The Minnesota Wild dominated the Dallas Stars with a resounding 6-1 victory at the American Airlines Center on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in their Western Conference quarter-final series.
The heavy defeat marks a familiar and frustrating start to the post-season for the Texan franchise.
Dallas have now lost the opening game in nine of their last 11 playoff series.
The visitors stormed into a commanding 4-0 lead before the end of the second period to silence the home crowd.
Joel Eriksson Ek opened the scoring with a power-play strike following slick passing from Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy.
Oettinger escapes early hook
Three further unanswered goals in the middle frame left home goaltender Jake Oettinger badly exposed.
The 26-year-old American’s struggles revived memories of his early withdrawal against the Edmonton Oilers in last season’s playoffs.
However, new head coach Glen Gulutzan refused to blame his netminder for the heavy opening loss.
“Nothing for me was on our goaltending,” Gulutzan said.
“For me, it was certainly on our specialty teams needing to be better and our 5-on-5 play wasn’t good enough.”
The former Oilers assistant took charge this season following the departure of Peter DeBoer.
DeBoer was dismissed after the Stars fell in the Western Conference final for a third consecutive year.
‘We have to be better’
Jason Robertson briefly reduced the deficit for the hosts with a power-play goal late in the second period.
That solitary strike provided the only cheer of the night in Dallas.
Finnish defenceman Miro Heiskanen urged his team-mates to maintain perspective despite the lopsided scoreline.
“It’s a long series, it’s a best of seven and it’s one game,” Heiskanen said.
“We have to be better than that, but there’s a good chance to win this one still.”
Oettinger also acknowledged that there is significant room for personal improvement ahead of Game 2.
“I think the last goal was bad, but I think I did good things and I think there are things I could have been better at,” Oettinger reflected.
Arsenal travel to the Etihad Stadium for a defining Premier League title battle against Manchester City on Sunday, while facing warnings over an £86m move for Julian Alvarez.
Mikel Arteta’s side currently sit six points clear of their title rivals heading into the weekend.
The reigning champions possess a crucial game in hand, making Sunday’s encounter a potentially decisive moment in the race for the domestic crown.
The North London club recently rebounded from domestic cup disappointments by reaching the Champions League semi-finals with a narrow aggregate victory over Sporting CP.
Ancelotti dismisses European hopes
Despite reaching the last four of Europe’s premier competition in back-to-back seasons, they have been overlooked by Carlo Ancelotti.
The veteran tactician believes Paris Saint-Germain are the clear favourites to lift the prestigious trophy this term.
“The Champions League is an open tournament that leaves great teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester City on the sidelines, but it’s still a tournament where you can grow.”
When pressed on his ultimate winner, the five-time tournament victor named the French giants as the most likely champions.
Alvarez targeted for Emirates switch
Away from the pitch, the Premier League leaders continue to be linked with former Manchester City forward Alvarez.
The Argentine international has scored 18 goals for Diego Simeone’s side across all competitions this season.
Reports suggest the Emirates hierarchy are weighing up an £86m approach for the World Cup winner, despite having recruited Viktor Gyokeres last summer.
Aguero issues transfer advice
However, Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero has publicly urged his compatriot to consider Barcelona instead of a return to England.
“Julian would be a good signing for any team today.”
“For Barca obviously everything depends on whether he feels comfortable.”
The retired striker noted that any successful move relies heavily on finding the right balance between player comfort and club ambition.
The New York Giants have traded defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 10th overall pick in next week’s NFL draft.
The blockbuster agreement ends a significant contract standoff between the NFC East franchise and their star defender.
The three-time Pro Bowler will travel to Ohio on Sunday to undergo a mandatory physical examination.
Passing this medical assessment will allow the transaction to be officially finalised by both organisations.
Harbaugh secures major draft capital
This major roster move represents a significant shift in strategy for New York’s new head coach John Harbaugh.
The newly appointed manager will enter the annual selection event holding both the fifth and tenth overall choices.
Securing two top-10 selections provides the franchise with extensive flexibility to comprehensively rebuild their playing squad.
Contract impasse forces departure
Negotiations regarding a long-term extension for the veteran tackle had completely stalled in recent weeks.
The towering defensive lineman had previously established himself as a dominant interior force during his tenure at MetLife Stadium.
Cincinnati will now take on the immediate responsibility of securing the elite run-stopper to a lucrative new deal.
Lionel Messi scored a stunning late winner to secure a 3-2 victory for Inter Miami against the Colorado Rapids in interim head coach Guillermo Hoyos’ first match in charge on Saturday.
The World Cup winner converted a 13th-minute penalty before producing a sensational 79th-minute strike to seal all three points in front of 75,824 spectators at Empower Field at Mile High.
Germán Berterame was also on target for the visitors, heading home in first-half stoppage time following an arcing cross from Mateo Silvetti.
The result extends Miami’s unbeaten run to seven matches and provides a positive start to a new era following the abrupt departure of Javier Mascherano.
Hoyos reunites with former academy prospect
Mascherano stepped down as head coach on Tuesday, just four months after guiding the Florida franchise to their maiden MLS Cup title.
Sporting director Guillermo Hoyos has stepped into the breach, rekindling a relationship with Miami’s star forward that began at Barcelona’s La Masia academy over two decades ago.
The interim boss expressed his delight at managing the legendary attacker, describing the opportunity as a deeply emotional experience.
“It has been a beautiful experience because there are players of immense quality here including the greatest player in history.”
Rapids fightback falls short
Colorado staged a spirited second-half comeback after trailing by two goals at the interval.
Brazilian forward Rafael Navarro halved the deficit in the 58th minute, maintaining his excellent recent form to record his sixth goal of the campaign.
Substitute Darren Yapi completed the brief turnaround shortly after, capitalising on a rapid counter-attack to equalise in the 62nd minute.
However, the Argentina captain ultimately dictated the outcome, splitting a pair of defenders to curl a rising shot inside the back post for his seventh goal of the season.
This decisive late strike moves the prolific forward level with Sam Surridge and Petar Musa at the top of the Major League Soccer scoring charts.
Miami were forced to navigate the final moments with ten men after Yannick Bright received a straight red card in the 87th minute, but the visitors held firm to claim victory.
Jamal Murray scored 30 points as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 to take a 1-0 lead in their Western Conference first-round playoff series.
The first-time All-Star produced a flawless 16-for-16 performance from the free-throw line to propel the hosts to an opening victory on Saturday.
Aaron Gordon encountered early foul trouble, forcing Denver to rely heavily on their dynamic point guard in the opening stages.
Jokic makes NBA playoff history
Nikola Jokic overcame a sluggish start to register his 22nd career postseason triple-double.
The Serbian center finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
His remarkable playoff tally now ranks third in NBA history behind only Magic Johnson and LeBron James.
Decisive third-quarter surge
The pivotal moment arrived after half-time when the third seeds unleashed a devastating 14-0 run.
Minnesota endured a barren spell during this period, missing nine consecutive field-goal attempts.
Anthony Edwards led the scoring for the visitors with 22 points during his 37 minutes on court.
However, the Timberwolves guard was resting on the bench during the decisive Denver scoring streak.
Managing injuries and looking ahead
The 22-year-old continues to manage pain in his right knee and will play through the issue for the remainder of the postseason.
These two franchises have developed an intense rivalry, playing each other more than any other pair of teams over the last three seasons.
Denver now holds a narrow 15-14 advantage in those recent head-to-head meetings.
Minnesota will need to improve their perimeter defence without drawing whistles when the series resumes on Monday.
The entire visiting roster shot just 19 free throws compared to the individual record-breaking tally of 16 from the Canadian playmaker.
Depleted Lakers host Rockets
Elsewhere in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to host the Houston Rockets.
The home side will rely heavily on veteran forward LeBron James after losing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to indefinite injuries.
Houston may also be missing key personnel for the late tip-off in California.
Star forward Kevin Durant is listed as questionable for the visitors after sustaining a knee contusion.
Chelsea’s hopes of Champions League qualification suffered a massive blow as Matheus Cunha’s goal secured a victory for Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
The West London club have now lost six of their last seven fixtures, leaving head coach Liam Rosenior under immense pressure.
A narrow defeat means the Blues have gone four consecutive Premier League matches without finding the net for the first time since 1998.
They have not registered a league goal in six and a half hours of football, a barren run stretching back to early March.
European hopes hanging by a thread
The hosts are now clinging to sixth place and find themselves level on points with overachievers Brentford and Bournemouth.
Missing out on European competition entirely is now a genuine possibility for a squad that confidently dismantled Aston Villa 4-1 just weeks ago.
Matters off the pitch were equally turbulent, with a 500-strong fan protest against the club’s ownership taking place before kick-off.
Rosenior faces a critical test on Tuesday when he leads his struggling side against his former employers Brighton.
Toothless attack frustrates Stamford Bridge
Michael Carrick’s visitors arrived with a makeshift central defensive pairing of Ayden Heaven and Noussair Mazraoui due to an ongoing injury crisis.
Despite facing a depleted backline, the home side failed to capitalise and were repeatedly denied by the woodwork.
Brazilian teenager Estevao, who later limped off injured, struck the frame of the goal on a deeply frustrating night.
Liam Delap and Wesley Fofana both saw headers crash against the underside of the crossbar following dangerous deliveries from Pedro Neto.
Injury woes compound misery
Cole Palmer was largely kept quiet by the visiting midfield before flashing a difficult volley just wide from a Malo Gusto cross.
The lack of attacking bite was exacerbated by the notable absence of key forward Joao Pedro.
It emerged before the whistle that the prolific Brazilian had sustained a thigh injury, forcing him out of the matchday squad entirely.
The captain of the Red Devils, Bruno Fernandes, ultimately dictated proceedings and provided the decisive assist for Cunha’s winner.
Alessia Russo scored the only goal as England secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Iceland in Reykjavik to maintain their lead in World Cup qualifying.
The Arsenal striker found the net in the 21st minute of the Lionesses’ historic 500th international match.
Sarina Wiegman’s side now sit three points clear of Spain at the top of their group, keeping them on course for direct qualification to next year’s tournament in Brazil.
Hampton heroics preserve slender advantage
While the European champions dominated early possession, they were forced to endure a tense second half as the hosts pushed for an equaliser.
Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton proved crucial in the closing stages, producing a string of vital saves to deny a resurgent home attack.
The agile shot-stopper reacted brilliantly to thwart Dilja Zomers at the near post before denying Alexandra Johannsdottir as the mounting pressure threatened to overwhelm the visitors.
Captain Williamson returns to action
The gritty win was bolstered by the return of captain Leah Williamson, who started the match after recovering from a recent hamstring injury.
Williamson was safely substituted at half-time for Lotte Wubben-Moy as the coaching staff sensibly managed the defender’s playing minutes.
The decisive moment of the match had originated earlier from a blistering counter-attack following a rare defensive clearance.
Lauren Hemp drove powerfully through the centre of the pitch before perfectly laying the ball off to her waiting team-mate.
Displaying superb technical skill, the match-winner received the pass on a pivot and fired cleanly into the far corner for her 30th international goal.
Decisive June fixtures loom
England must now prepare for a vital double-header in June against Spain and Ukraine to officially seal their spot at the finals.
With the reigning world champions comfortably beating Ukraine 5-0 on the same evening, the upcoming clash between the group’s top two sides promises to be a spectacular showdown.
Newcastle United are reportedly targeting departing Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as a potential replacement for Eddie Howe following a damaging 15th Premier League defeat of the season.
The Magpies suffered a dismal 2-1 home loss to the Cherries on Saturday, leaving them languishing in 14th position in the top-flight standings.
Adrien Truffert’s late winner compounded a miserable afternoon at St James’ Park, sparking intense speculation regarding the managerial dugout.
While the Saudi-backed hierarchy admire high-profile figures like Jose Mourinho and Roberto Mancini, a different tactical approach could ultimately be prioritised.
Bournemouth tactician emerges as prime candidate
The highly rated Spaniard is out of contract at the Vitality Stadium this summer and has already confirmed his impending departure.
He would reportedly welcome a move to Tyneside should the current head coach be relieved of his duties before the next campaign.
The departing boss has guided his current side on a remarkable 13-match unbeaten league run, successfully adapting despite losing key personnel to rival clubs.
“He is the best young coach in the world.”
Sky Sports pundit Sam Tighe previously offered that glowing assessment of his undeniable tactical acumen.
Financial constraints and mounting pressure
The current Newcastle manager, who previously led the North East club into the Champions League, now faces a massive battle to save his job.
A 10-point gap currently separates the squad from the top-five finish required to secure elite European football for the 2026-27 season.
To complicate matters further, financial restrictions mean the ownership must sell existing talent before sanctioning any new arrivals.
Star names including Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento have all been linked with potential summer exits to balance the books.