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  • Christian Braun posterizes Rudy Gobert with left hand to punctuate Nuggets’ last home game before playoffs: “My best sequence in the NBA”

    Christian Braun posterizes Rudy Gobert with left hand to punctuate Nuggets’ last home game before playoffs: “My best sequence in the NBA”

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    Christian Braun didn’t have time immediately to examine every single notification on his phone, but he did notice a text from his mom before he spoke to reporters.

    What did she say?

    “Lord knows,” Braun said solemnly. “I probably can’t say it in here.”

    Reactions were pouring in after his left-handed dunk over three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert on Wednesday night. The poster gave the Nuggets (56-24) a 12-point lead with 3:21 remaining in an eventual 116-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. It upset the previously established order of the Western Conference standings with two games to go. It punctuated a 33-8 season at Ball Arena for the defending champions.

    Next time they play in this building, it’ll be Game 1 of a first-round playoff series (perhaps as the No. 1 seed, if they can hold serve this weekend). The players thanked their 41st sellout crowd in as many games by sticking around to throw souvenir basketballs into the stands. Nobody wanted to leave.

    “We’re on a high right now,” coach Michael Malone said, directing attention toward the two games Denver still needs to win to clinch home-court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs.

    Braun’s showstopper was a tribute to cathartic memories at Ball Arena — the crowd explosions that frequently defined Denver’s 16-4 run to the 2023 title — and a preview of more to come. He was pushing the tempo after a Minnesota miss, driving toward Gobert in transition from the left wing. Peyton Watson, his 2022 draft-mate, was slashing backside toward the rim. Gobert slid back to deny a lob to Watson, seemingly giving Braun a path toward the layup. Then the Minnesota center left his feet, trying to spring back at Braun.

    “I was just telling somebody in the locker room, a lot of the credit goes to P-Wat too, because I think Rudy knew that P-Wat is a high flyer running behind him,” Braun said. “So he was stunting, falling, trying to play both. Which is what you’re supposed to do, obviously, in transition. He was just caught between two guys that attack the rim pretty hard. … Most of the time, he gets those blocks.”

    Before Gobert could meet him at the rim, Braun partially switched the ball to his left hand in mid-air and navigated around the attempted block.

    “Everybody on the team knows I like to dunk with my left land,” he said. “I don’t usually try it in the fourth quarter of a big game like that, but I didn’t want to go up with a layup against the best defensive player in the league. You’ve gotta attack him strong. I don’t know. I didn’t really plan it.”

    Christian Braun (0) of the Denver Nuggets dunks on Rudy Gobert (27) of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the fourth quarter of the Nuggets’ 116-107 win at Ball Arena in Denver on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

    Braun flexed. The entire bench flailed with delight. Play continued. Anthony Edwards missed a quick chance at the other end — part of a scoreless fourth quarter for him — and Michael Porter Jr. carried the rebound through traffic. There was Braun at the backdoor, cutting for a lob.

    Two dunks in 21 seconds for the Nuggets’ sixth man, and it was game over.

    “Probably my best sequence in the NBA yet,” Braun said.

    Same goes for the dunk.

    “Some of the dunks that were being performed and finished and completed — Christian Braun’s left-handed dunk, I’ll be honest, there were a few where I was telling them, ‘Hey, slow up, slow up, let’s work the clock,’” Malone said. “It was a dunk show for a bit.”

    After Braun’s consecutive slams, Watson got in on the action by swatting a jumper for his career-high sixth block of the game then chasing down Jamal Murray’s long outlet pass for a fast-break hammer. Braun, trailing the play, jumped with Watson out of sheer excitement.

    That either of them would be on the floor late in the fourth quarter to begin with was a testament to the playoff blueprint both had followed to near-perfection throughout the game. Watson’s blocks spoke for themselves. Braun’s defense was equally valuable as he challenged ball-handlers at the point of attack, contained Edwards several times and even made life difficult for Naz Reid on a post-up. Edwards had gotten Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in foul trouble during the third quarter, leaving the bench players to fend and defend for themselves.

    Even with just two combined points through three quarters, Braun and Watson earned their place in the closing lineup.

    “(Malone) could have subbed us out for the guys that normally finish the game, but he trusted me and (Watson), trusted our defense, trusted us to get it done,” Braun said. “Those plays don’t happen if we come out earlier, if we check out at our usual time.”

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    Bennett Durando

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  • Nathan MacKinnon eviscerates Wild defense in much-needed Avalanche victory

    Nathan MacKinnon eviscerates Wild defense in much-needed Avalanche victory

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    In a season full of spectacular performances, Nathan MacKinnon may have authored his masterpiece Tuesday night.

    It wasn’t just that MacKinnon had at least four points for the eighth time this season, including seven times at Ball Arena. Or his third hat trick of the year. Or that he reached 50 goals for the first time in his career, or pulled within two points of the franchise record set 42 years ago.

    It was how he dismantled the Minnesota Wild, a team that needed to avoid losing in regulation to keep its playoff chances. He didn’t just end the Wild’s season. MacKinnon systematically took apart a team that entered the night 10th in the NHL in goals allowed per game since John Hynes was named coach in late November.

    Behind MacKinnon’s four points and three from both Cale Makar and Jonathan Drouin, the Avalanche shook off some suspect early work on the penalty kill and blitzed the Wild in a 5-2 victory.

    “We’ve grown accustomed to seeing really special performances at different times during the year from him and some other guys, but that was pretty much as dominant of a performance as you can have in my books,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “He comes up with these rush opportunities and I’ve seen him be fast out of those holes before in the D-zone, but tonight it was like a whole new level.

    “I just thought it was a stellar performance, a special performance.”

    The much-needed victory keeps Colorado’s faint hopes of winning the Central Division alive, but maybe more critically two points ahead of Winnipeg for second place with three games to play. The Jets will be in Denver on Saturday for the biggest game of the season to date.

    Makar had a goal and two assists, giving him 87 points this season. That sets a new franchise record for defenseman, passing his previous mark from two seasons ago.

    MacKinnon now has 51 goals and 137 points. He is two back of Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov for the league lead, and two back of Peter Stastny’s franchise record, set during the 1981-82 season.

    “It feels good,” MacKinnon said. “You know, I’d never thought in my life I’d score 50, honestly. I never really thought about it. A lot of amazing plays from everybody all season, a lot of empty nets. A lot of hard work from the whole lineup. I think it’s a team achievement, honestly.”

    His third goal of the night, with 51.6 seconds left in the second period, set off a lengthy celebration. Not only did the ice crew have to collect hundreds of hats from the ice, some alterations were needed along the glass behind the Minnesota net.

    It was a chance for Avs faithful to voice their appreciation for MacKinnon’s brilliance. There were several M-V-P chants. The Beastie Boys blared from the sound speakers. It was a party, indeed. The good vibes were back after a couple of ugly losses.

    “We were laughing after his first goal. It felt like we were playing back in Halifax again,” said Drouin, who won the Memorial Cup with MacKinnon while playing for the Mooseheads in 2013. “I’ve seen those breakout goals where goes by the D and they just don’t stand a chance. He had his legs tonight, for sure.”

    MacKinnon’s first point came on a clever pass off the rebound of a Makar shot while the Avalanche was on a power play. He slipped the puck to Artturi Lehkonen in the slot for an easy one-timer and a 1-0 lead.

    Minnesota scored a pair of power-play goals in the second half of the first period, and the scene at the first intermission was considerably different. This wasn’t a perfect performance, but MacKinnon’s majesty made that seem like a distant memory less than 20 minutes of hockey later.

    All three of MacKinnon’s goals put his ferocious skating ability on display. Each time there was a Minnesota defenseman between him and the Wild net when he collected the puck.

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    Corey Masisak

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  • Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story needs season-ending shoulder surgery

    Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story needs season-ending shoulder surgery

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    BOSTON — Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story will have what is likely season-ending surgery on his dislocated left shoulder and right-hander Nick Pivetta has a strained a right flexor, the latest in a spate of elbow injuries among pitchers.

    Story, a two-time All-Star with the Colorado Rockies, was placed on the 10-day injured list after dislocating his left shoulder Friday at the Los Angeles Angels. His projected recovery time is six months.

    “Difficult to speculate beyond that,” Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow said before Tuesday’s home opener against Baltimore. “But you can kind of do the math there.”

    Pivetta was placed on the 15-day IL, a move retroactive to Saturday.

    Story’s injury occurred when hit the ground hard while making a backhand stop on Mike Trout’s single in the fourth inning. Story writhed in pain on the outfield grass after landing with most of his body weight on his shoulder.

    The 31-year-old Story, in the third season of a $140 million, six-year contract, was hitting .226 with four RBIs in eight games. He is a .265 hitter with 177 home runs and 534 RBIs over nine major league seasons but has a .227 average and .681 OPS in two-plus seasons with the Red Sox. He was limited to 94 games in 2022 by a bruised right hand sustained when hit by a pitch from Tampa’s Corey Kluber and bruised left heel, and to 43 games last year, when he has surgery in January to repair a torn UCL and didn’t make his season debut until Aug. 8.

    “Very significant,” Breslow said of Story’s loss. “Not going to hide from what he’s meant to this team defensively and had full confidence offensively that he was going to contribute as well with what he was able to do in spring training. I think fortunately he’s emerged as a leader of this team and there’s still going to be a way for him to positively impact it.

    “Unfortunately it just doesn’t seem like it’s going to be on the field right now.”

    While Story is out, manager Alex Cora said, the plan is to platoon players at shortstop and second base.

    “I think right now we’re committed to giving the internal options a chance,” Breslow said. “We’ll give this some run. … It makes sense to let this play out a bit and we’ll continue to evaluate.”

    Pivetta (1-1, 0.82 ERA) has made two starts this season, allowing one run and eight hits over 11 innings with 13 strikeouts. He last pitched April 3 at Oakland. and Breslow said Pivetta came to the training staff after having issues recovering between starts.

    He was scheduled to start Wednesday. The Red Sox recalled left-hander Brennan Bernardino from Triple-A Worcester to take Pivetta’s place on the roster.

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    Kyle Hightower

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  • Before Nuggets’ high-stakes clash with Timberwolves, Michael Malone and Nikola Jokic must exorcise Utah demons: “We don’t really acclimate to the altitude very well”

    Before Nuggets’ high-stakes clash with Timberwolves, Michael Malone and Nikola Jokic must exorcise Utah demons: “We don’t really acclimate to the altitude very well”

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    It’s clear which of the Nuggets’ four remaining games is the most consequential, but what precedes it might be the dictionary definition of a trap game.

    There’s even a precedent. Ninth-year coach Michael Malone had that on his mind as he arrived at Ball Arena for practice Monday morning, causing him to ask special assistant to the head coach Andrew Munson for evidence.

    “I knew that we had struggled in Salt Lake City,” Malone said. He didn’t realize just how bad his coaching record was, though.

    Munson informed him that Denver has lost six consecutive road games against the Utah Jazz entering their matchup Tuesday. Sounded about right to Malone. “But…” Munson continued, catching Malone off guard — “I’m like oh, there’s a ‘but’ to this?” — the Nuggets are also 1-14 in Salt Lake during Malone’s tenure.

    Bulletin board material: obtained.

    Denver’s excursion to face Utah (29-49) is the forgettable first half of a critical back-to-back that will help shape the final seeding of the Western Conference playoffs. The second half is back home against Minnesota in a showdown that could finally determine the No. 1 seed once and for all. With four games to go and the entire league idle Monday, the Nuggets (54-24) know this much: They will automatically clinch that top seed if they win out. But if they lose to the Timberwolves, with whom they’re currently tied, they’ll all but forfeit the race. Minnesota would have to lose two of its other three remaining games, while Denver would have to win all three. And Oklahoma City would have to lose at least one more.

    Needless to say, human nature might be to disregard that irksome round-trip flight to Utah, where a lottery team awaits.

    “My most important message to our group today was, everybody’s talking about Wednesday night; I don’t care about Wednesday night,” Malone said. “Because if we don’t handle our business tomorrow night, that takes away from the importance of Wednesday.”

    So Malone quizzed likely MVP winner Nikola Jokic about the number of games they’ve won together at Delta Center. The Nuggets center guessed three. “I wish it was three,” Malone responded.

    He had one-on-one discussions with a number of Denver’s players Monday, making sure everyone was on the same page entering the last week of the regular season. As of about noon, Malone believed the entire roster would be making the trip, “and hopefully they’re all available to play tomorrow night.” That includes Jamal Murray, who returned Saturday after a seven-game absence, and Aaron Gordon, who missed the last win with a foot injury.

    Despite various bumps and bruises, the Nuggets are feeling good overall about their collective physical state with the playoffs looming.

    It’s their mental state that has Malone worried. And the apparently cursed state that is Utah.

    “I think it’s jet lag,” he deadpanned. “That’s a really long flight. And we don’t really acclimate to the altitude very well.”

    KCP’s off day

    One of those bumps is the swollen and distorted-looking right pinky finger of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who dislocated it during a game in February. Since then, he’s been deciding during his pregame shooting routine whether he wants to tape up the finger or leave it alone that night.

    Whatever he’s doing is working — he’s shooting 47.6% from 3-point range in 22 games since the All-Star break — but he says the injury “won’t heal up until the summertime.”

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    Bennett Durando

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  • Rockies strike out 15 times, lose to Rays, drop to 2-8

    Rockies strike out 15 times, lose to Rays, drop to 2-8

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    The Mighty Casey would have felt right at home Sunday afternoon at Coors Field.

    The Rockies struck out 15 times in a gut-punch 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay and have opened the season with a 2-8 record.

    Still, Colorado had a prime opportunity to win the game in the eighth and ninth innings.

    In the eighth, Jake Cave led off with a pinch-hit triple and scored on Elias Diaz’s pinch-hit single. Charlie Blackmon and Ezequiel Tovar drew walks from erratic Tampa Bay reliever Phil Maton to load the bases. But Shawn Armstrong got Ryan McMahon to ground out to shortstop Isaac Paredes, who threw home for the force out.

    Then Armstrong induced Kris Bryant to ground into a rally-killing, six-to-three double play. Bryant went 0-for-3 with a walk Sunday and is hitting .107 for the season.

    In the ninth, Brenton Doyle’s RBI single scored Nolan Jones, but Armstrong struck out Cave and got Diaz to ground out to third.

    Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot, making just the 12th start of his career, thoroughly dominated Colorado for six innings. He allowed no runs on three hits with 11 strikeouts and no walks. He got the Rockies to swing and miss 21 times.

    Pepiot owns the Rockies. In three career games (two starts), he’s 2-1 with a 1.06 ERA, 26 strikeouts and two walks.

    Right-hander Dakota Hudson gave the Rockies a workmanlike performance for his second game in a row. The Rays reached him for three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out three.

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    Patrick Saunders

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  • Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin lead Avalanche to critical win against Wild

    Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin lead Avalanche to critical win against Wild

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    ST. PAUL, Minn. — A couple of guys with Minnesota ties were making their first appearances at Xcel Energy Center in a Colorado Avalanche uniform. One State of Hockey great might have been making his last.

    But it was the two Halifax Mooseheads who added another chapter to an incredible season and helped the Avalanche collect a much-needed win Thursday night against the Minnesota Wild to try and keep pace with the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars.

    Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin had three points each to help the Avs fend off the pesky Wild in a 5-2 victory. The win moved Colorado to within three points of the Stars. Both teams have six games to play.

    “The most comfortable I’ve felt (is) the past couple weeks, especially playing with those guys,” Drouin said of Colorado’s top line. “I feel like I’m in the right spot. I’m not nervous. I’m not overwhelmed by it. I’m excited to play with those guys.”

    MacKinnon’s goal 6:32 into the third period gave the Avalanche some much-needed breathing room after the home side had been pushing for an equalizer. Cale Makar checked the puck away from Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek in the high slot, and then MacKinnon and Drouin went to work.

    MacKinnon sent the puck to Drouin, who returned the favor with a great pass to set him free for a shot back to the left as Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson got caught leaning too far the other way. It was MacKinnon’s 48th goal of the year. Mikko Rantanen added an empty-net goal to end any doubt.

    “(Drouin) is making really nice plays,” Rantanen said. “You can tell his confidence has been going (up) all year, so it’s great. It’s important. He’s playing well at the most important of the time of the year.”

    Drouin’s first goal gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead. Colorado caught a break when a tripping penalty was called on Kirill Kaprizov but a simultaneous trip of Eriksson Ek was not adjudicated. The Avs wasted little time. Drouin batted the rebound of a Makar shot from the top of the zone into the net for his 16th goal of the season.

    He added No. 17 just 43 seconds into the second period. Rantanen made a great play to get the play started in the offensive zone, and eventually Drouin tipped a blast from the top of the zone by MacKinnon past Gustavsson to give the Avs a 3-1 lead.

    “We didn’t talk about it yet, so I don’t know if it was on purpose or not,” Drouin said. “With him, I usually think it’s on purpose. I just try to get around my defender for two or three seconds and that puck was right on my stick.”

    At that point, it felt like Colorado was in control. The Wild clawed back, controlling large portions of the second period and creating lots of quality chances. Declan Chisholm made it a 3-2 score midway through the period with a power-play goal.

    The shots were 18-8 in the middle frame, but Justus Annunen made several quality saves. Drouin also made the defensive play of the game in the first minute of the third period.

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    Corey Masisak

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  • Rockies’ late rally falls short, as Colorado swept by Cubs to finish opening road trip 1-6

    Rockies’ late rally falls short, as Colorado swept by Cubs to finish opening road trip 1-6

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    If the Rockies’ opening road trip is any indication, the club’s first 100-loss season last year might’ve just been a harbinger.

    Colorado dropped to 1-6 in 2024 with a 9-8 loss to the Cubs on a chilly Wednesday night at Wrigley Field. The Rockies roared back with a five-run eighth to tie the game, but then faltered in the bottom of that inning to get swept in three games.

    “That was a tough trip,” manager Bud Black told reporters. “We didn’t pitch great, we didn’t swing the bats great. (That rally) was a good sign though.”

    Once again, subpar starting pitching was a factor, as right-hander Cal Quantrill gave up four runs through four innings. The bullpen wasn’t any better, and the Rockies head into their home opener on Friday against the Rays already in a hole.

    After setting the Cubs down in order in the first, Quantrill ran into trouble in the second inning as the Rockies went down 4-0.

    The frame started innocently enough with Christopher Morel’s infield single, but quickly snowballed. A pair of sacrifice flies plated two runs, then Seiya Suzuki brought home two more with a single to right before Charlie Blackmon got the Rockies out of the inning by gunning Suzuki at second base.

    After hard-throwing southpaw Luke Little served as the Cubs’ opener and went one-two-three in the first, Chicago brought on right-hander Ben Brown, who gave up one earned run over four innings.

    In the fifth, Suzuki dinged left-hander Jalen Beeks for a solo homer to extend the Cubs’ lead to 5-0.

    Jacob Stallings led off the sixth with a double, chasing Brown from the game, and Kris Bryant’s first hit of the season — a single to left — scored Stallings to get Colorado on the board. A Morel throwing throwing error led to another run to make it 5-2.

    But Chicago responded in the sixth by plating three runs off Tyler Kinley, as Kinley couldn’t make it out of the inning before being spelled by fellow right-hander Jake Bird. Michael Busch led off with a single off Kinley, then Nico Hoerner and Mike Tauchman both walked to load the bases.

    Miguel Amaya’s single then plated three runs, two off the hit and another off a throwing error by center fielder Brenton Doyle. Errors in the outfield have been a consistent theme through the Rockies’ early ugly stretch, a disappointment for a defense that was projected to be the strength of the team.

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    Kyle Newman

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  • Error-prone Rockies lose to Diamondbacks, open season 1-3

    Error-prone Rockies lose to Diamondbacks, open season 1-3

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    PHOENIX — The Rockies’ growing pains are going to hurt.

    What was already suspected became evident in the season’s first series, which saw the Rockies lose three of four games to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

    Colorado’s 5-1 loss on Sunday stung because the outcome could have been different, except that the Rockies played poor defense and squandered a prime chance to score runs.

    The critical meltdown came in the Diamondbacks’ two-run fifth inning. Although starter Ryan Feltner issued a leadoff walk to Tucker Barnhart and Barnhart stole second base, Feltner worked out of trouble. Or at least he thought he did. But left fielder Nolan Jones dropped a routine, two-out flyball hit by Ketel Marte, allowing Barnhart to score. Then Rockies killer Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ripped an RBI single into the left-field corner.

    Gurriell hit 2-for-4 and drove in two more runs. He finished the four-game series hitting .471 with 10 RBIs.

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    Patrick Saunders

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  • Rockies Journal: Dorothy adores baseball but these Rox are testing her love

    Rockies Journal: Dorothy adores baseball but these Rox are testing her love

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    PHOENIX — Dorothy Star grew up outside Boston, so she’s a baseball fanatic. She knows about the Curse of the Bambino, Fenway Park, Carl Yastrzemski, Bucky Dent, Billy Buckner and the 1986 World Series.

    “I think I understand baseball passion,” she said.

    Dorothy and her husband, Vic, have been married for 43 years. They moved to Colorado 40 years ago, and when the Rockies were born in 1993, Dorothy immediately adopted the team as her own.

    She loved the Blake Street Bombers, reveled in Rocktober, and marveled at Nolan Arenado.

    “It used to be so much fun to go to Coors Field,” she said.

    Though she lives in Frisco, Dorothy estimates she’s attended about half of the Rockies’ home games.

    “I’ve never left a game early,” she said.

    When the team unveiled Rockies.TV, its new streaming service, she signed up immediately.

    “I wanted to be able to watch some spring training games,” she said. “I wanted to see some of the young players.”

    Dorothy wants to continue attending games, but that won’t be easy. She is 76, has lived with leukemia for 17 years, and has other health issues. She and Vic are contemplating moving to Denver for better health care access.

    Dorothy tries to keep her life in perspective.

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    Patrick Saunders

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  • Kyle Freeland’s changeup was big problem in Rockies’ historic loss to Diamondbacks

    Kyle Freeland’s changeup was big problem in Rockies’ historic loss to Diamondbacks

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    PHOENIX — The Rockies claim they don’t have a hangover from Thursday night’s 16-1 loss to the Diamondbacks, but there were lessons learned for starter Kyle Freeland.

    Lesson No. 1: Find a way to throw a more effective changeup, which the left-hander hopes will be a big weapon for him this season.

    To recap the season opener at Chase Field, Freeland was ripped for 10 runs on 10 hits in just 2 1/3 innings, including a two-run homer to Lourdes Gurriel in the first inning. The 10 runs Freeland surrendered were a career-high. The third inning was 34 minutes of batting practice for the D-backs, who sent 18 batters to the plate and scored 14 runs, the most in an inning on opening day for any team since 1900. Freeland was charged with eight runs in the inning, and rookie reliever Anthony Molina was charged with six.

    Freeland acknowledged his poor pitch location but credited Arizona’s aggressive hitters.

    “They put the ball in play,” Freeland said Thursday night. “That’s what hitters are paid to do — put the ball in play, create action on the basepaths — a lot of singles, and/or doubles, balls hit soft, seeing-eye ground balls. It was just everything that they were hitting.”

    Before Friday’s game, manager Bud Black said that a video review of Freeland’s career-worst performance revealed some clues as to what went wrong.

    “I suspected that there were some locations missed, and that was the case,” Black said. “If I was going to pick on any particular pitch, I would think that the changeup was a bit too hard. There were some 88 and 89 mph changeups. The (Christian) Walker double, 89. The (Ketel) Marte groundball up the middle that (shortstop) Ezequiel (Tovar) almost had, 88. During spring training, Kyle was trying to get the changeup down to 85-86.”

    Freeland changed the grip on his changeup during the offseason and said during spring training that he was getting comfortable with the pitch. He admitted, however, that the changeup can be problematic for him.

    “That changeup has always been a pitch that’s kind of been a bugaboo,” he said during camp. “You find it, then you lose it and you’re searching for it again. My confidence is definitely back on that pitch.”

    Maybe so, but command of all of his pitches deserted him Thursday night.

    “Last night, (there was a lot of) adrenaline, his arm felt good, an extra day’s rest — all of those things,” Black said. “The changeup was just coming in too hot. Too much velocity. And the location of all of his pitchers was not Kyle-like.”

    Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland pauses on the pitcher’s mound during the third inning of the team’s baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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    Patrick Saunders

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  • Broncos mock draft: What happens if Denver trades back in the first round?

    Broncos mock draft: What happens if Denver trades back in the first round?

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    In the last two mock drafts, we addressed how this April’s draft might play out if the Broncos turned to the trenches in the first round by taking a defensive tackle or offensive lineman.

    This time, after the Broncos failed to land a veteran quarterback in the first wave of free agency, we look at what happens if the franchise opts to address the most important position in football.

    Although head coach Sean Payton still hopes to add another experienced signal caller to the room, there appears to be more pressure to find a quarterback through the draft. We’ve already explored what the Broncos would have to send away in order to trade up for one of the draft’s coveted QBs. But in this exercise, will look at what happens if Denver trades down in the first round to land its quarterback of the future while also adding another playmaker on offense.

    First Round (No. 19 via Rams)

    Denver trades: No. 12 and No. 136

    Denver receives: No. 19 and No. 52

    QB Bo Nix, Oregon 

    With Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy likely getting picked inside the Top 10, the Broncos turn to the next best thing, and that’s Nix. The 24-year-old put up impressive numbers during his time with the Ducks, throwing for 8,101 yards, 74 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. More importantly, Nix has the tools that Payton looks for in a quarterback, such as efficiency, processing and ability to extend plays. The Heisman Trophy finalist will also provide experience, having played 61 career games in college. A quarterback battle with Jarrett Stidham awaits in training camp.

    Second Round (No. 52 via Rams)

    TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas

    Tight end is one of the biggest needs for Denver. In New Orleans, Payton had players like Jimmy Graham, Jared Cook and Jeremy Shockey as vertical threats at the position. Greg Dulcich fits that mold, but his injury history makes it difficult to rely on him. Sanders has the potential to improve Denver’s tight ends room, which combined to catch 39 passes for 362 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. Sanders is ranked first all-time among Texas tight ends in career receptions (99), second in receiving yards (1,295) and sixth in receiving touchdowns (seven). Last season, He totaled a career-best 682 receiving yards on 45 catches while averaging 15.2 yards per reception.

    Third Round (No. 76)

    CB Renardo Green, Florida State 

    After Denver used its first two picks to improve the offense, the team addresses the defense. Green, who spent five seasons at Florida State, is a physical corner who plays well in man coverage. He collected 43 tackles and 13 passes defended last season, earning himself second-team All-ACC honors. In the season opener against LSU, Green held Malik Nabers — one of the top wide receivers in the draft — to two catches for 20 yards on five targets, according to Pro Football Focus.

    Fourth Round (No. 121 via Dolphins)

    EDGE Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State 

    Kamara is one of the best pass rushers in Rams history, ranking second all-time in career sacks (30.5) and third in career tackles for loss (45.5). He and UCLA edge Laiatu Latu were tied for fourth in the country with 13 sacks in 2023. Kamara has violent hands and plays with a ton of power. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. is high on Kamara. “He gives you everything you want on every snap in terms of effort,” Kiper said in a conference call with reporters last week. “I love everything about this kid.”

    Fifth Round (No. 145 via Jets)

    OT Matt Goncalves, Pittsburgh 

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    Ryan McFadden

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  • DU Pioneers beat UMass on Tristan Broz’s goal to claim double-overtime thriller in NCAA Tournament

    DU Pioneers beat UMass on Tristan Broz’s goal to claim double-overtime thriller in NCAA Tournament

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    The University of Denver hockey team crossed two time zones to reach its NCAA hockey regional in Springfield, Mass.

    There, the top-seeded Pioneers met a fourth-seeded UMass Minutemen squad that needed to drive approximately 26 miles to arrive at MassMutual Center for Thursday afternoon’s win-or-go home affair.

    Yet somehow, the Pios never ran out of gas.

    In a back-and-forth marathon that featured two brilliant performances in net, forward Tristan Broz slipped a wrist shot into the right side of the goal to send DU to a 2-1 double-overtime victory that left a partisan UMass crowd stunned.

    The game-winner put the Pioneers (29-9-3) a win away their 19th Frozen Four bid, with all that’s standing between them and a trip to St. Paul, Minn., a date with Maine or Cornell on Saturday (2 p.m. MDT) in Springfield.

    “It wasn’t easy,” Broz told the ESPN2 broadcast after the win. “That was a heck of a hockey game and (UMass) gave us everything they had.”

    Of course, Broz wouldn’t have even have had a chance at the game-winner were it not for the play of goaltender Matt Davis in net. The junior turned away 46 shots, including several at close range, and somehow managed to stay in the game after appearing to injure himself doing the splits in the second OT.

    “It felt like they could have had five or 10 goals there,” Broz said of UMass. “… (Davis) is a warrior and we love him.”

    DU entered the regional as the No. 3 overall seed in the 16-team NCAA Tournament bracket and played like it early on, putting up a 10-5 advantage in shots on goal in the first period.

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    Matt Schubert

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  • One area where Rockies could be elite this season? In the field: “We have a shot of being the best of the best”

    One area where Rockies could be elite this season? In the field: “We have a shot of being the best of the best”

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    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Chances are the Rockies’ record won’t glitter this season, but their defense should be golden.

    With Gold Glove winners in center field and at second base, Gold Glove finalists at shortstop and third, and potential sprinkled all around the field, Colorado should have one of the best defenses in the majors.

    “I think we have a good shot at being the best of the best,” said second baseman Brendan Rodgers, who won a Gold Glove in 2022.

    Manager Bud Black agrees.

    “If you love the complete game of baseball, and defense is a big part of that, you’ll like watching us,” he said. “Every night, there is a chance to see a legit great play from talented defenders.”

    The Rockies open their 2024 season Thursday night against the defending National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. (8:10 p.m. MDT).

    Coming off a 103-loss season and having undergone only minor roster reconstruction during the offseason, the rebuilding Rockies are predicted by most pundits to have a sixth consecutive losing season and finish last in the National League West for a third straight year. Although the pitching might falter again, and offensive production remains a huge question mark, Colorado’s glovework could be “elite.”

    “We have guys who know how to pick it and throw it and ultimately play elite all-around defense,” said left-hander Kyle Freeland, who’ll start the season-opener.

    The Rockies’ words are not idle chatter around the batting cage.

    Center fielder Brenton Doyle, Colorado’s human highlight film, won a Gold Glove as a rookie last season. He finished with 19 defensive runs saved, the sixth-most among all position players and the most of any center fielder in the majors.

    Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who signed a seven-year, $65.3 million contract extension on Tuesday, was a Gold Glove finalist as a rookie last season. Third baseman Ryan McMahon has been a finalist for three years running, and his 17 defensive runs saved last season were the second-most among third basemen.

    Left fielder Nolan Jones, playing his first full season as an outfielder, led the majors and set a franchise record with 19 outfield assists, surpassing Dante Bichette’s mark of 17 in 1999. Jones finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting.

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    Patrick Saunders

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  • Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s $63.5 million contract carries big expectations

    Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s $63.5 million contract carries big expectations

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    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Rockies figure they hit the jackpot with shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. On Tuesday, they rewarded him with a life-changing contract.

    “It’s a blessing and I’m so excited that the Rockies believed in me, and I’m excited to be here for a long time,” the 22-year-old said after officially signing a $63.5 million, seven-year contract extension. The deal includes a team option for 2031 that could boost the agreement to $84 million over eight seasons.

    The Rockies have known about Tovar since he was a 13-year-old kid in Maracay, Venezuela. He first grabbed the attention of Frank Roa, one of the Rockies’ Latin American scouts. A year later, Roa insisted that Rolando Fernandez, Colorado’s vice president of international scouting and development, see Tovar up close and personal.

    “I went to the Roberto Vahlis Baseball Academy in the Dominican (Republic) with Frank,” Fernandez recalled. “We went to see another player. Tovar was just 14, and he was just 5-foot-8, 145 pounds at the time. But Roa told me that he had been following Tovar and he was the best player in the academy. We decided to stay close to him and continued to evaluate him until his eligible age.”

    Fernandez signed Tovar for $800,000 on Aug. 1, 2017 — Tovar’s 16th birthday. The Rockies thought they had discovered a special player. They were right.

    As a rookie last season, Tovar was a National League Gold Glove finalist and led the Rockies with 153 games played. He slashed .253/.287/.408 with 15 home runs, 37 doubles, four triples, 73 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. His 37 doubles were tied with Hall of Famer Todd Helton (1998) for the most by a rookie in franchise history.

    Blessed with a strong arm, quick feet and excellent hand-eye coordination, Tovar is a steady presence at shortstop and capable of highlight-reel plays. In 2023, he was credited with 13 defensive runs saved, ranking fourth among major league shortstops. His 16 outs above average were tied for the sixth-most among all position players and second among shortstops.

    He said that’s just the beginning.

    “I felt like I belonged here when I made my start in big leagues,” Tovar said, referring to his debut on Sept. 23, 2022. “I think the overall experience, and being around the veteran players, has made me better. I’ve learned to be a big leaguer.”

    The Rockies, Tovar and Tovar’s agent worked out the new contract in about a week. Both sides were eager to reach a long-term deal.

    “Something that everybody should understand is that he wants to be here,” manager Bud Black said. “That speaks volumes.”

    Tovar received a $1.5 million signing bonus and salaries of $1.5 million this season, $4 million in 2025, $5 million in 2026, $8 million in 2027, $11 million in 2028, $14 million in 2029 and $16 million in 2030. The Rockies hold the option for $23 million in 2031 with a $2.5 million buyout.

    “First and foremost, we believe in him and what he has a chance to be down the road,” general manager Bill Schmidt said. “He has a chance to be a very, very good player. We believe in him, and like a lot of our young players, he’s somebody we can build around.”

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    Patrick Saunders

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  • NBA opens investigation into Raptors’ Jontay Porter amid gambling allegations, AP source says

    NBA opens investigation into Raptors’ Jontay Porter amid gambling allegations, AP source says

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    The NBA has opened an investigation into Toronto two-way player Jontay Porter amid gambling allegations, a person with knowledge of the probe said Monday night.

    The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because neither the league nor the Raptors had revealed the issue publicly.

    ESPN first reported the investigation, which it said included Porter’s performance in games on Jan. 26 and March 20. In both games, Porter played briefly before leaving citing injury or illness; he played 4 minutes and 24 seconds against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first of those games, then played 2:43 against Sacramento in the second game.

    In both cases, he did not come close to hitting the prop-wager lines for points, rebounds and 3-pointers that bettors could play. ESPN said the props surrounding Porter for the Clippers game were 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists; he finished with no points, three rebounds and one assist. For the Kings game, they were around 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds; Porter finished that game with no points and two rebounds.

    Porter was away from the Raptors for Monday’s home game against Brooklyn, citing personal reasons. He also was out for Saturday’s loss at Washington, again for personal reasons. His locker was empty ahead of Monday’s game against the Nets, although his nameplate was still in place.

    The 24-year-old Porter, the brother of Nuggets forward Michael Porter, is averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 26 games, including five starts. The 6-foot-10 Porter also played in 11 games for Memphis in the 2020-21 season.

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    Tim Reynolds

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  • Nathan MacKinnon’s work ethic has propelled him to record heights, and the legendary comparisons are just beginning

    Nathan MacKinnon’s work ethic has propelled him to record heights, and the legendary comparisons are just beginning

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    Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin end warmups before every Colorado Avalanche game the same way.

    MacKinnon sets up in the left circle. Drouin finds a spot on the right side of the ice, armed with a couple handfuls of pucks he’s gathered. Then they practice cross-ice passes to each other, with MacKinnon eventually shooting each towards the net on a one-timer.

    The pair of old friends who have been reunited do this at the end of nearly every practice as well. They change the angle of the passes. Some have a little more sauce on them. Over and over — Drouin to MacKinnon for a one-timer, Drouin to MacKinnon, back to Drouin, back to MacKinnon for a one-timer, and so on.

    In this remarkable season, for both players, there couldn’t be a more fitting way for MacKinnon to reach a major milestone than what transpired Sunday afternoon at Ball Arena. MacKinnon set a new Denver-based record for points in a season when he collected No. 120 to tie Joe Sakic from 28 years ago, No. 121 to establish a new mark and No. 122 to continue his chase of the overall franchise standard of 139, set by Peter Stastny 42 years ago.

    MacKinnon tied the record by setting up Drouin for a one-timer. He broke the record from nearly the same spot, only this time it was Drouin who fed him.

    “We talk about that weak side a lot. Great pass by him,” MacKinnon said. “He’s got amazing vision. He always has. Yeah, great pass.”

    Drouin scored the game-winning goal in overtime, with assists from Cale Makar and MacKinnon. It was a three-point game for him as well, and Drouin is now four points shy of his career high.

    When Drouin signed a one-year, bargain-bin contract with the Avs, everyone immediately pointed to the connection between him and MacKinnon. They’ve been friends for more than a decade, dating back to their days carpooling together with the Halifax Mooseheads.

    Drouin has proven he doesn’t need MacKinnon to be a high-level NHL player, and he’s been one of the signings of the offseason. But, Avs coach Jared Bednar did put them back together Sunday while Colorado was trying to erase a four-goal deficit, and the dynamic duo made more magic together.

    How many times have they practiced those one-timers together? It’s in the thousands, easily.

    “Oh, a lot. Just come to one of our practices,” Bednar said. “They’re out early, they’re out late, they’re always working on those little touches and shots. It’s funny, we had trouble going through the seams too many times in the first period, and yet, we get two seam goals in the third.”

    MacKinnon has now scored more points in one season in an Avalanche uniform than Sakic or Peter Forsberg, the two pantheon pillars of the franchise, ever did. After the game, MacKinnon deflected comparisons to an all-time great player, saying he doesn’t believe he’s as good right now as Sakic ever was.

    That’s what he always does. It’s getting harder for anyone else to follow his lead, though.

    “I mean, this guy’s a phenomenal player, right?” Bednar said of his Hart Trophy candidate. “But that’s pretty good company. When you’re talking about our boss (Sakic) that’s had such a phenomenal career, then you watch what Nate’s doing, and it just speaks to who Nate is as a player.”

    Drouin, like MacKinnon, is of a certain age where most hockey-playing boys in Canada grew up idolizing one of two players — Sakic or Steve Yzerman. Asked if he was a Sakic guy growing up, Drouin said that Forsberg was actually his favorite.

    Either way, MacKinnon is now walking among those legends. He just passed Sakic’s single-season mark. He’s also chasing Wayne Gretzky’s record for consecutive home games with a point, and this game left him just six shy.

    “It’s crazy,” Drouin said. “Even if you look at that point streak, every time they show it and the names that are up there – Guy Lafleur, Wayne Gretzky, Sakic, Forsberg – all those guys. He’s having a hell of a season, but credit to him because he puts a lot of work in.”

    This is the best season of MacKinnon’s career. It might earn him his first Art Ross or Hart Trophy.

    It’s only MacKinnon’s second 100-plus point season, but he’s been close to this good for five years now. The only things keeping him from having stacked five seasons like this was a global pandemic that cut two years short and a couple of injuries in 2021-22.

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    Corey Masisak

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  • Men’s basketball: Marquette eliminates CU Buffs in second-round thriller

    Men’s basketball: Marquette eliminates CU Buffs in second-round thriller

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    INDIANAPOLIS — The Big Dance is over for the Colorado men’s basketball team.

    Despite a valiant second-half comeback by the Buffaloes, CU’s Sweet 16 dreams fell short of the elusive Sweet 16 berth, as second-seeded Marquette held off the Buffs for an 81-77 victory in an NCAA Tournament second-round battle at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

    CU rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to set up a third thrilling tournament-game finish in the past five days, but this time the Buffs fell short.

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    Pat Rooney

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  • Brandon Duhaime’s journey from Alligator Alley to the Avalanche included integral help from Colorado College’s Kris Mayotte

    Brandon Duhaime’s journey from Alligator Alley to the Avalanche included integral help from Colorado College’s Kris Mayotte

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    Locke Mayotte will be one of the unexpected winners after the Colorado Avalanche’s flurry of moves before the NHL trade deadline earlier this month.

    Brandon Duhaime was one of four new additions to the Avs roster. The importance of his acquisition gained more clarity a few days later when the club announced Logan O’Connor needed season-ending hip surgery.

    Duhaime arrived in Colorado to help bolster the Avalanche’s depth at forward and on the penalty kill. He’s one of those guys who embraces playing one of the more thankless roles on an NHL team.

    How did he evolve into that type of player? Locke’s dad, Kris Mayotte, who is now the head coach at Colorado College, played an integral role in Duhaime’s development when he was an assistant at Providence.

    “I love Dewey,” Kris Mayotte said. “Such a great kid, such a hard worker, very dedicated, doesn’t leave a stone unturned in terms of him trying to become the best player he can become.

    “I was so excited to see that he got traded to Colorado. I sent him a text right away. I have a 2-year-old and I was like, ‘I can’t wait to get him a Duhaime jersey.’ We’re so excited that he’s here.”

    Duhaime grew up in Parkland, Fla., near the Florida Panthers’ practice facility. He played on a youth team with Ottawa’s Jakob Chychrun and Boston’s Andrew Peeke. As they got older and sought better competition, Duhaime and Chychrun played for the Junior Everblades in Estero, Fla., which meant a nearly 150-mile commute across Alligator Alley every weekend.

    Eventually, Duhaime moved to British Columbia and began a journey that included two years at a B.C. prep school, one year in the BCHL and one year split between two teams in the USHL. Originally committed to Brown, Duhaime re-opened his recruitment, and that’s where Mayotte comes in.

    Duhaime had interest from Boston College and Michigan, but ultimately chose Providence over the University of Denver.

    “(Mayotte) was huge in the recruiting process,” Duhaime said. “He was calling me all the time. When I got to Providence, he did the exact thing he said he was going to do. He helped develop me into the player I am. A huge shout out to those guys for kind of taking care of me and doing the right things for me.”

    The pitch that helped lead him to Rhode Island centered around Duhaime’s style of play and what type of player he wanted to, or needed to become. Duhaime was a fourth-round pick in the 2016 NHL draft by the Minnesota Wild, but the chances of him developing into a frontline player at the highest level were slim.

    The raw materials to mold a high-level role player were there, though. Duhaime has good size and above-average skating ability. But not every player who is always one of the best on every team he plays on as a kid can make that transition.

    “He was always a sponge,” Mayotte said. “Wanted to watch the video, wanted any tip that you could possibly give him, whether it was diet, whether it was skills, whether it didn’t matter — he wanted it.

    “A big part of what we were able to do was build that belief that you don’t have to be Macklin Celebrini or Connor McDavid to play in the NHL. They need guys that can kill penalties and be F1 on the forecheck and do those hard things. If you can become one of the best in the world at that, you get to play in the NHL. So it’s developing the skills that are required to play at this level, but also building in an understanding of what it means to find a role, embrace a role and excel at it.”

    Duhaime thrived at Providence, helping the Friars to back-to-back berths in the Frozen Four. He signed with the Wild after his junior season and put in two more years of development time in the AHL.

    This is his third season in the NHL, and it didn’t take long for Duhaime to become a fan favorite in the Twin Cities. The guy on the Avs whose style might resemble his the best is Miles Wood — big, fast and enjoys creating high-speed collisions with players in different-colored jerseys.

    Duhaime had to play his old mates in his first game with the Avalanche, which is always a weird day but especially so when it happens so soon. Since then, it’s been a pretty seamless transition.

    He’s made the penalty kill deeper. He’s helped make the fastest team in the league look even faster. And both he and Yakov Trenin look like the type of additions that pay big dividends when the games really start to matter in late April and beyond.

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    Corey Masisak

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  • Rockies Journal: Questions to ponder as regular season nears, including cable TV situation that remains unresolved

    Rockies Journal: Questions to ponder as regular season nears, including cable TV situation that remains unresolved

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    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Questions to ponder as the Rockies near Thursday’s season-opener against the Diamondbacks:

    Will fans be able to watch games via traditional cable?: The Rockies continue to say that negotiations are ongoing to find a way for fans to watch games on systems like Comcast, Dish Network or DirectTV. I was originally told that a deal would hopefully be worked out before the regular season begins. However, there are no guarantees that’s going to happen, leaving some fans in limbo.

    Will fans pay to stream games via Rockies.TV?: That’s the multi-million-dollar question facing owner Dick Monfort. The club launched its online streaming service last month. Rockies.TV will show all Rockies games this season, with Major League Baseball producing and distributing the games.

    MLB will also remove blackouts for fans, meaning that for the first time, fans in the Rockies’ traditional TV territory can live stream all of the club’s games. To stream Rockies games only, the cost will be $19.99 per month or $99.99 for the season.

    Streaming all sports, not just baseball, is the wave of the future. But several disgruntled fans have told me they won’t pay $19.99 monthly to watch a team that lost 103 games last season. I’m not sure I believe many of them. Baseball is part of the fabric of summer, and I think fans would miss tuning in to the local team more than they realize.

    Still, it’s going to be a hard sell. Two years ago, the Rockies drew an average of just 15,000 household viewers per game via traditional TV, according to Forbes and Nielsen Media. Only the Miami Marlins and Oakland Athletics had worse ratings.

    Will attendance tumble at Coors Field?: A little bit, but I don’t see a giant slide. Last season, the Rockies averaged 32,196 fans per game at Coors Field, down only slightly from the 32,467 average from 2022. Even if the Rockies stumble early — a distinct possibility — they have the Red Sox coming into town for three games after the All-Star Game and they end the season with the Cardinals and Dodgers coming to LoDo for what could be meaningful games for the visitors.

    Which Rockies will make the All-Star Game?: We know every team sends at least one player to the Midsummer Classic, but I’ll give you three Rockies who could end up at Globe Life Field on July 16 in Arlington, Texas.

    Topping my list is left fielder Nolan Jones, a terrific athlete who has a chance to be an impactful power hitter. On deck is second baseman Brendan Rodgers. He’s had an excellent spring, and his confidence is sky-high.

    My wild-card choice is veteran lefty Kyle Freeland. Manager Bud Black said recently that he’s never seen Freeland pitch better. That’s saying something, considering that Freeland went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA over 33 starts in 2018.

    Will the “real” Kris Bryant finally show up?: I want to say yes because he’s very well-liked by his teammates and he’s a class act. He’s got a beautiful swing and is a graceful athlete. But I don’t know what KB has left at age 32 following two years of injuries that limited him to 122 games in a Rockies uniform.

    If he stays healthy and plays 145-150 games, I could envision him hitting .280 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs. But he’s never going to hit .292 with 39 homers and 102 RBIs as he did in 2016 when he was named National League MVP and helped lead the Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908.

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    Patrick Saunders

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  • Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin set new career highs as Avalanche blasts Blue Jackets

    Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin set new career highs as Avalanche blasts Blue Jackets

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    The only drama left in the final period Friday night at Ball Arena was whether Nathan MacKinnon could continue his pursuit of NHL history and extend his home scoring streak to 33 games.

    MacKinnon took care of it with 13:59 to spare, then added another on a surgical power-play goal barely more than a minute later to help the Colorado Avalanche crush the Columbus Blue Jackets, 6-1. It was Colorado’s eighth straight victory, and moved the Avalanche to the top of the Central Division with 95 points.

    “The streak is a result of all the hard work and dedication that he brings to the game on a nightly basis,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “There’s not a guy on that bench that didn’t know he hadn’t had a point yet, and when he got it everyone was pretty happy. You can see he wants it. He was a little ornery on the bench when he hadn’t got a point yet. That’s the pressure he puts on himself.”

    Cale Makar casually broke up a 2-on-2 rush for the Blue Jackets and set MacKinnon loose on a breakaway. MacKinnon had seven shots on goal before this, but didn’t miss with No. 8 and set a new career high with 43 goals in a season. Toss in the primary assist on Mikko Rantanen’s second goal of the night 73 seconds later, and MacKinnon has 119 points, one shy of Joe Sakic’s Denver-based record.

    The overall franchise record, 139 for Peter Stastny in 1981-82, remains very much in play. MacKinnon’s home scoring streak is now tied with one Wayne Gretzky run for the second-longest in league history. He’s chasing Gretzky’s 1988-89 season, when he had a point in all 40 home games.

    Makar had Colorado’s first goal after a nifty rush sequence. Jonathan Drouin gained the offensive zone and left a drop pass for Artturi Lehkonen. He immediately found Makar in some open space near the right circle for his 18th goal of the season. That ties Nashville’s Roman Josi for the league lead among defensemen and left him three points shy of Quinn Hughes for tops in that category.

    Jared Bednar reunited Ross Colton and Miles Wood on the team’s third line along with Zach Parise, and that trio created the second goal. Parise pulled up along the right wing, saw his linemates both loitering near the net and sent the puck in that direction. Both guys were there hunting for the rebound, and Colton shoveled it across the line for his 15th of the season.

    “I feel like they should be playing together,” Bednar said. “They get along off the ice. We’ve seen them play some great stretches of games. … I know that they have it in them. They just had to work through some issues. Great conscious on the defensive side tonight, physical, went to the net hard, drew penalties, banged in a rebound goal. I liked that line a lot tonight.”

    Bednar did some in-game tinkering as well, flipping MacKinnon and Casey Mittelstadt’s on the top two lines. Rantanen scored on Mittelstadt’s first shift with him and Valeri Nichushkin, deflecting a point shot from Josh Manson past Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins.

    Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) handles the puck against Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jake Bean (22) in the first period at Ball Arena in Denver on Friday, March 22, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

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    Corey Masisak

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