Deadspin | Blues desperate for win over Blackhawks, help elsewhere to stay in contention Apr 9, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko (55) controls the puck against the Winnipeg Jets during the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks will each look to break out of a slump when the division rivals face off Saturday in Chicago. The Blues (33-33-12, 78 points) have lost four of their past six games (2-3-1) after going 10-1-2 in their previous 13. That successful stretch saw St. Louis pull to within four points of the second wild card from the Western Conference into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with a game in hand at that time. “We seemed to have lost how fast we played north and how quickly we were attacking their net,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said after a 3-2 home loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. “A problem last game (a 3-1 home setback to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday) and today’s game is us taking away east-west plays in our own end. That’s something we’ve got to improve upon here and work on tomorrow.” The current skid has seen St. Louis fall seven points back of the Los Angeles Kings for that final spot, with three other teams (Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, San Jose Sharks) between them. Four games remain for all but Nashville, which has three left. The Blues’ slim hopes were all but officially dashed with the loss to the Jets. That official elimination from postseason contention could come Saturday with a regulation loss to Chicago, a Kings win against the Edmonton Oiler or a Blues OT loss combined with either one point gained by the Kings or a Predators win against the Minnesota Wild. “It’s pride,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. “It’s a privilege to play in this league every single day you show up to the rink and play in the NHL. It’s even more special to wear the Blue Note. I’ve been fortunate to do it for 11 years and you can’t take that lightly. It’s going to, for me, be easy to show up and play for this Blue Note.” The Blackhawks (28-37-14, 70 points) were officially eliminated from contention following a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on April 2. That defeat is part of a 1-6-1 stretch for Chicago, which sits second to last in the NHL standings, ahead of only the Vancouver Canucks. Most recently, the Blackhawks dropped a 7-2 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday in the opener of their four-game homestand to close out the season. “We’ve done a pretty good job all year of competing pretty hard,” Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said. “I don’t want to overreact to a bad night. It’s frustrating, for sure. Our fans deserve better, for sure. I recognize all of that. But there are (bad) nights that happen, and this was one of them.” While the bright spots have been few and far between for the Blackhawks over the second half of the season, there has been one during their current skid: Anton Frondell. The 18-year-old forward, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, scored both Chicago goals in the loss to Carolina and has eight points (three goals, five assists) in nine games since his debut on March 24. “I love to score,” Frondell said. “It’s the best feeling ever. Of course, fun for me to score, score two goals, but it sucks to lose.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Blues #desperate #win #Blackhawks #stay #contention

Deadspin | Blues desperate for win over Blackhawks, help elsewhere to stay in contention
Apr 9, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko (55) controls the puck against the Winnipeg Jets during the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks will each look to break out of a slump when the division rivals face off Saturday in Chicago.

The Blues (33-33-12, 78 points) have lost four of their past six games (2-3-1) after going 10-1-2 in their previous 13. That successful stretch saw St. Louis pull to within four points of the second wild card from the Western Conference into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with a game in hand at that time.

“We seemed to have lost how fast we played north and how quickly we were attacking their net,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said after a 3-2 home loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. “A problem last game (a 3-1 home setback to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday) and today’s game is us taking away east-west plays in our own end. That’s something we’ve got to improve upon here and work on tomorrow.”

The current skid has seen St. Louis fall seven points back of the Los Angeles Kings for that final spot, with three other teams (Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, San Jose Sharks) between them. Four games remain for all but Nashville, which has three left.

The Blues’ slim hopes were all but officially dashed with the loss to the Jets. That official elimination from postseason contention could come Saturday with a regulation loss to Chicago, a Kings win against the Edmonton Oiler or a Blues OT loss combined with either one point gained by the Kings or a Predators win against the Minnesota Wild.

“It’s pride,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. “It’s a privilege to play in this league every single day you show up to the rink and play in the NHL. It’s even more special to wear the Blue Note. I’ve been fortunate to do it for 11 years and you can’t take that lightly. It’s going to, for me, be easy to show up and play for this Blue Note.”

The Blackhawks (28-37-14, 70 points) were officially eliminated from contention following a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on April 2. That defeat is part of a 1-6-1 stretch for Chicago, which sits second to last in the NHL standings, ahead of only the Vancouver Canucks.

Most recently, the Blackhawks dropped a 7-2 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday in the opener of their four-game homestand to close out the season.

“We’ve done a pretty good job all year of competing pretty hard,” Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said. “I don’t want to overreact to a bad night. It’s frustrating, for sure. Our fans deserve better, for sure. I recognize all of that. But there are (bad) nights that happen, and this was one of them.”

While the bright spots have been few and far between for the Blackhawks over the second half of the season, there has been one during their current skid: Anton Frondell.

The 18-year-old forward, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, scored both Chicago goals in the loss to Carolina and has eight points (three goals, five assists) in nine games since his debut on March 24.

“I love to score,” Frondell said. “It’s the best feeling ever. Of course, fun for me to score, score two goals, but it sucks to lose.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Blues #desperate #win #Blackhawks #stay #contention

Sports news April 10, 2026

Apr 9, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko (55) controls the puck against the Winnipeg Jets during the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks will each look to break out of a slump when the division rivals face off Saturday in Chicago.

The Blues (33-33-12, 78 points) have lost four of their past six games (2-3-1) after going 10-1-2 in their previous 13. That successful stretch saw St. Louis pull to within four points of the second wild card from the Western Conference into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with a game in hand at that time.

“We seemed to have lost how fast we played north and how quickly we were attacking their net,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said after a 3-2 home loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. “A problem last game (a 3-1 home setback to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday) and today’s game is us taking away east-west plays in our own end. That’s something we’ve got to improve upon here and work on tomorrow.”

The current skid has seen St. Louis fall seven points back of the Los Angeles Kings for that final spot, with three other teams (Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, San Jose Sharks) between them. Four games remain for all but Nashville, which has three left.

The Blues’ slim hopes were all but officially dashed with the loss to the Jets. That official elimination from postseason contention could come Saturday with a regulation loss to Chicago, a Kings win against the Edmonton Oiler or a Blues OT loss combined with either one point gained by the Kings or a Predators win against the Minnesota Wild.

“It’s pride,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. “It’s a privilege to play in this league every single day you show up to the rink and play in the NHL. It’s even more special to wear the Blue Note. I’ve been fortunate to do it for 11 years and you can’t take that lightly. It’s going to, for me, be easy to show up and play for this Blue Note.”

The Blackhawks (28-37-14, 70 points) were officially eliminated from contention following a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on April 2. That defeat is part of a 1-6-1 stretch for Chicago, which sits second to last in the NHL standings, ahead of only the Vancouver Canucks.

Most recently, the Blackhawks dropped a 7-2 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday in the opener of their four-game homestand to close out the season.

“We’ve done a pretty good job all year of competing pretty hard,” Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said. “I don’t want to overreact to a bad night. It’s frustrating, for sure. Our fans deserve better, for sure. I recognize all of that. But there are (bad) nights that happen, and this was one of them.”

While the bright spots have been few and far between for the Blackhawks over the second half of the season, there has been one during their current skid: Anton Frondell.

The 18-year-old forward, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, scored both Chicago goals in the loss to Carolina and has eight points (three goals, five assists) in nine games since his debut on March 24.

“I love to score,” Frondell said. “It’s the best feeling ever. Of course, fun for me to score, score two goals, but it sucks to lose.”

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Blues #desperate #win #Blackhawks #stay #contention

Rory McIlroy looks primed to repeat as Masters Champion <div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">When Rory McIlroy finally sipped a green jacket over his shoulders after winning the Masters last year, many posited that the floodgates would open.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">McIlroy had long chased a Masters victory, the final infinity stone in his personal Career Grand Slam quest, and the general consensus was that the psychological relief from capturing it would lead to a different type of play from Rory across the rest of his career. Maybe even specifically on the grounds where he broke through.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Given that Rory has had at least a share of the lead in every Masters round he has played as a winner of the tournament, it has only been two to be clear, that sort of makes sense! McIlroy walked off of Augusta National’s 18th green with an impressive 6-shot lead over the next-closest challengers (Patrick Reed and Sam Burns) and is a weekend away from being the first person to win consecutive Masters tournaments since Tiger Woods a quarter century ago. He has literally doubled the under par score of both Reed and Burns. Birdieing 6 of your final 7 holes will do that.</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Time will tell what challenges lurk for McIlroy to win his 6th career major championship and if it will come on Sunday evening. Right now he is playing as if it will indeed. And he is proving that he can get it done in any way, shape, form, or fashion. Consider that at the moment he has hit 13 of 28 possible fairways. Imagine what will happen over the weekend if that gets dialed in?</p></div><div><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">You never know when it comes to Augusta National. That is the beauty of it all.</p></div> #Rory #McIlroy #primed #repeat #Masters #Champion

Cart Confidential Vol. 35 – Julia Berolzheimer

Alexandra Eala capped her giant-killing run at the Washington Open with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over top-seeded Jessica Pegula on Monday to become the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA title.

Eala, ranked 28th, overpowered Pegula over the final two sets as play resumed in the final suspended after lengthy weather delays on Sunday.

“I feel so much love. My ‌first ⁠chance at a title knowing it won’t ⁠be the last and already having achieved this milestone for my career,” Eala said on court. “I knew whatever happened after this match would have ‌already been a win for me.”

Playing in her second final, after a runner-up finish at Eastbourne last year, the 21-year-old left-hander produced a rock-solid service display and an impressive array of winners to deny third-ranked Pegula a 12th career title and a third this year.

ALL ABOARD THE EALA EXPRESS 🔥
Alexandra Eala secures her first ever WTA Tour title!#MubadalaDCOpen pic.twitter.com/uSpxYxWqO5
— wta (@WTA) August 3, 2026

“I want to congratulate Alex on an amazing tournament,” world number three Pegula said.

“To see how far you’ve come over the last couple of years when we first ‌played, to see the amazing fans that follow you every place you go, it’s not fun to play against but I think it’s amazing.”

The scoreboard showed a match time of one hour and 45 minutes, but it took nearly 24 hours to complete.

Pegula had won the first set 6-4 and Eala was up 2-1 in the second on Sunday when officials postponed the finish until Monday after lengthy rain delays.

The pair had waited through a three-hour delay before starting, and once the match was halted it was another five hours before officials called a halt for the day.

That also saw the ATP final between 10th-ranked American Taylor Fritz and 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar postponed.

Pegula opened the action on Monday with a nervy service hold for 2-2.

But she could make no inroads on Eala’s serve and Eala broke Pegula in the 10th game to take the set and force a third.

The final set was all Eala, to the delight of a vocal contingent of supporters.

Eala had been enthusiastically cheered all week as she made her way to the final with wins over second-seeded Elina Svitolina, third-seeded former world number one Naomi Osaka and defending champion Leylah Fernandez.

Eala is now projected to rise to a career-high 20th in the world.

Published on Aug 03, 2026

#Washington #Open #Eala #creates #history #firstever #Filipino #player #win #WTA #Tour #title">

Washington Open 2026: Eala creates history, becomes first-ever Filipino player to win a WTA Tour title Alexandra Eala capped her giant-killing run at the Washington Open with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over top-seeded Jessica Pegula on Monday to become the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA title.Eala, ranked 28th, overpowered Pegula over the final two sets as play resumed in the final suspended after lengthy weather delays on Sunday.“I feel so much love. My ‌first ⁠chance at a title knowing it won’t ⁠be the last and already having achieved this milestone for my career,” Eala said on court. “I knew whatever happened after this match would have ‌already been a win for me.”Playing in her second final, after a runner-up finish at Eastbourne last year, the 21-year-old left-hander produced a rock-solid service display and an impressive array of winners to deny third-ranked Pegula a 12th career title and a third this year.ALL ABOARD THE EALA EXPRESS 🔥Alexandra Eala secures her first ever WTA Tour title!#MubadalaDCOpenpic.twitter.com/uSpxYxWqO5— wta (@WTA) August 3, 2026“I want to congratulate Alex on an amazing tournament,” world number three Pegula said.“To see how far you’ve come over the last couple of years when we first ‌played, to see the amazing fans that follow you every place you go, it’s not fun to play against but I think it’s amazing.”The scoreboard showed a match time of one hour and 45 minutes, but it took nearly 24 hours to complete.Pegula had won the first set 6-4 and Eala was up 2-1 in the second on Sunday when officials postponed the finish until Monday after lengthy rain delays.The pair had waited through a three-hour delay before starting, and once the match was halted it was another five hours before officials called a halt for the day.That also saw the ATP final between 10th-ranked American Taylor Fritz and 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar postponed.Pegula opened the action on Monday with a nervy service hold for 2-2.But she could make no inroads on Eala’s serve and Eala broke Pegula in the 10th game to take the set and force a third.The final set was all Eala, to the delight of a vocal contingent of supporters.Eala had been enthusiastically cheered all week as she made her way to the final with wins over second-seeded Elina Svitolina, third-seeded former world number one Naomi Osaka and defending champion Leylah Fernandez.Eala is now projected to rise to a career-high 20th in the world.Published on Aug 03, 2026 #Washington #Open #Eala #creates #history #firstever #Filipino #player #win #WTA #Tour #title

mwasimuddin125 0

Alexandra Eala capped her giant-killing run at the Washington Open with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over top-seeded Jessica Pegula on Monday to become the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA title.
Eala, ranked 28th, overpowered Pegula over the final two sets as play resumed in the final suspended after lengthy weather delays on Sunday.
“I feel so much love. My ‌first ⁠chance at a title knowing it won’t ⁠be the last and already having achieved this milestone for my career,” Eala said on court. “I knew whatever happened after this match would have ‌already been a win for me.”
Playing in her second final, after a runner-up finish at Eastbourne last year, the 21-year-old left-hander produced a rock-solid service display and an impressive array of winners to deny third-ranked Pegula a 12th career title and a third this year.
ALL ABOARD THE EALA EXPRESS 🔥
Alexandra Eala secures her first ever WTA Tour title!#MubadalaDCOpen pic.twitter.com/uSpxYxWqO5
— wta (@WTA) August 3, 2026
“I want to congratulate Alex on an amazing tournament,” world number three Pegula said.
“To see how far you’ve come over the last couple of years when we first ‌played, to see the amazing fans that follow you every place you go, it’s not fun to play against but I think it’s amazing.”
The scoreboard showed a match time of one hour and 45 minutes, but it took nearly 24 hours to complete.
Pegula had won the first set 6-4 and Eala was up 2-1 in the second on Sunday when officials postponed the finish until Monday after lengthy rain delays.
The pair had waited through a three-hour delay before starting, and once the match was halted it was another five hours before officials called a halt for the day.
That also saw the ATP final between 10th-ranked American Taylor Fritz and 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar postponed.
Pegula opened the action on Monday with a nervy service hold for 2-2.
But she could make no inroads on Eala’s serve and Eala broke Pegula in the 10th game to take the set and force a third.
The final set was all Eala, to the delight of a vocal contingent of supporters.
Eala had been enthusiastically cheered all week as she made her way to the final with wins over second-seeded Elina Svitolina, third-seeded former world number one Naomi Osaka and defending champion Leylah Fernandez.
Eala is now projected to rise to a career-high 20th in the world.
Published on Aug 03, 2026

#Washington #Open #Eala #creates #history #firstever #Filipino #player #win #WTA #Tour #title">Washington Open 2026: Eala creates history, becomes first-ever Filipino player to win a WTA Tour title