an argument that the Brewers are a much deeper team after those additions.

2. What do you think will be the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Brewers this season? Is there anything you think the Twins could exploit in this series, or anything they should specifically watch out for?

It feels weird to say the Brewers are going to be a really good defensive team given their reputation as offensive mashers for much of their existence, but with Yelich-Cain-Bradley, the Brewers should have an outstanding defensive outfield that can track down almost any fly ball, while Wong should patrol the middle of the diamond unlike anyone the Brewers have had in a long time. The questions there are how Hiura adjusts defensive to first base (although his problem at second was always more with throwing than range or athleticism) and who ends up playing the most at shortstop, which we’ll get to in a second.

It also goes without saying that with Josh Hader and Devin Williams, the Brewers’ bullpen should also be a major strength, if not one of the best in the league. You may not know all of the guys filling in behind that, but they almost all throw in the mid to upper 90s with crazy breaking stuff as the organization has really been one of the leaders in developing these pitching labs that are gaining more national attention. The fact that Craig Counsell is probably one of the more trusted managers when it comes to knowing how to navigate 27 outs using everyone to their strengths should be a major asset this year as every team tries to figure out how to handle their pitchers.

And again, it’s odd to say this, but the offense is probably the biggest question. This was a putrid offensive team last year, but how much of that was everyone struggling to adjust to a really weird year? Can Yelich get back to his MVP form after never quite looking right last year after breaking his kneecap to end 2019? How does Cain look after opting out early last season and entering the twilight of his career? Can Hiura’s bat play at first base? He has the power, but he’s struck out a crazy amount to start his career. Who beyond those guys can get on base consistently and put pressure on an opposing pitcher? It wouldn’t surprise me to see this be a low-scoring weekend for both teams.

3. Tell me a little bit about the pitchers we will be facing. I know Brandon Woodruff has been an under-the-radar ace for you guys, but why has he been so successful, and who is lined up behind him?

Woodruff has always been really good at limiting hard contact, but in the last year or two, the strikeout stuff has reached another level as he’s added multiple mph to his fastball and refined the control of his breaking stuff. But his control within the zone is also excellent. He’ll catch plenty of guys looking by shaving off a corner, while also getting you to chase a fastball up in the zone or get you to roll over on a sinker or whiff on a changeup after changing your eye level. He’s a lot of fun to watch.

Behind him, you’ll see Corbin Burnes in the second game. I am the self-proclaimed leader of King Corbin’s Court and think he has the potential to be even better than Woodruff. He’s always had the raw stuff, which is why the Brewers threw him into the bullpen in the middle of a playoff run in 2018, but his first go-around in the rotation was about as disastrous as you could imagine. He lived almost entirely in the zone, and once teams figured that out, he began giving up home runs at a legitimately historic rate. He spent the winter post-2019 basically living at the team’s pitching lab, though, and apparently whatever mechanical and psychological fix they made worked, because he was unbelievably good in the shortened 2020 season, striking out 88 batters in only 59.2 innings while limiting hard contact (he gave up 17 home runs in 49 innings in 2019 and only 2 last season). So the big question this year is how that translates over a full season, but his cutter is wicked.

After that, it’s a bit of a question mark. Guys like Adrian Houser who show a lot of promise but struggles mightily to get any left-handed batter out (or keep him in the yard), veteran guys there to soak up innings like Brett Anderson and Josh Lindblom, and guys like Freddy Peralta, who may be the next to make the Woodruff/Burnes Leap. Once you get beyond the top two in the Brewers rotation, the starter/reliever line gets a little blurry, as Counsell loves guys who can go 3 innings out of the bullpen.

4. So is there an all-out controversy for who your shortstop should be? Is Orlando Arcia is being moved off the position in favor of Luis Urias. What do you think of this move?

I wouldn’t call it a controversy, but the Brewers have made it pretty clear for multiple seasons now they haven’t been fully happy with Arcia’s development, but every time they get close to calling it quits, he shows something that ensures he sticks around a bit longer. In his defense, he was rushed to the majors as a glove-first, hopefully-the-bat-develops-eventually 21-year-old, but the offense has never really improved — despite his ability to hit 10-15 homers a year, it comes at the expense of any semblance of plate discipline or other hard contact — and his defense at shortstop has taken a steep decline as he’s matured and gotten bigger.

So the Brewers went out last winter and gave up Trent Grisham in order to get Urias from the Padres. The Brewers seem to be very high on him and gave him every chance to play short this spring — partially because his Brewers tenure got off to a rocky start with a broken wrist pre-shutdown last spring and a symptomatic case of COVID just before summer camp, and they needed to get him reps. That meant trying Arcia at third base, which was...an adventure. I think long-term the Brewers want Urias and his hit tool at shortstop, but the jury’s still out on whether Urias can stack up defensively there, and if he can play a full season.

5. Give me one player Twins fans have never heard of, that will have an impact on this series.

I’m guessing a lot of Twins fans know a fair amount of Brewers already given geography and the annual series, but for a bat I would say Manny Pina — he’s an excellent defensive catcher and can mash lefties, and will likely get at least one start this weekend. For pitchers, I’ll go with Brent Suter — he’s the unusual one in the Brewers bullpen (both in personality and style), barely able to crack 85 mph but can somehow cruise through a trip through the lineup with ease. I’d say you’re most likely to see him for multiple innings on Sunday after Houser, but Counsell also likes to use him to follow the harder-throwing righties.

6 Anything else we should know about the Brewers?

Put $5 in the jar if you accidentally call it Miller Park this year.

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Parents of five killed when tree falls on car during birthday trip - NBC News

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The parents of five children were killed when a 175-foot-tall redwood tree fell onto their car, police in California said.

The accident happened Thursday when Jake Woodruff and his wife, Jessica Woodruff, were traveling southbound on Highway 199 near Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park in Del Norte County. The California Highway Patrol said that a redwood fell on the couple's 2016 Honda, "completely crushing the passenger compartment."

Jake, 36, and Jessica, 45, suffered fatal injuries and died, an incident report stated.

According to a GoFundMe fundraising page, the husband and wife were on an annual trip up the coast to celebrate Jessica's birthday. They leave behind five children: Megan, Evan, Casey, Allie and Chelsea.

"This was a shocking and unexpected event, and the tragedy of this accident makes it difficult to accept as real," the GoFundMe states. "These 5 children are now left without parents and are facing a lifetime of expenses."

As of Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe page had raised more than $238,000.

Amanda Maffei, Jessica's cousin, told the local ABC affiliate that the couple had been married for nearly 13 years. Their children range in age from 8 to 24 years old, according to KDRV-TV. Maffei said the family started a GoFundMe because the older children now have the responsibility of caring for the younger ones.

“I think that they're going to find strength within each other," she said. "They're going to look out for each other and, you know, just the generosity of so many different communities and the support that they've received. I'm hoping that they find strength in that as well.”

The California Highway Patrol said the crash remains under investigation.

Minyvonne Burke

Minyvonne Burke is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

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Ball in their court: Justices take on NCAA restrictions - The Times Herald

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Ball lightning witness accounts, illustrated in comics - Vox.com

For millennia, people have been telling stories of mysterious spheres of light that glow, crackle, and hover eerily during thunderstorms. They’ve been spotted in homes, in rural areas, in cities, on airplanes, and even passing through windows.

They seem out of this world, but scientists believe they are indeed of this world. These apparitions are called ball lightning, and they remain one of the most mysterious weather phenomena on Earth. It’s the topic of this week’s episode of Unexplainable, which you can listen to here:

Ball lightning usually only lasts for a few moments, and it’s impossible to predict where and when it’ll show up. You can’t hunt ball lightning and reliably find it. Ball lightning finds you.

It’s rare, but many people have actually seen ball lightning. We have been talking to people who have reported sightings, and they’ve told us hair-raising stories. One woman said she saw ball lightning in her own kitchen! While these experiences were scary for some, all the witnesses we spoke to said they felt lucky to have seen ball lightning. They remarked on its beauty, on its literal awesomeness.

The scant (ostensibly verified) videos that exist of ball lightning in the scientific literature do not do these stories justice. So, we reached out to illustrator Elizabeth Galian to bring these tales to life. Now you can imagine this amazing natural phenomenon for yourself.

The text in these comics is from interviews with witnesses, lightly edited for length and clarity.

Elizabeth Ross, 52, Jacksonville, Florida

Meg Elison, 38, Oakland, California

Emily Clanton, 24, Northern Virginia

To this day, scientists aren’t quite sure how these balls of light form, or even exactly what they are made out of. We also spoke to a couple of scientists who are trying to understand ball lighting, and even recreate it in their labs. More on that in this week’s episode, which you can listen to here.

Most of us won’t see ball lightning in our lifetimes. If you have seen it, scientists want to know: Submit your experiences to this database, and researchers may be able to learn some more.

Elizabeth Galian is an independent freelance designer and animator based in New York City. Her clients include Netflix, Google, the Wall Street Journal, Mailchimp, and iHeartMedia. Galian was given freedom in choosing character models and in designing the backdrops for the illustrations.

Follow Unexplainable wherever you listen to podcasts. And sign up for Unexplainable’s weekly newsletter. Every Wednesday, we’ll send you links to things we mentioned in the podcast, ways to contribute to our reporting, and stories to spark your curiosity.

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