Category: Sports

Rust has a goal and an assist as Penguins win 4-1 to send Wild to fifth straight loss

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist, Tristan Jarry made 26 saves and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat Minnesota 4-1 on Thursday night to hand the Wild their fifth straight loss.

Rust’s tip-in of Ryan Shea’s long pass from the point broke a 1-1 tie 6:29 into the third. Ben Kindel added an insurance goal a minute later.

Shea also scored and Anthony Mantha had an empty-net goal for Pittsburgh, which improved to 5-1-1 on the road. Jarry improved to 13-5-2 since returning from an AHL stint late last season. The 30-year-old goalie held the Wild scoreless on four power plays after they entered leading the Western Conference with 14 goals with the man advantage.

Kirill Kaprizov had the lone goal for Minnesota, which has lost eight of nine, including four straight to start a six-game homestand. Filip Gustavsson made 30 saves.

Shea’s slap shot off a loose puck outside the left faceoff circle tied it 2:18 into the second period. Gustavsson stopped former Wild forward Connor Dewar on a short-handed breakaway before Jarry made two point-blank saves to help keep it tied entering the third.

The Wild opened the scoring for the first time in six games when Kaprizov tapped in a cross-ice pass from Marcus Johansson with 9:44 left in the first. It was Kaprizov’s team-leading seventh goal.

Evgeni Malkin appeared to answer for Pittsburgh less than three minutes later, but the goal was waved off because of goaltender interference. Penguins coach Dan Muse unsuccessfully challenged the call.

The sequence then included the replacement of a damaged piece of glass next to the Wild bench, leading to a stoppage of more than five minutes before the ensuing Wild power play.

Up next

Penguins: At the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

Wild: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.

Twins hire former coach and ex-Pirates skipper Derek Shelton as manager, AP source says

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton walks to the dugout before a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Pittsburgh, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have picked former bench coach Derek Shelton as their new manager, a person with knowledge of the decision confirmed Wednesday night.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the hire. Major League Baseball encourages clubs to avoid spotlighting big moves during the World Series.

Shelton served as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates for five-plus years with an overall record of 306-440 before he was fired on May 8, just 40 games into this season. The 55-year-old was the bench coach for the Twins in 2018 and 2019 under two different managers, Paul Molitor and Rocco Baldelli. With the under-funded Pirates, Shelton never finished higher than fourth place in the NL Central or better than 76-86.

Baldelli was fired the day after the regular season ended with a 527-505 record over seven years, plus 3-8 in the postseason. The Twins won three AL Central titles under Baldelli, including their 101-61 finish in 2019 when the rookie skipper won the AL Manager of the Year award, but they made the playoffs only once in his last five seasons and frequently struggled to shepherd their top prospects into becoming consistent contributors.

New York Yankees hitting coach James Rowson, who held that role for the Twins under both Molitor and Baldelli before leaving to become bench coach of the Miami Marlins in 2020, was also one of the finalists. According to multiple reports, former Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais and current Chicago Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty were in the mix, too. The Twins are one of nine MLB teams who have changed managers this year.

Shelton, who was well-regarded within the Twins organization and a close friend to Baldelli, will take over a team that spiraled to a 70-92 finish after the front office decided to use the leverage of the deadline to maximize the incoming talent and traded 10 players off the major league roster in a stunningly aggressive teardown.

The Twins traded their five best relievers, from closer Jhoan Duran on down, and left the final 54 games to a ragtag group that had eight blown saves in 18 opportunities during that span. The conversion rate of 44.4% ranked second-worst in the majors over the final two months.

The Twins are 82-119 over their last 201 games for a .408 winning percentage, and that includes a 13-game winning streak this season.

Attendance has swooned at Target Field. The Twins finished with their lowest total for 81 home games (a little more than 1.7 million tickets sold) in a non-pandemic season since 2000 when they played at the cramped and dingy Metrodome and went 69-93.

Fans mostly have directed their disdain toward ownership, with deep frustration over cost cutting that came after the 2023 breakthrough Baldelli led with the end of a record 18-game postseason losing streak and the club’s first win of a playoff series in 21 years.

Executive chair Joe Pohlad and his family members put the franchise up for sale in 2024, but decided in August to keep control and bring on two new investment groups for an infusion of cash to help pay down debt.

Marco Andretti retires from racing, ending an era for the Andretti family at the Indy 500

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – ARCA driver Marco Andretti looks out of the garage before a practice run for an ARCA Mendards Series auto race Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, file)

(AP) Marco Andretti said Wednesday he is retiring from racing, a decision that likely means the “Andretti Curse” at the Indianapolis 500 will never end.

The 38-year-old grandson of Mario Andretti announced on social media he will not attempt to enter the Indianapolis 500 next season and will instead turn his attention to his daughter, business ventures outside of racing, and a memoir in process called “Defending the Dynasty.”

Next year’s Indianapolis 500 will not have an Andretti in the field for the first time since 2005.

“I have had some really fun times behind the wheel in a lot of different types of racing cars — a lot of great memories as well, mostly at the Indy 500,” Marco Andretti wrote in his announcement, noting his start this year was the 20th of his career, good enough for 12th all-time.

“I am very much at peace with the next chapter in my life after dedicating three decades to the sport,” he added.

Marco Andretti also reflected on the Indy 500, his performances there and when he and his father battled for the lead in the closing laps of the 2006 race.

Marco Andretti was an IndyCar rookie, his father, Michael, came out of retirement to race against him, and Marco’s late pass of Michael should have been enough for the victory. Sam Hornish Jr. ended up chasing down Marco Andretti and the curse that dates to 1970 — the year after Mario Andretti gave the family their only Indy 500 win — continued.

“I am proud of my overall stats at the Indy 500. I had six very legitimate shots at victory with Andretti Autosport and ended up with 20% top-3 finishes at the Speedway,” Marco Andretti wrote. “It feels accomplishing to me to be able to retire having more podium finishes than my father Michael and the same as my grandfather Mario at the biggest race in the world.”

He added to his Indy 500 memories nearly being bumped from the field in 2011 and winning the pole in 2020.

“That is what the Indianapolis 500 produces: extremes on both ends. That is why I love and appreciate it so much,” he wrote.

Marco Andretti won two times over 253 IndyCar starts spanning 20 years. He debuted at the age of 19 driving for his father’s team, which is now known as Andretti Global but Michael Andretti was bought out of the ownership group at the end of last season.

Marco Andretti scaled back in 2021 to run only the Indianapolis 500 as he dabbled in NASCAR and other racing series. With Michael Andretti no longer an official part of the team, new owner Dan Towriss is under no obligation to enter Marco Andretti at Indy.

Marco Andretti’s final Indy 500 will go down as one of his worst — he crashed on the fourth lap as both Mario and Michael Andretti dropped their heads at another Indy disaster.

Despite the heartbreak at Indianapolis, the Andretti name is one of the most globally respected in racing. Mario Andretti won the 1978 Formula 1 championship, IndyCar titles in 1965, 1966, 1969 and 1984, and the 1967 Daytona 500 in NASCAR.

Mario Andretti is the only driver to win Indy, Daytona and an F1 championship. He is the only driver to win IndyCar races in four different decades and his 52 career victories rank third on IndyCar’s all-time list.

Michael Andretti ranks fourth all-time with 42 wins in IndyCar, just never at Indianapolis. He won the 500 as a team owner five different times. He won one title, was runner-up in the standings five times and ran 13 of the 16 races in the 1993 F1 season.

Marco Andretti only began trying other racing series after he stepped away from full-time IndyCar competition. The pressure on him to live up to his last name was enormous, especially at Indianapolis.

He reflected on his two decades in IndyCar as “competing at the top level of North American motorsport is and has been an honor for me, even in the tough times.”

“That is where I can look back and say I have made my best progress in life as a man,” he said. “Learning to navigate very difficult dynamics at times, and others doubting me, made me realize that my opinion of myself is the one that should matter the most.”

Steelers acquire safety Kyle Dugger from the Patriots with veteran DeShon Elliott out indefinitely

(File Photo: Source for Photo: New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler, right, runs from New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger, left, and linebacker Robert Spillane during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have acquired safety Kyle Dugger from New England in hopes of giving the back end of the secondary another experienced option with starter DeShon Elliott out indefinitely with a knee injury.

Pittsburgh sent a sixth-round pick in the 2026 draft to New England in exchange for Dugger and a seventh-round selection.

Dugger, a second-round choice by the Patriots in 2020, had 17 tackles in seven games with New England this season. The six-year veteran has nine career interceptions, including a pair of Pick-6s in 2022.

Elliott injured his right knee in the second half of Pittsburgh’s 35-25 loss to Green Bay on Sunday night. Dugger joins a safety group that includes Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers.

Pittsburgh’s secondary is struggling. The Steelers are dead last in the NFL against the pass and have surrendered over 700 yards in their last two games to Cincinnati’s Joe Flacco and Green Bay’s Jordan Love.

Things won’t get any easier for Pittsburgh this weekend when AFC South-leading Indianapolis (7-1) and the NFL’s top offense visit Acrisure Stadium.

Konecny nets 200th career goal, Brink shines as Flyers edge Penguins in shootout

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Philadelphia Flyers’ Bobby Brink, left, scores a goal against Pittsburgh Penguins’ Arturs Silovs during a shootout in an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Travis Konecny scored a milestone goal, Bobby Brink scored the shootout winner and had a goal and an assist and the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Konecny notched his 200th career goal in the second period on a shot from the right circle, beating Pittsburgh goalie Arturs Silovs over his blocker. He became the 17th player in Flyers history to reach the 200-goal plateau.

Brink scored on the power play in the first by poking a rebound past Silovs for his third goal of the season. He also made a deft double deke move on a goal in the shootout. Sam Ersson made 24 saves for the Flyers, who won for the fourth time in five games.

Sidney Crosby scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season to force overtime for the Penguins, who have registered at least one point in seven straight (5-0-2).

Justin Brazeau scored his sixth goal for Pittsburgh and Silovs made 32 saves.

Both teams thought they had won the game in overtime. A Penguins goal by Evgeni Malkin was waived off for an illegal substitution on a delayed penalty when Malkin entered the ice before Silovs made it to the bench.

Minutes later, a would-be power play goal by Philadelphia’s Tyson Foerster was waived off after a league-initiated review determined the play was offside.

Up next

The Penguins continue their four-game road trip in Minnesota on Thursday.

Philadelphia remains home, where they are in the middle of playing nine of 10, when they host Nashville on Thursday.

Steelers sign wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling warms up during practice at NFL football minicamp, June 10th, 2025, at the team’s training facility in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler yesterday that the Pittsburgh Steelers made a plan to sign wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The move yesterday to the Steelers gave Valdes-Scantling another opportunity to play on the same team as their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Both of them played for the Green Bay Packers from 2018 to 2021. Valdes-Scantling was drafted 174th overall in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Packers and has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills, and the New Orleans Saints. Valdes-Scantling signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks on March 12th, 2025, but was released on August 26th, 2025, and he most previously played on the San Francisco 49ers active roster before being released on October 18th, 2025.

Crosby has goal, 2 assists to reach 1,700 points as Penguins beat Blues 6-3

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby skates back to the bench during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists to become the ninth player in NHL history with 1,700 points and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the St. Louis Blues 6-3 on Monday night.

Crosby, who accomplished the feat in the fourth-fewest games, is the fourth player in NHL history to reach the mark with one team. Crosby also had his 498th multi-point game, passing Mario Lemieux for the team record and sixth in NHL history on the all-time multi-point list.

Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist to extend his point streak to seven games, while Bryan Rust had two goals and an assist. Parker Wotherspoon scored his first with Pittsburgh and Anthony Mantha added his fifth of the season.

Tristan Jarry made 22 saves to help the Penguins get their fifth win in six games. Pittsburgh is 7-2-1 and hasn’t lost in regulation since Oct. 14 at Anaheim.

Jordan Kyrou extended a seven-game point streak with a goal, while Nick Bjugstad and Mathieu Joseph also scored for St. Louis. Joel Hofer stopped 20 shots for the Blues, who lost their fourth straight game.

St. Louis has lost five of their last six games and allowed more than six goals in four of those defeats.

Crosby iced the game with a breakaway goal with 3:21 left in the third off a pass from Rust to make it 5-3. Crosby had the primary assist on Wortherspoon’s goal and the secondary helper on Rust’s second goal.

Both teams played without top forwards. Penguins forward Rickard Rakell will miss six-to-eight weeks after he was struck by a shot on Saturday against Columbus and underwent successful surgery on his left hand on Sunday. Robert Thomas (upper body) and Jake Neighbours (lower body), both normally on the Blues’ top line, are day-to-day.

Up next

Blues: Host Detroit on Tuesday.

Penguins: Open a four-game road trip at Philadelphia on Tuesday.

2025 WPIAL high school football playoff first-round matchups in each bracket

(File Photo of the WPIAL Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The 2025 WPIAL high school football playoffs kicks off this week as the first round in all six classes will start the journey to a WPIAL championship for each team that has qualified. Here are all the first round matchups that were revealed today with bold indicating the matchups of the Beaver Valley teams competing for their respective WPIAL championships, which will all take place at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh:

Class 6A

#4 Canon-McMillan vs #1 Central Catholic (Location to be Determined, 11/07/25 at 7 p.m.)

#3 Norwin at #2 North Allegheny (11/07/25 at 7 p.m.)

Class 5A

#1 Pine-Richland (First-Round Bye), will host the winner of,

#9 Kiski Area at #8 Shaler, (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#4 Penn-Trafford (First-Round Bye), will host the winner of,

#12 Armstrong at #5 Moon Area (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#2 Peters Township (First-Round Bye), will host the winner of,

#10 North Hills at #7 Bethel Park (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#3 Woodland Hills (First-Round Bye), will host the winner of,

#11 Plum at #6 Upper St. Clair (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

Class 4A

#8 Chartiers Valley at #1 McKeesport (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#5 Mars at #4 Thomas Jefferson (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#7 Aliquippa at #2 Trinity (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#6 Montour at #3 New Castle (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

Class 3A

#1 Avonworth (First-Round Bye), will host the winner of,

#9 Beaver Area at #8 Freeport (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#4 Elizabeth Forward (First-Round Bye), will host the winner of,

#12 Burrell vs #5 North Catholic (Location to be Determined, 10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#2 Imani Christian (First-Round Bye), will host the winner of,

#10 Hopewell at #7 Southmoreland (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#3 Central Valley (First-Round Bye), will host the winner of,

#11 Derry at #6 Highlands (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#12 Beaver Falls at #5 Washington (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#2 Western Beaver (First-Round Bye), will host the winner of,

#10 Riverside at #7 Apollo-Ridge (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#3 Steel Valley (First-Round Bye), will host the winner of,

#11 Keystone Oaks at No. 6 Ellwood City

Class 2A

#1 Seton LaSalle (First-Round Bye), will host the winner of,

#9 OLSH at #8 Mohawk (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#13 Waynesburg Central at #4 South Allegheny

Class 1A

#16 Avella at #1 Fort Cherry (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#9 Neshannock at #8 Leechburg (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#13 Jefferson-Morgan at #4 Laurel (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#12 Chartiers-Houston at #5 South Side (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#15 Monessen at #2 Clairton (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#10 Jeannette at #7 Bentworth (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#14 Greensburg Central Catholic at #3 Bishop Canevin (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

#11 Frazier at #6 California (10/31/25 at 7 p.m.)

Hopewell High School football ends the longest-standing WPIAL playoff drought in the Beaver Valley at thirteen years

(File Photo of the Hopewell Area School District Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Cranberry Township, PA) Even though Hopewell High School’s football team lost to North Catholic High School 44-36 on Friday on the road in Cranberry Township, they broke their thirteen-year WPIAL playoff drought, which was the longest in the Beaver Valley. The Vikings finished the 2025 high school football season with a 6-4 record overall and a 2-4 record in the WPIAL 3A West Hills Conference, but still clinched a wild card spot as the #10 seed in the WPIAL 3A bracket. This is the first time since 2012 that Hopewell High School has reached the high school playoffs, and since their current head coach Matt Mottes got hired as their interim head coach in 2024, they have had one .500 season and two winless seasons since 2013. Hopewell will travel to Alverton, Pennsylvania to take on the #7 seed Southmoreland High School Scotties on Friday, October 31st at 7 p.m. Southmoreland is 9-1 overall with a 4-1 record in the WPIAL 3A Interstate Conference.

Penguins forward Rickard Rakell to miss 6-8 weeks after undergoing hand surgery

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Florida Panthers fans react in the stands as Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal, during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to try to keep their hot start going without forward Rickard Rakell.

The team announced Sunday that the 14-year veteran will be out 6-8 weeks after undergoing hand surgery. Rickard sustained the injury while blocking a shot in the third period of a shootout loss to Columbus on Saturday night.

Rakell has three goals and five assists in nine games this season for Pittsburgh, which is off to a 6-2-1 start under first-year coach Dan Muse. The injury means Rakell won’t be able to play when the Penguins and Nashville Predators play a pair of games in his native Sweden next month.

Pittsburgh recalled forward Ville Koivunen from its AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to take Rakell’s spot on the roster.