Devils holding on to last playoff spot
Stefan Noesen scored on a rebound with 1:33 to play and the Devils continued their playoff push with a 4-3 victory over the Hurricanes on Tuesday night in Newark.
Kyle Palmieri notched two goals and an assist and Taylor Hall had three assists for the Devils, who have won three straight and six of eight. Pavel Zacha also scored and Keith Kinkaid, who has supplanted Cory Schneider as the No. 1 goaltender, made 31 saves. The Devils extended their lead to three points ahead of idle Florida for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, with the Panthers having played two fewer games. Carolina is nine points back.
ISLANDERS TOP SENS
Andrew Ladd scored the tiebreaking goal late in the third period to lift the visiting Islanders toa 4-3 victory over the Senators on Tuesday night.
DUKE’S CAPEL OFF TO PITT
Duke associate head coach Jeff Capel III has agreed to be the next head coach of Pittsburgh, according to four sources close to the basketball programs at Duke and Pitt. Pittsburgh’s athletic director Heather Lyke confirmed the hire in a press release Tuesday afternoon. Capel’s departure is a huge loss for Duke. He has been the associate head coach there since 2011. Capel, 43, was Mike Krzyzewski’s lead recruiter on the staff. l Louisville has found its new men’s basketball coach, tapping Xavier’s Chris Mack to guide the program back to national contention after a turbulent season in which the Cardinals were linked to a federal investigation and eventually missed the NCAA Tournament.
l Tony Carr scored 21 points, Shep Garner added 18 while breaking a school record for career 3-pointers and Penn State routed Mississippi State 75-60 in the National Invitational Tournament semifinals . The fourth-seeded Nittany Lions (25-13) will play No. 2 seed Utah for the championship Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
MURPH TO START ON DL
Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy is headed to the 10-day disabled list as he recovers from offseason surgery on his right knee.
l The Mariners are expected to sign Jayson Werth to a minorleague contract, a deal contingent on a successful physical.
SEATTLE BACKUP RELEASED
The Seahawks released quarterback Trevone Boykin on Tuesday shortly after his girlfriend alleged in a television interview that he physically assaulted her in Texas last week. The practice squad player was released from the team after WFAA-TV in Dallas posted an interview with Boykin’s girlfriend detailing an assault she alleges happened on March 20 in Mansfield, just southwest of Dallas. The woman said she refused to show Boykin a text message and an argument ensued, and that he broke her jaw and tried to strangle her.
l The Titans have agreed to terms on deals with quarterback Blaine Gabbert and offensive lineman Xavier Su’a-Filo.