Ap Essay: Against Tense Global Backdrop, Let The Games Begin

The Colorado Avalanche dug deep, fueled by some officiating-driven anger, and authored a wild, remarkable comeback two nights ago in an electric evening at Ball Arena. This was not that. The Montreal Canadiens ended Colorado’s six-game winning streak with a 2-1 shootout victory Saturday at Ball Arena. Cole Caufield and Kirby Dach scored for the Canadiens in the shootout. There are some 2-1 thrillers, with great saves, end-to-end action and high drama. This was not that. “We were just OK,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said.

The Broncos needed a seismic change in leadership, and owner Greg Penner realized it. Two years ago, after watching Dalton Risner shove Brett Rypien, after watching Randy Gregory punch a Los Angeles Ram, after hearing “SpongeBob Squarepants” character Patrick Star roast Russell Wilson, Penner fired Nathaniel Hackett. You can draw a line from that Christmas Day game to Sunday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs finally departed from Kansas City International Airport for their game in Denver on Saturday after spending about four hours stranded on the tarmac amid an ice storm that blanketed the region ahead of an impending blizzard. The Chiefs tried to move up the flight as the weather, which had been predicted all week, bared down on them.

Colorado’s Jade Masogayo, right, shoots over Baylor’s Aaronette Vonleh on Jan. 4, 2025, at Foster Pavilion in Waco, Texas. (CU Athletics) WACO, Texas – Typically, the Colorado women’s basketball team isn’t one that will back down after falling into a hole. On Saturday, the Buffaloes once again proved their grit with a couple of big rallies, but they couldn’t muster a third. Fueled by a run late in the third quarter, Baylor cruised past the Buffs 76-62 on Saturday at Foster Pavilion. The Buffs (10-4, 1-2 Big 12) trailed by as many as 19 points late in the game as they finished off an 0-2 week in Texas.

Nathan MacKinnon’s incredible hockey career can be divided into phases: The rise to No. 1 pick phenom. The early NHL plateau. And then a step forward to star and champion. We have now entered Phase 4 of MacKinnon’s career, where he is an unstoppable force of nature and building a legacy that could make him one of the all-time greats.

Chiefs (15-1) at Broncos (9-7) When: Sunday, 2:25 p.m. MT Where: Empower Field at Mile High Radio/TV: 850 AM, 94.1 FM/CBS Broncos-Chiefs series: Denver is 55-73 in 128 regular-season games dating back to 1960; the Broncos lost 16-14 in the last meeting, on Nov. 10 on the road, and have dropped eight of the last nine games against Kansas City. In the spotlight: Broncos prepare for Chiefs backup QB Carson Wentz The Broncos don’t care if Carson Wentz has fallen from grace.