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1. Is there a goalie “controversy” brewing in Anaheim thanks to Lukas Dostal?
Lukas Dostal has burst onto the NHL scene, opening up some questions in net for the Anaheim Ducks. The Sporting Tribune’s Felix Sicard wonders if there is now a goalie controversy in Anaheim.
Lukas Dostal should not be playing in the National Hockey League right now, but thanks to injuries to both John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz, he’s not only found himself manning an NHL net but thriving in the process. The 22-year-old began the season with the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League, where he has been slowly developing for the last couple of seasons as Anaheim’s prized goaltending prospect. Yet with the All-Star Gibson still in the midst of a multi-year deal, the possibility of Dostal getting any NHL action, let alone extended time, seemed to depend on either injuries or a potential Stolarz trade, who is in the last year of his contract.
2. I love the J.D. Martinez signing
The Dodgers haven’t made many moves this offseason but The Sporting Tribune’s Blake Harris absolutely loves the signing of five-time all-star J.D. Martinez.
It’s been such a crazy week for the Dodgers, I never got around to writing about one of their biggest moves of the offseason. Over the weekend, the Dodgers signed five-time All-Star J.D. Martinez to a one-year contract. Not only is it a great move by LA, I absolutely love it. Even though I love the move, I was actually annoyed about it at first. But not for the reason you think. I had actually drafted up a 1,000+ word article the day before about why the Dodgers should make a run at signing Martinez. I decided that I’d finish the article the next day at some point, because why on earth would he all of a sudden be a Dodger within the next 24 hours…. RIGHT?
3. Lakers can’t stop Kings in blowout
Offense was not the entire problem for the Lakers on Wednesday in Sacramento. They couldn't stop the Kings from scoring 134 points. The Sporting Tribune’s Rey Moralde has the dispatch from the latest Lakers loss.
Let’s go back to my preview of this Lakers-Kings game really quick. I wrote, The Lakers need to, “defend like they did in the first few weeks of the season. We know they’re capable of it.” Yeah. That didn’t happen. The Sacramento Kings ran all over the Lakers, 134-120, in a game that felt more one-sided than the score indicated. The game started out ugly and maybe the Lakers really should’ve kept it like that. Both teams each had 6 turnovers in the first quarter, with Domantas Sabonis having four of them. Sabonis adjusted better (much better, really) and the Lakers, for some reason, stopped converging on him.
4. Clark lifts No. 13 UCLA over UC Davis
Jaylen Clark's defensive prowess gave the Bruins the upper hand against the Aggies. The Sporting Tribune’s Kamran Nia has more from UCLA’s win at Pauley Pavilion.
The No. 13 UCLA Bruins did not fall into the trap. Following consecutive wins over ranked opponents, the Bruins faced the UC Davis Aggies, a team who scores over 80 points per game. With the high of those victories, they could have overlooked their foe. However, the Bruins did not, as their defense effectively shut down the Aggies' high-powered offense en route to an 81-54 win. They held them to 37.5% shooting from the field and 30% from beyond the three-point line. It was not all smooth sailing, though.
5. Finally, a win at home for the Golden Knights
Las Vegas captain Mark Stone lead the way with a pair of goals in a 5-2 win for the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena over Arizona for the first win in regulation at home in a month. The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp was at “The Fortress” has the latest from Las Vegas.
Well, whaddya know? The Golden Knights won a hockey game on their home ice. Improbable as it sounds, it’s true. Vegas defeated Arizona 5-2 Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena, snapping a six-game-in-regulation home losing streak and post their first 60-minute win since Nov. 23 when they beat Ottawa 4-1. In between was the 2-1 overtime win over Philadelphia Dec. 9. Frankly, it was getting embarrassing. The Knights are nearly unbeatable when they leave town, with an impressive 14-2-1 road record. At home, they were a sub-.500 team before a four-goal third period broke a 1-1 tie and they finally prevailed in “The Fortress” and got back to even for the season at 9-9.
6. Cotton Bowl Preview: USC vs. Tulane
USC faces Tulane in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, 2023 at AT&T Stadium and The Sporting Tribune’s Benjamin Harris-Myers has your early preview of the game before the Trojans head to Texas.
USC was expected to finish third in the Pac 12 in a preseason poll, with some media members selecting them to finish as low as seventh in the conference. Thanks to newly-crowned Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Caleb Williams, the Trojans defied all doubters with a historical season that saw them enter the Pac 12 Championship game with an 11-1 record, and as the No. 4 ranked team in the country. A win, and they would have advanced to their first ever College Football Playoff.
7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports
Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:
8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today:
Minnesota Wild at Los Angeles Kings: $42
9. On the Air presented by Coca-Cola
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today:
7:30 p.m. – Minnesota Wild at Los Angeles Kings – Bally Sports West
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
On Wednesday’s show, the crew talked about the Clippers finally getting healthy and looking like a championship contender and the playoff picture in the NFC and AFC heading into the stretch run.
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Fan in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.
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That’s it for today. We’re taking a few days off for the holidays. Talk to you all next week!