Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola defended backup goalkeeper Zack Steffen, saying he should keep his place despite an error that led to Saturday's 3-2 defeat by Liverpool in the FA Cup semifinal.

After Ibrahima Konate's header put Liverpool in the lead, the mistake from United States international Steffen gave the Reds a second goal in the 17th minute.

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"It was an accident, but we need him to try because that's how we play our football," Guardiola told reporters after the game.

"He deserves to play and after that he had a good game," Guardiola said. "He made good saves and is an exceptional keeper."

Steffen took too long when receiving a back pass from City defender John Stones. Liverpool forward Sadio Mane slid in to tackle the keeper and the ball flew into the net.

"We use our keeper to move our opponents into different situations. I'm pretty sure Zack didn't want to do it," Guardiola said. "Sometimes the strikers miss in front of the keeper, other times the keeper makes a mistake."

Steffen was one of the seven changes Guardiola made from the team that started in their Champions League game in midweek, with the City boss opting to rest several of the team starters including first choice keeper Ederson.

City are top of the Premier League on 74 points, one point ahead of Liverpool, with seven matches left. They host Brighton & Hove Albion in the league on Wednesday.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Injured Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., is holding out hope that he can play in his team's first-round series against the Golden State Warriors.

"Right now, I'm taking it game by game. I'm not ruling anything out," Porter told ESPN's Andscape following the Nuggets' 123-101 loss to the Warriors in Game 1 on Saturday night. "This is a thing I don't ever want to deal with again, so I'm just taking my time. ... I'm playing it game by game. Every morning I wake up and I know I'm feeling good. Every day I'm getting closer."

Porter underwent lumbar spine surgery on Dec. 1 to address a lower back injury. It was his third back surgery since November 2017, when he played for the University of Missouri. The 6-foot-10, 218-pounder appeared hampered physically this season after averaging 9.9 points and 6.6 rebounds before being sidelined. He last played for the Nuggets on Nov. 6 against the Houston Rockets.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Feb. 27 that Porter was slated to return to the lineup sometime in March. But Porter told Andscape those hopes changed after he suffered a setback in his rehabilitation a month ago.

"I was feeling pretty good. Feeling ready to go. I was ready to step back up. Just got a tiny bit sore, so I realize about a month ago that I was good, but I was pushing myself too hard to get back," he said. "I can do anything. I have no restrictions. But when I got back to playing full speed and doing everything, that's when I just got a little sore. So, I just decided that if I feel perfect, I'm going to come back. If not, I'm going to take my time."

When asked how his body feels now, Porter said: "I feel close to [perfect]."

The Nuggets opened their playoff series against Golden State without Porter, 2019 All-Star guard Jamal Murray and reserve guard Facundo Campazzo. Murray hasn't played since tearing the ACL in his left knee in the playoffs last season. Campazzo served a one-game suspension during Game 1 for shoving Los Angeles Lakers guard Wayne Ellington a week ago. The Nuggets haven't ruled out Porter and Murray returning. Game 2 between the Nuggets and Warriors is Monday night.

Porter played just three games at Missouri during the 2017-18 season because of back issues. ESPN's No. 1-ranked prep player in the Class of 2017 went from being a potential No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA draft to the 14th selection to the Nuggets and missed his entire rookie season after back surgery.

He lived up to his potential during the 2020-21 season, averaging 19 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 3-pointers made per game, and the Nuggets rewarded him with a five-year extension worth at least $173 million that begins next season. Injuries have limited him to 125 regular-season games over four seasons.

"I love basketball and I'm putting my all into rehab," he said. "I'd rather be putting my all on the court than rehab, but it's there. It's all a good chance to grow. Some days I can look at the positive. Some days I be stuck in the negative. But I'm trying to stay positive rather than the negative.

"People have counted me out before. I'm going to be back and better. It's just a matter of time. People are caught up in the here and now. But this is not the last of me. I've been through this. I'm feeling good. I'll be back better than ever. I have no doubt in my mind."

Porter described the challenge of returning from his back injury being "more mental than physical" and was thankful for his athletic trainers during his rehab. He also credited his Christian faith for helping him get through the tough days.

"Through all my trials, through all my adversities I always go back to the bigger picture," he said. "I go through things for a reason. I try to really learn from that. ... I know in my eyes God always got a plan for me, so I try not to give in. When you go through injuries, when you work this hard, you realize that as hard as you work, a lot of things are left up in God's hands."

How do you improve on perfection? Roki Sasaki is doing his best to find out.

In his first start since throwing the first perfect game in Nippon Professional Baseball since 1994, Sasaki, 20, almost did it again for the Chiba Lotte Marines, as he was pulled after eight perfect innings in a 1-0 loss to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters on Sunday.

The right-hander amassed 14 strikeouts before he was pulled from a scoreless game after throwing 102 pitches. Of note: He was taken out after he struck out the side in the eighth inning with his pitches reportedly still reaching 101 mph.

Sasaki hasn't allowed an opposing hitter to reach base in an NPB-record 52 consecutive plate appearances.

Through four starts this season, Sasaki has a 1.16 ERA, 56 strikeouts and has allowed seven hits and two walks in 31 innings pitched.

"He [Sasaki] is just too tough," said Chusei Mannami, whose game-winning home run -- the Fighters' only hit of the game -- came in the 10th inning off the third Marines pitcher. "The way that forkball drops? Forget about it."

In his last start, Sasaki tied an NPB record with his 19 strikeouts against the Orix Buffaloes as he completed just the 16th perfect game in league history. He also struck out 13 consecutive batters, a record in Japanese pro baseball, according to Kyodo News.

Sasaki rose to prominence as a high school pitcher thanks to his high-velocity fastball and reportedly drew widespread interest from Major League Baseball teams before signing with Chiba Lotte in 2020 at age 18.

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles transferred left-hander John Means to the 60-day injured list Sunday with a sprained elbow.

The move wasn't a huge surprise after manager Brandon Hyde conceded the previous day that it would be a while before Means pitched again. Hyde said then that the 28-year-old lefty -- who threw a no-hitter less than a year ago -- was seeking second opinions about his injury. That hadn't changed as of Sunday morning.

"He's going to be getting second opinions and looked at, and they're going to look further in his elbow," Hyde said. "He's going to be out a while."

The Orioles also optioned left-hander Alexander Wells to Triple-A Norfolk and selected the contract of right-hander Marcos Diplan from Norfolk.

Means initially went on the 10-day IL on Friday.

Means was Baltimore's Opening Day starter this year, and he was viewed as the top pitcher on a staff that had the worst ERA in the major leagues last season. Means went 6-9 with a 3.62 ERA in 2021.

The Orioles have gotten some good performances from their bullpen so far this season, but losing Means from the rotation is a significant blow. After finishing a three-game home series with the New York Yankees on Sunday, Baltimore heads west for a matchup at Oakland.

The Orioles haven't announced a starter yet for Tuesday, which would have been Means' next turn in the rotation.

Means allowed three runs in eight innings through his first two starts. He was removed after four innings Wednesday against Milwaukee.

Wells pitched two innings Saturday, and Hyde said he wouldn't be available for a few days, so the Orioles sent him down to bring up another pitcher. Diplan made 23 appearances for Baltimore last year, posting a 4.50 ERA.

Andy Young, coach to Olympic silver medallist Laura Muir and Olympian Jemma Reekie, outlines what is involved in tackling disciplines from 800m to 3000m

Middle-distance running is a balance of several different elements. These include three types of running – endurance, speed and speed endurance – plus strength and conditioning and technique. That is universal. Everyone at every level can learn to improve their performance by improving each of the different elements. 

Anyone can run

In essence, everyone can become a distance runner of some sort and improve substantially by training, but the level reached will be mainly determined by natural ability. Distance running is perhaps more welcoming than, say, sprinting which relies more on whether you have fast-twitch muscle fibres.

You don’t have to be super skinny to be a distance runner. If you are going to be the very best in the world – that top 0.001 per cent – then the power to weight ratio is going to have to be on target but generally in middle-distance running there’s more scope for different types of body shape.

It’s a myth that skinny is always faster and will always produce a better power to weight ratio. That’s because of the need to ensure that the body is properly fuelled and not breaking down. For elite runners it’s a real challenge to find the balance which allows you to glide over the ground but without losing the power that you need to move yourself and also to provide enough fuel for the body to sustain the training that is required.

It’s tough

Middle-distance running is not the most fun or the easiest discipline – it’s probably one of the hardest out there. It involves learning to work in that red zone when you’re really tired, your muscles are hurting and you have to learn to keep going. In time the body gets more used to it and adapts. Some people talk about training hard so that you can race more easily because training is where the really hard work is done.

Developing speed

Speed can’t be developed in the same way that endurance can. It’s a lot easier to take someone who can sprint and add endurance than it is to take someone with endurance and add raw speed.

However, there is scope for every runner to get faster. I don’t mean that you can become as fast as Dina Asher-Smith over 100m, but through repeated work on technique and speed drills, week in week out – and this is something which is often ignored – over time your technique will improve and make you faster.  

If you can run 400m in 50 seconds then doing a lap in 60 seconds is not going to feel that quick, but if you can only run 400m in 59 seconds then 60 seconds is going to feel pretty close to your limits. So you should try to improve your speed and your running economy because having a sprint finish or change of pace really helps a distance runner.  

Technique

Developing a good technique is important but it is not easy and it is not something that changes overnight. It’s about practicing repeatedly, trying to do something the right way, working on drills week in, week out. That can help the technique and help the muscle memory.

If you do things right repeatedly, over a long period of time your technique will get better. It’s incremental, seeing slight improvements followed by more slight improvements. 

Old habits can still easily creep back in. To most people’s eye Laura Muir would have really good technique but she still has to work very hard to keep it at that high level.

Even as one of the best in the world at 28 years old with an Olympic medal, there’s still room for improvement. I still find myself pestering Laura about aspects of her technique. There’s no magical way of just walking in and saying “adjust this, change that” but it’s something you’ll be working on throughout your career.

Mileage

There is no right and wrong answer. One way is to approach it from a slower, endurance-based format with more volume, while the other way is more speed-based – faster but lower volume. I’ve seen both move towards similar results in the end. While those are quite different approaches in terms of total mileage, they both go back to the key elements.

If you approach it from the true distance side – having speed endurance and some speed – it’s going to help, while having endurance is still an important element of taking the approach of the faster but shorter mileage, especially as you get older.

You can’t say it has to be this, that or the other. 

I tend to take the approach that everything is done slightly faster without a massive mileage.

Gym work

For most of her career, Laura has done one gym session a week but I’ve recently put a second one in. I have put weights in for the first time. The session would be some kind of strength work, basically circuits, once a week throughout the year and we don’t necessarily shut it down in the track season. It’s always been a key element of the programme.

If you look at Jemma [Reekie] and Laura you can see that they’ve got strong, toned body types and that’s from week in, week out doing the strength training. We haven’t worked on creating a lot of bulk but what you do see are well-toned athletes.  

Recovery

I always give my athletes one rest day per week. We train hard and we train intensely for six days and, having challenged the body that much, it’s important to give it time to recover. Also, if you’ve got any niggles or muscular issues then giving the body a day off gives it a chance to recover.

Recovery is something that I’ve always taken quite seriously. I might face an uprising if I tried to take away that day off! If I needed to put in extra work, I would prefer to do more in the six-day period and keep the recovery day rather than losing the day off.

Learning to race

There’s no simple answer to this but a vital thing is just racing. Take Laura and Jemma. When I met them, they were completely different athletes in terms of their ability to race.

I started working with Laura when she was 18 and she was not in any way an experienced racer. It was almost a case of teaching her how to do it from scratch.

She hadn’t done a lot of racing and what she had done had not been in a particularly competitive environment so, when she was put in a track race with 10 other good girls, it wasn’t something she was particularly comfortable with or particularly knowledgeable about.

Jemma had come through the club age groups and had done a lot more racing so she was a much more natural runner and racer in that environment. She was much more comfortable in it, so I had less of those elements to teach her.  

A key element is just getting out there and seeing what works and what doesn’t. I am a great fan of the British Milers’ Club races, but there is also a lot that you can learn just running in club races which aren’t paced – learning to position yourself, making mistakes and learning from them.  

It’s great if you can start at a young age, where it’s a lot more fun, and learn where to be in a race, watch and improve. Sometimes it’s easier to watch a different race and point out mistakes rather than always going back and critiquing your own races.

When they are younger and at a slightly lower level I encourage people to race lots – indoors, outdoors, cross country, whatever. After all, racing is what you train for. 

Advice for young runners

In the training I have described so far I am primarily talking about what is suitable for adults. I would make quite a distinction between this and what I would advise for a younger athlete. It would be very easy for me to take a good 14-year-old and develop aspects of their running and make them appear like a potential star very quickly, but it would not necessarily be good for their long-term development.

I prefer a more balanced approach, waiting until the athlete has left school before letting them join my group when they are at least 18. Hopefully by then the body will have developed more before letting them train like an adult.

As youngsters it’s a good idea to be improving all the key elements – endurance, speed and speed endurance – and as an athlete gets older it may be an idea to introduce a bit of strength and conditioning through circuits. 

However, it is of key importance not to try cram everything in at once and overdo the training as a younger athlete. At this age these various elements may be spread out over the year, with different focus at different times.

I’d rather see a well-rounded athlete at 18 who is not overtrained when they join my group, than one who has pushed their body too hard or too specifically too early.

What I’d like to see more focus on with younger athletes is working on technique and improving it. If you have worked on technique as a teenager then you are more likely to be better when you get older and increase the training. If you’ve already got better technique and better running economy, you are in a stronger place.

In the early years the way the body responds can be a bit different from that of an adult when exposed to training. Youngsters down at the track might do something that looks a bit more speed-based or less specific with longer recoveries, but even when doing this they may continue to see their overall aerobic and anaerobic capacity improve – even though they weren’t particularly working on that. Just going and doing a workout, doing a mix of things which don’t seem specific for distance running, can bring good secondary benefits.

However, by also doing the speed stuff and having more recoveries, younger athletes are also improving those elements of their running and that’s key for when they get to about 18 years old and are beginning to take it more seriously and becoming more specific in their training. By then they will have developed a wide range of skills and abilities.

Andy Young is one of the world’s leading middle-distance coaches and trains athletes such as Laura Muir, Jemma Reekie and Erin Wallace

Two Scottish based athletes take 5km plaudits as 58th edition of Isle of Man Easter Running Festival finishes in style

Scott Stirling and Katie Lowery produced disciplined performances to win the 5km – the final event of the Isle of Man Easter Running Festival – on the Douglas promenade.

A time of 14:40 saw Stirling get within just four seconds off the course record, set by recent Manchester Marathon victor Jonny Mellor in 2007.

Such was the quality of the race that Stirling’s time put him second on the course all-time list.

Linton Taylor, who had won the 10km on Friday night, finished just four seconds behind Stirling while Jack Millar was third and set a time of 14:53.

The way the Isle of Man Easter Running Festival is structured means that individual and team winners are awarded at the end of the three day bonanza.

“I didn’t really expect to do that time. I ran at @podium5k the other week as well so I’m pleased with that.”

Scott Stirling chats to @TimAdams76 after winning the men’s 5km at @iomeasterrun in 14:40 + ambitions with @scotathletics ? pic.twitter.com/5ORLS86sKD

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 17, 2022

So victory for Stirling saw him edge out both Taylor and Millar in one of the best men’s events in the history of the festival.

The Scot also confirmed that he’d be competing at the Night of the 10,000m PBs in Highgate on May 14.

“I didn’t really expect that time,” he said. “I knew I had Jack [Millar] and Linton [Taylor] to beat and that was the goal. I ran at the Podium 5k the other day and ran a 14:23 so I didn’t think I’d have a time near that after the past couple of days. I’m pleased with the finish.

“I’ve had a strong cross country season and I was back in a Scotland vest for the first time in a while so I was really pleased with that. I was thinking of focusing on a few 5000ms on the track and I hope to post some good times which is promising after the past couple of days.”

Lowery, who finished 14th at this year’s Scottish National Cross Country Championships, clocked 17:33 with Garland a close four seconds behind.

Garland however won the overall individual event.

The pair will race each other again at the Scottish 5km Championships on May 6.

Edinburgh’s Katie Lowery wins the women’s 5km at @iomeasterrun in 17:33 ?

Beth Garland second in 17:37. pic.twitter.com/L7VKH2Y3um

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 17, 2022

“It was so fun and nice to be out with the girls,” Lowery said. “It was great to battle with Beth [Garland] at the end because she’s training up in Edinburgh at the minute.

“We always bring a really good team to this event and there was a great crowd and really good support all the way around. It’s been amazing and it’s only my second time here.

It’s become a lengthy tradition for athletes to pop over to the Isle of Man Easter Running Festival and take part in a variety of disciplines which includes a 5km, hill race and 10km.

The fact that a record number of competitors took part in the 10km today proves that a festival style set-up is proving more popular than ever.

When you finish a 5km and get a guard of honour ?

This is running at its best ? pic.twitter.com/cuEBjcGpQP

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 17, 2022

Add beer to the mix and it’s a slightly different to what you’d expect from the usual athletics schedule throughout the year.

That’s the beauty of the event though. It’s not a major championships but something which creates dynamism and friendships for those representing their university and for seasoned competitors who have been coming since the 1960s.

This was running at its purest and the more events like this on the calendar then the better the sport will be because of it.

Top 20 men’s results: 

1. Scott Stirling (14:40)
2. Linton Taylor (14:48)
3. Jack Millar (14:53)
4. Josh Carr (14:55)
5. Arlo Ludewick (14:59)
6. Jethro McGraw (15:02)
7. Oscar Subuh-Symons (15:05)
8. Patrick Roddy (15:08)
9. Alex Kilby (15:11)
10. Ben Brunswick (15:12)
11. Richard Ollington (15:13)
12. Nathan Marsh (15:15)
13. Alan Corlett (15:16)
14. Peter Smallcombe (15:16)
15. James Tucker (15:19)
16. Macgregor Cox (15:21)
17. Aaaron Odentz (15:29)
18. Oliver Fox (15:31)
19. Danny Bradford (15:32)
20. Kieran Cooper (15:34)

Top 20 women’s results: 

1. Katie Lowery (17:33)
2. Beth Garland (17:37)
3. Beth Ansell (17:42)
4. Ruby Woolfe (17:42)
5. Emma Bramley (17:56)
6. Maddy Johnson (18:00)
7. Sarah Short (18:08)
8. Zoe McDonald (18:13)
9. Fiona Davies (18:18)
10. Louise Mitchell (18:22)
11. Zoe Sheffield (18:26)
12. Mai Kakehi (18:42)
13. Ella Revitt (18:47)
14. Rebecca Frake (18:47)
15. Hannah Stroud (18:50)
16. Katy Hedgethorne (18:53)
17. Sarah Louise Cumber (19:03)
18. Hannah Morris (19:04)
19. Constance Nankivell (19:07)
20. Hannah Morrison (19:09)

Overall individual standings: 

1. Scott Stirling
2. Linton Taylor
3. Jack Millar
4. Arlo Ludewick
5. Patrick Roddy

— — —

1. Beth Garland
2. Katie Lowery
3. Beth Ansell
4. Emma Bramley
5. Ruby Woolfe

Overall team standings 

1. Cambridge Uni Greyhounds (A)
2. Leeds Uni DOSS AC (A)
3. Manchester Uni ALEHOUSE (A)
4. Durham University (B)
5. Cambridge Uni Greyhounds (B)

— — —

1. Durham University (A)
2. Cambridge Uni Greyhounds (A)
3. Manchester Uni ALEHOUSE (A)
4. Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds (A)
5. Durham University (B)

Dan McFarland says Ulster's one-point aggregate defeat by Toulouse did not come down solely to Tom O'Toole's red card, but a number of key moments.

Antoine Dupont's converted try with five minutes left sent the defending champions into the last eight.

"Ultimately the game is decided because we did a couple of critical things that were wrong," McFarland said.

"Teams do that obviously, but if you want to win at this level against sides of the quality of Toulouse you can't afford to make those mistakes.

"It happens but just on the day we didn't quite get right."

Ulster brought a 26-20 advantage into their home leg, having secured a memorable win out in Toulouse after the French champions had been reduced to 14 men in the 10th minute.

However, that lead was wiped out before the half-hour mark in Belfast as the visitors scored two tries in quick succession - the first from Thomas Ramos after Romain Ntamack seared through Ulster's defence before the fly-half ran the length of the field for an intercept score five minutes later.

"I look at their two tries, like we gifted them two tries. A poor piece of defence let them through on the inside shoulder and an intercept pass in the space of five minutes," reflected McFarland.

"There was another critical call on James Hume off his feet at a breakdown and that was to me just not a penalty at all. That was another critical moment.

"When you watch their half-backs work and the quality of their play. Dupont is kicking the ball from literally under his own posts to 45 metres from his own line.

"We were piling pressure on them there and he does it regularly. It's just next level and that's what you can expect from the best player in the world."

After O'Toole's was shown red for a high hit on Anthony Jelonch, Ulster extended their lead through a John Cooney penalty before Toulouse worked their way up the field and patiently waited for space to open that would eventually allow Dupont in for the decisive score - the visitors winning the match 30-23 and the tie 50-49 on aggregare.

"Their try at the end obviously came off the back of having an extra man and being so potent, being able to stretch the field like they do," accepted McFarland.

"You could pick out any moment from the games. We gave a try away because we gave up an inside shoulder in defence. If we don't do that, that's not a try.

"Last week if the tackle area had been a little bit clearer, [referee] Wayne Barnes maybe would have given us the jackal penalty that would have meant we were 13 points up going into this leg.

"There are instances across the board. Equally there was probably a forward pass in the lead-up to one of our tries. There are plenty of things in the last two weeks that if we had done better we would have won but in the end it is what it is.

"We could have won it if we had been a little bit sharper in a couple of areas I'd expect us to be sharper in.

"We didn't quite get it right, but the margins are so small against a team like Toulouse, you're living on the edge the whole time and if you get anything wrong they're going to punish you."

The loss on the scoreboard was bad enough for the Carolina Hurricanes. But after their 7-4 defeat at the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night, their minds were centered on two potentially devastating losses to their lineup.

Center Jordan Staal and goalie Frederik Andersen both left the game with injuries. Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour didn't give an update on either player but remarked: "It doesn't look good. Tough night."

Staal took his last shift 8 minutes, 54 seconds into the third period, leaving the bench after absorbing a huge hit from Colorado defenseman Cale Makar. Staal had scored two goals in Denver, giving him six goals in his past six games.

Andersen exited with 4:31 remaining in the game, favoring his left leg after making a routine save. He was helped to the bench and then went straight to the back.

Both are key players for Carolina. Andersen has been among the league's best goaltenders, going 35-14-3 in 52 games with a .922 save percentage. Staal has 34 points in 74 games and is one of the team's key defensive players, as well.

Brind'Amour said the losses of Staal and Andersen were part of a miserable night for the Hurricanes.

"I didn't like the result," the coach said. "Then we get a couple of guys get hurt. That's really the major concern. It's not a good night for us. That's for sure."

The Hurricanes lost their second game in a row and their fifth in eight games. They're tied with the New York Rangers for first in the Metropolitan Division. Both teams have six games remaining.

"Never fun to watch your own teammate go down," said Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho. "We have a little adversity right now. We'll see what we're about right now. It hasn't gone our way lately. A couple very big players go down tonight.

"These are the moments that a team has to come together, come back even stronger. [I'm] 100 percent confident that's exactly what's going to happen."

Today's matchup between the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues (6 ET, NHL Network) is the final contest of the 2021-22 regular season between the two clubs, as they both prepare for (likely) playoff runs. St. Louis has won two of three games in the season series thus far, with the most recent bout ending in a 7-4 win for the Blues in Nashville.

The Blues are coming off a thrilling 6-5 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild (their likely first-round opponent) on Saturday, while the Predators earned a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. St. Louis now has a one-point edge over Minnesota in the race to earn home-ice advantage, but a seven-game edge in the regulation wins column. Meanwhile, Nashville is holding strong to the West's No. 1 wild card (and most likely a first-round matchup against the Calgary Flames), with an equivalent 91 points to the Dallas Stars but a six-game edge in regulation wins.

As it pertains to the rest of the playoff race for each team, the Preds are in need of points a little more than the Blues; five out of the remaining six games for Nashville down the stretch are against playoff-bound teams, while only two of six can be categorized as such for St. Louis (plus one matchup with the bubble-residing Vegas Golden Knights). Will that mean Nashville will be pressing harder in this one?

As we enter the final stretch of the 2021-22 regular season, it's time to check in on all the playoff races -- along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2022 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via FiveThirtyEight. Tragic numbers are courtesy of Damian Echevarrieta of the NHL.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today's games
Last night's scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC2 Washington Capitals
A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC1 Boston Bruins
M2 New York Rangers vs. M3 Pittsburgh Penguins

Western Conference

C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 Dallas Stars
C2 St. Louis Blues vs. C3 Minnesota Wild
P1 Calgary Flames vs. WC1 Nashville Predators
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings

Today's games

Note: All times Eastern. All out-of-market, non-NHL Network games available to stream on ESPN+.

Florida Panthers at Detroit Red Wings, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers, 5 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators, 6 p.m. (NHLN)
San Jose Sharks at Minnesota Wild, 6 p.m.
New York Islanders at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Anaheim Ducks, 8:30 p.m.

Last night's scoreboard

Watch In the Crease on ESPN+ for highlights from every game.

Boston Bruins 2, Pittsburgh Penguins 1
New York Rangers 4, Detroit Red Wings 0
Nashville Predators 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3
St. Louis Blues 6, Minnesota Wild 5 (OT)
Edmonton Oilers 4, Vegas Golden Knights 0
Buffalo Sabres 4, Philadelphia Flyers 3
Washington Capitals 8, Montreal Canadiens 4
Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Ottawa Senators 4 (OT)
Tampa Bay Lightning 7, Winnipeg Jets 4
Dallas Stars 2, San Jose Sharks 1
Colorado Avalanche 7, Carolina Hurricanes 4
Calgary Flames 9, Arizona Coyotes 1
Seattle Kraken 4, New Jersey Devils 3 (SO)
Los Angeles Kings 2, Columbus Blue Jackets 1

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

x - Florida Panthers

Points: 112
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 8
Next game: @ DET (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - Toronto Maple Leafs

Points: 104
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 7
Next game: vs. NYI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - Tampa Bay Lightning

Points: 100
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 7
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - Boston Bruins

Points: 97
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 7
Next game: @ STL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

e - Detroit Red Wings

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Next game: vs. FLA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - Buffalo Sabres

Points: 67
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Next game: @ PHI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - Ottawa Senators

Points: 63
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Next game: @ SEA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - Montreal Canadiens

Points: 51
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Next game: vs. MIN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Metropolitan Division

x - Carolina Hurricanes

Points: 104
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 6
Next game: @ ARI (Monday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - New York Rangers

Points: 104
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 6
Next game: vs. WPG (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 97
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 5
Next game: vs. BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Washington Capitals

Points: 94
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 7
Next game: @ COL (Monday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

New York Islanders

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Next game: @ TOR (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 1

e - Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Next game: @ ANA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - New Jersey Devils

Points: 59
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Next game: @ VGK (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 57
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Next game: vs. BUF (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Central Division

z - Colorado Avalanche

Points: 116
Regulation wins: 45
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 7
Next game: vs. WSH (Monday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - St. Louis Blues

Points: 100
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 7
Next game: @ NSH (Sunday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Minnesota Wild

Points: 99
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 8
Next game: vs. SJ (Sunday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Nashville Predators

Points: 91
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 7
Next game: vs. STL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 90%
Tragic number: N/A

Dallas Stars

Points: 91
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 7
Next game: @ VAN (Monday)
Playoff chances: 89%
Tragic number: N/A

Winnipeg Jets

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Next game: @ NYR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 2

e - Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 61
Regulation wins: 15
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Next game: vs. CGY (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - Arizona Coyotes

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 16
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Next game: vs. CAR (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Pacific Division

x - Calgary Flames

Points: 101
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 7
Next game: @ CHI (Monday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Edmonton Oilers

Points: 94
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 6
Next game: vs. DAL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 98%
Tragic number: N/A

Los Angeles Kings

Points: 90
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 5
Next game: @ ANA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 50%
Tragic number: N/A

Vegas Golden Knights

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Next game: vs. NJ (Monday)
Playoff chances: 63%
Tragic number: 9

Vancouver Canucks

Points: 84
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Next game: vs. DAL (Monday)
Playoff chances: 10%
Tragic number: 8

e - Anaheim Ducks

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Next game: vs. CBJ (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - San Jose Sharks

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Next game: @ MIN (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - Seattle Kraken

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Next game: vs. OTT (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order at the top of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team may move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here.

1. Arizona Coyotes

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 16

2. Montreal Canadiens

Points: 51
Regulation wins: 14

3. Seattle Kraken

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 20

4. Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 57
Regulation wins: 18

5. New Jersey Devils

Points: 59
Regulation wins: 18

6. Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 61
Regulation wins: 15

7. Ottawa Senators

Points: 63
Regulation wins: 24

8. Buffalo Sabres

Points: 67
Regulation wins: 22

9. Detroit Red Wings

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 18

10. San Jose Sharks

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 20

11. Anaheim Ducks

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 20

12. Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24

13. New York Islanders

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32

14. Winnipeg Jets

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 28

15. Vancouver Canucks

Points: 84
Regulation wins: 30

16. Vegas Golden Knights

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 33

Notes on conditionally traded picks impacting the top 16:

• Columbus will receive Chicago's first-round pick if Chicago does not win either of the two draws in the 2022 draft lottery. Otherwise, the pick defers to 2023.

• Buffalo will receive Vegas' first-round pick if it is outside the top 10 selections. Otherwise, the pick defers to 2023.

EWA BEACH, Hawaii — Hyo Joo Kim staved off a late charge from Hinako Shibuno to win the LPGA Tour's LOTTE Championship on Saturday.

Kim closed with a 1-under 71 — following a bogey on the par-4 17th with a tap-in birdie on the par-5 18th — to finish at 11-under 277, two shots clear of Shibuno at breezy Hoakalei Country Club.

Kim earned $300,000 for her fifth LPGA Tour title.

“There were a lot of expectations but also a lot of support coming from friends and family as well,” said Kim, who won a major at age 19 in the 2014 Evian Championship. “There have been ups and downs and I think I am at the up part right now and I feel very proud, a little confident about the future and the outlook looks bright for me and I feel like I can do better moving forward.”

The 26-year old South Korean star had a three-stroke lead after both the second and third rounds and held off a final-round push from Shibuno, the Japanese player who a bogey-free 70.

Kim played the front nine in 1 under. She put her approach on the par-5 fifth hole, which played at 540 yards, inside of 3 feet to to set up a birdie. She birdied No. 8, but bogeyed the par-3 ninth hole that went from a third-round yardage of 146 yards to 184 for the last round.

Kim birdied No. 18 after a bit of drama. She missed the fairway with her tee shot and found the right rough. Her second shot crossed the fairway and nestled into the first cut of the left rough. With her third, however, Kim recovered with a pitch shot that left her with a tap-in.

Kim is one of 10 players who have played in all 10 LOTTE Championships since the tournament debuted in 2012.

“I have been playing in the LOTTE Championship since the inaugural championship and then because LOTTE is my personal sponsor I always wanted to win and do well," she said.

Shibuno left herself with just over 200 yards to the front of the green with her second shot on 18, but her ball hit the lip of a greenside bunker and fell back in. She went on to par the hole.

“I was having very fun playing with her. My putting was a little, you know, couldn’t go in, so that was the (difference) with her,” Shibuno said.

Hye-Jin Choi was third at 7 under after a 69.

Brianna Do, who played in the final group alongside Kim and Shibuno, started the round three strokes back of the lead, but struggled with a 77 and tied for 12th. Do was seeking to become just the third local qualifier to win an LPGA Tour event and the first since Brooke Henderson in the 2015 Portland Classic.