SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 of the final. They are the NHL’s first back-to-back winners since Tampa Bay in 2020 and ’21 and the third team to do it this century. Sam Reinhart scored four of the five goals, including the Cup clincher again. The Panthers have won 11 of 12 playoff series since Matthew Tkachuk arrived by trade and Paul Maurice took over as coach in the summer of 2022. Connor McDavid was again denied the first title of his career in his second consecutive final. Canada's Stanley Cup drought reached 32 years.
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sam Bennett has won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after leading the Florida Panthers to a second consecutive Stanley Cup championship. Bennett scored 15 times to lead all playoff scorers this season. He also was a factor physically by making some big hits, crowding the crease and knocking Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner and other opponents off their game. Bennett could parlay his massive postseason success into a lucrative contract as a free agent whether he re-signs with Florida or goes elsewhere.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton’s status for Game 6 of the NBA Finals is understandably in at least some doubt, after the Olympic gold-medal-winning guard was undergoing evaluation Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury to his lower right leg. Part of that evaluation was an MRI exam, according to a person with knowledge of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because neither Haliburton nor the team revealed that publicly. ESPN first reported that an MRI was scheduled. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle made clear after Game 5 that the Eastern Conference champions would be taking a close look at the injury.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rafael Devers has been formally introduced by the Giants, days after being traded to San Francisco by the Boston Red Sox. Devers is set to be designated hitter batting third in the series opener against the Cleveland Guardians. He is determined to leave his own lasting mark on the franchise in what is a much-needed fresh start for him and a monumental mid-season acquisition for Buster Posey and San Francisco’s front office. Devers says he's done discussing any issues he had with the Red Sox and eager to move forward with the Giants, insisting he will play anywhere and do whatever manager Bob Melvin and his staff ask.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 20 points, six assists and four 3-pointers and the Indiana Fever beat the Connecticut Sun 88-71 in a physical game that included three late ejections. With 46.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Connecticut guard Jacy Sheldon made a steal and raced the other way before being wrapped up by Sophie Cunningham under the basket for a hard foul. Sheldon got up quicky and got into a shoving match with Cunningham, leading to Cunningham, Sheldon and Lindsay Allen all getting ejected. Sheldon was also the center of another official review in the third quarter after she poked Clark in the eye and then Marina Mabrey came in late to shove Clark to the floor. Indiana secured a spot in the Commissioner’s Cup.
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees’ offense is drifting toward uncharted territory — and not in a good way. The team tied a franchise record by getting shut out for the third straight game Tuesday night, when the Yankees went 0 for 10 with runners on base in a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. The Yankees have been blanked in three consecutive games seven times in their 123-year history — but only three times in the last 50 years, most recently from Sept. 22-24, 2016. The last major league team to get shut out in four straight games was the Kansas City Royals in September 2017.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani came out of his pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers in good order, even if he was his own worst critic. Manager Dave Roberts says Ohtani is “a little fatigued” but otherwise feeling good a day after returning from elbow surgery and pitching in a major league game for the first time since August 2023. Ohtani, who threw one inning, says he wasn't quite happy with the results overall. He gave up a pair of hits and a run in the Dodgers' 6-3 win over San Diego. He could pitch again this weekend when the Washington Nationals visit Dodger Stadium.
Former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs has apologized to the family of a woman he killed in a car crash nearly four years ago. Ruggs was on special release Tuesday night to speak at a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas. Ruggs drove his sports car at speeds up to 156 mph on Nov. 2, 2021, slamming into a vehicle that killed driver Tina Tintor and her dog, Max. Tintor was 23. Ruggs apologized after he was asked at the event what he would say to Tintor’s family.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge is urging NASCAR and two of its teams to settle their increasingly acrimonious legal fight that spilled over into tense arguments during a hearing this week. 23XI Racing, which is owned by Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, is fighting with NASCAR along with Front Row Motorsports. The two say the series is a monopoly, but NASCAR has struck back with a countersuit of its own.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — In the end, not even Saudi Arabia or Gianni Infantino could engineer a way to get Cristiano Ronaldo to the Club World Cup. FIFA president Infantino certainly tried - last month making a public appeal ahead of the tournament. Ronaldo’s contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr was due to expire and FIFA’s decision to create a specially-made mini transfer window for its newest competition meant the path was clear for the Real Madrid great to sign a short-term deal with a new team just in time to take part. Given his connection to Saudi Arabia, where he was the face of the oil-rich kingdom’s spectacular drive to sign some of soccer’s biggest stars in recent years, rumors began to circulate about a move to Al Hilal.
INTERLEAGUE
Final Detroit 7 Pittsburgh 3
Final Toronto 5 Arizona 4
Final St. Louis 12 Chicago White Sox 2
Final Cincinnati 6 Minnesota 5
Final Cleveland 3 San Francisco 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final L.A. Angels 4 N.Y. Yankees 0
Final Baltimore 5 Tampa Bay 1
Final Kansas City 6 Texas 1
Final Seattle 8 Boston 0
Final Houston 13 Athletics 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Miami 8 Philadelphia 3
Final Colorado 10 Washington 6
Final Atlanta 5 N.Y. Mets 4
Final Chicago Cubs 5 Milwaukee 3
Final L.A. Dodgers 8 San Diego 6
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Florida 5 Edmonton 1