VANCOUVER Josh Gordon Jersey Elite , British Columbia — The Vancouver Canucks were eliminated from the playoffs several weeks ago, but they still have something to play for Thursday night.
The Canucks (30-40-10) will strive to earn a win against the Phoenix Coyotes (29-40-11) as twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin play their final home for the only NHL club they have known.
“We definitely want to make their last game here memorable and (we) want to try and get a win for them,” rookie Canucks winger Adam Gaudette told reporters Wednesday after an optional practice.
A sellout crowd is expected for the second straight game, with tickets again fetching premium prices, after the Sedins announced their retirement Monday. Daniel Sedin told reporters that Thursday’s contest will stand out more in their minds than the boisterous scene Tuesday, when the Canucks lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in a shootout in which both Sedins participated.
“It’s a chance for us to thank the fans, it’s more that than anything else,” Daniel Sedin said. “Time flies. It will be over before we know it. We’re going to enjoy it and treat it like a normal game. (Thursday) will be more emotional. I think that’s when you realize … you’ve probably taken your last steps on the ice. It will be special.”
Several tributes are planned for the 37-year-olds during the game as their parents, two older brothers and other friends and former teammates join the crowd.
Among other special happenings, the club’s nightly 50/50 will start at C$400,000 and lights outside Rogers Arena and within Vancouver’s city limits will shine blue and yellow (Sweden’s colors) in tribute to the Swedish siblings.
The Sedins’ teammates plan to enjoy the occasion, too.
“It’s the end of an era,” center Bo Horvat, who is a strong candidate to replace Henrik Sedin as captain next season, told reporters. “It’s the end of an amazing career for those guys.
“To be part of it is really special for me.”
Although the Canucks and Coyotes will miss the playoffs, the game — the second-last for each club — holds some significance in the standings. With a win, Arizona can move a point ahead of the Canucks and leave Vancouver last in the Western Conference. Thursday’s result could also affect the teams’ 2018 draft position, depending on how lottery balls fall.
The Canucks and Coyotes have been playing well Josh Jackson Packers Jersey , much to the chagrin of fans who want them to tank during the stretch run and improve their draft hopes. Vancouver has won five of seven games, while Arizona has two straight victories and six in the past eight outings.
The Canucks might need to worry about one of their former players. Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton, who was drafted by the Canucks and spent most of his time in their farm system, has been on a scoring tear lately.
He scored the winning goal and added an assist in Arizona’s 4-1 victory over Calgary on Tuesday and has 10 goals since the all-star break — after scoring only once in his first 42 games.
“I’m playing a lot more confident — using my skating, using my shot,” the 28-year-old, who is due to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, told reporters. “(I) had a rough year last year with injuries and then sitting out (as a healthy scratch.) So the beginning of the year, I was still trying to get back to my game, but I think I’m back there now.”
Connauton might see more playing time than usual Thursday. Fellow Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who was injured in Calgary, will not be in the lineup. The Coyotes recalled Dakota Mermis from the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League to fill in for him.
Chychrun suffered an undisclosed lower-body injury when he was tripped from behind by Calgary’s Michael Frolik. Arizona coach Rick Tocchet took exception to Frolik’s action.
“I know he’s not a dirty player, but it’s a dirty play,” Tocchet told reporters. “I don’t like it at all.”
Chris Sale took a two-hitter into the seventh inning before being ejected, and the Boston Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles with a 5-1 victory Wednesday.
After issuing two walks to open the seventh in a 5-0 game, Sale (6-4) was lifted by manager Alex Cora. As he was making his way to the dugout, the left-hander yelled at plate umpire Brian Knight and was promptly ejected.
Sale struck out nine, allowed one run and gave up two hits in ending a run of three straight losing starts. Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez homered for the Red Sox Hayden Hurst Youth Jersey , who are 9-1 against the Orioles this season. Baltimore has lost seven straight and 14 of 16.
Betts, the major league leader in batting average, came off the disabled list Monday after missing 14 games with an abdominal strain. He played Monday, was rested Tuesday and returned to the top of the lineup in the series finale. Betts hit a 3-2 pitch from Yefry Ramirez over the center-field wall in the third for his 18th home run. A three-run fifth made it 4-0, and Martinez hit his team-leading 22nd in the seventh.
Ramirez (0-1) gave up three runs and four hits over 4 1/3 innings, striking out six.
NATIONALS 5, YANKEES 4
NEW YORK (AP) – Teenage rookie Juan Soto homered twice and drove in four runs, becoming the youngest player in 29 years to go deep in a regular-season game at Yankee Stadium, and Washington beat New York.
After getting a game off Tuesday, his first in three-plus weeks as a major leaguer, a refreshed Soto showed exactly why he was rated one of baseball’s best prospects.
The 19-year-old outfielder lofted a three-run homer into the left-field corner off Sonny Gray in the fourth inning to give Washington, shut out in its previous two games, a 4-3 lead. Soto then launched a titanic shot to right-center in the seventh against Chasen Shreve (2-1), putting the Nationals back in front 5-4.
Projected at 436 feet, the drive soared to the back of a standing-room terrace above and beyond the Yankees‘ bullpen in right-center. It also ended a 23-inning shutout streak for New York relievers and made Soto (19 years, 231 days old) the youngest player in Nationals history to have a multihomer game.
ASTROS 13, ATHLETICS 5
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Evan Gattis hit two home runs Mike McGlinchey Jersey , including the first of back-to-back shots with Marwin Gonzalez during a seven-run second inning, and streaking Houston beat Oakland for its seventh straight win.
Jake Marisnick also homered, Carlos Correa had a two-run triple and Yuli Gurriel had three hits and three RBIs to help Gerrit Cole (8-1) win his sixth straight decision.
The defending World Series champs moved a season-high 19 games over .500. This is Houston’s longest winning streak since taking seven in a row from Aug. 31-Sept. 6, 2017.
One night after homering and setting a career-high with five RBIs, Gattis had another huge day at the plate. He drove in five again, becoming the first player in franchise history to drive in five in consecutive games.
DODGERS 3, RANGERS 2, 11 INNINGS
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Enrique Hernandez dodged home on a wild throw by pitcher Matt Bush in the 11th inning and, hours after a hard collision at the plate led to a bench-clearing incident and a pair of ejections, Los Angeles edged Texas.
Hernandez drew a leadoff walk from Jesse Chavez (2-1) and moved up on a long flyout. Yasiel Puig was intentionally walked and Chavez was yanked after a walk to Logan Forsythe loaded the bases.
Austin Barnes followed with a comebacker, and Bush reached out to grab it. But Bush hurried as he spun around, and his throw home for a potential forceout pulled catcher Carlos Perez off the plate. Hernandez stepped over Barnes’ bat, danced around the catcher and touched home with his right hand, leaving Perez tagging nothing but thin air.
Adam Liberatore (2-1) got the win in relief.
BRAVES 2, METS 0
ATLANTA (AP) – Mike Soroka did not allow a hit until the seventh inning, Freddie Freeman homered and drove in both runs, and Atlanta beat New York.
Soroka, at 20 the youngest pitcher in the major leagues Brian O'Neill Vikings Jersey , returned from a right shoulder strain that sidelined him since May 17 to outpitch NL ERA leader Jacob deGrom (4-2) in a game that lasted only 2 hours, 12 minutes. The Mets have lost 10 of their past 11 and 17 of their past 21.
Making his fourth career start, Soroka (2-1) gave up one hit, one walk and struck out four in 6 1/3 innings. Freeman, the NL batting leader, has hit safely in 23 of his past 24 games. He drove in the first run with a single in the fourth off deGrom (4-2). He homered off Jeremy Blevins in the eighth.
DeGrom (4-2) allowed seven hits and one run and struck out seven in seven innings.
WHITE SOX 3, INDIANS 2
CHICAGO (AP) – Dylan Covey carried a shutout into the eighth inning, continuing his impressive June and helping Chicago beat Trevor Bauer and Cleveland.
Covey (3-1) allowed 10 hits – all singles – and walked none. The 26-year-old right-hander, who was acquired from Oakland in the 2016 Rule 5 draft, improved to 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA in five starts since he was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte last month.
Covey got a warm ovation from the crowd of 19,390 when he departed after the first two batters reached in the eighth. Edwin Encarnacion hit a one-out RBI single and Yonder Alonso doubled home another run before Jace Fry struck out Melky Cabrera and Jason Kipnis, preserving Chicago’s 3-2 lead.
Bauer (5-5) struck out 12 in 7 2/3 innings while becoming the third pitcher in franchise history to record at least 10 Ks in four consecutive starts, joining teammate Corey Kluber and Hall of Famer Bob Feller.
BREWERS 1, CUBS 0
MILWAUKEE .
