I Dig Sports
Detroit Red Wings forward Jonatan Berggren has been fined $2,148.44 by the NHL for cross-checking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Connor Dewar during Saturday's game.
The fine, announced Sunday, is the maximum allowable under the league's collective bargaining agreement.
The incident occurred midway through the second period of Detroit's 4-2 victory after Dewar leaned into Berggren with a slight shoulder check. Berggren responded by striking Dewar in the head and was assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking.
Berggren, 24, has six points (four goals, two assists) in 30 games this season.
The Swede has totaled 40 points (21 goals, 19 assists) in 109 career games since being selected by Detroit in the second round of the 2018 NHL draft.
CHICAGO -- Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech were back in the lineup for the New York Islanders on Sunday after being sidelined by upper-body injuries.
Barzal hadn't played since Oct. 30, missing a total of 21 games. Pelech had been out since he took a puck to the face on Nov. 1 at Buffalo.
Barzal, 27, had been on long-term injured reserve, and Pelech, 30, was on IR.
The Islanders have been hit hard by injuries. They placed goaltender Semyon Varlamov on injured reserve Saturday, and forward Pierre Engvall was promoted from the minors. Varlamov hasn't played since Nov. 29 because of a lower-body injury.
While Barzal and Pelech returned Sunday at Chicago, forwards Anthony Duclair and Bo Horvat rested because of lower-body injuries.
Horvat is day to day. The center scored during Thursday night's 5-4 victory over the Blackhawks. He has eight goals and 14 assists in 31 games.
"Losing Bo, having Barzy coming in, I mean, it's more than welcome," Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. "You just can't wait to be fully healthy, but at the same time, every team goes through those situations here and there."
The 29-year-old Duclair skated in five games in his first season with New York before he was placed on long-term injured reserve. But he could return Tuesday night at Carolina.
The Islanders also have been playing without Mike Reilly. The veteran defenseman suffered a concussion during the Nov. 1 game at Buffalo. Then he had a heart procedure to address a preexisting condition that was found during his post-concussion evaluation.
The 31-year-old Reilly, a Chicago native, skated and took some shots before New York's practice Saturday.
Barzal and Pelech could provide a big boost for an Islanders team that had won three of four going into the matchup with the Blackhawks.
Barzal had two goals and three assists in his first 10 games in the second season of an eight-year, $73.2 million contract. He had a career-high 23 goals and collected 57 assists in 80 games last year.
Barzal praised New York's medical personnel, and said he doesn't think the injury will linger.
"Fortunately, I was able to work out, keep my legs in shape," he said. "But the biggest thing is just the mental battle, just not being around the boys much, not being on the road, not being in the fight with the boys. Definitely long days at the rink, but time goes on, and we're here today."
Pelech had no goals and four assists in his first 11 games this season. He had plenty of company as he worked his way back from his injury.
"It's not good that we have so many guys hurt, but when you're hurt, it's nice to have guys to work out, to skate with and just like the camaraderie," Pelech said. "Still make you feel like you're a part of the team, so that was nice."
The Toronto Maple Leafs placed goaltender Anthony Stolarz on injured reserve Sunday.
Stolarz sustained a lower-body injury in the first period of the Maple Leafs' 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. He sat out Toronto's 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday and already had been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Buffalo Sabres.
By virtue of Sunday's move, Stolarz also must sit out Toronto's road game against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. He is eligible to return Friday against the Sabres.
The Maple Leafs will rely on goaltenders Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby in the absence of Stolarz.
Stolarz, 30, is 9-5-2 with a 2.15 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in 17 games this season.
He is 52-36-11 with a 2.61 GAA and .916 SP in 125 career games (100 starts) with the Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, Ducks, Florida Panthers and Maple Leafs.
Silva: City 'played like under-15s' in United loss
Bernardo Silva said Manchester City "played like under-15s" in the closing stages against Manchester United after the out-of-form Premier League champions slumped to a dismal 2-1 derby defeat on Sunday.
City appeared to be limping towards a much-needed victory at the Etihad Stadium before a calamity of errors late on, with Bruno Fernandes scoring a penalty in the 88th minute before a stoppage-time winner from Amad Diallo.
Both goals were a result of sloppy defending from City, particularly the opener after Matheus Nunes gave the ball away before chopping down Diallo in the box.
The defeat means City have won only one of their past 11 games in all competitions, continuing the club's worst run of form since 2006.
"We deserved what happened," Silva told Sky Sports. "At this level, a game or two is unlucky. We can't say this is lucky or unlucky -- 10 games, it's not about that.
"Minute 87 in a derby, winning 1-0 and our corner ends in a penalty for them, if we make these stupid decisions with three or four minutes to go, you deserve to pay for that. Looking at the game, I think there was only one team that could win the game, but at the end we lost.
"It's not one game; it's a lot of games lately. We have to look at ourselves. You can't say oh it's a bit unlucky, no. It's the decisions you make. Today in the last minute, we played like under-15s."
Silva added: "It's quite normal that we're not very happy at the minute. Not just this game, but the last month. We have to do better individually and collectively because it's not the standards of Manchester City."
Fellow midfielder Phil Foden was similarly dismayed as City -- who have the lowest points-per-game in the entire league since the beginning of November -- fell to an "unacceptable" loss. The Englishman also suggested City's problem was a "mental thing."
"Massively [disappointed] -- the game was in our hands," he told the BBC. "We were 1-0 up and controlling the game. We had a lot of possession. Seems to be the story at the moment. I don't know what happens but we switch off and they score two goals.
"It keeps happening at the moment. We have to stick together now, rebuild and go again.
"You can concede at 1-1 but you can't concede straight after, that's unacceptable.
"At the start when you lose a couple of games [it's not a mentality problem] but when it happens a lot it feels like a mental thing. We need to get out of that and get back to winning ways and pick ourselves back up."
Hoffenheim's Jacob Bruun Larsen scored a stoppage-time goal against former club Borussia Dortmund to snatch a 1-1 draw for the visitors on Sunday and drop their opponents down to eighth place in the Bundesliga.
Bruun Larsen slid in to score in second-half stoppage time, spoiling the home fans' celebrations.
Gio Reyna had powered Dortmund into a 46th-minute lead after pouncing on a bad clearance to drill in from just inside the box.
With Dortmund's injury concerns easing, as forward Karim Adeyemi made his comeback and Nico Schlotterbeck was declared fit following a midweek ankle injury, the hosts gradually took control of the game after a strong Hoffenheim start.
Reyna put them in the driving seat but they struggled under late pressure from Hoffenheim and the visitors were rewarded late in the game, capping a bad week for Dortmund following their 3-2 Champions League loss to Barcelona.
The Ruhr valley club dropped to eighth on 22 points, with Bayern Munich, who suffered a 2-1 defeat at Mainz 05 on Saturday, leading the title race on 33. Hoffenheim are in 14th spot on 14 points.
Pep takes blame for City getting 'worse and worse'
Pep Guardiola made the stark admission that he is "not good enough" as Manchester City manager after Manchester United produced a stunning late fightback to seal a 2-1 derby win and inflict an eighth defeat in 11 games on the crisis-hit champions.
City midfielder Phil Foden accused his team of "youth-team defending" after the game, while Bernardo Silva said his side "played like the Under-15 team" at the Etihad.
But with City dropping to fifth place in the Premier League, nine points behind leaders Liverpool who have played a game fewer, Guardiola said that he is now no longer good enough for the club, just a month after signing a two-year contract extension as manager.
"I'm the boss, I'm the manager and I'm not good enough," Guardiola said. "I have to find a solution, it's as simple as that. I'm not doing well, that's the truth.
"It is what it is. What can I say? We cannot blame this player or that one, it's not that. It's the season, a tough season.
"We didn't play our best. We are not our best and we struggle a bit. This is 8 in 11 now, it is not normal, something is not right.
"It's getting worse and worse. I have to find the solution. So far I didn't find it."
City's run of results is now the club's worst since 2003, when the team won just once in 18 games. And the manner of the defeat against United, with the Reds scoring twice in the final moments with a Bruno Fernandes penalty and Amad Diallo winner, left senior players questioning City's performance.
"It was youth-team defending," Foden told the BBC. "It seems to be the story at the moment I don't know what happens but we switch off and they score two goals."
Meanwhile, midfielder Silva said City deserved to lose the game.
"We deserved what happened," he told Sky Sports. "At this level a game or two is unlucky. We can't say this is lucky or unlucky -- 10 games it's not about that.
"It's not one game, it's a lot of games lately. We have to look at ourselves. You can say oh t's a bit unlucky, no. It's the decisions you make. Today in the last minute we played like under-15s."
Up next for Guardiola and City is a Premier League match with Aston Villa where they will once again try to get back on track.
Ruben Amorim has insisted Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were not axed from his squad for the Manchester derby because of breaches of discipline.
The pair were omitted from Manchester United's matchday squad ahead of the dramatic 2-1 win over Manchester City on Sunday. United clarified before kick-off that both players are not injured and were able to train as normal at Carrington on Sunday morning.
Asked after the game about the reasons for his decision, Amorim suggested it was based on performances in training rather than a punishment for a disciplinary issue.
"It's important to say why: it was not a disciplinary thing," Amorim told a postmatch news conference. "Next week, next game, new life, they are fighting for their places.
"For me it's important, the performance in training, the performance in games, the way you dress, the way you eat, the way you engage with teammates, the way you push your teammates.
"Everything is important in our context in the beginning of something when we want to change a lot of things, when people in our club are losing their jobs we have to set the standards really high and for that they have to fight for a place in the team.
"Today the team proved we can leave anyone out of the squad and manage to win if you play together. If it was disciplinary, I would say that here and it will be a bigger problem but was not that."
United won the game at the Etihad Stadium with two late goals after going behind to Josko Gvardiol's first-half header.
Bruno Fernandes scored a penalty in the 88th minute before Amad scored a 90th-minute winner after rounding Éderson.
Amorim called it a "good day" but afterwards he was forced to address online leaks which revealed his starting XI against City nearly 24 hours before kick-off.
Team selections are usually made public 75 minutes before the game while United's team to start at the Etihad Stadium was circulating on social media on Saturday evening.
"I know that story," Amorim said in response. "I don't know. I think it's impossible to fix nowadays because you have a lot of people in the club.
"The players talk with agents, you can talk with a friend. So it's hard to know. It's not a good thing but let's move on and go to the next one and see if they find the next starting XI."
Saints bench Haener, go back to Rattler in 3rd
NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints didn't have much patience with quarterback Jake Haener after a poor offensive showing in the first half against the Washington Commanders.
Haener, who was starting in relief of an injured Derek Carr, was benched after one half in favor of rookie Spencer Rattler. The Saints generated only 38 net yards of offense in the first half, their worst showing in a half since 2002. Haener completed only 4 of 10 passes for 49 yards, threw an interception and was sacked three times in the first start of his career.
Rattler came into the game in the second half to cheers as Haener stood on the sideline wearing a baseball cap. Rattler took six plays to get a passing game established, finding wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling downfield for a 39-yard gain.
That set up a touchdown pass on the next play, as Rattler tossed the ball back to wide receiver Cedric Wilson Jr., who then found Alvin Kamara for a 21-yard touchdown, the Saints' first score of the game.
Rattler started three games earlier in the season when Carr had an oblique strain, completing 59.6% of his passes for 571 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked 14 times in those three starts. Carr is out with an injury to his non-throwing hand.
Fins' DuBose stretchered off, taken to hospital
HOUSTON -- Miami Dolphins wide receiver Grant DuBose is being taken to a hospital after suffering a head injury following a helmet-to-helmet hit that left him motionless during Sunday's game against the Houston Texans.
The Dolphins said he is in stable condition and is getting further evaluation.
DuBose did not move after the hit by Texans safety Calen Bullock and received medical attention for roughly 11 minutes before being loaded onto a stretcher and briskly wheeled off the field. During that time, medical staff removed his facemask and helmet and eventually appeared to cut off his jersey.
For several minutes, DuBose was shirtless as he continued to receive medical care. The 23-year-old did not appear to move at any point during the process, was placed on a spine board with his arms and legs strapped down, and he was wearing a neck brace when he was taken off the field.
At one point while he was down, the Dolphins moved away from him and into a circle where they kneeled and appeared to be praying. Miami coach Mike McDaniel and Houston coach DeMeco Ryans embraced at one point while he was still on the field.
Bullock was flagged for unnecessary roughness for hitting a defenseless receiver on the play.
It was DuBose's first game since Week 2, when he was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. This is his first season with the Dolphins, who claimed him off waivers in August.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
DeVito exits with concussion; Giants on 4th QB
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants lost a quarterback for the third time in four games after Tommy DeVito left Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens in the first half with a concussion.
Tim Boyle came in to replace DeVito with Drew Lock available only as the emergency third-string option. The Giants went with DeVito as the starter this week because Lock was dealing with heel and left elbow injuries. He was in a boot earlier in the week.
DeVito, making his second start this season, went 10-of-13 passing for 68 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions before taking several big hits on a touchdown drive late in the first half. Baltimore's Nnamdi Madubuike was called for roughing the passer and DeVito then took a pair of sacks before Devin Singletary ran the ball in for a 3-yard score.
DeVito remained in the game for the remainder of the drive, but when the Giants got the ball back, Boyle came in for the final snap of the half. It was announced after halftime that DeVito was ruled out with the concussion.
The second-year quarterback was an instant sensation last season while winning three consecutive starts as an undrafted free agent rookie. But he came into this season as the third-stringer behind starter Daniel Jones and Lock.
The struggling Giants have since benched and cut Jones, started DeVito, started Lock and are now onto their fourth quarterback of the season with the recently signed Boyle.