Sports
Seahawks LB Derrick Hall says Super Bowl sack fulfilled God’s timing
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Seattle Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall made his mark on NFL history when he came up with a tone-setting strip sack in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots this February.
There’s a low percent chance that any football player will get a moment like that in his career. But Hall had to beat much greater odds. Hall had a 1% chance of survival when he was born four months premature at just 23 weeks gestation, born without a heartbeat and suffering from a brain bleed.
“I wasn’t born… breathing,” he told Fox News Digital. “I was born dead.
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Derick Hall of the Seattle Seahawks strip sacks Drake Maye of the New England Patriots during the third quarter of the NFL Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8, 2026. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
For his mother, Stacy Gooden-Crandle, those first days of her son’s life were filled with uncertainty and fear.
“Emotional, a lot of uncertainty, scared,” she said of her emotions in the days that followed her son’s premature birth. “But… those weren’t the feelings that I was feeling during Derrick’s birth. I just trusted that God would work everything out.”
That belief became the center of how the family made sense of everything that followed.
“It is probably the most important thing that we share,” Gooden-Crandle said of their religion.
“We are people of faith and have been for most of my lifetime. I joined church when I was 16 years old, and I’ve just grown up as a woman of faith. I’ve raised my children in the church and instilled faith in them and just allowed them to flourish in their faith in their walk with Christ.”
For Hall, growing up inside that environment gave meaning to struggles he didn’t yet understand.
“It was huge. It was amazing because I never really understood why me or why my family had to go through what I was going through,” Hall said said.
Derick Hall of the Seattle Seahawks watches from the sideline during the national anthem before an NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on Dec. 7, 2025. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
“My pastor always told me, you weren’t dying for this, you are blessed to be in this position and God has something greater for you, and I think that helped me be at ease with the situation and the things that me and my family were enduring during the time.
“I always speak to my faith because obviously I’m a miracle child, and I don’t say I’m doing good, I say I’m blessed, I can’t complain, I’m above ground and I’m blessed… You can’t tell me that a child with a one percent chance to live and not supposed to be walking, not supposed to be talking, not even supposed to be alive, ends up being a Super Bowl champion one day without the Lord being in their lives.”
Even after surviving infancy, the challenges didn’t disappear, and his childhood looked very different from other kids.
FROM MR IRRELEVANT TO GENERATIONAL WEALTH, BROCK PURDY WANTS TO USE HIS LIFESTYLE FOR GOOD
“My hardest time period was from about the age of four or five to about the age of 12 or 13,” Hall said. “I could go out and play, but it was only for about five minutes at a time and I would have to go sit down for an hour just to allow my body and my lungs to catch back up, and to this day my lungs are still underdeveloped, they always will be, they’ll always be three years behind.”
Those limits extended into nearly every part of his life, including the seasons when other kids were outside playing freely.
But through it all, Hall discovered football, and his condition wasn’t going to keep him from the game that would define his life.
Derick Hall of the Seattle Seahawks holds the Vince Lombardi trophy on stage with his teammates after winning Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8, 2026. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
“I started playing football at the age of four because I was trying to develop my body and get to the point where I was able to do things, and I fell in love with it because it was the first thing that I was able to do to make me feel like a normal kid,” he said.
For his mom, that moment came with a difficult decision about her son’s wellbeing.
“It was difficult to make the decision to allow him to play, so I allowed him to play flag football in the beginning, but making that jump to allow him to play tackle football when we were still seeing a neurologist every six months for a brain bleed, it was a difficult decision,” she said.
SEAHAWKS STAR DELIVERS 2-WORD MESSAGE TO CRITICS IN WILD SUPER BOWL PARADE SPEECH
“I made sure all the coaches had asthma pumps and rescue inhalers, and I gave one to the coaches, the trainers, I kept one, to make sure if somebody needed to get to him they had what he needed… And as he progressed, I was getting more and more comfortable.”
The faith in letting him play football paid off when Hall received his first college scholarship offer when he was just in the eighth grade, his mom said.
Hall went on to be a standout linebacker at Gulfport High School in Mississippi, rising from a touted four-star prospect to a dominant All-SEC edge rusher at Auburn University.
But even after coming all that way from his premature birth, he still had a moment where he feared for his life in college.
“I had a scare in college where I went to practice that morning and I wasn’t feeling that well, and the next day I got up to go use the restroom and I couldn’t take like two steps without gasping for air,” Hall said. “We got to the hospital and the doctor said, we’re glad you brought him because if you would have waited another hour he probably would have been in very bad shape.”
It was a turning point in how he approached his own limits. But he didn’t shy away from his passion as a football player, and remained committed to his faith.
Hall finished his career at Auburn with 147 tackles, 19.5 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss in 40 games. A highly touted recruit, Hall developed into a dominant SEC starter, earning first-team All-SEC honors in 2022 as a team captain, known for his elite power, speed, and high motor.
It earned him a chance to take his extraordinary story to the NFL as he went on to be the 37th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
But the 2025 didn’t unfold the way Derrick Hall expected, at least in terms of his individual stats at first. For much of the year, the numbers didn’t match the effort. He was getting pressure, getting hits, doing the work that doesn’t always show up in headlines, but the sacks weren’t coming.
“I was steady getting hits… I’m getting pressures,” Hall said. “But I can’t get the sack… I’m like, Lord, whatever you got planned, let it reveal itself.”
Statistically, that frustration was real. Hall finished the regular season with just two sacks across 14 games, contributing more as a rotational edge presence than a headline pass rusher. But within Seattle’s defense — a unit built on balance, depth and consistent pressure — his role still mattered. The Seahawks leaned on a collective pass rush rather than one dominant star, finishing the season as one of the league’s more effective defensive fronts.
And then, almost all at once, everything changed.
On the biggest stage in football, in Super Bowl LX against the Patriots, Hall delivered the kind of performance that reshapes a career. He recorded two sacks and a forced fumble, including a strip sack that helped break the game open and set the tone for Seattle’s 29–13 win. That single play — driving through the offensive line, knocking the ball loose, and creating a turnover — became one of the defining moments of the game.
For Hall, it didn’t feel like a coincidence. It felt like timing.
“I got to that Super Bowl and I got both sacks, and I’m like, man, ain’t no time like God’s time,” he said. “That’s true, man.”
In a season where he had spent months waiting for production to match effort, the breakthrough came when it mattered most.
“Mentally it was tough this year,” he said. “But like I said, it’s a blessing.”
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After the game, the numbers told one story: two sacks, a forced fumble, a championship. But for Hall, the meaning ran deeper, tied back to something far bigger than a stat sheet.
“You can’t tell me that a child with a one percent chance to live… ends up being a Super Bowl champion one day without the Lord being in their lives,” he said. “That’s a miracle in itself.”
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BCCI’s Big Warning To RR ‘Team, Officials’ After Punishing Riyan Parag For Vaping During IPL Game
Following a huge furore after he was caught on camera vaping inside the team dressing room during an IPL 2026 match, Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag was on Thursday fined 25 per cent of his match fee for bringing the game into “disrepute”. The incident happened during an IPL game against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur. “Riyan Parag, captain of Rajasthan Royals, has been fined 25% of his match fee and has also accumulated one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials during Match No. 40 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Punjab Kings,” the BCCI said in a statement.
“Riyan was found to have breached Article 2.21 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which relates to conduct that brings the game into disrepute. The incident occurred during the second innings when Riyan was seen using a vape inside the dressing room.
“Riyan admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by the match referee, Amit Sharma.”
Interestingly, the statement added that action may also be taken against RR, its officials, and players.
“The BCCI is also exploring other options to initiate proceedings for stringent action against the erring team, its officials, and player(s) to ensure that the reputation of the IPL remains intact,” the BCCI said.
When PTI reached out to BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia regarding possible action against Rajasthan Royals, he said: “As it is written clearly in the statement, we are exploring what action to take against the team. It is not decided yet.”
The Indian government had banned e-cigarettes in 2019, prohibiting their production, sale, and distribution. As per the law, an offender faces imprisonment of up to one year and/or a fine of Rs 1 lakh for a first-time offence.
“Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct is intended to cover all types of conduct that bring the game into disrepute and which are not specifically and adequately covered by the offences set out elsewhere in this Code of Conduct, including Article 2.20,” the IPL Code of Conduct states.
“By way of example, Article 2.21 may (depending upon the seriousness and context of the breach) prohibit, without limitation, the following: (a) public acts of misconduct; (b) unruly public behaviour; and (c) inappropriate comments which are detrimental to the interests of the game.
“When assessing the seriousness of the offence, the context of the particular situation, and whether it was deliberate, reckless, negligent, avoidable, and/or accidental shall be considered.
“Further, the person lodging the report shall determine where on the range of severity the conduct lies (with the range of severity starting at conduct of a minor nature-hence a Level 1 offence-up to conduct of an extremely serious nature-hence a Level 4 offence).” Since it is a Level 1 offence, there was no need for a hearing
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IPL 2026 News | Shami’s Sensation Leads Lucknow to First Win of Season
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IPL 2026 playoff scenarios: What Mumbai Indians need to do and why time is running out | Cricket News
On a night when 243 should have been enough, the Mumbai Indians may have seen their IPL 2026 playoff hopes slip further out of reach. Despite Ryan Rickelton’s blazing 123* powering MI to a massive total at Wankhede, they were blown away by a relentless Sunrisers Hyderabad chase. The six-wicket defeat, their sixth of the season, leaves MI languishing near the bottom, staring at a near must-win scenario in every remaining game.One thing is clear: the Mumbai Indians are already in deep trouble. With 2 wins in 8 games (4 points) and a NRR of -0.784, they are far from the pack, and with the business end of IPL 2026 fast approaching, the margin for error is virtually gone.
The IPL 2026 playoff qualification benchmark
Historically, and even in the current table context:
- 14 points (7 wins) is the minimum realistic playoff cutoff
- 16 points (8 wins) is the safe zone
There has been only one exception to this trend when, in IPL 2019, SRH qualified for the playoffs with 12 points, finishing fourth. That remains the only instance of a team qualifying with fewer than 14 points, and also the only case of a side with more losses than wins making the playoffs.
What MI need from here to qualify for IPL 2026
- To reach 14 points – MI need 5 wins from 6
- To reach 16 points – MI need 6 wins from 6
This essentially means one more loss, and MI are almost out of the playoff race.The Mumbai Indians have lost 6 of their 8 games, and not narrowly. Their defeats have exposed recurring issues, particularly with the ball. Conceding 200+ totals has become a pattern that has dented their net run rate, alongside the results. Powerplay and death bowling leaking heavily, and MI have not been able to conjure up a winning momentum.If this continues, MI won’t even get close to the qualification mark. Even an improved return of 3 wins in the remaining 6 games would take them only to 10 points. Four wins? 12 points – still short. MI now need a near-perfect run for the remainder of IPL 2026.
The big problem: Net Run Rate
Even if MI scrape their way to 14 points: Their -0.784 NRR is among the worst in IPl 2026Most top teams (RCB, PBKS, SRH, RR) have strong positive NRRs. so MI won’t just need wins, they need big wins. Close finishes won’t help as they must correct NRR aggressively
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Upcoming IPL 2026 fixtures for Mumbai Indians
If the calculations weren’t tough enough, the schedule makes it even tougher. Mumbai Indians face three top-four teams and multiple direct rivals.
- vs Chennai Super Kings (away) – tough Chepauk test; slightly balanced but conditions will favour CSK
- vs Lucknow Super Giants (home) – must-win against a direct competitor
- vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (away) – against an in-form team; MI will start as underdogs
- vs Punjab Kings (away) – table-toppers; toughest fixture left
- vs Kolkata Knight Riders (away) – another must-win against lower-table opposition
- vs Rajasthan Royals (home) – top-four side; could be a virtual knockout
Even if MI win against CSK, LSG, and KKR, they still need 2 more wins from the top sides, which is where the challenge lies.As alluded to by Kieron Pollard post the SRH defeat on Wednesday, the Mumbai Indians are not out of the IPL 2026 playoff race, but they are hanging by a thread. From here, it’s no longer about building momentum or experimenting with combinations further, but it will be about winning almost every game and hoping the direct competitors also slip up.
Here’s everything bettors need to know, and where to find World Cup odds 2026 for this summer’s event in North America
NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has found himself in big trouble after he was allegedly using a vape-like device in the dressing room during Rajasthan Royals’ match against Punjab Kings at the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium. Parag’s visual of vaping quickly went viral, sparking a buzz on social media, with many questioning the discipline of youngsters as well as the legality of such devices under Indian law.Now, a women’s group on Thursday demanded an inquiry into visuals purportedly showing Parag using a vape-like device during an IPL match, questioned the use of the product, and sought a thorough investigation into the incident. Mothers Against Vaping, a collective of mothers advocating against the promotion of new-age nicotine devices such as vapes and e-cigarettes, raised the concern.Parag’s incident took place on April 28 during a match between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings when a camera captured him using a vape-like device while sitting in the dressing room during the live match.
Citing provisions of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, the group said electronic cigarettes are banned in India, including their production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement.It also rejected claims in some reports that vaping indoors falls in a “grey zone”, calling such assertions “misinformation”.“Union Health Ministry has also clarified that possession of e-cigarettes in any form or quantity is a violation of the law. The law clearly specifies that violation can attract imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to Rs 50,000, or both, while contravention of the wider prohibition can attract imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both, with higher punishment for repeat offences,” the group said in its statement.“In India, the law must stand above all else. Whether one is a celebrity or a common citizen, the same rules must apply,” the group’s spokesperson said, adding that public figures should not be allowed to make a mockery of a product category that India has already banned in the interest of public health.The group said the presence of a vape-like device around a high-visibility cricketer on national television could send a wrong message to millions of young viewers.“We are all seeing an unmistakable trend: multinational tobacco companies are desperate to keep vapes in public conversation and to normalise these devices in India despite the ban. In that context, it is legitimate to ask whether Riyan Parag was acting entirely on his own or whether this controversy served, intentionally or otherwise, as publicity for banned substances. We are asking for an investigation,” the statement read.The collective added that if Parag had no ill intent, he should clarify his position and cooperate with any inquiry. “He should voluntarily submit to due process. No celebrity can claim a different standard from the one applied to ordinary citizens,” it said.The group further said that Indian cricket cannot afford conduct that “normalises a banned product before young viewers”.“The board must establish facts, enforce accountability, and send an unmistakable message that the law and the health of India’s children come first,” it said.The collective reiterated that vaping is not a harmless lifestyle choice, warning that such products could act as gateway devices for adolescents, making strict enforcement and responsible public conduct essential.“Our children do not just watch celebrities; they copy them. That is why this matter must be treated with seriousness, not casually dismissed as a momentary lapse,” the group said.
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Expect extra-motivated Paul Skenes in Thursday matinee as Pirates ace is winless in career vs. rival Cardinals
Pirates ace Paul Skenes hasn’t beaten the Cardinals in six career starts
Apr 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers goalie Dan Vladar (80) reacts with teammates against the Pittsburgh Penguins after game six of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Cam York scored at 17:32 of overtime, propelling the Philadelphia Flyers into the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 on Wednesday.
After winning the first three games of the best-of-seven series, the Flyers lost Games 4 and 5 and struggled to find their offensive footing for much of Game 6. However, York’s first career playoff goal came at the perfect time, sending Philadelphia into a second-round matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Following a faceoff win in the offensive zone, York unleashed a wrist shot from the right point that got through traffic, hit off the right post, and skipped past Arturs Silovs. The Pittsburgh goalie finished with 31 saves, while Dan Vladar turned aside 42 shots for his second shutout of the series.
Late in overtime, a shot by Philadelphia’s Porter Martone toward an open net was somehow stopped by Silovs’ stick that was lying on the ice. However, the Flyers won the game less than a minute later.
Golden Knights 5, Mammoth 4 (2 OT)
Brett Howden scored a short-handed goal at 5:28 in the second overtime as Vegas took a 3-2 lead in its Western Conference first-round playoff against Utah in Las Vegas.
The Golden Knights’ Pavel Dorofeyev scored a hat trick, including a 6-on-5 goal with 52.7 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Shea Theodore had a goal and an assist and Jack Eichel logged two assists for Vegas. Carter Hart finished with 34 saves.
John Marino, Lawson Crouse, Dylan Guenther and Michael Carcone scored goals and Clayton Keller had two assists for Utah. Karel Vejmelka made 31 saves. Canadiens 3, Lightning 2
Alexandre Texier netted a tiebreaking goal early in the third period as visiting Montreal took control of its Eastern Conference first-round playoff series by holding off Tampa Bay in Game 5.
The Canadiens grabbed a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series, and they head home to Montreal for Game 6 on Friday.
Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes wound up with 38 saves. Brendan Gallagher and Kirby Dach also scored for Montreal. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 21 saves for the Lightning, who got goals from Dominic James and Jake Guentzel. –Field Level Media
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Ipl 2026: IPL 2026: Riyan Parag slapped with 25% fine and 1 demerit point for vaping during IPL match | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Riyan Parag, captain of Rajasthan Royals, has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during IPL 2026 match between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings.The sanction relates to a Level 1 offence under Article 2.21, which covers “conduct that brings the game into disrepute.” The breach occurred during the second innings of the match in Mullanpur, when Parag was seen vaping inside the dressing room during the live broadcast.“Riyan was found to have breached Article 2.21 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which relates to “conduct that brings the game into disrepute.” The incident occurred during the second innings when Riyan was seen using a vape inside the dressing room,” an IPL media advisory stated. Parag admitted to the offence and accepted the punishment imposed by match referee Amit Sharma. As per IPL regulations, a Level 1 offence carries a fine of 25 per cent of the match fee along with one demerit point, with no formal hearing required.The incident came to the notice of officials after video evidence surfaced, following which on-field umpires Tanmay Srivastava and Nitin Menon reported the matter, as reported by PTI. The IPL media advisory further added that the BCCI is also ‘exploring other options to initiate proceedings for stringent action against the erring team, its officials and player/s to ensure that the reputation of IPL remains intact.Parag’s actions drew criticism on social media, especially given that e-cigarettes are banned in India under a 2019 law that prohibits their production, sale and use.
Sea King’s path to the Hawkesbury Gold Cup emerged unexpectedly, with trainer Matthew Dunn regarding it as an essential phase in the gelding’s tendon injury recovery.
Having secured the 2024 Bendigo Cup, the gelding faltered after a midfield placing on debut for Dunn in that season’s Christmas Cup (2400m) at Randwick, resulting in 15 months off the track.
His third race back arrives this Saturday, a week behind schedule following a scratch at Brisbane last weekend amid heavy ground.
The Hawkesbury Gold Cup at 1600m is not Sea King’s favoured trip length, but Dunn seeks a strong run to target longer events subsequently.
“He’s still very competitive on the track and keen to do his work,” Dunn said.
“The horse is still there, it’s just a matter of being nice and patient. I’m lucky I’ve got a great bunch of owners that are happy to roll with me.
“Ideally, we wouldn’t be going all the way to Sydney for a race that is short of his right trip, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.
“There isn’t going to be much on for him here (in Queensland). We’ve had a lot of wet weather and we’re trying to find the right track surface to build his foundation and get him back to where he needs to be.”
Barrier one falls to Sam Clipperton aboard Sea King, after which Dunn eyes a Queensland trip for the Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) on May 16 at Doomben, or even a seven-day pivot to the Gosford Gold Cup (2100m).
A return to top condition could open doors to the Brisbane Cup (3200m) in the longer view.
“He will probably come home after Saturday. If not, he could stay down for the Gosford Cup. We’ll see how he goes Saturday, how he comes through it, and work it out,” Dunn said.
“But probably the Chairman’s will be his next run over 2000 metres. There’s also the Hollindale Stakes, but it’s a weight-for-age race and his rating isn’t that high anymore.”
On Saturday’s exclusive program with four stakes features, the $250,000 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) fills to capacity 16, spearheaded by Vivy Air from the Coolmore Classic placings and dependable Victorian Taken for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.
Punters can check betting sites for the keenest racing odds on the Hawkesbury Gold Cup.
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What channel is Wild vs. Stars on today? Time, TV schedule, live stream to watch Game 6 of NHL Playoffs series
What channel is Wild vs. Stars on today? Time, TV schedule, live stream to watch Game 6 of NHL Playoffs series originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Despite heading into Game 4 down 2-1 in the series, the Minnesota Wild are one game away from advancing to their first Western Conference Semifinals since 2015.
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The Wild were able to walk away from Tuesday’s Game 5 with a 4-2 win against the Dallas Stars in the Lone Star State. Now, they’re heading back to St. Paul in a potential series-clinching game to face the Presidents’ Trophy winners in the Colorado Avalanche.
Minnesota has thoroughly controlled the pace of this series when there are five men on the ice for each team. While playing 5-on-5, Minnesota has outscored Dallas 11-3, including two goals during Game 4. In fact, the Stars haven’t scored a 5-on-5 goal in the past two games (217:53).
The Wild have won both games when Mats Zuccarello has been able to suit up. He missed Games 2-4 with an upper-body injury, and immediately showed his presence was much needed when he scored Game 5’s first goal. Dallas’ Jason Robertson has also been a scoring menace throughout the series. The six-year veteran has scored in every game against the Wild in the first round; he has actually scored in every game against Minnesota this season, excluding their first meeting (eight of nine games).
While the Wild are just one game away from winning their first playoff series in 11 years, the next task is the NHL’s most daunting. The winner of this series will take on the Avalanche, who are a perennial Stanley Cup threat.
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Here’s what you need to know about Thursday’s matchup between Minnesota and Dallas, including broadcast information and start time.
What channel is Wild vs. Stars on today?
Game 6 in the Wild vs. Stars series will air on TNT and truTV. Fans can stream the game live on DIRECTV, which offers a free trial to new users.
Catch every game – try DIRECTV FREE today! Stream live MLB, March Madness, soccer and more with must-have sports channels like TNT, TBS, truTV, ESPN, FS1, and NFL Network—all included with DIRECTV.
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Wild vs. Stars start time
-
Date: Thursday, April 30
Game 6 of the NHL Playoffs series between Minnesota and Dallas is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET from Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minn.
Despite staring at a 2-1 series deficit, the Wild have won two straight heading into Thursday and currently hold a 3-2 series lead. With a win at home tonight, they will advance to take on the Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado Avalanche.
Team1 vs. Team2 series schedule
Minnesota leads 3-2
|
Date |
Game |
Time (ET) |
Watch |
|
April 18 |
Game 1: Wild 6, Stars 1 |
— |
— |
|
April 20 |
Game 2: Stars 4, Wild 2 |
— |
— |
|
April 22 |
Game 3: Stars 4, Wild 3 (2 OT) |
— |
— |
|
April 25 |
Game 4: Wild 3, Stars 2 (OT) |
— |
— |
|
April 28 |
Game 5: Wild 4, Stars 2 |
— |
— |
|
April 30 |
Game 6: Stars at Wild |
7:30 p.m. |
TNT, truTV, DIRECTV |
|
May 2 |
Game 7*: Wild at Stars |
TBD |
TBD |
* If necessary
NHL Playoffs bracket 2026
Click here for the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket, updated live as series are completed.
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule, key dates for 2026
Here are the key dates to know for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs and offseason.
|
Event |
Dates |
|---|---|
|
First round begins |
April 18 |
|
NHL Draft Lottery |
May 5 |
|
NHL Scouting Combine at Buffalo |
May 31-June 6 |
|
Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 (if necessary) |
June 21 |
|
NHL Draft at Los Angeles |
June 26-27 |
|
Free agency begins |
July 1 |
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LOS ANGELES — For nearly seven minutes, Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka lit up his team after a late-game collapse in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers. It was for good reason. The Rockets, up six with less than 40 seconds left, had the game in the bag. What transpired from that point on was a combination of late-game heroics by the Lakers and an equally gut-wrenching collapse from the Rockets that put them in a 3-0 series hole.
The general message from Udoka’s afterward? His team needed to grow up.
“Horrendous mistakes,” Udoka said after Game 3. “I don’t know if you want to say youth or scared of the moment or whatever the case.”
Fast forward to Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena, and it appears that Udoka’s message resonated. The momentum in this series has suddenly flipped back in Houston’s favor after defeating the Lakers 99-93 in Game 5 to cut the series deficit to 3-2. The pressure is right back on the Lakers, less than a week after Houston’s season was on life support.
Udoka was right, too. The Rockets, on paper, are not that young anymore. Houston’s young core experienced the highs and lows of an intense seven-game playoff series last year in an eventual loss to the Golden State Warriors. If this young core didn’t respond without Kevin Durant in the lineup, their season would be over. Durant missed Game 1 with a knee injury. He then injured his ankle in Game 2 and hasn’t played since.
No team in NBA history has come back to win from a 3-0 deficit. The Rockets are the 16th team in NBA history to force Game 6 after trailing a series 3-0. The last team to force a Game 7 after falling into that hole was the Boston Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat. There’s still work to be done on Houston’s part to reach a win-or-go-home scenario in the first round for the second consecutive season.
But for the first time since it was announced Durant would return for Game 2, the Rockets have hope.
“We have a resilient group that plays hard and is very competitive on every night,” Udoka said after the win. “Rarely do we get blown out, we fight back. We might’ve lost some leads, but that’s kind of our DNA. That part I wasn’t worried about. We had a hard-fought series last year, down 3-1, it got to Game 7. We are going to battle.”
Can the Rockets make history?
When Durant was ruled out for Game 4 last weekend, Houston’s hopes of a comeback seemed dashed. Durant missed four games total during the regular season — with only one of those games being due to injury — but has now missed four of the five games of this series due to knee and ankle injuries.
It’s unclear when Durant will return this series — if he does at all.
Durant, 37, played his most regular-season minutes in 13 years but had to sit on the sidelines to watch his team fall behind in the dreaded 3-0 hole. With the win in Game 5, Houston improved to 6-2 without Durant in the lineup, with the losses coming in Games 1 and 3. Wednesday night’s outcome was the gutsiest. Lakers star LeBron James had won 16 consecutive close-out games at home and Austin Reaves was back in the Lakers’ lineup after missing the last nine games with an oblique injury.
The Rockets’ offensive deficiencies are well-documented. The biggest reason Houston lost the first two games of the series in Los Angeles was a simple one: shot-making. The Rockets had the advantage in almost every other statistical category, but it didn’t matter because shots weren’t falling.
Houston shot 12 of 30 (40%) from the 3-point line in Game 4 and 14 of 40 (35%) on Wednesday. The Rockets took 27 more field goal attempts than the Lakers in the opening game of the series and 17 more in the second game. But the difference was the quality of those shot attempts. It’s why the Lakers won both of those games.
But after leading by as many as 11 points in the first half on Wednesday, the way the Lakers won is the way they lost. The Lakers couldn’t buy a bucket. Los Angeles finished 32 of 76 (42.1%) from the floor.
Despite the Lakers’ poor shooting, they made one last run in the fourth quarter by cutting what was once a 13-point deficit down to three, 88-85, with 2:59 to play. That’s when one of the lone Rockets players who didn’t play much in last year’s playoffs, Reed Sheppard, made two critical plays to ultimately force a Game 6.
Sheppard knocked down a mid-range jumper with 2:37 left and then stole the ball from James and threw down a dunk on the other end to extend the lead back to seven. Just as the Los Angeles crowd started to get back into the game, Sheppard brought that energy to a halt.
Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, wasn’t even born when James made his NBA debut in the fall of 2003. He played 10 minutes in that playoff series against the Warriors and is now coming up clutch just over a year later.
Sheppard, like his team during the last week, is growing up.
“He can get to his spots as long as he sets up and creates a little separation,” Udoka said of Sheppard. “Love the fact that he got the ball and handled the pressure. Obviously, he made a big shot.”
Sheppard said the Rockets were going to make sure they wouldn’t lose another late lead.
“When they made their run at the end and cut it to a one-possession game, we definitely remembered what happened in Game 3 and we didn’t want to let that happen again,” Sheppard said. “So just being able to stick together, make the right play and getting the right offensive sets and getting good shots, that’s what we were able to do.”
Call it conventional or unconventional, Udoka’s message resonated. And after looking dead in the water, the Rockets have life.
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