Seems like a lifetime ago now. The Lightning fell 7-3 to the Blue Jackets in Game 4 on Tuesday, completing a shocking sweep for the Blue Jackets over the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners. It was a thorough beatdown the likes of which no one could have predicted, but once it became apparent that it was happening, the hockey world took swiftly to social media to register their take on one of the biggest collapses in Stanley Cup playoff history....

Wielding the NHL’s best regular-season record (62-16), Tampa Bay entered the Stanley Cup playoffs heavily favored against the eighth-seeded Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round. After Friday’s 5-1 loss, Tampa Bay is down 0-2 as the series shifts to Columbus. The Bolts lost two games in a row just three times during the regular season. NHL PLAYOFFS 2019: Matt Duchene scores goal, adds three assists to lead Blue Jackets to Game 2 victory over Lightning...

The Bruins’ 4-2 win in Game 6 on Sunday afternoon served as a reminder of Toronto’s abrupt postseason exit one year ago. Boston handed Toronto a 7-4 loss in Game 7 last season, a series the Bruins led 3-1 at one point. This time around, the Maple Leafs could not capitalize on the first of two opportunities to eliminate its Eastern Conference foe. NHL PLAYOFFS 2019: Frederik Andersen keeps Leafs in game with unbelievable glove save...

After missing the postseason the last two seasons, New York enjoyed an unexpectedly successful campaign. Not only was there a shakeup in the coaching staff and front office up last summer, but the organization lost team captain John Tavares via free agency to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Nonetheless, the Islanders finished second in the Metropolitan Division with a 48-27-7 record (103 points), their most points in a season since the 1983-84 campaign (104) — the last time the franchise appeared in a Stanley Cup Final....

With the NHL’s Feb. 26 trade deadline less than a month away, speculation will grow regarding potential moves by playoff contenders. The Maple Leafs are among those expected to become buyers by deadline day. The Leafs’ defense is their biggest concern. Entering Wednesday’s contest against the Islanders, their shots against per game (33.8) are fourth-worst in the league and the highest among teams currently holding playoff berths. They have also had difficulty holding leads after two periods....

The NHL’s youth movement is in full swing. More than ever, the league’s youngest players double as its most vibrant, marketable stars — and there are plenty. Such an embarrassment of riches is on full display in Sporting News’ NHL 25 under 25 series, a comprehensive ranking of the best NHL players under the age of 25 heading into the 2018-19 season. Between Aug. 20-24, we’ll reveal our picks in increments of five, counting down from No....

Apparently, one of the teams that pushed the hardest was the expansion Golden Knights. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Vegas “was deep into Erik Karlsson trade talks up to the final minutes before the deadline.” In their inaugural season, Vegas has surprised everyone by spending most of the season atop the NHL standings. Trading for Karlsson may have come as an even bigger surprise, while the draft picks general manager George McPhee accrued during the expansion process could have gone a long way in facilitating a Karlsson deal....

Now, there are obvious variables in play here, as McKenzie said. Gagner counts $4.8 against the salary cap for this season and the two following it, and if the Oilers retain a portion of that, they'd have to do it in all three. Doing that, you'd think, would mean a larger return for the Oilers — and certainly larger than Clifford, who's an effective-enough bottom-six player. Gagner, inconsistant as he may be, is more than that — and his contract isn't all that bad, particularly as the cap rises....

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Pens are still actively pursuing Zucker after last May’s potential trade, which would have involved then-Penguin Phil Kessel. Kessel was eventually taken off the table when Pittsburgh traded him to the Arizona Coyotes in June 2019. Teams like Minnesota, according to Friedman, are likely to “test the value of their players, but hold off on final decisions until closer to the deadline” before finalizing a deal....

title: “Nice Work If You Can Get It” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-07” author: “Leroy Gaines” Although many of her answers included phrases like ““I don’t know,’’ ““I don’t recall’’ and ““I have no idea,’’ Jones nonetheless provided an illuminating behind-the scenes glimpse of her professional life. ““I do whatever is necessary to host the show,’’ she told Fred Gibson, a lawyer for Schmitz. Despite her big- bucks salary, that apparently doesn’t amount to much....

The Tony-nominated actor, known for his work in Bullets Over Broadway, Waitress, and A Bronx Tale the Musical, died Sunday aged 41 after a lengthy struggle with COVID-19. He leaves behind his wife and their son Elvis, who was born in June 2019. This week, Kloots has been honoring her late husband on social media, hosting an emotional singalong tribute and sharing updates with fans. On Thursday, the personal trainer candidly spoke about her grief in her Instagram stories....

Fresher of the two having not had to play his round of 16 clash, Kyrgios broke Nadal’s serve in just the third game as the Aussie started the match strongly. Kyrgios hadn’t dropped a service game at Indian Wells going into the clash but berated himself early on as he struggled to make the most of his first serve. Nadal, who won the Australian Open less than two months ago, was finding himself overpowered at times by his opponent but was on alert for Kyrgios’ service tricks in the first set....

The Australian was set to face Spanish fifth seed Roberto Bautista-Agut on Wednesday in the round-of-16 at the grass court event but withdrew a few hours before it was scheduled to begin with an abdominal issue. Kyrgios revealed he has been advised to not play any more matches ahead of Wimbledon - which commences on June 27 - after waking up with pain in his abdominal region. “I’m really sorry I’m going to have to withdraw from tonight’s match here in Mallorca,” Kyrgios said in a statement....

Baseball, in its most surprising way, told me to screw off Thursday in the Braves’ 8-5 comeback win on Opening Day against the Phillies. And Nick Markakis, in his own quiet way, told me to screw off, too. MORE: Opening Day highlighted by dingers, epic moments First, the backstory. From the moment I saw the once-slugging but now light-hitting lefty batting fourth in the Atlanta lineup, I developed a bit of snark, which I transferred to Twitter on more than one occasion....

MORE: Saban best active coach? | ‘Bama’s championship parade That’s Lyndell “Mack” Wilson in the photo, by the way, one of a handful of top-tier high school talents who visited Alabama over the weekend. Wilson, a Montgomery, Ala., native, is a five-star recruit and the second-best outside linebacker in the country, according to 247sports. This isn’t the first time Saban was captured on camera practicing some less than traditional recruiting tactics....

On Monday, the Shade Room posted screenshots from someone with the Instagram handle @katemiller_7, whose bio said she is an executive at Republic Records, Minaj’s label. The photo associated with the account has been identified as one of author Megan Feldman Bettencourt, who appeared to have no involvement in the matter. On her now-deleted Instagram account, katemiller_7 posted numerous allegations, including accusations of abuse against Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, the name of Minaj’s son (which the artist has kept private), and accusations of fraud against Minaj, saying, “I have your tax refunds from 2021....

Kedah ended their 2017 Super League campaign in fourth place after a final day 0-0 draw against Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in Saturday’s action at Darul Aman Stadium. Nidzam Adzha started with only Liridon Krasniqi as the sole import player on the field for Kedah, giving starts to the likes of Abdul Hadi Hamid in goal, Syazwan Tajuddin at centre back, Ariff Farhan at right back and Hidhir Idris at right wing....

The African Union made up of 55 nations said the remarks were “clearly racist.” The restrictions, arriving just before COVID-19 took the world’s attention, were widely criticized. It followed a concerted campaign to limit Nigerian entry into the U.S., with visa price-hikes and bans. Despite Trump’s strong line against Africa, and anti-Black Lives Matter-protest rhetoric more generally, the Nigerian population still love him and would welcome a second term. Around 60 percent of Nigerians think Trump will “do the right thing regarding world affairs,” according to the Pew Research Center....

The west Africans will be making their sixth outing at the global football showpiece and are aiming to surpass their previous performance in the tourney. The three-time African champions last won their opening game at the quadrennial tournament in the 1998 edition against Spain. And, although, they failed to convince in their build-up to the tournament, team captain John Obi Mikel John Ogu, William Troost-Ekong, Elderson Echiejile and Joel Obi have taken to Instagram to herald their readiness for the crunch tie with the Zlatko Dalic’s men....

Now, a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is dispelling that myth. Epidemiologists at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) in their new study show that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 does not make it harder to conceive and have a child. The study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. “When the COVID vaccine first came out, we started hearing concerns that the vaccines could affect fertility," Amelia Wesselink, PhD, lead researcher and research assistant professor of epidemiology at BUSPH, told Verywell....