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Canucks notch rare win after ‘stressful’ trade-deadline week

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CHICAGO – The roiling, dark skies above Chicago flashed with lightning Friday evening. Incredibly, it was sunny around the Vancouver Canucks.

Blue-sky days have been rarer than wins for the Canucks this season. But the merciful passing of Friday’s National Hockey League trade deadline allowed the rain to pause above the Canucks, who took advantage of the break in the weather to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 in the first game of the rest of their season.

After the strain of this dismal season for the Canucks and the stifling stress of deadline week, when virtually all of their experienced players were mentioned in trade conjecture, and three – Tyler Myers, Conor Garland and David Kampf – were dealt elsewhere for draft picks, there was an obvious lightness around the team.

Judging by the boisterous cheers rolling into the hallway outside their dressing room at the United Center after the game, there was some honest-to-goodness joy, too.

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“You could feel before the game that guys were just kind of, you know, excited to play and I think looking forward to the rest of the way here, just knowing this is the group we’re going with,” veteran winger Drew O’Connor said. “It felt good, kind of a weight off our shoulders.

“It was a stressful week. It’s kind of the first time I’ve been a part of it where you didn’t really know who was going to go and who was going to stay, and it was difficult. I think it was difficult on all of us leading up to this week. We lost some guys that have been here a long time and meant a lot to the organization, so that’s difficult. At same time, I think it’s a bit of a relief now that we know what our group is. We’ve got to move forward and try to build something. It was really nice to get the win tonight.”

The Canucks will meet their newest player, waiver pickup Curtis Douglas, Saturday in Winnipeg before Vancouver plays for the second time in less than 24 hours. Maybe the rain will be back, but not the storm.

They have some emotional clarity and some freedom now to just go play the final quarter of their season, even if it starts with them hopelessly last in the NHL standings.

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Dangled as trade rentals since November, free-agent-eligible Canucks Teddy Blueger and Evander Kane were not jettisoned on Friday. General manager Patrik Allvin said he received no offers for them. He did, however, wrangle sixth-round picks from the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins for Kampf and minor-leaguer Lukas Reichel, respectively.

“Yeah, a little bit,” Blueger smiled about three hours after taking the opening faceoff. “Nothing has changed with me wanting to be here and be a part of this group. I haven’t been here that long, but I feel like we’ve been through a lot of ups and downs with guys like Fil (Chytil) and Demmer (Thatcher Demko) and Brock (Boeser). You feel like you get close with guys when you go through stuff, both the ups and the downs. And as a person, I value loyalty, so that is something that definitely plays a role with me.”

Allvin has left open the possibility of the Canucks circling back on Blueger and seeing what it might cost to bring him back next season. Kane is gone – but not yet. Management’s plan is to have him finish the season in the NHL with the Canucks before the 34-year-old embarks on free agency.

Other veterans whose names had been cast on social media like breadcrumbs to pigeons this week, like Boeser, O’Connor, Jake DeBrusk, and Elias Pettersson, survived the deadline.

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“Every time that deadline is done . . . there’s definitely a sense of relief,” DeBrusk said. “You know where you are; you don’t have to question anything. Obviously, there were some guys that didn’t know . . . and we lost some troops as well. So it’s a tough day.

“I don’t know if I agree with playing on the trade deadline day itself. Guys didn’t nap today (waiting for the deadline to pass). They (the Blackhawks) lost their captain, Nick Foligno. You’re looking at everything going on and, you know, obviously other guys in different positions are probably doing the same thing. (But) we have a job to do, and that’s what it is.”

The Canucks did the job Friday better than the Blackhawks, who traded their captain to the Minnesota Wild so the Foligno brothers, Marcus and Nick, can try and win a Stanley Cup together.

Boeser scored twice for the Canucks, capping the team’s third win in 24 games with an empty-netter. Fittingly, O’Connor, DeBrusk and Blueger all scored. Max Sasson also scored into an empty net while goalie Nikita Tolopilo, who stopped 20 of 23 shots, made his best saves at pivotal moments.

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“Yeah, it’s so hard,” Boeser said of losing Myers and Garland this week. “Some of my closest friends over the years. It sucks. We kind of knew it was coming (but) we didn’t know who was going to go. We’ve got to make sure we’re looking forward now and really start to build this thing up.

“It’s nice to get (the deadline) past and now we can just focus on some better hockey.”

Mired in a poor season personally, like so many Canucks, Boeser suddenly has six goals in his last 11 games and is up to 15 goals for the season – two behind team leader, Kiefer Sherwood, who was traded to the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 19.

“I’ll catch him,” Boeser smiled.

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He said it was “crazy” how few Canucks remain from the team that went two rounds deep in the Stanley Cup Playoffs less than two years ago.

“Someone posted the lineup of our playoff series against Edmonton, and how much has changed in just two years,” Blueger said. “Such a short period of time. Obviously, that’s not ideal, but that’s how it goes sometimes.”

The transaction Friday that will have the most immediate impact on the Canucks was the waiver claim of Douglas from the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is a six-foot-nine forward who has 92 penalty minutes (and two assists) in 29 games this season.

“With our young guys in the lineup … I want the players to feel safe,” Allvin explained. “I don’t want them to get beaten up. And we’ve been looking for a player like this with more size, physicality. So when he was available here … we felt that would be a good fit for us.”

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Kym Davison lands first Sydney win at Randwick in 2026 autumn carnival

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Kym Davison, the trainer from Albury, has savored his maiden city triumph on a premier occasion of the Sydney autumn carnival in 2026, accomplishing it almost accidentally.

Davison intended for his up-and-coming three-year-old Autumn Break to participate in the $1 million Country Championships Final (1400m), though the horse was excluded from the field.

He acted as a standby instead, and obligated to stay in Sydney for any possible withdrawals, Davison elected to pay the entry fee for the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) as a fallback option.

“First city winner, so not a bad one to crack the ice with,” Davison said.

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“I was hoping to be in the next race, but great consolation.

“I saw this race and said, ‘well, we’re going up there anyway, so we’ll go and have a throw at the stumps’.”

Autumn Break ($8) duly obliged, prevailing by a nose over Kilman ($31) prepared by Chris Waller, who controlled the race until the final stride, as Matias ($6.50) trailed by a short head for third.

The result offered solace in a distressing phase for the Davison household, with Kym’s brother succumbing to his illness just a week prior.

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“It’s been a hard week. We lost my brother a week ago,” he said.

“He had been unwell for a while. But you’ve got to pick yourself up.”

Davison, managing eight horses in his Albury stable, will now spell Autumn Break with intentions of targeting The Kosciuszko (1200m) early in his next campaign in October.

“The Kosciuszko, he’d go alright in that,” he said.

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“His first start was over 1200, and he should have won that Highway (Handicap) here, that was 1200 first-up, so we’ll try to push onto that if we can.”

Discover leading betting sites offering racing odds for the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes.

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CSK script history, go past RCB in elite IPL list… despite heavy defeat | Cricket News

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CSK script history, go past RCB in elite IPL list… despite heavy defeat

Even in a crushing 43-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Chennai Super Kings quietly ticked off a major milestone that adds an interesting layer to the evolving scoring trends in the IPL.Most 200-plus totals in the IPL37 – CSK36 – RCB33 – PBKS32 – MI30 – KKRCSK’s 207 all out while chasing 250 at the Chinnaswamy took them to 37 totals of 200-plus in IPL history, the most by any team. They have now edged past RCB, who are on 36, with Punjab Kings (33), Mumbai Indians (32) and Kolkata Knight Riders (30) following behind.What makes the stat intriguing is the timing. In an era where 200-plus scores are becoming increasingly common and often not enough to guarantee wins, CSK’s record came in a match where they were comprehensively outplayed. Chasing a massive 250, they still managed to cross 200, but the gap in quality and execution was evident throughout the contest.The night belonged entirely to RCB’s power-packed batting unit. Devdutt Padikkal laid the platform with a well-paced 50, but it was the late assault that completely blew the game open. Rajat Patidar and Tim David dismantled the CSK bowling attack with a ruthless fourth-wicket stand. Patidar’s unbeaten 48 off 19 balls and David’s brutal 70 off 25 lifted RCB to a towering 250 for 3, with 97 runs coming in the last five overs.In response, CSK never really found stability. Early wickets left them struggling at 30 for 3, and the chase was effectively over in the powerplay itself. Sarfaraz Khan showed intent with a quick half-century, while useful contributions from the lower middle order helped them go past 200, but the target remained far out of reach. The match summed up the modern IPL perfectly. Big scores are frequent, momentum shifts quickly, and even crossing 200 does not carry the same weight it once did. On this occasion, CSK ended up on the wrong side of the result, but still moved to the top of a high-scoring chart that continues to grow with every season.

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West Virginia rallies, beats Oklahoma in OT to win College Basketball Crown

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NCAA Basketball: Brigham Young at West VirginiaFeb 28, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Honor Huff (3) is interviewed after the game after defeating the BYU Cougars at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Honor Huff scored 38 points and made eight 3-pointers to help West Virginia rally for an 89-82 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the College Basketball Crown championship game on Sunday in Las Vegas.

Chance Moore added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Mountaineers (21-14), who trailed by 13 points in the second half before rallying. Brenen Lorient scored 15 points in the program’s first postseason tournament title since winning the 2007 NIT.

Nijel Pack led Oklahoma (21-16) with 24 points and seven assists, followed by Tae Davis’ 19 points and Xzayvier Brown’s 13.

Oklahoma scored the first six points of overtime, taking an 82-76 lead on Pack’s layup.

Jasper Floyd then hit his first 3-pointer of the game, followed by Huff’s triple to tie the score with 2:14 remaining. After Pack missed a 3-pointer, Floyd hit another trey to give the Mountaineers an 85-82 lead.

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West Virginia got stops on its next two possessions and Huff drilled four straight free throws to seal the championship win.

Oklahoma pushed its four-point halftime lead to 10 on Pack’s 3-pointer, forcing a West Virginia timeout less than four minutes into the second half.

Brown’s jumper extended the margin to 13, before Huff’s three-point play and Moore’s layup cut the deficit to 59-51.

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Lorient’s basket at the 5:23 mark pulled West Virginia within three. Derrion Reid and Davis scored on Oklahoma’s next two possessions, giving the Sooners a 71-64 lead.

From there, Huff scored five straight points and Lorient made a layup to tie the score at 71 with 1:45 remaining.

After an Oklahoma timeout, Pack and Huff traded triples. Davis then turned the ball over and committed a foul on Huff, who drained two free throws with 33 seconds left.

Davis’ ensuing layup tied the score at 76. Huff missed a go-ahead 3-pointer on the other end, sending the game to overtime.

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The Mountaineers connected on eight of their first 10 3-point attempts, including Huff’s three straight triples to build a 26-11 lead.

Oklahoma answered with a 16-2 run, cutting its deficit to a point on Pack’s mid-range jumper with 5:25 left in the first half.

After Moore’s layup snapped a four-plus minute West Virginia scoring drought, the Sooners scored nine straight points, taking a 36-30 advantage. Davis closed the first half with a three-point play to give Oklahoma a 41-37 halftime lead.

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–Field Level Media

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Monday gallop to shape Gin Twist’s 2026 campaign

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The decision on whether Gin Twist forges ahead to another start or enters a spell phase hinges on her performance in a track gallop.

Lindsay Park’s two-year-old filly is a potential runner in Saturday’s Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, contingent on a satisfying showing in Monday’s gallop.

She was the hot favourite dispatched in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) at Flemington March 28, leading early before stopping to take third.

Ben, Will and J D Hayes prepare Gin Twist, who was accounted for by more than three lengths by the Sydney mare Satono Glow.

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Ben Hayes mentioned optimism surrounds the filly’s readiness for Saturday, as she exhibits no adverse aftereffects from the race.

“We’ll make a decision on Monday whether she runs or not after she does some work,” Hayes said.

“We feel that one, she raced a bit fresh last week and two, she didn’t handle the heavy track, but she has pulled up fine.

“It is a good opportunity for her and if she doesn’t work well, we won’t run her, but if she works well, we’ll run her.”

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The filly had previously claimed the Listed Festival Stakes (1000m) victory at Flemington on February 28, and was next in line as third emergency for Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21.

Lindsay Park refrained from interstate travel for her, aware a start was improbable.

Hayes is of the view that Gin Twist copes with 1200m and merits another attempt on a good track.

“I think she is a very fast horse, and 1200 metres is her limit,” Hayes said.

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“But it is hard to judge her off that run over 1200 metres, which was down the straight, and on a heavy eight (track).

“We can find out if she can the trip and then we’ll know how to place her next prep.”

Secure the best value with betting sites offering markets for the Redoute’s Choice Stakes.

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Liv Morgan breaks character to discuss her relationship with Rhea Ripley

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Liv Morgan broke character to comment on her relationship with WWE star Rhea Ripley. Both Ripley and Morgan will be challenging for major titles at WrestleMania 42.

In an interview with Esteban Ramirez, Liv Morgan broke character to comment on her relationship with Rhea Ripley. The Judgment Day star noted that she knew her former rival was going to be a star while they were in NXT together and left Ripley her locker when she got called up to the main roster.

“Rhea and I have quite a bit of lore. I remember back in the Performance Center when I saw her, I knew that she was gonna be a star. It was just very evident to me. So when I had gotten called up to the main roster, I had left Rhea my locker. I told her, ‘You can have my locker, you can move your stuff into my locker.’ She didn’t even have a locker yet,” said Morgan.

The Women’s Royal Rumble winner added that they will always be connected and compared their rivalry to Batman and The Joker.

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“I came back on the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour and took everything that she loved including Dominik, the Judgment Day and the Women’s World Championship. So I feel like we are both the heroes and villains in each other’s stories. She is the Batman to my Joker, and I am the villain in her hero’s story, and she is the villain in my hero’s story,” she added. [H/T: WrestleTalk on X]

You can check out the interview in the video below:

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Morgan will be challenging Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania 42.

Liv Morgan comments on recent WWE injury

WWE RAW star Liv Morgan recently discussed her injury last year that caused her to miss several months of WWE television.

In an interview with Brad Gilmore, the 31-year-old noted that the injury was devastating for her last year as she was on an upward trajectory. The WWE veteran added that she was upset about the situation during her hiatus last year.

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“I do feel like in the moment that I got injured, I was on a very upward trajectory. And so the injury obviously devastated me. I was very, very angry the whole entire time I had off time,” she said.

Liv Morgan says she was “angry the whole time” when she was recovering from shoulder injury: “I was mad the whole entire time,” Morgan said. “I got injured in a moment [when] I had multiple things going on for me. I was really enjoying and loving what I was doing. So to have all

Only time will tell if Liv Morgan can defeat Stephanie Vaquer to become champion once again at WWE WrestleMania.