Deadspin | Robert Thomas’ hat trick helps Blues beat Avs, continue playoff push Apr 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Blues left wing Jonathan Drouin (92) attempts a shot against Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) in the first period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Robert Thomas completed his first career hat trick with a tiebreaking goal late in the third period to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Sunday night. St. Louis (33-31-12, 78 points) moved within three points of Nashville for the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference and prevented Colorado from clinching the No. 1 seed. Jimmy Snuggerud assisted on all three goals, Dylan Holloway added two assists and Joel Hofer made 26 saves for the Blues. The Avalanche (50-16-10, 110 points), who remain highly likely to win the Presidents’ Trophy, can clinch the West’s top seed Tuesday night with a win at St. Louis or a Dallas regulation loss vs. Calgary. With the game tied, the Blues got an odd-man rush with Holloway carrying the puck down the right side and into the Colorado zone. Thomas went to the far side of the crease and tapped in Holloway’s pass with 2:50 remaining. The Avalanche pulled goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood soon after Gabriel Landeskog’s slashing penalty put them on the penalty kill for the final 1:54. Brent Burns had a goal and an assist, Parker Kelly also scored and Blackwood turned away 25 shots for the Avalanche. Colorado appeared to strike first when Ross Colton knocked a puck out of midair and into the net early in the first period. The goal was disallowed after St. Louis successfully challenged the play was offside. St. Louis opened the scoring when Blackwood made a save on an initial shot but the puck went out to Snuggerud in the right circle, who fed Thomas in the slot. His wrister beat Blackwood on the short side at 12:01 of the first period. The Avalanche leveled the score when Kelly tipped Burns’ shot from the point at 15:10 of the first to become the sixth Colorado player to reach 20 goals this season. Burns briefly gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead at 3:40 into the second period, but Thomas scored his second of the night 29 seconds later to even it again. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Robert #Thomas #hat #trick #helps #Blues #beat #Avs #continue #playoff #push

Deadspin | Robert Thomas’ hat trick helps Blues beat Avs, continue playoff push
Apr 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Blues left wing Jonathan Drouin (92) attempts a shot against Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) in the first period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Robert Thomas completed his first career hat trick with a tiebreaking goal late in the third period to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Sunday night.

St. Louis (33-31-12, 78 points) moved within three points of Nashville for the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference and prevented Colorado from clinching the No. 1 seed.

Jimmy Snuggerud assisted on all three goals, Dylan Holloway added two assists and Joel Hofer made 26 saves for the Blues.

The Avalanche (50-16-10, 110 points), who remain highly likely to win the Presidents’ Trophy, can clinch the West’s top seed Tuesday night with a win at St. Louis or a Dallas regulation loss vs. Calgary.

With the game tied, the Blues got an odd-man rush with Holloway carrying the puck down the right side and into the Colorado zone. Thomas went to the far side of the crease and tapped in Holloway’s pass with 2:50 remaining.

The Avalanche pulled goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood soon after Gabriel Landeskog’s slashing penalty put them on the penalty kill for the final 1:54.

Brent Burns had a goal and an assist, Parker Kelly also scored and Blackwood turned away 25 shots for the Avalanche.

Colorado appeared to strike first when Ross Colton knocked a puck out of midair and into the net early in the first period. The goal was disallowed after St. Louis successfully challenged the play was offside.

St. Louis opened the scoring when Blackwood made a save on an initial shot but the puck went out to Snuggerud in the right circle, who fed Thomas in the slot. His wrister beat Blackwood on the short side at 12:01 of the first period.

The Avalanche leveled the score when Kelly tipped Burns’ shot from the point at 15:10 of the first to become the sixth Colorado player to reach 20 goals this season.

Burns briefly gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead at 3:40 into the second period, but Thomas scored his second of the night 29 seconds later to even it again.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Robert #Thomas #hat #trick #helps #Blues #beat #Avs #continue #playoff #push

Sports news April 6, 2026

Apr 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Blues left wing Jonathan Drouin (92) attempts a shot against Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) in the first period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Robert Thomas completed his first career hat trick with a tiebreaking goal late in the third period to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Sunday night.

St. Louis (33-31-12, 78 points) moved within three points of Nashville for the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference and prevented Colorado from clinching the No. 1 seed.

Jimmy Snuggerud assisted on all three goals, Dylan Holloway added two assists and Joel Hofer made 26 saves for the Blues.

The Avalanche (50-16-10, 110 points), who remain highly likely to win the Presidents’ Trophy, can clinch the West’s top seed Tuesday night with a win at St. Louis or a Dallas regulation loss vs. Calgary.

With the game tied, the Blues got an odd-man rush with Holloway carrying the puck down the right side and into the Colorado zone. Thomas went to the far side of the crease and tapped in Holloway’s pass with 2:50 remaining.

The Avalanche pulled goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood soon after Gabriel Landeskog’s slashing penalty put them on the penalty kill for the final 1:54.

Brent Burns had a goal and an assist, Parker Kelly also scored and Blackwood turned away 25 shots for the Avalanche.

Colorado appeared to strike first when Ross Colton knocked a puck out of midair and into the net early in the first period. The goal was disallowed after St. Louis successfully challenged the play was offside.

St. Louis opened the scoring when Blackwood made a save on an initial shot but the puck went out to Snuggerud in the right circle, who fed Thomas in the slot. His wrister beat Blackwood on the short side at 12:01 of the first period.

The Avalanche leveled the score when Kelly tipped Burns’ shot from the point at 15:10 of the first to become the sixth Colorado player to reach 20 goals this season.

Burns briefly gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead at 3:40 into the second period, but Thomas scored his second of the night 29 seconds later to even it again.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Robert #Thomas #hat #trick #helps #Blues #beat #Avs #continue #playoff #push

Asian Boxing Championships 2026: Preeti beats Olympics medallist Aeji Im to reach final; Priya, Arundhati also advance <div id="content-body-70830151" itemprop="articleBody">India’s Bantamweight dynamo Preeti Pawar downed Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aeji Im of Korea to book her place in the 54kg Elite Women’s final at the Asian Boxing Championships 2026 on Monday.Indian women’s team’s Priya and Arundhati Choudhary also joined Preeti in the title bouts, easing past their respective semifinal opponents in Ulaanbaatar.In the women’s 54 kg semifinal, Preeti, gold medallist from the World Boxing Cup Finals, delivered a composed and clinical performance, dominating all three rounds against Im to secure a 5:0 victory. She will now face Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao-wen, a three-time World Champion (2019, 2023, 2025) and Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist, in a marquee gold medal clash.In the women’s 60kg category, Priya produced a commanding display to defeat Namuun Monkhor (MGL) by a 5-0 unanimous decision, sealing her spot in the final. She will now take on North Korea’s Un Gyong Won in the title bout.In the women’s 65kg category, Ankushita Boro went down 0-3 to Chinese Taipei’s Nien-Chin Chen, the Paris Olympics bronze medallist, in the semifinals. The bout was interrupted due to a power supply issue after the first round, following which the result was decided based on points.ALSO READ | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/boxing/deontay-wilder-anthony-joshua-bout-boxing-match-when-update-news/article70826687.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Deontay Wilder calls out Anthony Joshua for bout</a>In the women’s 70kg category, Arundhati impressed with a 4-1 victory over Oysha Toirova (UZB), showcasing control and composure to progress to the final. She is set to face Kazakhstan’s Bakyt Seidish next.Meanwhile, in the women’s 51kg category, Nikhat Zareen went down 0-5 to China’s Wu Yu, the reigning Olympic gold medallist and one of the most dominant boxers in the division, in the semifinals.In the women’s 75kg category, Lovlina Borgohain suffered a 0-5 defeat to Uzbekistan’s Aziza Zokirova, a World Championships bronze medallist in the 70kg category, known for her aggressive style and strong international performances.In the women’s 80kg category, Pooja Rani bowed out after a 0-5 loss to Kazakhstan’s Nadezhda Ryabets, a 2023 World Championships bronze medallist and an experienced campaigner.With four boxers already through to the finals, India’s campaign continues with two more semifinal bouts in the women’s 48kg and 57kg categories scheduled for April 7.Published on Apr 06, 2026</div> #Asian #Boxing #Championships #Preeti #beats #Olympics #medallist #Aeji #reach #final #Priya #Arundhati #advance

IPL 2026: Fleming exercises caution, backs CSK’s young batting core to shine <div id="content-body-70830233" itemprop="articleBody">To lose the first three games in an IPL season is a hellish scenario. But it is not quite a death-knell. Mumbai Indians lost its first four matches in 2015, and still won the trophy. In 2024, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won just one of its first eight fixtures, and yet made it to the playoffs.But for the Chennai Super Kings faithful, these will bring little succour, for it is not just about the defeats but the manner of them. CSK lost to Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets, to Punjab Kings by five, and to RCB by 43 runs. In the T20 universe, these are like distances between the earth and the moon.“It was a tough night,” CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said after Sunday’s loss to RCB. “We did some good things early on, but unfortunately lost our shape at the back end. We got a little bit shell-shocked and that flowed through into the early parts of our batting as well.READ | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/csk-v-rcb-chennai-super-kings-loss-raises-ruturaj-gaikwad-captaincy-doubts-ipl-2026-latest/article70829140.ece" target="_blank">14 defeats in 22 matches: Does CSK have a captaincy conundrum or will its ethos prevail?</a>“Against a hitter like Tim David (70 n.o. from 25 balls), you’ve got to be absolutely spot on. We missed, and got hurt in the hardest of fashions.”This season, CSK has bet big on young batters like Kartik Sharma (19), Prashant Veer (20) and Ayush Mhatre (18), and Fleming was confident that their potential will eventually shine through.“It’s going to be a really good core of Indian batters. You’re going to get a bit of inconsistency and also some brilliance. It’s a high octane pace and there are going to be some speed wobbles. It’s about marrying skill with a bit of game sense, and that does take time.”Published on Apr 06, 2026</div> #IPL #Fleming #exercises #caution #backs #CSKs #young #batting #core #shine

If we learned anything from this week’s NBA draft, it’s that this is not a good time to be unemployed.

Remember when free agency was a pot of gold at the end of the NBA rainbow? A draft class for the ages and a salary cap well past its expiration date have conspired to change that.

The genesis of this problem can be traced to the mutual “we were the winners” response by both the players and the owners in the NBA’s last collective bargaining agreement.

The star players got what they wanted – a rapidly escalating maximum-contract figure that allowed 14 players to earn more than $50 million last season and another 31 to pocket $35 million or more.

Meanwhile, the owners were able to slow inflation in the salary cap, which hasn’t come close to matching the increase in salaries.

The result: Remember all those teams accused of tanking? Well, 29 of them ended the 2025-26 season over the cap, and the one that didn’t – the Nets – barely snuck under it.

Owners don’t like being north of the NBA’s assigned budget because it comes at an additional cost. The loophole-less taxes married to the dreaded second apron are even more painful.

The outlook for the upcoming season is more of the same – higher prices for gas, but no additional disposable income with which to afford an electric car.

Suffice it to say, player agents are going to earn their money this summer. Or probably more likely, they’re going to get fired by free agents who were promised riches but will have to crawl back to their 2026 employer, begging that they re-sign a guy they were hoping to see walk so the team could pocket the savings.

Salary raises? More like pay cuts.

Now let’s mix in the draft results.

You start with four bad teams – the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies and Bulls – who might otherwise throw big bucks at overpriced former stars, which desperate franchises are renowned for doing.

Instead, they were able to latch onto four potential superstar players, which helps point them to the future rather than a win-now free agent.

That said, it’s hard to find any team that wasn’t happy with its draft result, whether it was landing a real nice prospect at pretty much any point of the first round, or trading out of the guaranteed contract for some nice second-round sleepers without taking a salary-cap hit.

So now reality sets in: Happy owners don’t go Christmas shopping in July.

If anybody stands to benefit from the penny-pinching off-season, it’s a college graduate with aspirations of being an NBA general manager someday. It’s going to be that kind of summer, where the smartest teams find a way to get better despite seemingly having no money to do so.

Script a gameplan and earn yourself a job. You know, like the guy who just earned the right to trade Giannis — Jon Horst.

It no doubt would start with the three most important letters of the NBA alphabet these days: TPE.

It’s why the Nets and Grizzlies were able to get big-name players for peanuts. Only these peanuts are macadamias — blank checks for the total amount of the Julius Randle and Isaiah Stewart contracts, available to use on free agency for Timberwolves and Pistons teams that would ordinarily not have any money to spend.

Sign-and-trades figure to be big as well. At this point, it appears like the only way LeBron James can get out of Los Angeles, presuming he wants a serious shot at another title.

But now that the Spurs have bulked up with Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr., do they really need to sacrifice some of their precious young talent to get Victor Wembanyama a 40-something bodyguard?

Do the Warriors, having added a plug-and-play power forward in Yaxel Lendeborg, still have an interest in LeBron, short of the Lakers taking Kristaps Porzingis in a sign-and-trade?

Pity Porzingis, Jalen Duren, James Harden and Zach LaVine, let alone Peyton Watson, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins and Walker Kessler.

Take down those “For Sale” signs. They’re likely staying home.

Or can you say mid-level exception?

#NBA #Free #Agency #Tougher #Draft #Deadspin.com">

NBA Free Agency Just Got Much Tougher After the Draft | Deadspin.com If we learned anything from this week’s NBA draft, it’s that this is not a good time to be unemployed.Remember when free agency was a pot of gold at the end of the NBA rainbow? A draft class for the ages and a salary cap well past its expiration date have conspired to change that.The genesis of this problem can be traced to the mutual “we were the winners” response by both the players and the owners in the NBA’s last collective bargaining agreement.The star players got what they wanted – a rapidly escalating maximum-contract figure that allowed 14 players to earn more than million last season and another 31 to pocket million or more.Meanwhile, the owners were able to slow inflation in the salary cap, which hasn’t come close to matching the increase in salaries.The result: Remember all those teams accused of tanking? Well, 29 of them ended the 2025-26 season over the cap, and the one that didn’t – the Nets – barely snuck under it.Owners don’t like being north of the NBA’s assigned budget because it comes at an additional cost. The loophole-less taxes married to the dreaded second apron are even more painful.The outlook for the upcoming season is more of the same – higher prices for gas, but no additional disposable income with which to afford an electric car.Suffice it to say, player agents are going to earn their money this summer. Or probably more likely, they’re going to get fired by free agents who were promised riches but will have to crawl back to their 2026 employer, begging that they re-sign a guy they were hoping to see walk so the team could pocket the savings.Salary raises? More like pay cuts.Now let’s mix in the draft results.You start with four bad teams – the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies and Bulls – who might otherwise throw big bucks at overpriced former stars, which desperate franchises are renowned for doing.Instead, they were able to latch onto four potential superstar players, which helps point them to the future rather than a win-now free agent.That said, it’s hard to find any team that wasn’t happy with its draft result, whether it was landing a real nice prospect at pretty much any point of the first round, or trading out of the guaranteed contract for some nice second-round sleepers without taking a salary-cap hit.So now reality sets in: Happy owners don’t go Christmas shopping in July.If anybody stands to benefit from the penny-pinching off-season, it’s a college graduate with aspirations of being an NBA general manager someday. It’s going to be that kind of summer, where the smartest teams find a way to get better despite seemingly having no money to do so.Script a gameplan and earn yourself a job. You know, like the guy who just earned the right to trade Giannis — Jon Horst.It no doubt would start with the three most important letters of the NBA alphabet these days: TPE.It’s why the Nets and Grizzlies were able to get big-name players for peanuts. Only these peanuts are macadamias — blank checks for the total amount of the Julius Randle and Isaiah Stewart contracts, available to use on free agency for Timberwolves and Pistons teams that would ordinarily not have any money to spend.Sign-and-trades figure to be big as well. At this point, it appears like the only way LeBron James can get out of Los Angeles, presuming he wants a serious shot at another title.But now that the Spurs have bulked up with Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr., do they really need to sacrifice some of their precious young talent to get Victor Wembanyama a 40-something bodyguard?Do the Warriors, having added a plug-and-play power forward in Yaxel Lendeborg, still have an interest in LeBron, short of the Lakers taking Kristaps Porzingis in a sign-and-trade?Pity Porzingis, Jalen Duren, James Harden and Zach LaVine, let alone Peyton Watson, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins and Walker Kessler.Take down those “For Sale” signs. They’re likely staying home.Or can you say mid-level exception? #NBA #Free #Agency #Tougher #Draft #Deadspin.com

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If we learned anything from this week’s NBA draft, it’s that this is not a good time to be unemployed.
Remember when free agency was a pot of gold at the end of the NBA rainbow? A draft class for the ages and a salary cap well past its expiration date have conspired to change that.
The genesis of this problem can be traced to the mutual “we were the winners” response by both the players and the owners in the NBA’s last collective bargaining agreement.
The star players got what they wanted – a rapidly escalating maximum-contract figure that allowed 14 players to earn more than $50 million last season and another 31 to pocket $35 million or more.
Meanwhile, the owners were able to slow inflation in the salary cap, which hasn’t come close to matching the increase in salaries.
The result: Remember all those teams accused of tanking? Well, 29 of them ended the 2025-26 season over the cap, and the one that didn’t – the Nets – barely snuck under it.
Owners don’t like being north of the NBA’s assigned budget because it comes at an additional cost. The loophole-less taxes married to the dreaded second apron are even more painful.
The outlook for the upcoming season is more of the same – higher prices for gas, but no additional disposable income with which to afford an electric car.
Suffice it to say, player agents are going to earn their money this summer. Or probably more likely, they’re going to get fired by free agents who were promised riches but will have to crawl back to their 2026 employer, begging that they re-sign a guy they were hoping to see walk so the team could pocket the savings.