IN BRIEF
PREDATORS ADVANCE TO CONFERENCE FINALS
For the first time in their nearly two-decade history, the Nashville Predators are headed to the NHL Western Conference finals, eliminating the St. Louis Blues in a 3-1 victory Sunday in Game 6 of their second-round series. The Predators won their ninth consecutive playoff game in Nashville going back to last postseason. Center
Ryan Johansen, held without a point in four consecutive games, flicked the game-winner past Blues goaltender Jake Allen at 3:15 of the third period. St. Louis took the first seven shots and went up 1-0 on Paul Stastny’s goal, a wrister 2:04 into the game off assists from Vladimir Tara
senko and Jaden Schwartz. Tarasenko’s shot from the right circle hit off goalie Pekka Rinne and then Stastny, who knocked the puck in for the goal. The Blues even took the first two penalties of the game, and Nashville couldn’t take advantage of the man advantage with sloppy puckhandling and too many turnovers. It was the first even-strength goal the Predators had allowed in the first period this postseason. The Predators needed 35 seconds into the second to tie the score. Mat
tias Ekholm found Roman Josi all alone in the right circle for a quick shot past Allen’s glove. That gave Nashville defensemen nine goals this postseason, a franchise record. Johansen, Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg came into the game having combined for three points in the series after getting 15 in the first-round sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks. Johansen had an assist on Josi’s goal.
Leon Draisaitl had three goals and two assists, Mark Letestu added two goals and two assists and the Edmonton Oilers cruised to a 7-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night, forcing a decisive Game 7 in their Western Conference semifinal se-
ries. Zach Kassian and Anton Slepychev also scored and Cam Talbot stopped 34 shots for the Oilers, who led 5-0 after the first period. Rickard Rakell scored midway through the second period for Anaheim. John Gibson was pulled after giving up three goals on six shots less than 81⁄ 2 minutes into the game. Jona
than Bernier came on and finished with 25 saves.
WIZARDS EVEN NBA SERIES
Bradley Beal scored 29 points and the Washington Wizards used a 26-0 third-quarter run to beat the Boston Celtics 121-102 Sunday night to tie the NBA second-round series at two games apiece. John Wall added 27 points and 12 assists for Washington. Wall had seven points, three assists and two steals during the third-quarter spree that featured eight Celtics turnovers. Otto
Porter scored four of his 18 points in the dominant six-minute span that included five points from Markieff Morris. Trailing 53-48 before the run, Washington led 74-53 on Porter’s layup with five minutes left in the third. The Wizards led by as many as 26 and outscored the Celtics 237-191 in the two games in D.C. Isaiah
Thomas had 19 points for Boston but scored 17 in the first 15 minutes and was held to 1-for-6 shooting after.
BIRDIE ON FINAL HOLE GIVES HARMAN VICTORY
Brian Harman made a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday to win the Wells Fargo Championship in Wilmington, N.C., and deny Dustin Johnson the chance at a fourth consecutive PGA Tour victory. Johnson, in his return from a freak back injury that knocked him out of the Masters, went from making the cut on the number to a 67-67 weekend at Eagle Point and appeared headed for a playoff with Harman and Pat Perez. Harman won it with a birdie-birdie finish, none bigger than on the par-5 18th. After going so long on his second shot that he needed relief from behind a corporate tent, Harman hit a heavy chip that barely got onto the green. From just under 30 feet, the putt dropped in and set off a wild celebration. Harman closed with a 4-under 68 for his second PGA Tour victory.
John Daly is happy to be back on top, no matter how bad he might have looked finishing it off. Daly closed with three consecutive bogeys Sunday to hang on for his first PGA Tour Champions title, a one-stroke victory in the Insperity Invitational in The Woodlands, Texas. “It wasn’t pretty at the end,” Daly said. “But I got it done, and that’s all that matters.” The 51-year-old had not won on tour since the PGA Tour’s 2004 Buick Invitational. Wearing American flag pants, Daly shot 3under-par 69 Sunday to finish at 14-under 202 and earned $322,500. He opened with rounds of 68 and 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Kenny Perry into the final round. Perry shot 69, and Tommy Armour III had a 67.
Sei Young Kim held off Ariya Jutanugarn 1 up on Sunday to win the Lorena Ochoa Match Play in Mexico City for her sixth LPGA title. After Jutanugarn won the par-5 17th hole with a birdie to force another hole, Kim finished the match with a halve for a par on the par-4 18th.