Deadspin | Canadiens, Lightning head into critical third game of OT-laden series Apr 21, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) and left wing Brandon Hagel (38) fight with Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) during the second period in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images The Montreal Canadiens return home for Game 3 of their best-of-seven series against the Tampa Bay Lightning and have a chance to maintain the home-ice advantage they claimed in the opening game of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal. Both of the games in Tampa went to overtime, with each team taking one. After the Canadiens won 4-3 on Sunday, the Lightning rebounded with a 3-2 win Tuesday. Montreal led Tuesday’s game 2-1 before Nikita Kucherov tied the score with 7:27 remaining in regulation. J.J. Moser won it with his first goal of the postseason with 7:12 left in the first overtime. Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis told reporters Thursday that Montreal was in command until the last 10 minutes of the third period. “We controlled a lot of that game,” he said. “We just lost our way.” After Juraj Slafkovsky scored a hat trick in the series-opening victory for Montreal, his teammates on the top line, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, added assists on Lane Hutson’s power-play goal in Game 2. Through the first two games, Caufield and Suzuki have three assists each. Caufield, who led the Canadiens with 51 goals in the regular season, told reporters that he expects more. He believes that’s possible, adding that while there may not be many opportunities, he and his line must be ready to pounce when they arise. “We want more, and that’s what we’re going to do,” said Caufield, 25, who has improved on his goal totals in each of his five full seasons with the Habs. “We’re going to build off the energy of playing here and being excited for that. It’s a fun time of the year to play, and obviously it’s back to zero-zero.” As the Lightning travel to Montreal, they are expected to have defensemen Charle-Edouard D’Astous and Victor Hedman be with the squad. However, it’s still uncertain whether D’Astous, who is out with an undisclosed injury, or Hedman, who has been on leave for a month, will return to the lineup. Hedman, the team’s captain and 17-year veteran, played in a career-low 33 games this season with 16 of his 17 points coming on assists. The 35-year-old has been an effective offensive player for most of his career and played a key role on Tampa Bay’s power play. His absence for most of this season has opened the door for Darren Raddysh to augment his role with the Lightning. In his third full season, the Toronto native, 30, posted personal highs with 22 goals and 48 assists. His 70 points equaled his total from the past two seasons. The boost in offense did not necessarily come as a surprise to Lightning coach Jon Cooper, who told reporters Thursday that he remembered Raddysh once led the AHL in scoring around Christmas. “He’s had that part to him,” the coach said about Raddysh, who scored a goal in Game 1. “He just had to find his niche. “The spot opening up on the power play for him has helped, but that’s all playing time, confidence, having success, knowing what you can do. It took him a little bit of time to figure all that stuff out, and then it took a coach that finally clued in and played him more.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Canadiens #Lightning #critical #game #OTladen #series

Deadspin | Canadiens, Lightning head into critical third game of OT-laden series
Apr 21, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) and left wing Brandon Hagel (38) fight with Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) during the second period in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens return home for Game 3 of their best-of-seven series against the Tampa Bay Lightning and have a chance to maintain the home-ice advantage they claimed in the opening game of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal.

Both of the games in Tampa went to overtime, with each team taking one. After the Canadiens won 4-3 on Sunday, the Lightning rebounded with a 3-2 win Tuesday.

Montreal led Tuesday’s game 2-1 before Nikita Kucherov tied the score with 7:27 remaining in regulation. J.J. Moser won it with his first goal of the postseason with 7:12 left in the first overtime.

Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis told reporters Thursday that Montreal was in command until the last 10 minutes of the third period.

“We controlled a lot of that game,” he said. “We just lost our way.”

After Juraj Slafkovsky scored a hat trick in the series-opening victory for Montreal, his teammates on the top line, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, added assists on Lane Hutson’s power-play goal in Game 2.

Through the first two games, Caufield and Suzuki have three assists each.

Caufield, who led the Canadiens with 51 goals in the regular season, told reporters that he expects more. He believes that’s possible, adding that while there may not be many opportunities, he and his line must be ready to pounce when they arise.

“We want more, and that’s what we’re going to do,” said Caufield, 25, who has improved on his goal totals in each of his five full seasons with the Habs. “We’re going to build off the energy of playing here and being excited for that. It’s a fun time of the year to play, and obviously it’s back to zero-zero.”

As the Lightning travel to Montreal, they are expected to have defensemen Charle-Edouard D’Astous and Victor Hedman be with the squad. However, it’s still uncertain whether D’Astous, who is out with an undisclosed injury, or Hedman, who has been on leave for a month, will return to the lineup.

Hedman, the team’s captain and 17-year veteran, played in a career-low 33 games this season with 16 of his 17 points coming on assists. The 35-year-old has been an effective offensive player for most of his career and played a key role on Tampa Bay’s power play.

His absence for most of this season has opened the door for Darren Raddysh to augment his role with the Lightning. In his third full season, the Toronto native, 30, posted personal highs with 22 goals and 48 assists. His 70 points equaled his total from the past two seasons.

The boost in offense did not necessarily come as a surprise to Lightning coach Jon Cooper, who told reporters Thursday that he remembered Raddysh once led the AHL in scoring around Christmas.

“He’s had that part to him,” the coach said about Raddysh, who scored a goal in Game 1. “He just had to find his niche.

“The spot opening up on the power play for him has helped, but that’s all playing time, confidence, having success, knowing what you can do. It took him a little bit of time to figure all that stuff out, and then it took a coach that finally clued in and played him more.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Canadiens #Lightning #critical #game #OTladen #series

Sports news April 24, 2026

Apr 21, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) and left wing Brandon Hagel (38) fight with Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) during the second period in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens return home for Game 3 of their best-of-seven series against the Tampa Bay Lightning and have a chance to maintain the home-ice advantage they claimed in the opening game of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal.

Both of the games in Tampa went to overtime, with each team taking one. After the Canadiens won 4-3 on Sunday, the Lightning rebounded with a 3-2 win Tuesday.

Montreal led Tuesday’s game 2-1 before Nikita Kucherov tied the score with 7:27 remaining in regulation. J.J. Moser won it with his first goal of the postseason with 7:12 left in the first overtime.

Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis told reporters Thursday that Montreal was in command until the last 10 minutes of the third period.

“We controlled a lot of that game,” he said. “We just lost our way.”

After Juraj Slafkovsky scored a hat trick in the series-opening victory for Montreal, his teammates on the top line, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, added assists on Lane Hutson’s power-play goal in Game 2.

Through the first two games, Caufield and Suzuki have three assists each.

Caufield, who led the Canadiens with 51 goals in the regular season, told reporters that he expects more. He believes that’s possible, adding that while there may not be many opportunities, he and his line must be ready to pounce when they arise.

“We want more, and that’s what we’re going to do,” said Caufield, 25, who has improved on his goal totals in each of his five full seasons with the Habs. “We’re going to build off the energy of playing here and being excited for that. It’s a fun time of the year to play, and obviously it’s back to zero-zero.”

As the Lightning travel to Montreal, they are expected to have defensemen Charle-Edouard D’Astous and Victor Hedman be with the squad. However, it’s still uncertain whether D’Astous, who is out with an undisclosed injury, or Hedman, who has been on leave for a month, will return to the lineup.

Hedman, the team’s captain and 17-year veteran, played in a career-low 33 games this season with 16 of his 17 points coming on assists. The 35-year-old has been an effective offensive player for most of his career and played a key role on Tampa Bay’s power play.

His absence for most of this season has opened the door for Darren Raddysh to augment his role with the Lightning. In his third full season, the Toronto native, 30, posted personal highs with 22 goals and 48 assists. His 70 points equaled his total from the past two seasons.

The boost in offense did not necessarily come as a surprise to Lightning coach Jon Cooper, who told reporters Thursday that he remembered Raddysh once led the AHL in scoring around Christmas.

“He’s had that part to him,” the coach said about Raddysh, who scored a goal in Game 1. “He just had to find his niche.

“The spot opening up on the power play for him has helped, but that’s all playing time, confidence, having success, knowing what you can do. It took him a little bit of time to figure all that stuff out, and then it took a coach that finally clued in and played him more.”

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Canadiens #Lightning #critical #game #OTladen #series

NFL Draft 2026: Grades on every Round 2 and Round 3 pick <div id="zephr-anchor"><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">We are on to the second night of the 2026 NFL Draft.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">32 selections have already been made, starting with Fernando Mendoza to the Las Vegas Raiders and building to Jadarian Price at No. 32 to the Seattle Seahawks. But while we have grades on each of those selections already, the teams are still working towards a final report card.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">With a lot of picks left to be made, and some roster spots to fill out.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Round 2 begins with the San Francisco 49ers on the clock, and if you are interested we have a mock draft for the second round that you can peruse here. But if you are just curious to see how we feel about each pick on Day 2, you can check back after the picks start rolling in shortly after 7:oo p.m. Eastern.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Unlike the first round, where process plays a bigger role, here we are looking more at the players themselves, scheme fits, and more.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p><h4 class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup">33. San Francisco 49ers — De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, Ole Miss</h4></p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">I don’t really know what to say here, because this selection is absolutely mystifying with the board that was in in place. Stribling didn’t make our Top 100 list, was 85th on the consensus big board. Even if the 49ers really loved Stribling there is no way they needed to take him at No. 33. There’s been some talk he was a late riser, but goodness this is a choice with Denzel Boston on the board. — JD</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p><h4 class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup">34. Arizona Cardinals — Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&M</h4></p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Absolutely love this pick for the Cardinals, and somehow like it even more after the Jeremiyah Love pick a day ago. Predominantly a pass-blocking left guard, he’s likely not going to be a road grader at right — but he has a lot of athleticism with the ability to get into the second level and block downfield. This team needs some more hogs on the line, but for value and need, this was a great pick. Small knock just because his run blocking is a little suspect. — JD</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p><h4 class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup">35. Buffalo Bills — T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson</h4></p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">The Bills traded down to get into this spot, and they get a really intriguing player. The speed is there, the athleticism is there, the strength is there — but this was a horrible season for Parker, along with all the Clemson players in 2025. It was simply a case of Parker not performing up to his ability, and showing lapses in effort on film. In very early mocks last year he was getting Top 10 buzz, and unquestionably has that potential. It’s simply about unlocking it all, and I think there’s a chance Parker could become a force in a disciplined, tutorial setting. — JD</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p><h4 class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup">36. Houston Texans (via trade from Raiders) — Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State</h4></p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">The best pure run-stopping defensive tackle in this class, I think McDonald has unfairly gotten lost in the shuffle and overanalyzed. In many ways he’s a bit of a throwback tackle, eating space and containing the line without a lot of upfield penetration — but that is totally fine in Houston with the pass rushers they have to dominate in the backfield. Really like this fit, and think the Texans got value on this pick with a guy who could have gone 10 picks earlier. — JD</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p><h4 class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup">37. New York Giants — Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee</h4></p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Known in the process as the “other” Vols corner, injury concerns for Jermod McCoy switched their order. Hood is a little on the smaller side at 5’11 — but he had really good ball skills, solid discipline, and he was No. 29 on our Top 100 big board. The transformation to the Giants defense is here, and Hood is a guy who can do work in a John Harbaugh system. — JD</p></div></div> #NFL #Draft #Grades #pick

NADA’s Intelligence and Investigations Unit tip-off leads to seizure of banned drugs in Najafgarh <div id="content-body-70901684" itemprop="articleBody"><p>In a major success for the National Anti-Doping Agency’s (NADA) Intelligence and Investigations unit, a tip-off from the body resulted in the confiscation of several prohibited substances, including anabolic steroids like methenolone and stanozolol, in Najafgarh following a joint operation, that included the local police.</p><p>The joint task force was led by Central Food Safety Officers (CFSOs) and also featured Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) officials, who cracked the whip on Friday following specific intelligence from NADA.</p><p>Approximately 2,800 capsules/tablets and 11 injectable units of prohibited substances, including anabolic steroids — Methenolone Enanthate, Trenbolone, and Stanozolol — were recovered.</p><p>Three hundred Methandienone and 850 Oxandrolone tablets along with 1,500 Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARMs) capsules were recovered from the premises of Gaurav Vats Nutrition, which is run by one Gaurav Vats.</p><p>All these substances are steroids banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as they can be abused for building muscle mass to gain unfair performance advantage.</p><p>Injections of Adenosine Monophosphate, a prohibited hormone and metabolic modulator that helps endurance, were also among the recoveries.</p><p>WADA president Witold Banka, who was recently in India for a conference on Intelligence and Information gathering operations of the world body, had stated that India is the world’s largest producer of banned Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs).</p><p>“The State Drug Control Department has taken custody of the drugs and drawn samples for formal legal proceedings,” the police stated.</p><p><b>READ</b> | <b><a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/other-sports/wada-president-witold-banka-meets-nada-india-doping-rate/article70858650.ece" target="_blank">WADA chief meets NADA officials to discuss protecting “integrity of sport” in India</a></b></p><p>A NADA source said it was informed about the presence of these banned substances by a “reliable source”. The body said it subsequently initiated a targeted investigation into the matter.</p><p>“The substances procured by NADA were sent to the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) for analysis. Laboratory findings confirmed that the substances were WADA-prohibited, and were additionally found to be contaminated with other prohibited substances, indicating serious concerns regarding quality, safety, and deliberate adulteration,” said the source.</p><p>Following this, regulatory bodies were alerted for “necessary intervention and further action under applicable laws.” “Intelligence-driven investigations and inter-agency collaboration continue to play a critical role in identifying and dismantling networks involved in doping and illegal supply chains,” the source said.</p><p>Banka, during his visit, had acknowledged the efforts being made to address the doping problem in India, describing them as “sincere”. However, the country’s abysmal record remains a major concern given its ambition to become an Olympic host in 2036.</p><p>India has been topping the WADA’s annual list of dope offenders for the past three years and was recently placed in Category A by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which means that Indian athletes must now comply with more stringent anti-doping stipulations because of the “extremely high” risk of doping in the country.</p><p>The WADA president had emphasised on the need to crack down on suppliers of banned substances besides ramping up testing figures. WADA has a tie-up with INTERPOL to target supply chains and has launched ‘Operation Upstream’ to disrupt the illegal market run by “organised crime networks”.</p><p>The operation has so far covered over 20 countries, including India where CBI is an active partner in intelligence gathering. The WADA said it has so far dismantled 88 illegal labs and seized 90 tonnes of PEDs, effectively preventing 1.8 billion such doses from reaching the market.</p><p><b>Expired supplements also recovered</b></p><p>In addition to the illegal PEDs, FSSAI officials also identified severe violations regarding health supplements sold at the Najafgarh premises without a valid food license.</p><p>“The raid uncovered 45 kg of expired Gainers and Whey Protein.” Another 85kg of non-expired protein and Creatine have been confiscated for “further safety inspection.” “FSSAI has initiated separate proceedings for violations related to food safety standards, storage, and the sale of expired products.”</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 24, 2026</p></div> #NADAs #Intelligence #Investigations #Unit #tipoff #leads #seizure #banned #drugs #Najafgarh

San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama could barely remember the details of the late-game miscues that cost the Spurs in their agonizing 105-104 loss to the New York Knicks in game two of the NBA Finals on Friday.

The Spurs used a 14-0 scoring run to erase a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and briefly took a one-point lead before it all fell apart.

Wembanyama keyed the comeback, but two crucial misses — including a potential game-game winner — and an inexplicable turnover with a pass into teammate Stephon Castle’s back doomed the Spurs’ rally bid.

“I’m still very blurry,” he said of the plays. “That’s the whole problem. I need to have more poise, more control over the game.”

The score was knotted at 104-104 with 9.5 seconds left when Wembanyama threw the pass that Castle never saw coming.

“I was looking at him when he first got the rebound,” he said. “I just started to take off to try to give him some space to dribble up the court. I didn’t see him throw it to me.”

San Antonio still had a chance to win it, but Wembanyama’s final jump shot bounced off the rim.

He said he got the shot he was looking for on the inbounds play but couldn’t get it to drop.

“Of course I liked the shot,” he said. “I feel like in this moment you need to shoot to score.”

And Castle said there was no other player the Spurs would want to see taking that shot than Wemby.

“He’s made that shot a thousand times,” Castle said. “He has a game-winner with that shot this year.”

The Spurs now need an unprecedented comeback as the series shifts to New York for games three and four. No NBA team has lost the first two games of the Finals on their home floor and come back to lift the trophy.

“We needed to win that game,” Wembanyama said. “This game was ours. But at this point it’s done. Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely.”

Published on Jun 06, 2026

#NBA #Finals #Game #Victor #Wembanyama #seeks #clarity #heartbreaking #Spurs #loss">

NBA Finals, Game 2 — Victor Wembanyama seeks clarity after heartbreaking Spurs loss San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama could barely remember the details of the late-game miscues that cost the Spurs in their agonizing 105-104 loss to the New York Knicks in game two of the NBA Finals on Friday.The Spurs used a 14-0 scoring run to erase a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and briefly took a one-point lead before it all fell apart.Wembanyama keyed the comeback, but two crucial misses — including a potential game-game winner — and an inexplicable turnover with a pass into teammate Stephon Castle’s back doomed the Spurs’ rally bid.“I’m still very blurry,” he said of the plays. “That’s the whole problem. I need to have more poise, more control over the game.”The score was knotted at 104-104 with 9.5 seconds left when Wembanyama threw the pass that Castle never saw coming.“I was looking at him when he first got the rebound,” he said. “I just started to take off to try to give him some space to dribble up the court. I didn’t see him throw it to me.”San Antonio still had a chance to win it, but Wembanyama’s final jump shot bounced off the rim.He said he got the shot he was looking for on the inbounds play but couldn’t get it to drop.“Of course I liked the shot,” he said. “I feel like in this moment you need to shoot to score.”And Castle said there was no other player the Spurs would want to see taking that shot than Wemby.“He’s made that shot a thousand times,” Castle said. “He has a game-winner with that shot this year.”The Spurs now need an unprecedented comeback as the series shifts to New York for games three and four. No NBA team has lost the first two games of the Finals on their home floor and come back to lift the trophy.“We needed to win that game,” Wembanyama said. “This game was ours. But at this point it’s done. Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely.”Published on Jun 06, 2026 #NBA #Finals #Game #Victor #Wembanyama #seeks #clarity #heartbreaking #Spurs #loss

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San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama could barely remember the details of the late-game miscues that cost the Spurs in their agonizing 105-104 loss to the New York Knicks in game two of the NBA Finals on Friday.
The Spurs used a 14-0 scoring run to erase a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and briefly took a one-point lead before it all fell apart.
Wembanyama keyed the comeback, but two crucial misses — including a potential game-game winner — and an inexplicable turnover with a pass into teammate Stephon Castle’s back doomed the Spurs’ rally bid.
“I’m still very blurry,” he said of the plays. “That’s the whole problem. I need to have more poise, more control over the game.”
The score was knotted at 104-104 with 9.5 seconds left when Wembanyama threw the pass that Castle never saw coming.
“I was looking at him when he first got the rebound,” he said. “I just started to take off to try to give him some space to dribble up the court. I didn’t see him throw it to me.”
San Antonio still had a chance to win it, but Wembanyama’s final jump shot bounced off the rim.
He said he got the shot he was looking for on the inbounds play but couldn’t get it to drop.
“Of course I liked the shot,” he said. “I feel like in this moment you need to shoot to score.”
And Castle said there was no other player the Spurs would want to see taking that shot than Wemby.
“He’s made that shot a thousand times,” Castle said. “He has a game-winner with that shot this year.”
The Spurs now need an unprecedented comeback as the series shifts to New York for games three and four. No NBA team has lost the first two games of the Finals on their home floor and come back to lift the trophy.
“We needed to win that game,” Wembanyama said. “This game was ours. But at this point it’s done. Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely.”
Published on Jun 06, 2026

#NBA #Finals #Game #Victor #Wembanyama #seeks #clarity #heartbreaking #Spurs #loss">NBA Finals, Game 2 — Victor Wembanyama seeks clarity after heartbreaking Spurs loss