Alex Ovechkin hasn't decided if his final NHL game was Tuesday night. If it was, the Russian superstar made sure he got on the scoresheet.

With Liam Rosenior's side battling to qualify for the Champions League - and a host of negative stories off the pitch - our Chelsea expert KIERAN GILL answers your burning questions.

Flyers fans could have been excused for thinking they entered some kind of time warp as they grabbed their Let's Go Flyers rally towels on their way into the arena.The Grateful Dead cover band Splintered Sunlight jammed out to hits from the 1970s and graybeards old enough to remember the Flyers' Stanley Cup victories swayed in their tie-dyed T-shirts. Just down the concourse, Flyers Hall of Famer Joe Watson signed copies of his autobiography and all-time great Bobby Clarke was all smiles as he filled his cup soda, not Stanley at the press box fountain station.The good old days.The Flyers remained tethered for decades to the glory days like a dog on a leash because, well, what was there to really celebrate?At last, plenty and an unbridled optimism that even better seasons were ahead.The youth moment skated at full blast on the ice Tuesday night in a 4-2 win over Montreal a day after the Flyers clinched their first playoff berth since 2020 and their first home playoff series since 2018.Philadelphia's first goal was scored by 19-year-old sensation Porter Martone, who just weeks ago starred at Michigan State and now could be a dangerous weapon in the first-round series against Pittsburgh. Martone deflected a point shot from Matvei Michkov, the 21-year-old Russian who navigated an uneven first half of the season only to heat up as the games heightened in importance down the stretch.Michkov scored the Flyers' third goal unassisted (20th overall) as one fan raised a We Want More! sign.Architects of the lengthy rebuild, general manager Danny Briere and team president Keith Jones, could bask in the credit tossed their way from social media to talk radio to even the written word for never wavering from their plan to build a playoff team through the draft and shrewd acquisitions for 20-somethings over making moves for quick-fix veterans with no long-term fit.Take a look at the clincher against Carolina: 2020 first-round pick Tyson Foerster, still just 24, scored the shootout winner that ignited pandemonium on the ice and in the stands.Just how young are the Flyers?Their last home playoff series came in the Year 2018 BG.Before Gritty.Gritty, the wild-haired, googly-eyed, fuzzy faced mascot, got his playoff reps in Tuesday night when he hurled a cake into the face of an unsuspecting (ahem) fan dressed in Penguins gear.Gritty smashed dessert. Dan Vladar, the goalie who won the Bobby Clarke Trophy as the teams most valuable player, spilled the tea.Briere, who sparked the Flyers to their last Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2010, had publicly downplayed playoff possibilities all season.He had a more upbeat message inside the Flyers' locker room.He told us at the beginning of the year, I hope hes not going to get mad at me, but he said the goal is to make the playoffs, Vladar said. There was always a belief in this room. Obviously, we knew that, even if it was the media or outsiders who didnt really believe in us, we always had the belief here since Day 1.Flyers captain Sean Couturier was once a key cog in rebuilding back when he was the eighth overall pick in the 2011 draft. Couturier made his debut that season and has largely remained a steady presence in the lineup save for injuries that cost him the 2022-2023 season and is the only Flyer still here from their last home playoff series victory against, yes, the Penguins in 2012.You want things to turn around, Couturier said. I think that the management, the organization has done a great job of being patient and building assets and putting us in a great spot here for now and the future.The now actually seemed dire before the Olympic break when the Flyers lost 11 of their last 14 games before the shutdown and dropped one more once play resumed. Whatever defensive adjustments coach Rick Tocchet made during the layoff worked. The Flyers' season caught fire when they won three straight road games against the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks and they ended the season on an 18-6-1 tear that propelled them to 98 points and into third place in the Metropolitan Division.Who knows, maybe it was the suburban Philadelphia family that gifted Pope Leo XIV his own customized Flyers jersey that truly the blessed the team.The regular-season finale served more as a joyous pep rally than a game with any real consequences. The fans dancing to the Dead cover band cheered as the singer paused during Jack Straw after he hit the lyric sun so hot, the clouds so low, the eagles filled the sky in appreciation of the NFL team across the street.The rest of the night belonged to the orange and black.Gritty once issued a warning to the Penguins: Sleep with one eye open tonight, bird.Led by one of the youngest teams in the NHL, the Flyers are going into the playoffs with eyes wide open and ready to prove to their fans, dont you worry any more.___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Alabama linebacker Justin Jefferson visited the Texans, per a league source.He has also visited the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons.Jefferson is a classic run-and-chase Will linebacker at 6-foot, 223 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds at the NFL scouting combine after foregoing the Senior Bowl all-star game due to an injury. He had a 38 1/2 vertical at the NFL scouting combine with a 10-5 broad jump.He met formally at the combine with the Tampa Bay BuccaneersI get to a place I make the play, Jefferson said during the combine. I have refined my game a lot since junior college. Im blessed to be here. Nitty-gritty, tough. I dont know if you ever been to Mississippi, middle of nowhere, corn fields, nitty-gritty. Ive worked very hard to get here. I had to learn to better myself. Its been a driving factor in my life. I dont come from too much. I had to grind and pray and compete to be the man I am today.A junior college transfer from Pearl River, Jefferson recorded 85 tackles, 6 1/2 for losses with three sacks, one interception and a forced fumble last season. In his second year for the Crimson Tide, Jefferson finished with 60 tackles, 6 1/2 for losses, two sacks and a forced fumble.Through thick and think, Im going to stick it out, Jefferson said. Im going to elevate myself every year. I love a challenge. I thrive in that.Its been great. Its a true blessing. I dont come from too much. I figured out my path.Aaron Wilson is Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

Jos Emilio Santamara, the legendary defender known as "The Wall", has died at the age of 96.He became infamous for helping establish Real Madrid's dominance in European football in the late 1950s and early 1960s.The Spanish club confirmed the news on Wednesday.They described the Uruguayan-born centre-back as "one of the greatest legends of our club and of world football".TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour SaySantamara earned his famous moniker through his formidable defensive performances for both Los Blancos and the national teams of Uruguay and Spain during a remarkable playing career.La Liga also issued a statement mourning his passing and extending condolences to his family and friends.During his nine seasons at the Bernabu from 1957 to 1966, Santamara amassed an extraordinary collection of honours, including four European Cup triumphs in 1958, 1959, 1960 and 1966.The centre-back also claimed six Spanish league championships and one Copa del Rey across 337 appearances for the club.He formed part of a legendary side that secured the first consecutive European Cups in history, playing alongside icons such as Alfredo Di Stfano, Ferenc Pusks, Francisco Gento and Raymond Kopa.Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said: "Alongside Di Stfano, Pusks, Gento and Kopa, that team began to build the legend of Real Madrid."Before joining Real Madrid, Santamara had already established himself as a top-class defender in his homeland, winning five Uruguayan Championship titles with Club Nacional de Football in Montevideo.Born in the Uruguayan capital to Spanish parents, he represented his country of birth 25 times and featured at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland.LATEST SPORT NEWSBen Stokes reveals 'scary situation' as England cricket captain inches from death in horror injuryBritish tennis icon Jamie Murray announces retirement after 36 years in heartfelt statementManchester United star receives ban for swearing at referee as full punishment revealedSantamara subsequently became a naturalised Spaniard and switched international allegiance, going on to earn 16 caps for his adopted nation from 1958 onwards.He appeared for Spain at the 1962 World Cup in Chile, becoming one of the rare players to represent two different countries at football's showpiece tournament.Following his retirement as a player in 1966, Santamara transitioned into coaching.He began with Real Madrid's youth academy.He took charge of RCD Espanyol for seven seasons from 1971, becoming the club's most experienced manager in terms of official matches with 252 games.Santamara also led Spain's Olympic squad at the 1968 Mexico City Games and the 1980 Moscow Olympics.He then took the senior national team to the 1982 World Cup on home soil.Perez added: "Santamara always exemplified the values of our club, and until his last moment, Real Madrid was the great passion of his life."Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Jamie Dornan also joins the franchise for The Hunt for Gollum, alongside returning stars Sir Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood.

"2025 FC Bayern Mnchen" - dafr war auf der Meisterschale gerade noch Platz. Damit diese Info auch 2026 draufpasst, hat die Schale nun einen weiteren Ring bekommen.[mehr]

The Brooklyn Cyclones (3-6, 3-6) continue their first full six-game home series of the season against the Greensboro Grasshoppers (7-3, 7-3) - the Hig... - SAL Brooklyn Cyclones

Avec sa qualification pour les demi-finales de la Ligue des champions l'issue d'une double confrontation globalement matrise contre Liverpool (2-0, 0-2), le PSG va s'alourdir un calendrier trs dense au gr notamment des reports en Ligue 1 (Nantes, Lens). Paris jouera tous les trois jours.

Le pilier du Stade toulousain, Dorian Aldegheri, a cop de trois semaines de suspension pour son plaquage dangereux sur le centre de Bordeaux-Bgles, Damian Penaud, en Champions Cup.