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Avalanche Journal: NHL players at the 2026 Winter Olympics “would mean a lot” to Mikko Rantanen

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Mikko Rantanen can probably envision himself streaking down the wing in a blue-and-white jersey, collecting a pass from one of the best centers or defensemen in the world and scoring one of the biggest goals of his hockey career.Sure, that can happen in a Stanley Cup Final with Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche. But this version of his dream could include Aleksander Barkov and Miro Heiskanen, and the jersey would have a golden lion on the front.Rantanen, like MacKinnon, Makar and so many of the NHL’s greatest players under the age of 30, has not had the chance to play for his country in the Winter Olympics, let alone any best-on-best tournament with his national team. He has played for Finland at the IIHF world championships, which is a much bigger deal in European countries. But to put on the Suomi sweater and participate in an experience like the Olympics would be something entirely different.“It would mean a lot,” Rantanen said. “Hope...

10 Freeway shut down in downtown L.A. due to massive storage yard fire 

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 07:00:00 GMT

A large fire shut down part of the 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles early Saturday morning, and the closure is expected to last at least 24 hours, officials said.The blaze was first reported around 12:30 a.m. at a storage yard near East 14th and Alameda streets and quickly spread to neighboring storage yards, preliminary indication from the Los Angeles Fire Department indicated. Fire had engulfed both sides of 14th Street underneath the 10, and the heat was so intense that it melted some of the freeway's steel guardrails, according to LAFD Public Information Officer David Ortiz. Only 15% of Californians can afford a home, new data shows "Firefighters mounted a very heroic defense against this fire, and they saved three buildings they were looking to protect," Ortiz told KTLA 5's Erin Myers. "But the flame lengths were to the point where...steel was melted [and] concrete is falling."More than 160 firefighters and a helicopter were brought out to battle the blaze, which eru...

By the numbers: Sizing up Christian McCaffrey’s 49ers’ touchdown streak against Lenny Moore

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Christian McCaffrey enters Sunday’s road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars more concerned with snapping a three-game losing streak for the 49ers than setting an NFL record for scoring touchdowns in consecutive games including the postseason.Asked about potentially breaking the record, McCaffrey said, “It will mean a lot more if we get the win.”If McCaffrey gets in the end zone for the 18th straight game, it will break a tie with Hall of Fame running back Lenny Moore of the Baltimore Colts, who also scored touchdowns in 17 consecutive games in 1963-64.Moore was one of the first great NFL rushing/receiving backs, a role McCaffrey has excelled at since he was drafted No. 8 overall by Stanford by the Carolina Panthers in 2017.In their 17-game streaks with a touchdown, both men have scored 23 touchdowns during that span and their teams have posted a 13-4 record.McCaffrey leads the NFL in rushing with 652 yards, and although he’s averaged just 2.7 yards per car...

Bay Area high school football roundup 2023: Best of Week 12 action

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Welcome back to the Bay Area News Group’s high school football roundup.Here, you’ll find all the details from the weekend’s action in this news organization’s coverage area, which encompasses teams that play in leagues based primarily in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.Check back every Saturday during the season for scores, highlights and top performers, updated throughout the day.If you have not already, please subscribe here for complete digital access all season long. Your contributions keep us going.On to the roundup …CCS Open/Division INo. 7 Wilcox 52, No. 2 St. Francis 28Elijah Walker scored five touchdowns, four rushing and one on a kickoff return, as Wilcox pulled off perhaps the most stunning upset of the first round. The Chargers defense also forced three turnovers as Wilcox punched its ticket to the Open Division final and a spot in the Division I title game. Nathan Canilao has the full story from Mountain View.No. 3 St. Ignatius 21, No. 6 Valley...

Despite privacy concerns, Morgan Hill embraces web of 50 surveillance cameras snapping license plates

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Every time someone drives in or out of Morgan Hill, an automated camera takes a swift snapshot of the license plate. A web of 50 cameras form a virtual net around the city, and their use has been accompanied by a string of arrests and a marked drop in some property crimes, according to the South Bay city’s police department.Morgan Hill was among the first cities in the Bay Area to adopt such a complex network of license plate readers, and — according to statistics provided by the police department — it’s among the most successful. But as the technology is set to spread through the region, privacy experts worry that the cameras also function as a surveillance system hiding in plain sight, even as the threat they pose goes under the radar.The police department’s interest in the license plate readers began in 2020 after a suspect fired fatal shots from one vehicle into another. When the department couldn’t immediately find the shooter, they began looking f...

Veterans help deer stuck at NASA Visitors’ Center

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 07:00:00 GMT

A veteran and his sister sprung into action in the District to free a trapped deer on Friday.“There’s nothing that says the people who are the first to answer the call know the answer to the call,” Peter Moschetti said.Moschetti, who served in the Navy for 5 years, told WTOP that he invited his sister Elizabeth, who is currently in the reserves and is retiring from the Navy after 23 years of service this year, to celebrate Veterans Day in D.C. this weekend.They planned to visit NASA in Greenbelt, Maryland, where Peter now works as an electrical engineer. He said he got his master’s degree after leaving active duty thanks to the GI Bill.Little did the sibling pair know they’d have to use some of their training to help another living creature in need.“As we’re pulling through the main gate, we see a deer with its head stuck in the main gate for the visitor’s center,” Moschetti said.Elizabeth worked as a dog handler in the Navy duri...

Man United’s Christian Eriksen injured in Premier League game against Luton

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 07:00:00 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Christian Eriksen was substituted in the first half of Manchester United’s Premier League game against Luton on Saturday after appearing to injure his left knee.The Denmark international looked in discomfort as a member of United’s medical team attended to him late in the first half at Old Trafford.Eriksen walked to the sideline and was replaced by Mason Mount in the 40th minute. He headed to the locker room after a brief conversation with manager Erik ten Hag.United has been hit by injuries to key players this season with Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw all longterm absentees.Ten Hag said this week that Casemiro and Martinez were unlikely to play again before Christmas.Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field at the European Championship in 2021, was out for more than two months last season because of an ankle injury.Later in the game United striker Rasmus Hojlund was replaced by Anthony Martial after going down and holdin...

Italy beats Slovenia to reach Billie Jean King Cup final

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 07:00:00 GMT

SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — Italy reached its first final of the Billie Jean King Cup in a decade on Saturday after beating Slovenia. It will face either Canada or the Czech Republic on Sunday. Martina Trevisan beat Kaja Juvan 7-6, 6-3 in the opening singles match after breaking her opponent three times. Jasmine Paolini gave the Italians an insurmountable 2-0 lead after seeing off Tamara Zidansek 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.Four-time champion Italy last reached the final in 2013.Slovenia was playing its first semifinal at the competition.___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennisSource

England bows out of World Cup with a 93-run win over Pakistan. Australia beats Bangladesh

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 07:00:00 GMT

KOLKATA, India (AP) — England bowed out of the Cricket World Cup with a 93-run consolation win over Pakistan on Saturday, and Mitchell Marsh recorded his career-best ODI score as semifinal-bound Australia beat Bangladesh by eight wickets.England finished seventh in the 10-team table with three victories from nine games in its disappointing campaign to defend the title it won at home in 2019, but it did manage to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy.Ben Stokes’ 76-ball 84 formed the foundation of England’s strong total of 337-9 as Pakistan’s slim hopes of overtaking New Zealand on net run-rate for a place in the semifinal effectively ended once Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to bat.Left-arm fast bowler David Willey claimed 3-56 in 10 overs in his last one-day international to leave with 100 ODI wickets as Pakistan was bowled out for 244 with another timid batting display by its top-order batters.The last-wicket pair of Haris Rauf, who made 35, and Mohammad Wasim (16 not out) n...

Michigan will be without coach Jim Harbaugh against No. 9 Penn State after no ruling to lift ban

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 07:00:00 GMT

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — No. 2 Michigan will be without coach Jim Harbaugh on Saturday against No. 9 Penn State, after a judge did not issue a ruling on the school’s attempt to at least temporarily lift the Big Ten’s penalty against the Wolverines for a sign-stealing scheme.Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said 90 minutes before kickoff that Harbaugh would not be at Beaver Stadium with the team and a hearing in the school’s lawsuit challenging the Big Ten’s punishment of Harbaugh was scheduled for Nov. 17.“We look forward to presenting our case next week where we intend to demonstrate that the Big Ten has not acted legally or fairly,” Michigan said in a statement.On Friday, hours after the Big Ten banned Harbaugh from coaching the rest of the Wolverines’ final regular-season games as punishment for an in-person-scouting and sign-stealing operation, the coach and his alma mater filed a request for a temporary restraining order against the Big Ten...