Iga Swiatek is through to the quarter-finals of the Ostrava Open after Ajla Tomljanovic retired hurt in their second-round match on Wednesday.
The world number one had won the first set 7-5, but her Australian opponent was forced to concede at 2-2 in the second.
Swiatek is now the female player with the most wins in a single year (58) in the last five seasons. Former world number one Ash Barty recorded 57 victories in 2019.
The second seed in Ostrava is out after Paula Badosa was beaten 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 by Petra Kvitova in front of a delighted Czech crowd, while Elena Rybakina is also through to the last eight after coming from behind to win against Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 7-5.
Wednesday's two other matches saw more success for Czech participants as Karolina Muchova beat seventh seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-4 6-4, while Barbora Krejcikova defeated Shelby Rogers 6-2 6-2.
There was less Czech joy at the Jasmin Open in Tunisia, where Katerina Siniakova was beaten 7-5 6-2 by Claire Liu.
Elsewhere, number three seed Alize Cornet eased past Harriet Dart 6-3 6-4, Elise Mertens came from behind to beat Despina Papamichail and Diane Parry went through against French compatriot Lucrezia Stefanini after the latter retired hurt in the second set.
Tom Brady did not take part in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice on Wednesday as the 45-year-old quarterback deals with nagging injuries to his right shoulder and finger.
Brady acknowledged he played through some shoulder soreness during the Buccaneers' 41-31 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday when speaking on his weekly radio show on SiriusXM. The seven-time Super Bowl champion appeared to be in a bit of discomfort after taking a hit on a second-quarter sack that resulted in a fumble the Chiefs recovered.
"My shoulder's doing OK," Brady said on Monday’s Let's Go! broadcast. "You know, just some bumps and bruises, and I kind of took a hit there on it. Got some treatment [Monday].
"This week will be very similar to a lot of the other ones, just getting on the mend, getting back to practice and trying to improve and be ready to go for next week."
Brady was listed on last week's injury report with the finger issue, which is considered minor and did not prevent him from practising in full. The three-time NFL MVP threw for a season-high 385 yards and three touchdowns while completing 39 of 52 passes against Kansas City.
NFL.com reported in September that the Buccaneers were planning on having Brady take Wednesday practices off throughout the season in an effort to reduce wear and tear on his body during his 23rd NFL campaign.
Brady is still expected to make his 323rd career regular-season start when the Buccaneers host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Myles Garrett returned to practice with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, nine days after the star pass rusher sustained multiple injuries in a single-car accident.
It was the first day he was back on the field since September 26, when the 26-year-old lost control of his Porsche while speeding, veered off the road and flipped it over.
The two-time All-Pro suffered a sprained shoulder, strained biceps, cuts, bruises and a broken eye blood vessel in the accident, forcing him to miss last Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
''Good to have Myles even in the walkthrough, just having his presence and having him in the meetings,'' Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said before practice.
''He's a big part of what we do, so good to have him back out there. I haven't seen him practice yet. He's worked out, obviously off to the side. But I get to watch practice today and get a good feel for where he is.''
Stefanski said the team will monitor his progress throughout the week before deciding if he can suit up for Sunday's home game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
While Garrett was back practicing, fellow All-Pro defensive end Jadeveon Clowney remained sidelined.
Clowney has missed the last two games with an ankle sprain, and without their two formidable defensive ends in Week 4, the Browns were gashed for 202 yards rushing after allowing an average of 83.7 yards on the ground in their first three games combined.
Stefanski remains hopeful Clowney will be able to practice later in the week.
"I think they are both on two different progressions, and we'll treat them as such," Stefanski said. "See how Myles looks today and then obviously just kind of wait and see with Jadeveon.
The LIV Golf Invitational Series has announced a partnership with the little-known MENA Tour in a bid to gain recognition from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
The OWGR does not currently recognise the LIV circuit, and several of the Saudi Arabia-backed tour's most high-profile players have expressed frustration at their inability to pick up ranking points.
Cameron Smith said last month that the awarding of ranking points at LIV events "would mean a lot", but some players on the rival PGA Tour have been less sympathetic.
Both Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas have said LIV players can only blame themselves if they fail to qualify for majors, but the breakaway circuit may have found a way to earn the OWGR's blessing.
The MENA Tour – a feeder circuit that operates in the Middle East and North Africa – announced the formation of a "strategic alliance" with LIV Golf on Wednesday.
A statement from the MENA Tour said the agreement "will result in LIV Golf Invitational events becoming part of and sanctioned by the MENA Tour", which has been recognised by the OWGR since 2016.
"This is a very exciting day for the MENA Tour and our players," said commissioner David Spencer.
"Through this alliance, our players will now have enhanced playing opportunities and stronger pathways. This is great news for the future of many young players on our tour."
LIV Golf president Atul Khosla added: "We are taking this mutually beneficial action to support the game at the developmental level and because of the importance and fairness of LIV golfers qualifying for OWGR points.
"We're pleased to create pathways that give more opportunities for young players, while also giving fans rankings that include all the world's best golfers."
However, reports have noted the OWGR is yet to ratify the move, while the ranking points awarded are likely to be minimal should LIV events continue to employ smaller 48-player fields and take place over just three rounds
Jamaica began its defence of the Caribbean Golf Association's (CGA) Four-Ball Championship by ending Tuesday’s opening day atop the leaderboard in three of the five team categories.
The three-day, the five-country championship is being played in Florida at the Golden Palm Golf Course with Jamaica is gunning for its third consecutive win after copping the country trophy, the Ambrose Gouthro Cup in 2019 and 2021.
There was no championship in 2020 due to the pandemic.
The team of Jodi Munn-Barrow and Lisa Gardner who are defending the Maria Nunes Trophy led the Ladies 35 and Over category with a seven over-par 78. They are three shots ahead of Puerto Rico’s team of Mara Pagan and Rebekah Alford who 81.
Meanwhile, Maggie Lyn and Michelle McCreath have it all to play for as the only team vying for the Desire Henry Trophy. They posted a first-round score of 84 in the category for Ladies 50 and over.
On the men's side, the team of Philip Prendergast and Owen Samuda led their group in defence of the Ramon Baez Romano Trophy (for men 35 and over). They carded 73 in the opening round and were trailed by Lynford Miller and Ashley Glinton of the Bahamas who shot 75.
The Higgs & Higgs Cup for Men 60 and over, saw Joe Delfillipo and Roger Hanson of the Cayman Islands, and Fernando Diaz and Arturo Morales of Puerto Rico tied up for the lead.
Wayne Chai Chong and Rory Jardine are tied for second along with three other teams after posting four over par 75 for the round.
Robert Chin and Dorrel Allen were one stroke back on five over par 75 in seventh place.
The third local team in the category, Peter Chin and George Hugh, were nine over for a score of 80 and ninth place.
In the play for the Francis Steel Perkins Trophy, two of the three Jamaican teams are in joint fifth place. Dr Mark Newnhan and Michael Gliechman, and Metry Seaga and Dave Cameron both posted six over par 77 at the end of round one.
The other team of William 'Tommy' Lee and Carlyle Hudson were just one stroke back in seventh place after scoring seven over par 78.
Bahamian pair Peter McIntosh and Horace Miller posted 72 to lead the group at the end of day one.
"(The) course was long, especially for the ladies,” Jonathan Newnham said afterwards.
“Overall, we had a few tough holes that we compounded with errors but (we are) proud of the fight throughout. (We) kept ourselves in it with each category with two days to go."
In fantasy football, it’s often the ones you least suspect.
Every week, there are surprise stars who seemingly come out of nowhere to deliver performances that prove decisive in fantasy matchups.
Unexpected contributors are the theme of this week’s fantasy picks.
The players mentioned are not unknowns, but they either have matchups that would not be expected to deliver fantasy success or feature for teams that have surprisingly become relevant in both the NFL and fantasy worlds.
As usual, Stats Perform has backed up its selections of four offensive players and a defense with advanced data that supports their case for inclusion in fantasy lineups this week.
Quarterback: Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans @ Washington Commanders
Tannehill is approaching the end of his time as the Titans' starter, but he still holds value for a Tennessee team looking to recover from a slow start to win a bad AFC South and for fantasy players eyeing a matchup to exploit this week.
That matchup comes in the form of a Commanders defense that has allowed over seven yards per pass and has given up 10 passing touchdowns, tied for the most in the NFL.
With Tannehill delivering an accurate, well-thrown ball on 87.6 per cent of his pass attempts – the third-best ratio among quarterbacks with at least 50 attempts – he is in a strong position to see his consistent accuracy rewarded on Sunday despite the relative lack of playmaking talent around him.
Running Back: Saquon Barkley, New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers
Most in the NFL world will be anticipating the Giants to come back down to earth against the Packers in the second London game of the season.
While the Packers are heavy favourites to slow New York’s fast start to the season, the odds of them halting Barkley's renaissance look slim.
No player in the NFL is averaging more yards per game than Barkley's 115.8, while a Packers defense that has traditionally struggled against the run is surrendering 4.97 yards per rush, the 11th-most in the league.
Hopes of progress for the Packers on run defense have yet to be realised, and Barkley should take advantage of their fallibility on the ground.
Wide Receiver: George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills
This is less about the matchup, which is an awful one for Pittsburgh, and more about opportunity for rookie receiver Pickens, who figures to be one of Kenny Pickett's favourite targets as the rookie quarterback makes his first career start.
Over the last two weeks, Pickens has been targeted 15 times, and he enjoyed the best game of his young career so far against the New York Jets, catching six of his eight targets 102 yards in a game Pickett entered for the second half.
The Buffalo defense is substantially better than that of the Jets, allowing only 4.75 yards per pass play. Yet the Bills are still dealing with injuries in the secondary and Pickens, whose big-play rate of 38.6 per cent is 10th among receivers with at least 20 targets, has the all-round game to turn the attention he will get from Pickett into production regardless of the difficult matchup.
Tight End: Tyler Conklin, New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins
There's such a lack of depth at tight end for fantasy football purposes that it's necessary to take a few swings if you're stuck for an answer at the position.
Conklin represents such a swing but is one you can have more confidence in after his impressive Week 4.
He demonstrated chemistry with Zach Wilson on the quarterback's return from a knee injury, hauling in three catches for 52 yards in the Jets' surprise win over the Steelers. Conklin was targeted five times and registered a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup with a defender when targeted, on all five.
This week, the Jets face a Miami defense that has conceded 7.43 yards per pass play this season. Only the Seattle Seahawks (8.24) have fared worse by that measure. If Wilson and Conklin continue to build their rapport, the latter could prove an astute fantasy play by those managers who take a chance on him.
Defense/Special Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans
The Jaguars being competitive with the unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles a week after stunning the Los Angeles Chargers illustrated just how far they have come in so little time under Doug Pederson.
Very few thought the Jags would quickly be in the mix for the AFC South but that is where they stand, with a diverse and aggressive defense playing a huge role in Jacksonville's progress.
The Jags have forced 27 negative plays this season, tied for the eighth-most among NFL defenses. The winless Texans, meanwhile, have seen their offense suffer 26 negative plays for minus 121 yards. Only four teams have lost more yardage on those plays this season.
Tied third in the NFL for takeaways with nine, look for a defense nobody saw coming to make the most of a favourable matchup and get Jacksonville back on track.
The Indianapolis Colts have ruled running-back Jonathan Taylor out of contention for Thursday's clash against the Denver Broncos due to an ankle injury.
Taylor suffered a twisted ankle in Sunday's defeat to the Tennessee Titans but was hopeful that he would be able to feature in the opening game of Week 5.
"I definitely do plan to play, but if you can't go you can't go. That's why you have to get as much treatment as you can," he said on Tuesday.
However, the Colts announced on Wednesday that Taylor was among four players officially listed as out for the meeting in Denver, alongside safety Julian Blackmon (ankle), linebacker Shaquille Leonard (concussion/nose/back) and defensive end Tyquan Lewis.
Nyheim Hines is likely set to see increased usage on the ground in Taylor's absence, having largely been an aerial presence for the Colts this season – just 11 of his 124 yards in 2022 coming from rushing plays.
The Colts stand 1-2-1 for the season ahead of facing the Broncos, who they boast a 7-3 record against from their last 10 meetings.
Veteran wide receiver Cole Beasley has decided to retire from the NFL after 11 seasons.
His agents told NFL.com on Wednesday that Beasley was bringing an end to his career just two weeks after signing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After going unsigned as a free agent this offseason, Beasley joined the Bucs on September 21 with the team hit by a rash of injuries at receiver.
The 33-year-old played in two games but only contributed 17 yards on four receptions.
"He is ready to be with his family after playing in 11 seasons, and it's time to be a full-time dad and husband," Beasley's agent Justin Turner said.
Beasley had been coming off two productive seasons with the Buffalo Bills.
After recording career highs of 82 receptions and 967 receiving yards in 2020, the Texas native matched that catch total last season while posting 693 yards.
Considered undersized by most scouts, the 5-foot-8, 174-pound Beasley went undrafted despite producing two 1,000-yard seasons in college at SMU.
He made Dallas' roster in 2012 and spent his first seven seasons with the Cowboys before signing a four-year, $29million contract with the Bills in 2019.
Beasley finishes his career with 554 receptions, 5,726 yards and 34 touchdowns in 151 regular-season games.
He also played in 11 postseason games during his time with Dallas and Buffalo.
Conor Benn expects his fight with Chris Eubank Jr to go ahead, despite being "prohibited" by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) after he failed a drug test.
Saturday's bout at London's O2 Arena was placed in jeopardy on Wednesday after it was revealed Benn had tested positive for female fertility drug clomifene.
The positive sample showed up in one of welterweight fighter Benn's recent tests, leading to the BBBofC to state that the fight was "not in the interests of boxing".
But Benn continued with his preparations as planned on Wednesday by taking part in an open workout session and feels the showdown will go ahead as planned.
"I've not committed any violations and I've not been suspended, so as far as I'm concerned the fight is still going ahead," he told Matchroom's YouTube channel.
"I've signed up to every voluntary anti-doping test under the sun. Throughout my whole career I'm tested and I've always come back negative. I've never had any issues before.
"My team will find out why there has been an initial adverse finding, but as far as I'm concerned the fight is going ahead. I'm a clean athlete and we'll get to the bottom of this."
Matchroom, Benn's representatives, had earlier said his "B sample had yet to be tested, meaning there is no rule violation and he is not suspended".
Benn added that he has spoken to Eubank Jr personally and that both "want the fight to happen for the fans".
However, speaking at his own workout, Eubank Jr said: "There was no phone call [with Benn]. We haven't spoken.
"No phone call. We haven't spoken since this has been announced, and it's a shame you know. But my promoters, his promoters, the BBBofC they are going to sort this out."
The Eubank-Benn rivalry goes back over 30 years, with the fighters' respective fathers – Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn – having fought in 1990 and 1993.
Eubank Sr won the first fight, with the second finishing as a split draw.
The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has delayed its decision over potential Formula One budget cap breaches by Red Bull and Aston Martin until October 10.
F1's governing body, which had been expected to release its Certificates of Compliance for the 2021 season on Wednesday, has made a five-day postponement to its decision amid ongoing furore.
Red Bull, whose driver Max Verstappen won the Drivers' World Championship in a controversial finale last year, are one of two teams alleged by rivals to have breached the competition's fiscal limits.
Principal Christian Horner has reiterated confidence in his team and threatened his counterpart at Mercedes, Toto Wolff, with legal action over his claims.
But the wait to discover just whether Red Bull committed a breach will now last until next week.
"The FIA informs that the conclusion of the analysis of the 2021 financial submissions of the Formula One teams and the subsequent release of Certificates of Compliance to the Financial Regulations will not take place on Wednesday, 5 October," the organisation stated.
"The analysis of financial submissions is a long and complex process that is ongoing and will be concluded to enable the release of the Certificates on Monday, 10 October.
"The Financial Regulations were agreed unanimously by all Competitors, who have worked positively and collaboratively with the FIA Cost Cap Administration throughout this first year under the Financial Regulations.
"As previously communicated, there has been significant and unsubstantiated speculation and conjecture in relation to this matter, and the FIA reiterates that until it is finalised, no further information will be provided.
"The FIA also reiterates that any suggestion that FIA personnel have disclosed sensitive information is equally baseless."
Punishment is likely to follow if Red Bull are deemed to have committed a breach, though the extent of whether it would strip Verstappen of his maiden world title is unknown.
Novak Djokovic breezed past Cristian Garin in the Astana Open, taking just 62 minutes to secure a 6-1 6-1 victory in his opening match of the ATP 500 event.
Having won his 89th tour-level title on Sunday in Tel Aviv without dropping a single set, fourth-seed Djokovic wasted no time in securing a win to set up a second-round clash against Botic van de Zandschulp.
Also in Kazakhstan, third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas made hard work of his second-round tie against Luca Nardi, requiring two tie breaks in a two-hour showdown in a 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-3) victory to secure a spot in the last eight.
Andrey Rublev, Roberto Bautista Agut and Adrian Mannarino also sealed their places in the quarter-finals at the Astana Open on Wednesday, while Marin Cilic and Emil Ruusuvuori won their first-round matches.
Meanwhile, Taylor Fritz defeated James Duckworth 6-2 6-7 6-1 in the Japan Open, where there was also a victory for Denis Shapovalov against Steve Johnson.
In the doubles, top seeds Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis overcame home duo Yoshihito Nishioka and Kaichi Uchida, with second seeds Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell also progressing past the round of 16 stage.
Blake Bortles, the former number three overall pick, has revealed he has "quietly" retired from the NFL.
Bortles was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 draft, becoming the first quarterback taken that year.
Despite largely not living up to his draft stock, Bortles helped the Jags, who had a famed defense in the 2017 season, to reach the AFC Championship Game where they narrowly lost to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
Bortles signed a three-year, $54million deal to remain with the Jags beyond his rookie contract but was released a year later after a poor 2018 season.
With his starting days behind him, the 30-year-old has since spent time in backup roles with the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers.
But when asked if he was still in shape to sign for an NFL team during the 2022 season, he told the Pardon My Take podcast he had decided to call time on his career.
"I quietly... I didn't tell anybody, I retired," he said, per ESPN.
"I guess you guys are kind of the first to hear it publicly."
Chris Eubank Jr is unlikely to face Conor Benn as planned after the latter returned a positive test for the banned substance clomifene.
The bout was initially placed in jeopardy after welterweight fighter Benn tested positive for clomifene following a drugs test by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.
This was confirmed in a joint statement from Wasserman Boxing and Matchroom on Wednesday, though it was suggested the fight would still go ahead as scheduled.
However, the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) subsequently confirmed the bout would not take place.
A BBBofC statement read: "On the evening of 4th October 2022, the Board of the British Boxing Board of Control Limited resolved that the contest between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn scheduled to take place on 8th October 2022 is prohibited as it is not in the interests of Boxing.
"That was communicated to the Boxers and Promoters involved on the morning of 5th October 2022."
Matchroom, Benn's representatives, had earlier said: "The B Sample had yet to be tested, meaning there is no rule violation. He is not suspended, and he remains free to fight. Mr Benn has passed all doping control tests conducted by the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD)."
Eddie Hearn has since confirmed lawyers are in discussions with the BBBofC to try and ensure that the fight can take place.
A sold-out crowd had been expected to be in attendance for the event at the O2 Arena in London.
The Eubank-Benn rivalry goes back over 30 years, with the fighters' respective fathers – Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn – having fought in 1990 and 1993.
Eubank Sr won the first fight, with the second finishing as a split draw.
Victory and the fastest lap for Max Verstappen in Japan on Sunday will seal the Formula One title for the Red Bull ace and continue a record in the land of the rising sun.
The Japanese Grand Prix has been the venue where championship winners have been crowned the most, happening on 12 occasions – the last of which was Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull in 2011.
Verstappen, who will also win the title if Charles Leclerc finishes third or lower and team-mate Sergio Perez finishes second or lower without the fastest lap, can clinch the title with four races to spare – only Michael Schumacher in 2002 (6) and Nigel Mansell in 1995 (5) have been crowned champion sooner in the season.
A further honour also awaits Verstappen in Japan, where a win would be the 23rd different venue where he has topped the podium, surpassing Schumacher (22) and behind only Lewis Hamilton (31).
Regardless of Verstappen's exploits in Japan, the title is a near certainty to be heading his way and it would require a remarkable sequence of events for the situation to change.
The budget cap situation is the biggest threat, with the FIA set to announce results for the 2021 season on Wednesday, although any outcome is unlikely to be final and arguments are expected to rumble on within the paddock.
Leclerc's pole problem
Charles Leclerc has taken pole position and failed to win the race on seven occasions in 2022, the most recent coming in Singapore last weekend where Sergio Perez won ahead of the Ferrari driver.
Another pole without a win in 2022 would equal the highest tally in a single season, set by Mika Hakkinen in 1999 and Nico Rosberg in 2014.
Alonso waits for record
Fernando Alonso set the record for most Grand Prix stats in F1 last weekend (350) but is still waiting to take the record for the most F1 finishes – missing the opportunity to set the record in the last two races.
Alonso is tied with Kimi Raikkonen for the most races finished (378) and has suffered back-to-back DNF's in Italy and Singapore, with Lewis Hamilton (276 finishes) now threatening to leapfrog him if that trend continues.
The breakdown of an all-British heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury is down to the former's promoter Eddie Hearn, claims Bob Arum.
A bout between the two - both world champions at varying points in their career - looked to be on the rocks last week after Fury repeatedly issued deadlines to sign a contract for a December 3 date.
Earlier this week, Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn admitted the fight looked dead in the water for now after negotiations collapsed.
And Fury's promoter Arum claims it was his opposite number who is to blame for the turn of events, claiming he "sabotaged" any potential deal.
"He wanted to kill it because even as late as [Monday], if he'd have said let's all get together and sit in a room and get everything finalised, it could have been done in a couple of hours," Arum told Sky Sports.
"He didn't want the fight to happen from the get-go, so he slow-played it.
"I've been in this business almost 60 years, so I can tell when somebody doesn't want something to happen and then slow-plays a negotiation.
"I knew that Eddie would find a way to sabotage the fight. He has nothing left really in his stable and he is clinging to AJ as his only potential attraction."
Fury's consistent public demands for an agreement have seen him criticised for apparently attempting to backtrack out of any fight, but Arum refutes any suggestion he is to blame.
"Tyson Fury is Tyson Fury," Arum added.
"He hasn't been trained in law school so he wants a fight, if he's imposing deadlines which aren't really deadlines because he's sending a message, get off your asses and get this thing done.
"It was clear that was the case. So, nobody should be blamed for this fight not happening, not Tyson, not AJ, not anybody else other than Eddie Hearn."
The NHL season is just days away from dropping the first puck, and last year's playoffs planted the seeds for some intriguing storylines to watch.
After back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, the Tampa Bay Lightning were dethroned by a Colorado Avalanche side that looked nearly unbeatable. Both teams return similar casts with small alterations, and it would be no surprise to see these sides as the last two standing when it is all said and done.
Meanwhile, young phenom and arguably the new face of the league, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, showed he is more than a regular season performer as he took his team to the brink of the Stanley Cup Finals.
McDavid, the Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews and the Minnesota Wild's Kirill Kaprizov look set to be leading the charge for the league's most valuable player, and all three are yet to turn 26, indicating this season could be a changing of the guard as the next generation takes over.
Can the Avalanche repeat as Stanley Cup champions?
The Avalanche were just too good in last season's playoffs. They were completely dominant, amassing a 16-4 record without losing consecutive games at any point.
Their Stanley Cup Finals win against the then-reigning back-to-back champions Tampa Bay included a 7-0 thrashing at home, and two gutsy road wins with goaltender Darcy Kuemper was named player of the game.
It is undeniable that Kuemper was a massive part of the Avalanche's success during his breakout season, but with his rapid ascension came a rapidly rising price tag, and he cashed in with a five-year, $26million free agent deal to the Washington Capitals.
Replacing him is last year's backup Pavel Francouz – who performed admirably in games Kuemper missed – as well as new signing Alexandar Georgiev, who was Igor Shesterkin's backup with the New York Rangers.
With offensive stars Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon returning, as well as elite defenseman Cale Makar, the frightening core of the Avalanche remains intact.
The third-highest scoring team in the NHL last season (312, behind Toronto's 315 and the Florida Panthers' 340), there is no reason to believe Colorado will not remain in the top echelon of offensive teams.
But ultimately seasons can be decided by the man you trust to protect your net, and the Avalanche will need to be proactive in addressing the issue if Francouz and Georgiev are not up to the task.
Is the Lightning dynasty still alive?
Tampa Bay have now reached three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals series, collecting titles in 2020 and 2021 before falling short against the Avalanche.
As history shows, sustaining that level of success deep into the playoffs in consecutive years is one of the hardest feats, largely due to the fact teams are playing 100-game seasons and absorbing so much extra physical wear-and-tear.
Their seemingly impenetrable defense and future Hall of Fame goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy looked vulnerable in the finals, and they started preseason with a combined losing margin of 14-2 in their first three games.
But this is the Lightning, and they still boast one of the best goalies in the sport, as well as a core of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Victor Hedman still in their prime.
They have earned the benefit of the doubt, and are still the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.
Will this be the year for McDavid and the Oilers?
The best player in hockey and two-time winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy for league MVP, McDavid enjoyed his first taste of playoff success as the Oilers won two series before being knocked out by the Avalanche in the Western Conference finals.
Prior to that, McDavid only had one series win in his first six seasons in the league, but he has led the NHL in points now on four occasions and it took an unbelievable 60-goal season from Toronto's Matthews to deny the 25-year-old his third Hart Trophy.
The trio of McDavid, Leon Draisaitl (who won the 2020 Hart Trophy and scored 55 goals last term) and Evander Kane constitute one of the best offensive units in the league, and they had won six of their past seven playoff games before being swept by the Avalanche.
With McDavid, the Oilers have one of the most talented players in the history of the sport who still may have his best hockey ahead of him. After falling just short last season, it would be no surprise to see him carry his team another step further.
Who are the Hart Memorial Trophy contenders?
McDavid will enter the season as the favourite, as alongside fellow 25-year-old and former top overall draft pick Matthews, he figures to reign over the league for the foreseeable future.
If he was on another team, Draisaitl would have to be considered a true contender, having already won the award in 2020, but playing next to McDavid limits the number of votes he can receive.
The Wild's Kaprizov is on an ascending trajectory, having won the 2021 Calder Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year before rising to All-Star status this past campaign, and could be a dark horse.
There has only been one goaltender to win the award since 2002 – Carey Price with the Montreal Canadiens in 2015 – but Shesterkin from the Rangers and Vasilevskiy from the Lightning both possess the ability and the star power to enter consideration if their teams put together outlier defensive seasons.
Russell Wilson and Jonathan Taylor are both hopeful of being able to feature in Thursday's clash between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts.
Broncos quarterback Wilson has been listed as 'limited' for team training at the start of the week with a shoulder injury but is "super confident" he will be able to take to the field against the Colts.
"I'm doing good, hanging in there. You get banged up a couple times here and there," he said.
Asked whether he feels he will be able to take to the field against the Colts, he added: "Yeah, I'm super confident."
Wilson has begun his Broncos career with a 61.1 per cent completion percentage, the lowest of his NFL career, throwing for 980 yards and four touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Colts running back Taylor was not as resolute with his fitness, having suffered a badly twisted ankle in Sunday's defeat to the Tennessee Titans.
"I definitely do plan to play, but if you can't go you can't go. That's why you have to get as much treatment as you can," he said on Tuesday.
Taylor has rushed for 328 yards in the opening four games of the season, scoring one touchdown, while adding 44 receiving yards.
Both sides have fallen beneath expectations at the start of the season, the Broncos 2-2 while the Colts are 1-2-1.
Victor Wembanyama lived up to his considerable hype in scoring 37 points against Scoot Henderson's G League Ignite.
The French 18-year-old is the top prospect in the 2023 NBA Draft but was yet to play in the United States before Tuesday's game with his Metropolitans 92 team.
Wembanyama had described it as "the biggest game I've played in my life", and he did not disappoint on that stage.
The seven-foot-four forward got to his game-leading points haul on 11-of-20 shooting, including making a remarkable seven of 11 threes. He also had five blocks on the defensive end.
It was not enough to beat the Ignite, with Henderson – the projected number two pick – inspiring a 122-115 win, but a big half-time deficit set Wembanyama up to dominate.
"At some point, it was just about taking over," he explained afterwards. "Our team definitely needed players to step up because we were down [21 points], I think.
"Coming back from such a lead is a tough task, so you've got to take responsibility.
"Three is more than two, so in these times, you've got to do what you've got to do, like taking fast-break threes. You've got to score points as fast as possible."
Henderson finished with 28 points, nine assists and five rebounds and said of his performance: "I feel like I played pretty good. I've still got areas of my game where I feel like I need to get better, for sure, and that's not on the stat sheet."
But the Ignite star was not interested in comparisons with Wembanyama, adding: "I didn't really think about it too much. I was there to win
"They talk, but I wasn't paying attention to all that. I try to stay off social media as much as I can when it comes to comparing and contrasting players.
"I wanted to – I don't really feed into that. I just feed into going into the game 110 per cent and focusing on winning. That was my main goal today, and we got the goal done."
Henderson did add Wembanyama is "a pretty good player", even if "nothing really surprised me".
And Wembanyama was complimentary in return, saying of his fellow prospect: "He's tough to guard – just what I expected.
"I think the biggest point of his game is his aggressiveness. Every time the ball is in his hands, it's something you can feel on the court: he can do something dangerous, he can slash, he can shoot the ball.
"I was surprised in a good way – he's a great player."
Zion Williamson impressed in his return for the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday after missing the entire 2021-22 season, although he says he "couldn't show them everything".
The 2019 NBA Draft top overall pick put in a 15-minute cameo, scoring 13 points with four rebounds as the Pelicans won 129-125 over the Chicago Bulls in their preseason opener.
Williamson, 22, had not played competitively for the Pelicans for 514 days, dating back to May 2021, having sat out last season with a foot injury.
The power forward, who said he felt like he was at his best again at last week's media day, was impressive during his brief appearance, where he teamed up with an unfamiliar Pelicans line-up to that which he last played with following numerous personnel changes.
"Couldn't show them everything," Williamson told reporters. "But just kind of getting a feel for it again. Find spots. Picking and choosing where I want to attack.
"But I got a new team since the last time I played. I'm still learning some of the guys. Today we were able to click.
"I feel like if we can do that for the rest of these preseason games, I feel we'll be in pretty good shape."
The Pelicans struggled in Williamson's absence last season, missing the playoffs with a 36-46 record under head coach Willie Green.
"He looked good and he's just going to continue to get better," Green said about Williamson.
"That's what we know about Z. He works at it. He's a competitor. And you know it doesn't look like it, but he had 13 points, four rebounds in 15 minutes. That's the type of work he puts in on the floor."
Williamson averaged 27.0 points with 61.1 percent shooting, 3.7 assists and 7.2 rebounds across 61 games in the 2020-21 season before his foot injury. He only played 24 times in his rookie season in 2019-20 before becoming an NBA All-Star in 2021.
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