SPORTS
Weekend, March 17-18, 2018
East Oregonian
Page 3B
NASCAR
Lowe’s to end sponsorship with 7-time champion Johnson
By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Lowe’s,
one of the last remaining corporate
giants in NASCAR, announced
Wednesday that it will not sponsor
seven-time champion Jimmie
Johnson after this season, an
ominous sign for the nation’s top
racing series.
For Johnson and Hendrick
Motorsports, it means the best
NASCAR driver of his generation
has a blank slate of “inventory” for
the first time in nearly two decades.
“Jimmie is one of the greatest
champions and ambassadors in all
of sports and still at the top of his
game,” team owner Rick Hendrick
said. “This change opens up all
kinds of possibilities, and we look
forward to having conversations
with potential new partners. It’s a
special opportunity with an iconic
athlete and team.”
For Lowe’s, the decision is
simply business.
The
home
improvement
company teamed with Hendrick
and Johnson in 2001 when the
driver was a nobody. Owner and
company took a leap on Johnson,
the driver Jeff Gordon promised
them was going to be a star. Gordon
was right and Johnson was so good
that Lowe’s couldn’t leave.
Lowe’s signed on in the heady
days of NASCAR when sponsors
AP Photo/Isaac Brekken
Jimmie Johnson, right, drives during a NASCAR Cup series auto
race on March 4, in Las Vegas.
paid $20 million or more just to get
in the door with a top team. A deal
for an entire 36 race package, plus
the two all-star events, could cost
upward of $30 million per season.
Lowe’s wasn’t sure about
Johnson when Hendrick sold them
on a full deal; the company hedged
its bet with a smaller deal for four-
time champion Gordon just in case
Johnson was a bust. But even if
Lowe’s got in on the cheap with
Johnson in 2001, the price undoubt-
edly went up as Johnson racked
up his record-tying seven champi-
onships, 83 victories and a Hall of
Fame career all while representing
the Lowe’s brand the last 18 years.
As one executive once put it,
for Lowe’s, taking that chance on
Johnson, was like “winning the
lottery.”
Times have changed.
Sponsor after sponsor has scaled
back on full package commitments,
and teams now sell open inventory
on their cars in pieces. A full season
sponsor is now almost unheard of in
any racing series and one by one the
Fortune 500 backers have altered
their marketing spends. Target is
out of racing. So is Home Depot and
Sprint. UPS, Subway, Great Clips
and Dollar General. Aaron’s and
Best Buy are gone, too. GoDaddy
was gone but came back only this
season for a two-race farewell tour
with Danica Patrick.
It’s a different world, and only
a handful of companies come
anywhere close to the commitment
Lowe’s has had with Johnson,
including every race last year.
Denny Hamlin had FedEx on 34
of 36 races last year. A Mars Inc.
product was aboard Kyle Busch’s
car for 30 points races and his other
six went to Interstate Batteries.
But those deals are dinosaurs left
over from the financial upswing,
and aside from FedEx and the
M&M’s line, nearly all the mega-
deals from the early 2000s have
either left motorsports or gone the
way of Miller Lite, which gradu-
ally reduced its hold on its Brad
Keselowski inventory. By scaling
back, Miller Lite decreased its
spend, retained its association with
Keselowski and gave Team Penske
empty pages to sell.
Now Hendrick Motorsports
will put Johnson’s car on the open
market and they can sell the inven-
tory in pieces for the first time.
It’s a pretty valuable asset, too.
Along with crew chief Chad Knaus,
the No. 48 Chevrolet team is one of
the best in stock car history. Their
seven championships equal those
of Hall of Famers Richard Petty
and Dale Earnhardt, and in 2009
Johnson was the first driver named
Associated Press Male Athlete of
the Year. Johnson is 42 and signed
with Hendrick Motorsports through
2020.
“I’ll always be grateful to
Lowe’s for taking a chance on me
and believing that I could win,”
Johnson said. “I’m not sure where
I’d be right now if they hadn’t
committed to the No. 48 team.
It’s hard to see them move on, but
we’ve made history together and
celebrated so much success on and
off the track.”
Lowe’s probably stayed in the
sport longer than expected because
rival Home Depot left NASCAR
after the 2014 season. Menards is
still in NASCAR, and while the
Lowe’s funding helped Johnson and
Hendrick Motorsports find success,
there is not much of a rivalry in the
marketing space.
Lowe’s chief customer officer
Michael P. McDermott said only
that the company was “evolving”
its strategy.
“The No. 48 team is a valuable
property and has been an integral
part of building the Lowe’s brand,
which makes today’s decision
difficult as we now look to invest in
other strategic initiatives,” he said.
PREP ROUNDUP: Heppner softball sweeps doubleheader with Enterprise
Continued from 1B
HEPPNER 8-6, ENTER-
PRISE 5-3 — At Heppner, the
Mustangs gutted out two big wins
over the Enterprise Outlaws on
Friday afternoon with scores of 8-5
and 6-3 in a doubleheader.
Dakota Durfey pitched two
complete games for the Mustangs
(2-1), digging deep to battle a tough
Enterprise lineup and a steady rain
that fell for most of the second
game. In Game 2, she gave up a
three-run home run to Lexi Gassett
in the first inning, but shut out the
Outlaws for the rest of the game.
Maggie Flynn, Morgan Orem
and Kacie Gray each picked up
doubles for the Mustangs’ offense,
and freshman Eva Martin had a
clutch two-RBI single in the fourth
inning of Game 2 that gave Heppner
a 4-3 lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
PORTLAND
CHRISTIAN
15, UMATILLA 5 — At Portland,
the Umatilla Vikings showed some
fight however it was not enough as
Portland Christian rolled to a 15-5
victory on Friday.
Charlene Alvarez led the Vikings
(0-3) with two hits and Lauryn
Journot added a double. Paige
Pickard and Journot each pitched
for the Vikings.
The two teams were supposed
to play a doubleheader, however
the second game was called in the
fourth inning due to darkness. The
Vikings trailed 12-9 at the time,
scoring six runs in the fourth inning.
BASEBALL
PORTLAND CHRISTIAN 7,
UMATILLA 6 — At Portland, the
Umatilla Vikings were at the wrong
end of a walk-off victory on Friday,
as Portland Christian earned a 7-6
victory in seven innings.
The Vikings (2-1) had just tied
the game at 6-6 in the top of the
seventh when Seth Cranston drew
a walk, and then moved around
the bases on a Portland Christian
error before scoring from third on
a passed ball. In the bottom of the
seventh, with Cranston pitching,
Portland
Christian’s
Nelson
Marshall led off with a single,
advanced to third on a wild pitch
and a passed ball and then scored
the winning run on a single to right
field by Nathan Hansen.
Cranston was Umatilla’s top
hitter as he went 2 for 3 with two
doubles, two runs scored and three
RBI. Andrew Wilson also had a
double. Kole Keller pitched well for
the Vikings, tossing 5 2/3 innings
while allowing three hits six runs
(one earned) with five strikeouts.
The two teams were supposed
to play a doubleheader, however
the second game was called in the
third inning due to darkness with
Umatilla trailing 2-1.
GIRLS TENNIS
PENDLETON 5, MAC-HI 3
— At Pendleton, the Buckaroos and
Mac-Hi Pioneer girls tennis teams
were able to beat the rain and play
Friday’s match, where Pendleton
won 5-3 at the varsity level.
Pendleton won three of the
four singles matches with Bethany
Flanagan, Denae Smith and Gabby
Cuthbert winning by a combined
24-1 score. Mac-Hi’s lone win
in singles was Jonelle Martinez
defeating
Pendleton’s
Abby
Williams 8-4 at No. 1 singles.
In doubles, the Pioneers and
Buckaroos each won two matches.
For Pendleton, No. 1 team Maggie
Scanlon and Denisa Senkerikova
and No. 3 team of Katie Bradt and
Lauryn Spicknall won 8-5 and 8-1,
respectively. For Mac-Hi, Nicole
Flores and Evelyn Garcia and Jodie
Jackson and Sarah Odmon won their
matches 8-6 and 8-5, respectively.
————
Singles
Jonelle Martinez (M) def. Abby Williams 8-4
Bethany Flanagan (P) def. Jessica Hernandez 8-1
Denae Smith (P) def. Diana Mirco 8-0
Gabby Cuthbert (P) def. Karina Saldana 8-0
Doubles
Scanlon/Senkerikova (P) def. J. Lesko/K. Lesko 8-5
Flores/Garcia (M) def. Walker/Chambers 8-6
Bradt/Spicknall (P) def. Alvarez/Angel 8-1
Jackson/Odmon (M) def. Spencer/Jackson 8-5
BOYS TENNIS
MAC-HI 4, PENDLETON
1 — At Milton-Freewater, the
Mac-Hi Pioneers’ boys tennis team
began its season with a victory over
the Pendleton Buckaroos on Friday.
For the Pioneers, Deazen Zerba
and Ian Miller picked up wins in
singles action, and both doubles
teams of Dylan Quist/Alexis
Perez and Rolando Castillo/Rafael
Perayda picked up wins.
Pendleton’s lone win was at
No. 2 singles where Easton Phelan
defeated Mac-Hi’s Brian Abrego
in a third set tiebreak 3-6, 6-1, 1-0
(10-6).
————
Singles
Deazen Zerba (M) def. Silas Johnston 6-3, 6-1
Easton Phelan (P) def. Brian Abrego 3-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-6)
Ian Miller (M) def. Stanton Schmitz 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7)
Doubles
Quist/Perez (M) def. Butler/Harrison 7-5, 6-3
Castillo/Perayda (M) def. Phelan/Shiller 6-1, 6-1
BRIEFLY
Stensen, DeChambeau
share lead at Bay Hill,
Tiger seven shots back
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) —
Henrik Stenson has another chance
to win at Bay Hill, and he made it
a little bit tougher on Tiger Woods.
Stenson, who had chances to
win the Arnold Palmer Invitational
two of the last three years, fought
through a rugged stretch with par
saves and made three birdies after
the turn for a 3-under 69 on Friday.
That gave him a share of the lead
with Bryson DeChambeau, who
had a 66.
Woods wasn’t nearly as sharp,
didn’t make a birdie until the 12th
hole and shot 72. He was seven
shots back.
Stenson and DeChambeau
were at 11-under 133. They had a
two-shot advantage over PGA Tour
rookie Talor Gooch (70).
Woods trailed after 36 holes in
four of his eight victories at Bay
Hill, including a seven-shot deficit
in 2008.
Truex claims NASCAR
Cup pole at Fontana
FONTANA, Calif. (AP) Martin
Truex Jr. has claimed the pole for
the NASCAR Cup series race in
Fontana after a qualifying session
in which 13 drivers didn’t complete
a lap.
He turned a lap at 186.567 mph
in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing
Toyota, claiming his 17th career
pole on the weathered 2 miles of
asphalt at Auto Club Speedway.
Kyle Busch was second in his
Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at 186.437
mph, and defending Fontana cham-
pion Kyle Larson was third. Erik
Jones is fourth and Austin Dillon is
fifth.
SCOREBOARD
Local slate
PREP BASEBALL
Saturday
Pendleton vs. Curtis (WA) (at Hanford), 11 a.m.
Stanfield at Tri-City Prep (WA) (DH), 11 a.m.
La Salle Prep at Hermiston, 12 p.m.
Mac-Hi at Touchet (WA) (DH), 12 p.m.
Pendleton at Hanford (WA), 2 p.m.
Tuesday
DeSales (WA) at Mac-Hi, 4 p.m.
Dayton (WA) at Riverside, 4 p.m.
Heppner at Pilot Rock, 4 p.m.
Weston-McEwen at Dufur, 4 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
Saturday
Tri-Cities Prep (WA) at Echo (DH), 11 a.m.
Enterprise at Weston-McEwen (DH), Noon
Tuesday
Union at Echo, 2 p.m.
Riverside at Dayton (WA), 4 p.m.
La Grande at Pendleton, 4:30 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Weston-McEwen, 4:30 p.m.
PREP TRACK AND FIELD
Saturday
Mac-Hi, Weston-McEwen at Sweeney
Invitational (ID), 10 a.m.
Irrigon at Richland Track and Field Jambo-
ree (WA), 11:30 a.m.
PREP TENNIS
Monday
Hermiston (girls) at Walla Walla, 3:30 p.m.
Walla Walla at Hermiston (boys), 4 p.m.
Tuesday
Pendleton at Southridge (WA), 4 p.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Saturday
BMCC vs. Prairie Baseball Acad. (DH), 11 a.m.
Sunday
BMCC vs. Chemeketa (DH), 11 a.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Saturday
BMCC vs. Yakima Valley (DH), 12 p.m.
EOU at University of Providence (DH), 2 p.m.
Sunday
EOU at University of Providence (DH),
10 a.m.
COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD
Saturday
EOU Team Challenge 1 at Hermiston, all day
Basketball
NBA
EASTERN CONFERENCE
W
L Pct
x-Toronto
52 17 .754
x-Boston
47 22 .681
Indiana
40 29 .580
Cleveland
39 29 .574
Washington
39 30 .565
Philadelphia
38 30 .559
Miami
37 33 .529
Milwaukee
36 32 .529
——
Detroit
30 38 .441
Charlotte
30 39 .435
Chicago
24 44 .353
New York
24 45 .348
Brooklyn
21 48 .304
Orlando
21 49 .300
Atlanta
20 49 .290
WESTERN CONFERENCE
W
L Pct
y-Houston
54 14 .794
y-Golden State
52 17 .754
Portland
42 26 .618
GB
—
5
12
12½
13
13½
15½
15½
21½
22
27½
28
31
31½
32
GB
—
2½
12
Oklahoma City
42 29 .592 13½
Minnesota
40 29 .580 14½
New Orleans
39 29 .574 15
Utah
39 30 .565 15½
San Antonio
39 30 .565 15½
——
Denver
38 31 .551 16½
L.A. Clippers
37 31 .544 17
L.A. Lakers
31 38 .449 23½
Sacramento
23 47 .329 32
Dallas
22 47 .319 32½
Phoenix
19 51 .271 36
Memphis
18 50 .265 36
x-clinched playoff spot
y-clinched division
———
Friday’s Games
Boston 92, Orlando 83
Philadelphia 120, Brooklyn 116
Toronto 122, Dallas 115, OT
Oklahoma City 121, L.A. Clippers 113
Miami 92, L.A. Lakers 91
Sacramento 98, Golden State 93
Saturday’s Games
Atlanta at Milwaukee, 3 p.m.
Houston at New Orleans, 4 p.m.
Indiana at Washington, 4 p.m.
Charlotte at New York, 4:30 p.m.
Dallas at Brooklyn, 4:30 p.m.
Cleveland at Chicago, 5 p.m.
Denver at Memphis, 5 p.m.
Minnesota at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m.
Sacramento at Utah, 6 p.m.
Detroit at Portland, 7 p.m.
Golden State at Phoenix, 7 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Oklahoma City at Toronto, 10 a.m.
Boston at New Orleans, 3 p.m.
Houston at Minnesota, 4 p.m.
Portland at L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m.
NCAA Men’s Tournament
EAST REGIONAL
First Round
Friday
At Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
#2 Purdue 74, #15 Cal State Fullerton 48
#10 Butler 79, #7 Arkansas 62
At Viejas Arena, San Diego
#13 Marshall 81, #4 Wichita State 75
#5 West Virginia 85, #12 Murray State 68
Second Round
Saturday
At PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
#1 Villanova (31-4) vs. #9 Alabama (20-15),
9:10 a.m. (CBS)
At American Airlines Center, Dallas
#3 Texas Tech (25-9) vs. #6 Florida (21-12),
5:40 p.m. (TNT)
Sunday
At Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
#2 Purdue (29-6) vs. #10 Butler (21-13),
9:10 a.m. (CBS)
At Viejas Arena, San Diego
#13 Marshall (25-10) vs. #5 West Virginia
(25-10), 6:45 p.m. (TBS)
——
SOUTH REGIONAL
First Round
Friday
At Spectrum Center, Charlotte, N.C.
#9 Kansas State 69, #8 Creighton 59
#16 UMBC 74, #1 Virginia 54
At Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
#2 Cincinnati 68, #15 Georgia State 53
#7 Nevada 87, #10 Texas 83
Second Round
Saturday
At Taco Bell Arena, Boise, Idaho
#13 Buffalo (27-8) vs. #5 Kentucky (25-10),
2:15 p.m. (CBS)
At American Airlines Center, Dallas
#3 Tennessee (26-8) vs. #11 Loyola of
Chicago (29-5), 3:10 p.m. (TNT)
Sunday
At Spectrum Center, Charlotte, N.C.
#16 UMBC (25-10) vs. #9 Kansas State
(23-11), 5 p.m. (truTV)
At Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
#2 Cincinnati (31-4) vs. #7 Nevada (28-7),
3:10 p.m. (TNT)
——
MIDWEST REGIONAL
First Round
Friday
At Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
#3 Michigan State 82, #14 Bucknell 78
#11 Syracuse 57, #6 TCU 52
At Viejas Arena, San Diego
#4 Auburn 62, #13 College of Charleston 58
#5 Clemson 79, #12 New Mexico State 68
Second Round
Saturday
At PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
#2 Duke (27-7) vs. #7 Rhode Island (26-7),
11:40 a.m. (CBS)
At INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita, Kan.
#1 Kansas (28-7) vs. #8 Seton Hall (22-11),
4:10 p.m. (TBS)
Sunday
At Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
#3 Michigan State (30-4) vs. #11 Syracuse
(22-13), 11:45 a.m. (CBS)
At Viejas Arena, San Diego
#4 Auburn (26-7) vs. #5 Clemson (24-9),
4:10 p.m. (TBS)
——
WEST REGIONAL
First Round
Friday
At Spectrum Center, Charlotte, N.C.
#7 Texas A&M 73, #10 Providence 69
#2 North Carolina 84, #15 Lipscomb 66
At Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
#1 Xavier 102, #16 Texas Southern 83
#9 Florida State 67, #8 Missouri 54
Second Round
Saturday
At Taco Bell Arena, Boise, Idaho
#4 Gonzaga (31-4) vs. #5 Ohio State (25-
8), 4:45 p.m. (CBS)
At INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita, Kan.
#3 Michigan (29-7) vs. #6 Houston (27-7),
6:40 p.m. (TBS)
Sunday
At Spectrum Center, Charlotte, N.C.
#2 North Carolina (26-10) vs. #7 Texas
A&M (21-12), 2:15 p.m. (CBS)
At Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
#1 Xavier (29-5) vs. #9 Florida State (21-
11), 5:45 p.m. (TNT)
NCAA WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT
All games broadcast on ESPN networks
ALBANY REGIONAL
First Round
Friday
At Columbia, S.C.
Virginia 68, California 62
South Carolina 63, N.C. A&T 52
Saturday
At Storrs, Conn.
UConn (32-0) vs. Saint Francis (24-9), 8 a.m.
Miami (21-10) vs. Quinnipiac (27-5), 10:30 a.m.
At Athens, Ga.
Duke (22-8) vs. Belmont (31-3), 8 a.m.
Georgia (25-6) vs. Mercer (30-2), 10:30 a.m.
At Tallahassee, Fla.
Florida St (25-6) vs. Little Rock (23-9), 8 a.m.
S. Florida (26-7) vs. Buffalo (27-5), 10:30 a.m.
Second Round
Sunday
At Columbia, S.C.
Virginia (19-13) vs. South Carolina (27-6), 6 p.m.
Monday
At Storrs, Conn.
UConn-Saint Francis winner vs. Mi-
ami-Quinnipiac winner, TBA
At Athens, Ga.
Duke-Belmont winner vs. Georgia-Mercer
winner, TBA
At Tallahassee, Fla.
USF-Buffalo winner vs. Florida St-Little
Rock winner, TBA
——
SPOKANE REGIONAL
First Round
Friday
At Notre Dame, Ind.
Notre Dame 99, Cal State Northridge 81
Villanova 81, South Dakota State 74, OT
At College Station, Texas
DePaul 90, Oklahoma 79
Texas A&M 89, Drake 76
At Eugene, Ore.
Minnesota 89, Green Bay 77
Oregon 88, Seattle 45
Saturday
At Columbus, Ohio
LSU (19-9) vs. Central Michigan (28-4), 8 a.m.
Ohio State (27-6) vs. George Washington
(19-13), 10:30 a.m.
Second Round
Sunday
At Notre Dame, Ind.
Notre Dame (30-3) vs. Villanova (23-8), 4 p.m.
At College Station, Texas
DePaul (27-7) vs. Texas A&M (25-9), 11 a.m.
At Eugene, Ore.
Minnesota (24-8) vs. Oregon (31-4), 7:30 p.m.
Monday, March 19
At Columbus, Ohio
LSU-Central Michigan winner vs. Ohio
State-GW winner, TBA
——
KANSAS CITY REGIONAL
First Round
Friday
At Raleigh, N.C.
Maryland 77, Princeton 57
NC State 62, Elon 34
Saturday
At Starkville, Miss.
Syracuse (22-8) vs. Oklahoma State (20-
10), 12:30 p.m.
Mississippi State (32-1) vs. Nicholls (19-
13), 3 p.m.
At Los Angeles
UCLA (24-7) vs. American (26-6), 12:30 p.m.
Iowa (24-7) vs. Creighton (18-12), 3 p.m.
At Austin, Texas
Arizona State (21-12) vs. Nebraska (21-10),
12:30 p.m.
Texas (26-6) vs. Maine (23-9), 3 p.m.
Second Round
Sunday
At Raleigh, N.C.
Maryland (26-7) vs. NC State (25-8), 11 a.m.
Monday
At Starkville, Miss.
Mississippi St-Nicholls winner vs. Syra-
cuse-Oklahoma State winner, TBA
At Los Angeles
Iowa-Creighton winner vs. UCLA-Ameri-
can winner, TBA
At Austin, Texas
Arizona St-Nebraska winner vs. Tex-
as-Maine winner, TBA
——
LEXINGTON REGIONAL
First Round
Friday
At Louisville, Ky.
Louisville 74, Boise State 42
Marquette 84, Dayton 65
At Knoxville, Tenn.
Oregon State 82, Western Kentucky 58
Tennessee 100, Liberty 60
At Waco, Texas
Michigan 75, Northern Colorado 61
Baylor 96, Grambling State 46
Saturday
At Stanford, Calif.
Missouri (24-7) vs. Florida Gulf Coast
(30-4), 12:30 p.m.
Stanford (22-10) vs. Gonzaga (27-5), 3 p.m.
Second Round
Sunday
At Louisville, Ky.
Louisville (33-2) vs. Marquette (24-9), 9 a.m.
At Knoxville, Tenn.
Oregon St (24-7) vs. Tennessee (25-7), 11 a.m.
At Waco, Texas
Michigan (23-9) vs. Baylor (32-1), 5:30 p.m.
Monday
At Stanford, Calif.
Missouri-Florida Gulf Coast winner vs.
Stanford-Gonzaga winner, TB
Hockey
NHL
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
Tampa Bay 70 48 18
4 100 257 198
Boston
69 44 17
8 96 232 179
Toronto
71 42 22
7 91 239 204
Florida
68 35 26
7 77 208 212
Montreal
71 26 33 12 64 182 226
Ottawa
70 26 33 11 63 196 242
Detroit
71 26 34 11 63 183 219
Buffalo
70 22 36 12 56 167 229
Metropolitan Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
Washington 71 41 23
7 89 222 208
Pittsburgh 72 41 26
5 87 237 218
Columbus 71 38 28
5 81 198 198
Philadelphia 71 35 25 11 81 208 210
New Jersey 70 36 26
8 80 212 211
Carolina
70 30 29 11 71 188 218
N.Y. Rangers 71 32 32
7 71 205 227
N.Y. Islanders 71 30 31 10 70 228 258
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
Nashville
71 47 14 10 104 232 178
Winnipeg 71 42 19 10 94 236 187
Minnesota 71 40 24
7 87 221 205
Colorado
71 38 25
8 84 226 208
Dallas
72 38 26
8 84 207 193
St. Louis
70 37 28
5 79 192 186
Chicago
71 30 33
8 68 201 213
Pacific Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
Vegas
71 45 21
5 95 240 199
San Jose
71 39 23
9 87 214 196
Los Angeles 71 39 26
6 84 207 178
Anaheim
72 36 24 12 84 202 195
Calgary
72 35 27 10 80 202 213
Edmonton 70 30 35
5 65 196 226
Vancouver 71 25 37
9 59 183 231
Arizona
70 23 36 11 57 169 225
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point
for overtime loss. Top three teams in each
division and two wild cards per conference
advance to playoffs.
————
Friday’s Games
Washington 6, N.Y. Islanders 3
Ottawa 3, Dallas 2, OT
Nashville 4, Colorado 2
San Jose 7, Calgary 4
Anaheim 4, Detroit 2
Minnesota 4, Vegas 2
Saturday’s Games
Chicago at Buffalo, 10 a.m.
Edmonton at Florida, 11 a.m.
New Jersey at Los Angeles, 1 p.m.
Montreal at Toronto, 4 p.m.
Philadelphia at Carolina, 4 p.m.
Ottawa at Columbus, 4 p.m.
Boston at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m.
N.Y. Rangers at St. Louis, 5 p.m.
Minnesota at Arizona, 6 p.m.
San Jose at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Detroit at Colorado, Noon
Calgary at Vegas, 1 p.m.
Edmonton at Tampa Bay, 2 p.m.
Carolina at N.Y. Islanders, 2 p.m.
Washington at Philadelphia, 2 p.m.
Dallas at Winnipeg, 4:30 p.m.
St. Louis at Chicago, 4:30 p.m.
New Jersey at Anaheim, 6 p.m.
Auto Racing
NASCAR Cup Series
Auto Club 400 Lineup
Race Sunday, 12:30 p.m. (TV: FOX)
At Auto Club Speedway
Fontana, Calif.
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (78) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota.
2. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota.
3. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet.
4. (20) Erik Jones, Toyota.
5. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet.
6. (22) Joey Logano, Ford.
7. (41) Kurt Busch, Ford.
8. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford.
9. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet.
10. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford.
11. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford.
12. (37) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet.
13. (6) Trevor Bayne, Ford.
14. (21) Paul Menard, Ford.
15. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet.
16. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford.
17. (13) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet.
18. (32) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford.
19. (43) Darrell Wallace Jr., Chevrolet.
20. (23) Gray Gaulding, Toyota.
21. (38) David Ragan, Ford.
22. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford.
23. (00) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet.
24. (55) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet.
25. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota.
26. (14) Clint Bowyer, Ford.
27. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford.
28. (88) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet.
29. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet.
30. (19) Daniel Suarez, Toyota.
31. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet.
32. (47) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet.
33. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet.
34. (95) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet.
35. (51) Timmy Hill, Chevrolet.
36. (15) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet.
37. (72) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet.
Golf
PGA TOUR
ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL
Friday
At Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Fla.
Purse: $8.9 million; Yardage: 7,419; Par 72
Second Round Leaders
Henrik Stenson
64-69—133
-11
Bryson DeChambeau 67-66—133
-11
Talor Gooch
65-70—135
-9
Byeong Hun An
68-68—136
-8
Charley Hoffman
71-66—137
-7
Rickie Fowler
67-71—138
-6
Billy Horschel
68-70—138
-6
Luke List
71-67—138
-6
Patrick Reed
68-70—138
-6
Ryan Moore
71-67—138
-6
Notables
Rory McIlroy
69-70—139
-5
Bubba Watson
70-70—140
-4
Justin Rose
69-71—140
-4
Tiger Woods
68-72—140
-4