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Takeaways: Germany’s stars shine, USA’s skill takes over

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Germany’s big boys came to play.

Day 2 of the men’s hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics in Italy featured three games in addition to Canada blanking Czechia 5-0.

The most competitive affair was a showdown between Germany and Denmark that the Germans wound up winning 3-1. Two megastars who play for Canadian NHL clubs sparked Germany, as Ottawa Senators centre Tim Stutzle led the way with two goals, while Edmonton Oilers stud Leon Draisaitl kicked in the other. 

It was Draisaitl who set the tone, staking the Germans to a 1-0 advantage just 23 seconds into the game when he drove hard down the middle of the offensive zone, got his blade planted on the ice and redirected a Frederik Tiffels feed past Danish goalie Frederik Andersen.

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Of course, Draisaitl did not stop there and appeared in vintage form throughout the contest.

In the second frame, after 20-year-old Seattle Kraken second-rounder Oscar Molgaard had pulled Denmark even, Draisaitl tried to restore Germany’s lead with one of his patented moves. Driving down the right side of the ice, Draisaitl sucked the puck quickly from backhand to forehand and whizzed a low shot that Andersen had to be sharp to turn aside with his right pad.

Soon enough, though, Germany restored its lead when Wojciech Stachowiak went flying into the end boards and kicked a loose puck out to JJ Peterka. With the Danes scrambling, Peterka whisked the puck over to Stutzle, who one-timed a laser past Andersen on the glove side.

Moments later, Stutzle was blazing down the ice and dropped a pass to Peterka, who unloaded a shot from the stop of the circle that tested Andersen again.

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Both Stutzle and Draisaitl factored into the equation when Germany did get its third goal, though it was ultimately a tough bounce that bit the Danes. With Germany on a power play just past the halfway point of the game, Stutzle spotted Draisaitl in the slot and tried to feed him a pass. Instead of finding his teammate’s blade, Stutzle’s pass struck Danish defender Oliver Lauridsen and kicked past Andersen.

Germany is a threat to beat anyone at this tournament, and with Stutzle and Draisaitl firing — to say nothing of stud defenceman Moritz Seider looking calm on the back end and Philipp Grubauer (37 saves versus Denmark) carrying over his strong play from the NHL this season — the Germans have to feel good about themselves out of the gate. 

Thursday’s action in Milan also saw Team USA — a tournament co-favourite with Team Canada — hit the ice for their debut in a match with Latvia. The Latvians hung tough through 20 minutes, benefiting from two disallowed would-be American goals and some happy goalpost luck to emerge from the opening frame tied 1-1. However, the American skill took over from there.

Brock Nelson, who’s been on fire in the NHL for two months, brought his good juju to Italy and put the Americans ahead when he took a feed from Jack Hughes and — basically unchecked — closed on Elvis Merzlikins and duped the Columbus Blue Jackets stopper with a nice deke. 

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After that, it was Tage Thompson with a cheeky move on the power play that pushed the U.S. forward. After taking a puck at the side of the net, Thompson started to rotate as if he was going to shuffle to his forehand, then stopped halfway, twisted back and roofed a backhander under the bar. The rout was officially on only a couple minutes later when the Americans completely controlled the puck in the Latvian zone, working it from Jack Hughes to Matthew Tkachuk, back to Hughes and over to Nelson for a one-timer that marked his second tally of the game and put his team up by three. Throw in the game-opening goal by Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and a strike from Toronto Maple Leafs (and Team USA) captain Auston Matthews on the power play in the third, and the Americans wound up with a 5-1 victory that saw Arturs Silovs replace the besieged Merzlikins after 40 minutes.

Beyond Nelson’s two-goal showing, the most encouraging thing for Team USA may have been the play of Jack Hughes. The New Jersey Devils centre never looked comfortable at last February’s 4 Nations Face-Off. Playing in his first Olympics, though, Hughes picked up two assists (the same number his brother, Quinn, recorded versus Latvia) and looked like his playmaking self while skating at wing on a line with Nelson in the middle and New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller on the other flank.

In the day’s first game, Switzerland opened and closed strong during a 4-0 whitewash of France. The middle frame, though, was further evidence that the gap between teams in this tournament is not always as wide as we think.

The Swiss definitely came out flying, netting the opening goal less than a minute after puck-drop and going up 2-0 just 3:06 into the affair.

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First, it was Damien Riat — a fourth-round pick of the Washington Capitals in 2016 — who got the Swiss rolling. With his team on the power play following an offensive-zone infraction by France, Riat was cruising in the slot and found himself in the right spot at the right time when he swatted home a puck that kicked over to him after a shot by Philipp Kurashev. 

The next goal came courtesy of a nice effort from Tampa Bay Lighting defenceman J.J. Moser, who picked up a pass at centre ice and weaved his way into the French zone. While goalie Antoine Keller would probably like another stab at the shot that snuck under him, Moser still showed great skill to dance in on the attack and whip the puck home.

At that point, it felt as though the Swiss could blow the doors of France. However, the French dug in and came up with a strong second period. Defenceman Florian Chakiachvili walloped Swiss (and Nashville Predators) captain Roman Josi with a huge hit in the neutral zone, and both Stephane Da Costa and linemate Floran Douay had glorious chances to pull France within a goal of a Swiss side that was suddenly stuck in the mud.

Switzerland, though, was moving better toward the end of the period and wound up putting the contest away with two strikes by New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier in the final frame. Just past the halfway point of the period, Josi blazed into the French end, curled around the net and whipped a pass over to Meier for a 3-0 tap-in that gave Switzerland some breathing room. From there, the Swiss put the game on ice when Meier popped his second goal in seven minutes with just 3:47 to go in the match.

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Veteran Swiss goalie Leonardo Genoni — who came up with two or three monster saves at points in the game when the result was still in doubt — stopped 27 of 27 shots for the shutout. According to the broadcast, the 38-year-old became the oldest goalie in the “NHL Era” to record a shutout at the Games.

The non-Canadian action on Day 3 is highlighted by an early morning (6:10 a.m. ET) clash between all-time rivals Finland and Sweden, so get those alarms set.

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Slovak hockey fan arrested near Olympics 16 years after Italy issued warrant

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A Slovakian native was in Italy this week, 16 years after prosecutors in the country issued a warrant against him.

The 44-year-old unidentified man traveled to Milan to watch his native country’s Olympic hockey team take on medal favorite Finland, a 4-1 upset victory for the Slovaks.

However, he never got a chance to see the Slovaks’ version of the “Miracle on Ice.”

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Slovakia fans

Slovakia fans inside the arena before a match against Finland in men’s ice hockey Group B during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.  (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)

Police said they tracked down the suspect after he checked into a guesthouse in the Milan suburbs, then escorted him to the central San Vittore Prison before he could attend the game.

The warrant stemmed from a string of alleged thefts in 2010. He now has 11 months, seven days to serve, according to police.

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Slovakia will close out the preliminary round on Saturday against Sweden, another squad that could compete for the gold medal.

Juraj Slafkovsky on ice

Juraj Slafkovsky of Slovakia in action during a men’s preliminary Group B match against Finland at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena Feb. 11, 2026, in Milan, Italy.  (RvS.Media/Monika Majer/Getty Images)

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Slovakia won the bronze medal in Beijing when NHL players were not yet allowed to compete. Now, the team is led by Montreal Canadiens superstar Juraj Slafkovsky, who has Olympic experience.

Slafkovsky competed in 2022 because he had not yet been in the NHL. He was 17 at the time, the youngest player in the Olympics, yet still managed to be the Olympics’ points leader and the tournament’s most valuable player.

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Juraj Slafkovsky

Juraj Slafkovsky of Slovakia celebrates the team’s 4-1 victory in a men’s preliminary Group B match against Finland at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena Feb. 11, 2026, in Milan, Italy.  (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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Slafovsky scored twice against Finland, and Dalibor Dvorsky of the St. Louis Blues got the game-winning goal with less than 13 minutes left.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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Defending champion McIlroy makes solid start as Hisatsune sets pace

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Defending champion Rory McIlroy made a solid start to the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am as Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune set the early pace with a 10-under 62.

Hisatsune, 23, was six under at the turn and concluded a stunning performance with four more birdies on the back nine on the PGA Tour’s first signature event of the season.

Northern Ireland’s McIlroy is still in contention six shots back after carding a four-under 68 in California.

But it was a case of what might have been for McIlroy, who opened with consecutive birdies on the 10th and 11th holes and another on the 17th at Spyglass Hill, with the highlight of his front nine coming when he chipped out of a greenside bunker on the 14th for an eagle.

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However, his progress was checked after the turn with double bogeys at the two par-three holes – the third and the fifth – when his putter ran cold.

While the world number two picked up shots on the second, fourth and ninth, he has ground to make up in Friday’s second round, although not as much as the man directly above him in the rankings, Scottie Scheffler.

The American, who has not finished outside a top 10 place since last year’s Player’s Championship, struggled to a disappointing even par 72.

With the opening two rounds of the event split across two courses, Scheffler’s friend and compatriot Sam Burns fared much better at Pebble Beach golf links, to end the day in second on nine under alongside Keegan Bradley.

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Chris Gotterup, a two-time winner already this season, began with six successive birdies and is well placed at eight under along with Tony Finau and Patrick Rodgers.

England’s Matt Fitzpatrick is at six under and Tommy Fleetwood and Ireland’s Shane Lowry made solid starts to sit at five under with Englishman Harry Hall one further back.

With a $20m (£14.7m) purse available, 18 of the top 20 players in the world are competing in the 80-man field, with Pebble Beach hosting Saturday and Sunday’s third and fourth rounds.

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A closer look at the 2026 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Field

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The Black Caviar Lightning rightfully claims Australia’s elite sprint showdown status, as this Saturday’s Flemington feature will rank a captivating generation under the spotlight.

In the 1000m Group 1, expect returns from Golden Slipper winner Marhoona of last year, Golden Rose record-setter Beiwacht, and Coolmore Stud Stakes ace Tentyris.

Never before have same-year Slipper, Golden Rose, and Coolmore Group 1 winners locked horns since those races gained top-grade prestige.

Coolmore graduates often target the Lightning next, unlike winners of the prior two.

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Exosphere is unique as a Group 1 Golden Rose winner racing the Lightning at three, with Crystal Lily and Stratum the solitary Slipper winners doing so the following season since 1990.

Crystal Lily met Black Caviar in 2011 en route to fifth place, echoing Stratum’s 2006 finish behind Takeover Target.

Three Slipper alumni sit on the Lightning winners’ list, last being Storm Queen in 1967.

Fifteen three-year-old boys and nine girls have prevailed in the Lightning, but post their 1998-2005 surge of six in eight, just Home Affairs (2021) and Coolangatta (2023) have won as juveniles.

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Six three-year-old winners this century from 72 runners, below the nine expected by markets.

Only Home Affairs didn’t reach peak Timeform pre-race among those six, yet clocked 126 – equaling the century’s top three-year-old Lightning mark – shy one pound of his 127 Coolmore.

Of 72, 22 (30 percent) hit or topped previous bests, suffering average eight-pound regression.

This field’s Group 1 three-year-olds see Marhoona most desperate for uplift from 117 Golden Slipper, with no sub-118 Lightning winner since 2002’s Spinning Hill (114).

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Beiwacht (123 Golden Rose) and Tentyris (124+ Coolmore Stud Stakes) top the 10-year 122.2 average since Black Caviar/Lankan Rupee’s 130+ feats.

Little room for decline exists in Saturday’s test against My Gladiola (112), Military Tycoon (103), and Giga Kick (back-to-back 122s last spring); explore the top racing betting markets ahead of the Black Caviar Lightning.

Giga Kick notched 122 first-up in the October 11 Group 2 1100m Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield, duplicating in Flemington’s Group 1 1200m Champions Sprint.

Group 1 winners Baraqiel (120 peak) and Benedetta (116) complete the field.

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The post a-closer-look-black-caviar-lightning/882124 first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

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What happened to Marcus Rashford speaks volumes for Man United after Barcelona blow

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The reaction among Barcelona fans to the latest news about Marcus Rashford speaks volumes

Messages of support for Marcus Rashford have been flooding in from Barcelona fans following his recent injury setback.

The Manchester United loanee was ruled out of Thursday’s Copa del Rey semi-final first leg clash with Atletico Madrid after picking up a knock in Barca’s 3-0 La Liga win over Mallorca at the weekend.

The absence comes as a significant blow for both player and club, with Rashford enjoying an impressive run of form, scoring three goals and providing one assist in his last six appearances in all competitions.

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Barcelona confirmed the injury on social media, sparking a wave of heartfelt messages from supporters wishing the forward a swift recovery.

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“Big miss. He was great the last game. Played through pain probably. Now missing Pedri, Raphina and Rashford for the away leg,” one fan wrote on X.

“That’s unlucky timing. He was just settling in,” commented another. “Speedy recovery Marcus Rashford. Come back stronger,” a third added, while a fourth said: “We wish him the best of luck.”

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The reaction underlines just how highly Rashford is regarded at Camp Nou. The 28-year-old has settled seamlessly in Catalonia, scoring 10 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions.

Although he is due to return to Old Trafford when his season-long loan expires this summer, a permanent switch to Barcelona now looks most likely, with the La Liga club holding an option to buy the forward.

Even in the wake of his latest injury setback, the outpouring of support from supporters has not wavered, with many already viewing Rashford as one of their own – support that could help pave the way for a summer transfer.

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It isn’t the first time the England international has made a strong impression while out on loan. He spent the second half of last season at Aston Villa, earning widespread praise for his performances and overall contribution.

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That spell also helped revive his England career, with Three Lions head coach Thomas Tuchel handing him eight caps in 2025 – a sharp rise from just one appearance the previous year.

Having fallen out with then-United manager Ruben Amorim, a second loan move away from Old Trafford was agreed that summer. Rashford’s United career appeared all but over, but with Amorim now gone, the door has been left ajar for a potentially sensational return.

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However, while interim head coach Michael Carrick is reportedly keen to reintegrate him into the squad, Rashford has made it clear that his preference is to remain at Barcelona beyond the end of the season. “What I want is to stay at Barca,” he said back in December.

“That’s the ultimate goal, but it’s not the reason I train hard and give my all. The purpose is to win. From the moment I arrived, I felt very welcome. For me, the reason I’m here is to help the team win trophies.”

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Best Light Cones for Yao Guang in Honkai Star Rail

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The best Light Cones for Yao Guang in Honkai Star Rail should provide all the necessary stats that could give the character an edge in the battle. However, picking the right option can be tricky considering the 5-star character uses the power of Elation. Players have limited ideas regarding how the Path operates in combat.

All they have to work with is Yao Guang’s ability to deploy a special field to buff teammates’ Elation stats. Unfortunately, she has limited synergy with the available roster as of writing. Regardless, if you are still planning to summon and build the 5-star general, this article is for you. It explores some of the best Light Cones for Yao Guang in Honkai Star Rail.


Best 5-star Light Cones for Yao Guang in Honkai Star Rail

When She Decided to See

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The signature LC (Image via HoYoverse)The signature LC (Image via HoYoverse)
The signature LC (Image via HoYoverse)

We have deemed three different Light Cones suitable for building Yao Guang, including her signature option in Honkai Star Rail. Known as When She Decided to See, the 5-star LC grants 18% SPD to the wearer and generates Great Fortune when they use Ultimate on an ally. The effect increases squad members’ CRIT Rate by 10% and CRIT DMG by 30%.

Additionally, Yao Guang will get a 12% Energy Regeneration Rate via Great Fortune. The effect is also triggered when she enters combat, meaning she will be able to obtain Ultimate points each turn. Besides, the Light Cone bolsters Yao Guang’s support potential, allowing her to buff teammates’ critical stats.


Best 4-star Light Cones for Yao Guang in Honkai Star Rail

1) Today’s Good Luck

4-star Light Cone from the battle pass (Image via HoYoverse)4-star Light Cone from the battle pass (Image via HoYoverse)
4-star Light Cone from the battle pass (Image via HoYoverse)

Today’s Good Luck is a 4-star Light Cone that was added to the battle pass during the Honkai Star Rail 4.0 update. It boasts some impressive passives that Yao Guang can benefit from. For starters, the LC increases the wearer’s CRIT Rate by 12%, which ensures a consistent damage output from her attacks.

As such, you can use Yao Guang as a sub-DPS. However, the 12% Elation boost from the LC will be particularly useful.


2) Mushy Shroomy’s Adventures

The F2P option (Image via HoYoverse)The F2P option (Image via HoYoverse)
The F2P option (Image via HoYoverse)

Mushy Shroomy’s Adventures is the best free-to-play Light Cone for Yao Guang in Honkai Star Rail. It rolls with a slightly lower ATK stat but grants a 12% Elation boost to the wearer. Casting the Elation skill will further increase the DMG taken by all enemies by 6%.

The extra Elation will improve the effectiveness of Yao Guang’s special zone and improve her persona damage.