K-Heart Sports – 12/19/22

K-HEART SPORTS – 12/19/22 – 0700
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov came to the rink dressed like an elf at the request of teammate Ryan Reaves, with a fuzzy green-and-red hat that stayed on his head for the Christmas-themed warmups. Minnesota’s star forward kept the fun going all game with his one-of-a-kind skills. Kaprizov had a goal and two assists for the Wild, who held on to beat the Ottawa Senators 4-2 on Sunday afternoon for their fifth straight win. Mats Zuccarello had a goal and an assist and Spurgeon also scored for the Wild. Sam Steel had two assists to back Filip Gustavsson in his stoppage of Ottawa’s four-game winning streak with 25 saves — including several high-danger stops — against his former team. Right after one of them, Kaprizov got the Wild on the board near the midpoint of the first period with his 19th goal. Mark Kastelic spoiled the shutout bid for Gustavsson with a goal early in the third period. With 1:40 left, Claude Giroux knocked in a rebound with the Senators to cut the lead to one. Frederick Gaudreau answered with a slap shot on the empty net to seal it with 25 seconds left.
 
The Wild welcomed Ryan Hartman back from a 21-game absence due to a shoulder injury, slotting him in at right wing on the second line. Steel has proven to be a valuable pivot between Zuccarello and Kaprizov, where Hartman used to be. In the 14 games since Steel was moved up to the first line, the trio has combined for 21 goals and 31 assists.
 
Early in the second period, Kaprizov broke loose up the right wing and snapped a shot that Senators goalie Anton Forsberg turned aside for a long rebound. Steel snagged it and set up Zuccarello for a one-timer. That gave Kaprizov 200 career points in his 167th game, the fastest Wild player to reach that milestone and the fourth-fastest player in the NHL since the 2000-01 season to get there behind Sidney Crosby (142), Alex Ovechkin (165) and Evgeni Malkin (166). Kaprizov still had some more playmaking in store, when he burst between two Senators to thread a slick up-ice pass that Spurgeon snagged in stride before a cut inside to knock a backhander in for the 3-0 lead midway through the second period.
 
UP NEXT
Wild: at Anaheim on Wednesday
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TIMBERWOLVES-BULLS
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards had season highs with 37 points and 11 assists and the Minnesota Timberwolves broke the franchise record for points in a game, routing the Chicago Bulls 150-126 on Sunday night. D’Angelo Russell added 28 points after missing two games and Minnesota made a season-high 23 pointers to roll past Chicago despite missing four regulars. Rudy Gobert missed his second straight game because of a sprained left ankle. Karl-Anthony Towns (right calf strain) and top reserves Jordan McLaughlin (left calf strain) and Taurean Prince (right shoulder) also sat out. Russell was a game-time decision after sitting out with a knee injury. Starting a four-game trip, Chicago lost its fourth straight and sixth in eight games. It is the fourth-most points the Bulls have ever given up in regulation; the most since allowing 152 to Detroit on Nov. 3, 1982. Nikola Vucevic added 23 points and Zach LaVine had 22.
 
Edwards scored six points in a 9-1 surge for a 106-89 lead late in the third quarter. But Edwards saved his best shot of the quarter for a buzzer-beater. With 2.1 seconds left, he stole an inbounds pass on the logo at center court, continued right and made a 32-foot pull-up jumper. As the ball went through the hoop to make it 113-97, Edwards turned to face the crowd and, after a couple of seconds of basking with a huge smile, began to high-five the fans. Russell made seven of his eight first-half shots, including 6 of 7 from deep. That included a 34-foot desperation heave from the logo early in the second quarter as the shot clock expired. Nathan Knight scored a season-high 16 points. … Naz Reid, who scored the first 10 Minnesota points, left in the second quarter with trapezius tightness. … Edwards had a steal to extend the NBA’s longest active streak of at least one steal to 16 games.
 
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Host Dallas on Monday and Wednesday nights
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WORLD CUP
 
LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi finally won the biggest prize in soccer. Argentina beat France 4-2 in a penalty shootout to claim a third World Cup title despite Kylian Mbappé scoring the first hat trick in a final in 56 years. Gonzalo Montiel scored the clinching penalty as Argentina won after a 3-3 draw. Messi’s once-in-a-generation career is complete now that he is finally a World Cup champion. Messi is definitively in the pantheon of soccer’s greatest ever players alongside Pelé and Diego Maradona. Europe’s run of four straight World Cup winners dating to 2006 came to an end.
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MLB-JUDGE HOME RUN BALL
 
RUNNEMEDE, N.J. (AP) — The ball New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit for his American League-record 62nd home run has sold for $1.5 million at auction. The price is the second highest paid for a baseball auction, according to Goldin Executive Chairman and Founder Ken Goldin. He identified the buyer as a prominent Midwestern businessman and collector. Bidding on the ball opened on Nov. 29 and ended Saturday. The minimum opening bid was set at $1 million. The home run ball was consigned to Goldin in November by Cory Youmans.
 
 

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