Admirals’ win streak hits 18
Yaroslav Askarov stopped all 27 shots thrown his way for his fifth shutout of the season as the Milwaukee Admirals beat the Chicago Wolves, 4-0, to extend their winning streak to 18 on Thursday at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
The Admirals now have sole possession of second place in American Hockey League history for the longest winning streak, trailing only the 2011-12 Norfolk Admirals who won a professional hockey record 28 consecutive contests.
The win for Askarov extended his personal winning streak to 14 games, which is a franchise record eclipsing fellow netminder Troy Grosenick's active 13-game streak.
Zach L’Heureux scored a pair of goals for Milwaukee, while Adam Wilsby and Cody Hodgson each found the back of the net as well, while Juuso Parssinen dished out a pair of assists in the game.
Wilsby started things right for the Admirals, scoring his fifth goal of the season just 57 seconds after the drop of the drop. Wilby carried the puck up the right wing, entered the Wolves zone and fired a wrister over the right shoulder of Chicago goalie Adam Scheel.
The score stayed that way until early in the third period when L'Heureux pushed the Ads' lead to 2-0. off a rebound for his 13th goal of the season at 2:10 of the third.
The Wolves made a push late in the third and had 1:24 of 5-on-3 power play, but Askarov and the Ads defense proved up to the task.
GYMNASTICS
Gabby Douglas’ return to competition is going to have to wait.
The 2012 Olympic gymnastics champion pulled out of this weekend's Winter Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, after posting on social media that she had tested positive for COVID-19.
The 28-year-old Douglas was planning to compete in three of the four events at Winter Cup, her first meet since the 2016 Olympics.
The Winter Cup is the first major tune-up for American gymnasts hoping to make this summer's Olympic team.
NBA
The Atlanta Hawks are preparing to be without center Onyeka Okongwu for an indefinite period of time, leaving the team with serious front-line depth issues as it returns from the all-tar break.
Coach Quin Snyder said following Thursday's practice Okongwu, who missed the final game before the break with a sprained left toe, “is not going to be available for the foreseeable future.”
The loss of Okongwu, who has shared playing time with starting center Clint Capela, comes as Capela has missed the past six games with a left adductor strain.
MLB
The Pittsburgh Pirates and all-star pitcher Mitch Keller agreed to a five-year contract worth $77 million, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The deal is pending a physical.
A 27-year-old right-hander, Keller is coming off a breakthrough season in which he became a firsttime all-star. He finished 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA on a Pirates team that went 76-86..
Marlins to sign Anderson: Former AL batting champion Tim Anderson has agreed to a one-year contact with the Miami Marlins, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The 30-year-old Anderson had spent all eight of his major league seasons with the White Sox. After leading the major leagues with a .335 average in 2019, Anderson hit .245 last year, the second-lowest of his big league career.
Urshela, Tigers agree to deal: Infielder Gio Urshela and the Detroit Tigers agreed Thursday to a $1.5 million, one-year contract, a move that figures to create competition at third base with Zach McKinstry, Matt Vierling and Andy Ibañez.
The 32-year-old Colombian hit .299 with two homers and 24 RBI in 62 games last season for the Los Angeles Angels.
GOLF
The PGA Tour will have to wait for the 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods. In a pre-qualifier Thursday, Charlie Woods took a 12 on one hole and shot 86.
Woods didn't make a birdie at Lost Lake Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida, one of four pre-qualifier sites for next week's Cognizant Classic. About two dozen players combined from the four sites would move on to Monday's qualifier, from which four players earn a spot in the PGA Tour event.