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Deadspin | Blues bid to continue recent road success in clash vs. Jets

Deadspin | Blues bid to continue recent road success in clash vs. Jets

Mar 13, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas (18) reacts after scoring the game winning goal against the Edmonton Oilers during overtime at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Some stellar play away from home has the St. Louis Blues enjoying their most successful stretch of the season.

Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets have been solid at home, of late.

A pair of teams looking to remain relevant in the playoff race meet Sunday when the Blues try to win a sixth straight road contest.

Like Winnipeg, St. Louis sits on 64 points, and both have three teams to hurdle in the Western Conference standings just to reach playoff position. However, the Blues remain in the playoff hunt thanks to a 6-0-1 mark in March.

The Blues have allowed just 12 goals this month, won all five road games in March and rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period against Edmonton on Friday to post a 3-2 home victory in overtime.

“We’re obviously feeling good,” said St. Louis forward Robert Thomas, who scored Friday’s winner with 9 seconds remaining in overtime.

“We’re playing confident, and we’re really using our strengths. … We’re just clicking right now and really confident (in) coming in and winning every game.”

Thomas has six goals with eight assists during a nine-game point streak. All but two of those contests have come on the road.

Defenseman Cam Fowler has seven points in the last six games for the Blues, who have posted three one-goal victories this month.

St. Louis’ Joel Hofer has stopped 82 of 87 shots faced in his last two starts and is 5-0-1 with a 1.64 goals-against average and .948 save percentage since the Olympic break. Meanwhile, teammate Jordan Bennington has stopped 54 of 57 shots he’s seen in winning his last two starts after losing eight in a row.

Hofer saved 37-of-39 while St. Louis split the first two season meetings with the Jets. The Blues yielded just 16 shots on goal at Winnipeg on Jan. 20, but the Jets won 3-1.

Thomas did not play in the contest while amid a 13-game absence due to a leg injury, but he has two goals and seven assists during an eight-game point streak against the Jets.

Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele had two goals with an assist in that January win over St. Louis. He notched a pair of assists on Saturday, while Kyle Connor collected a goal and an assist during the Jets’ 3-1 victory over Colorado to improve to 4-2-0 on their eight-game homestand.

Since Jan. 9, Winnipeg is 8-4-2 at home.

“If we play like (Saturday), we’ve got a shot (to make the playoffs),” Winnipeg’s star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck told The Athletic.

“Now, we’ve just got to bring consistency and put that same effort on the ice every night and see what happens.”

Hellebuyck, who stopped 28 shots versus Colorado, has made eight straight starts, and owns a 2.35 goals-against average on this homestand. It’s possible Hellebuyck could again be in net Sunday despite this back-to-back scenario and that backup Eric Comrie has stopped 93 of 98 shots during his four-start winning streak.

Scheifele has five goals with 15 assists in the last 14 games. Connor has recorded 16 points over the same span.

–Field Level Media

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When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.

The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.

The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.

That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.

On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.

Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.

But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.

I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.

One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.

Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.

In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.

There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.

I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.

Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.

#Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making">Larry Fitzgerald’s Hall of Fame induction is 25 years in the making  When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.  #Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making

Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.

TOSS

Tiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.

PLAYING XIs

Nellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky Bhasker

Tiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T Natarajan

Published on Aug 09, 2026

#TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings">TNPL 2026 Live: All-round batting display propels Nellai Royal Kings to 206/8  Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.TOSSTiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.PLAYING XIsNellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky BhaskerTiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T NatarajanPublished on Aug 09, 2026  #TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings

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