Penguins superstar Crosby picks up his first game misconduct

LOS ANGELES – There aren’t many occasions anymore when one can say Sidney Crosby did something in a game for the first time. Saturday night, though, he accomplished a first he hoped to avoid. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ superstar received a game misconduct for the first time in his 18-year NHL career midway through the third period of a 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The two-time league MVP was battling for position with Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson in front of the net and was knocked to the ice.

Anderson ended up being called for cross-checking. Anderson and Crosby exchanged words as Anderson skated to the penalty box and Crosby ended up shoving Anderson. Both players ended up getting 10-minute misconduct penalties, but Crosby’s got elevated to a game misconduct – which carries an automatic ejection – after continuing to chirp at referee Garrett Rank.

“I could tell he (Anderson) was saying something. I don’t know what he was saying because we were pretty far from each other. I got closer and that happens often in a lot of scrums,” Crosby said. “Honestly, I was shocked that I was getting kicked out of the game. I had no idea.”

Makhachev beats Volkanovski to defend UFC lightweight title

PERTH, Australia – Islam Makhachev

defied a rowdy crowd and a sustained challenge from Alexander Volkanovski on Sunday to cement his supremacy in the UFC lightweight division in a grueling fight in Perth, Western Australia.

In the main event of UFC 284, Makhachev defended his 155-pound belt with an unanimous decision (48-47, 4847, 49-46) to prevail in a five-round slugfest. The 31-year-old also claimed the title of best pound-for-pound fighter from featherweight champion Australian Volkanovski, who saw his 22win streak ended.

“People will call me not just ‘champ’, but ‘best fighter in the world’. I’m very happy,” said the Russian who was jeered throughout the fight by a sold-out 13,000 crowd at RAC Arena.

“I landed many good punches but he’s strong and a real champion. He was the best fighter in the world…not now.”