Couture leads Sharks to yet another win over Kings, 4-1 (Yahoo Sports)

Logan Couture had two goals and an assist, Ryan Carpenter scored his first NHL goal and the San Jose Sharks extended their recent mastery over the Los Angeles Kings with a 4-1 victory Wednesday night. Kevin Labanc also scored and Martin Jones made 26 saves against his former team in the Pacific Division-leading Sharks' fifth win in six games. Couture and Carpenter scored 30 seconds apart in the final minute of the first period, and Los Angeles couldn't recover from that defensive lapse.

Toronto to play Seattle in MLS final after beating Impact (Reuters)

Benoit Cheyrou and Tosaint Ricketts scored in extra time as Toronto FC beat Montreal Impact 5-2 in the second leg of the Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference final on Wednesday, sealing a 7-5 aggregate victory. Toronto advanced to its first MLS Cup final, which it will host Dec. 10 against the Western Conference champion Seattle Sounders.

Flames strike early, beat Maple Leafs 3-0 (Yahoo Sports)

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) -- Freddie Hamilton and Kris Versteeg scored in the first minute and Chad Johnson made 39 saves in the Calgary Flames' 3-0 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

Lee scores with 27 seconds left, Islanders beat Penguins 5-3 (Yahoo Sports)

Anders Lee scored the tiebreaking goal with 27 seconds remaining to lift the New York Islanders to a 5-3 victory over the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night. Thomas Hickey fired a slap shot from the point that deflected off Lee's stick and past goalie Matt Murray to help the Islanders recover after giving up a three-goal lead in the third period. With Murray pulled on the ensuing faceoff, Nikolay Kulemin scored into the empty net 3 seconds later to give the Islanders consecutive victories for the second time this season.

Toronto FC outlasts Montreal to reach MLS Cup final (The Associated Press)

TORONTO (AP) -- Benoit Cheyrou and Tosaint Ricketts scored 2 minutes apart in extra time and Toronto FC advanced to the MLS Cup final, outlasting the Montreal Impact 5-2 in the rain Wednesday night for a 7-5 aggregate victory.

Avalanche place captain Gabriel Landeskog on injured reserve (Yahoo Sports)

DENVER (AP) -- The Colorado Avalanche have placed captain Gabriel Landeskog on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

How fuel may have played a role in Colombia air crash (The Associated Press)

PRE-FLIGHT: Authorities have not released the flight plan for the jet operated by LaMia, a Bolivia-based charter company, but aviation experts say international regulations require enough extra fuel to fly at least 30 to 45 minutes to divert to another airport in case of emergency. The flight was in the air for about 4 hours and 20 minutes when air traffic controllers in Medellin put it into a holding pattern because another flight had reported a suspected fuel leak and was given priority. CRASH: In the final minutes of the LaMia flight, the pilot of the jet can be heard repeatedly requesting permission to land due to a lack of fuel and a ''total electric failure,'' according to a leaked recording.

Man United, Southampton into English League Cup semifinals (The Associated Press)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) -- Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial each scored twice to help Manchester United beat West Ham 4-1 and advance to the English League Cup semifinals on Wednesday.

Chapecoense vows to compete, possibly with borrowed players (The Associated Press)

Six players, a handful of support staff, and deep sorrow are all that remain of Brazil's Chapecoense soccer club. ''In the memory of those who died and to honor their families, we will rebuild this club from scratch so it is even stronger,'' club director and local businessman Cecilio Hans said. Other clubs in Brazil's top league are offering to loan players to Chapecoense, with a proposal that the modest club in deep southern Brazil is guaranteed to stay in the top division for the next three years.

Palermo makes 2nd coaching change of season after Cup loss (The Associated Press)

PALERMO, Sicily (AP) -- Palermo has fired its coach for the second time this season, replacing Roberto De Zerbi with Eugenio Corini after getting eliminated from the Italian Cup by second-division Spezia.

Zidane's son scores as Madrid routs Leonesa 6-1 in Copa (The Associated Press)

Enzo Zidane made his dad proud on Wednesday, scoring a goal on his competitive debut for Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey. Zinedine Zidane, the coach, gave his 21-year-old son a chance and he took full advantage, finding the net with a nice right-foot shot from the edge of the area to help Madrid rout third-division club Cultural Leonesa 6-1 and secure a spot in the round of 16. Using mostly second-string teams in both matches, Madrid advanced 13-2 on aggregate after a 7-1 win in the first leg.

AP Interview: Arena says pressure on US team has increased (The Associated Press)

Bruce Arena knows the job of U.S. soccer coach has changed since his last game a decade ago. Arena took over from Jurgen Klinsmann last week following losses at home to Mexico and at Costa Rica in the opening two games of the final round of World Cup qualifying.

Belhanda's magic lifts Nice back to top of Ligue 1 (The Associated Press)

PARIS (AP) -- A mesmerizing goal and skills from Younes Belhanda have lifted Nice back to the top of France's Ligue 1, displacing Monaco and keeping Paris Saint-Germain at arm's length with a 1-0 victory at Guingamp.

Canadian-led roster has West Virginia in women's College Cup (The Associated Press)

Nikki Izzo-Brown is the only women's soccer coach West Virginia has ever hired. Led by a group of Canadians, including a pair of Olympians and a freshman goalkeeper with a penchant for shutouts, West Virginia (22-1-2) takes a 16-game unbeaten streak into Friday's semifinals against North Carolina (17-3-4) in San Jose, California. Izzo-Brown was hired for West Virginia's varsity debut in 1996 and has taken the Mountaineers to the NCAA tournament in 17 straight seasons.

Sens' Anderson takes leave of absence as wife battles cancer (Yahoo Sports)

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) -- Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson has taken a leave of absence from the team as his wife battles a rare form of throat cancer.

Gareth Southgate confirmed as England manager on 4-year deal (The Associated Press)

The English Football Association has hired Gareth Southgate on a four-year contract to remain in charge of the national team. The 46-year-old Southgate was given the position after managing England in four matches on an interim basis. Southgate pulled out of the race to succeed Roy Hodgson in charge of England after the European Championship, saying he lacked the necessary experience for such a position.

Russian activists say they were detained ahead of FIFA event (The Associated Press)

Environmental activists in the Russian city of Kazan say they were detained by police as they planned a protest before the Confederations Cup draw. Iskander Yaseveyev, an academic and environmental campaigner, tells The Associated Press he and six others were stopped by police ahead of the draw last Saturday, and held until the event was over.

The Latest: Merkel sends condolences to Brazil over crash (The Associated Press)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says it was with great dismay that she learned about the tragic plane crash in Colombia. The chancellor expressed her condolences Wednesday in a letter to Brazilian President Michel Temer, saying she wants to convey the sympathy of the German people. Pope Francis has asked for prayers for victims of the plane crash in Colombia, noting the Brazilian people are mourning the loss of soccer players from the Chapecoense team.

Someday soccer will return to Chapecoense, as at Man Utd (The Associated Press)

Someday, somehow, soccer will likely return at Chapecoense. Through the grieving and after the funerals of the 19 team members who died in a plane crash, soccer will probably be played again, just as it was at Manchester United and Torino following similar tragedies. ''For so many years I was at the heart of Manchester United's effort to maintain its place in football,'' England great Bobby Charlton wrote in his 2007 autobiography.

Former FIFA secretary general is suspect in criminal case (The Associated Press)

Swiss authorities say their criminal investigation into FIFA has expanded and former secretary general Urs Linsi is a suspect. The case relates to Germany's staging of the 2006 World Cup and a suspicious payment of 6.7 million euros ($7 million) that went through FIFA in 2005 when Linsi was its top administrator. Linsi left FIFA in 2007.

Swiss authorities carry out fresh house searches in FIFA case (Reuters)

Swiss authorities searched more houses as part of its criminal investigation into suspected corruption in world soccer and have added former FIFA General Secretary Urs Linsi to its list of suspects, they said. "The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of Switzerland confirms that on 23 November 2016 it conducted house searches with the support of the Federal Office of Police (fedpol) at various locations in the German-speaking part of Switzerland," the OAG said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.

Gibson makes 39 saves, Ducks hold off Canadiens 2-1 (Yahoo Sports)

John Gibson made 39 saves and the Anaheim Ducks got goals from Richard Rakell and defenseman Cam Fowler to beat the NHL-leading Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Tuesday night. Andrew Shaw scored with 2 minutes left and Carey Price stopped 36 shots for the Canadiens (16-5-2).

Burns' OT goal leads Sharks past Coyotes 2-1 (Yahoo Sports)

Brent Burns scored a power-play goal 19 seconds into overtime and the San Jose Sharks wrapped up a successful homestand with a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night. Chris Tierney also scored and Martin Jones made 18 saves. San Jose won four of five games on the homestand and improved to 8-3 overall at the Shark Tank this season.

Matthews gets 10th goal, Maple Leafs beat Oilers 4-2 (Yahoo Sports)

Auston Matthews scored his 10th goal of the season as the Toronto beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on Tuesday night for the Maple Leafs' second road win of the season. James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri and Zach Hyman also scored for Toronto, which has won two straight. Frederik Andersen stopped 28 shots.

Thousands squeeze into church, stadium to mourn tragic crash (The Associated Press)

Thousands squeezed into Chapeco's cathedral and even more packed a stadium to mourn the death of 71 people in a plane crash, 19 of them members of the Chapecoense club who had been on the brink of soccer greatness. ''To lose (almost) all of them in such a tragic way, totally destroyed our city and each one of us,'' Carla Vilembrini said late Tuesday, standing outside Santo Antonio Cathedral. Chapecoense's fantasy season ended on a muddy Colombian mountainside late Monday when a chartered aircraft crashed south of Medellin.

Hunt begins for cause of crash that wipes out Brazilian team (The Associated Press)

Colombia's worst air crash in two decades snuffed out a storybook run by a Brazilian soccer team, and authorities are digging in trying to figure out why a chartered jetliner crashed in the Andes, killing all but six of the 77 people aboard. The country's aviation agency said Tuesday that the British Aerospace 146's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder had been found among the wreckage strewn over a mountainside and were already being studied by experts. Authorities also said they were not ruling out the possibility the aircraft ran out of fuel minutes before it was to land at Jose Maria Cordova airport outside Medellin, a report given to rescuers by a surviving flight attendant.

Panik, Blackhawks beat Panthers 2-1 in shootout (Yahoo Sports)

Richard Panik and Artemi Panarin scored in a shootout, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat Florida 2-1 on Tuesday night in the Panthers' first game since Tom Rowe took over as interim coach. Panik also scored in regulation and Corey Crawford made 38 saves in Chicago's first home game in 16 days. The Blackhawks went 3-3-1 on their 12-day circus trip.

Scheifele, Laine each score No. 13 as Jets edge Devils 3-2 (Yahoo Sports)

Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine each scored his 13th goal of the season to help the Winnipeg Jets defeat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Tuesday night. Blake Wheeler had the other goal for the Jets, and Scheifele added an assist. Devils rookie Miles Wood, with his first NHL goal, and Nick Lappin supplied the offense for New Jersey.

Johansen, Watson help Predators beat Avalanche 5-3 (Yahoo Sports)

DENVER (AP) -- Ryan Johansen and Austin Watson each had a goal and an assist, leading the Nashville Predators to a 5-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.

Eichel has 2 points in season debut, Sabres beat Senators (Yahoo Sports)

Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist in his season debut as the Buffalo Sabres beat the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on Tuesday night. Ryan O'Reilly scored twice for Buffalo (8-9-5), while Kyle Okposo and Sam Reinhart also scored. Anders Nilsson replaced him and stopped 26 shots.

Gostisbehere, Mason lift Flyers over Bruins 3-2 in shootout (Yahoo Sports)

Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere scored in the ninth round of a shootout to give Philadelphia a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. Steve Mason made 45 saves through overtime, and defenseman Michael Del Zotto and center Claude Giroux scored in regulation for the Flyers, who won their second straight to improve to 11-10-3. David Krejci and Brad Marchand had goals for the Bruins (12-10-1), who lost for the fourth time in five games.

Mantha helps Red Wings beat Stars 3-1 for 3rd win in 4 games (Yahoo Sports)

Anthony Mantha scored the go-ahead goal midway through the second period and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Dallas Stars 3-1 on Tuesday night. Petr Mrazek stopped 34 shots for the Red Wings, who are 3-0-1 in their last four games for their best stretch in more than a month. Kari Lehtonen made 17 saves for the Stars.

Anderson, Bobrovsky lead Blue Jackets past Lightning 5-1 (Yahoo Sports)

Josh Anderson had a goal and two assists, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1 on Tuesday night. Scott Hartnell had a goal and an assist, and William Karlsson, Alexander Wennberg and Sam Gagner also scored as Columbus beat Tampa Bay for the second time in five days. The Blue Jackets are 8-1-1 in their last 10 home games.

Vesey scores late in 3rd as Rangers beat Hurricanes 3-2 (Yahoo Sports)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Jimmy Vesey scored a tiebreaking power-play goal with 5:12 remaining to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.

Impact and TFC poised to add to Montreal-Toronto rivalry (Reuters)

By Steve Keating TORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto versus Montreal is always a hot ticket among sport fans in Canada's two biggest cities but it usually involves hockey not soccer as it will on Wednesday when the Impact and Toronto FC clash for a spot in the MLS Cup final. A sell-out crowd of close to 36,000 is expected at Toronto's BMO Field for the second leg of the Eastern conference final with Montreal holding the advantage after a nervy 3-2 win in the opening leg at home in front of 61,000 at Stade Olympique. The winners will be the first Canadian-based franchise to reach the Major League Soccer final.

Panthers look to move on after Gallant's dismissal (Yahoo Sports)

New Florida coach Tom Rowe met with captain Derek MacKenzie and the rest of the Panthers' leadership on Monday. Rowe knows Gerald Gallant is well-liked in Florida's locker room, and he wanted to be as transparent as possible on why the coach was let go just 22 games into the season. The good news for Rowe is the Panthers don't have to travel very far.

250 people contact police as UK soccer abuse scandal spreads (The Associated Press)

British police investigating sexual abuse in soccer have received calls from 250 people, the government announced Tuesday, as FIFA said the high-profile scandal could lead to offenses by youth development coaches being exposed worldwide. In a day of developments, Chelsea also opened an investigation into an employee from the 1970s who is now dead, while the English Football Association acknowledged it was braced for compensation claims. ''Since this has come out, 250 people have already contacted the police in England and Wales,'' Caroline Chisholm, a government spokesman in the House of Lords, told Britain's upper chamber.

20 journalists among dead in Colombia plane crash (The Associated Press)

Twenty journalists are among the dead in the airline crash that devastated a Brazilian soccer team, officials said Tuesday. Colombian aviation authorities said 21 of the 77 people aboard the charter flight were journalists covering the Chapecoense team from southern Brazil and its upcoming South American Cup match in Medellin, Colombia. One journalist was among the six survivors: Rafael Valmorbida of Radio Oeste Capital, a station in the Brazilian city of Chapeco, where the team is based.

Monaco takes French League 1 lead with 1-1 draw at Dijon (The Associated Press)

PARIS (AP) -- Monaco claimed top spot in France's League One on Tuesday with a labored 1-1 draw at promoted Dijon.

Woodburn eclipses Owen to become Liverpool's youngest scorer (The Associated Press)

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) -- Teenager Ben Woodburn became Liverpool's youngest-ever scorer as his team beat second-tier club Leeds 2-0 on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the English League Cup.

Chapecoense striker had just found out he would be a dad (The Associated Press)

A week ago, Chapecoense striker Tiaguinho was jumping for joy after finding out that he was going to be a father for the first time.

Dallas Stars wing Travis Moen retires after 12 NHL seasons (Yahoo Sports)

TORONTO (AP) -- Dallas Stars left wing Travis Moen has retired at age 34 after 12 NHL seasons.

Minnesota United names Heath as coach for 1st MLS season (The Associated Press)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota United has hired Adrian Heath as the coach to usher the franchise into Major League Soccer next season.

Blackhawks C Toews remains out with upper-body injury (Yahoo Sports)

CHICAGO (AP) -- Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has been ruled out for their matchup with the Florida Panthers, sidelined by an upper-body injury for the third straight game.

Former British soccer coach charged with sexual assaults on boy (Reuters)

A British former soccer coach was charged on Tuesday with eight historical offences of sexual assault against a boy under the age of 14. The charges against Barry Bennell, 62, who was a talent spotter at Crewe Alexandra and a coach at Manchester City, relate to "non-recent" child sexual abuse, the state prosecution service said without giving details. The charges include indecent assault, inciting a boy to commit an act of gross indecency and assault with intent to commit buggery.

Flight was taking Brazilian team to game of their lives (The Associated Press)

These were going to be the games of their lives for players on the humble Brazilian club Chapecoense. The dream ended late Monday night when a charter flight carrying the club sliced into a Colombian hillside, killing 75 and scattering six survivors among the snarled remains of wings and fuselage. The flight was bound for Medellin, Colombia, and a first-leg match against Colombia's Atletico Nacional, which was to be followed a week later by the second and decisive game in Brazil - the biggest the southern city of Chapeco and its 200,000 residents would ever see.

Arena: US 'fighting for our lives' in World Cup qualifying (The Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Back in charge of the U.S. national soccer team for the first time in a decade, Bruce Arena says ''we're fighting for our lives, we're behind the eight ball.''

Sporting KC signs coach Vermes to contract extension (The Associated Press)

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) -- Sporting Kansas City has signed coach Peter Vermes to a contract extension through the 2019 season.

Competing group offers to help fund St. Louis soccer stadium (The Associated Press)

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A competing group wants to join forces with SC STL in building a new $200 million downtown St. Louis soccer stadium in hopes of attracting an MLS franchise, and group leaders say they'll pay much of the construction cost to avoid the need for public financing.

'It's impossible to believe': Neymar mourns fatal crash (The Associated Press)

From Lionel Messi to Neymar, from Diego Maradona to Rafael Nadal, the world of sports expressed its sorrow following the crash of the plane carrying the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense. All Brazilian first division teams changed their official Twitter profile pictures to a black logo of Chapecoense.

UK asks sporting bodies to do more to protect children from abuse (Reuters)

The British government said on Tuesday it was asking all national sporting governing bodies to increase their efforts to protect children, following allegations of young boys being sexually abused at professional soccer clubs. English soccer's governing body said on Sunday it had appointed an independent lawyer to oversee an internal investigation after former soccer players told British media they were sexually abused as children at English clubs. The government set out its response to the allegations, saying it could not comment directly on police investigations, but that those involved in youth sport had a duty of care to children and must speak out if they suspected abuse.

Former darts champion dropped from TV over abuse comments (The Associated Press)

LONDON (AP) -- British broadcaster Sky Sports has dropped a former darts world champion as one of its commentators after he suggested that soccer abuse victims are ''wimps.''

Gareth Southgate set to be named England coach (The Associated Press)

Gareth Southgate will remain in charge of England's national team. An English Football Association panel has decided to hire Southgate as Sam Allardyce's permanent successor, people with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday. Southgate was hastily promoted from the under-21 team in September when Allardyce was forced out after one game over unguarded comments to undercover reporters posing as businessmen.

American teenager Perez makes Italian league debut (The Associated Press)

MILAN (AP) -- American teenager Joshua Perez has made a strong impression after making his Italian league debut with Fiorentina.

Factbox: Air disasters involving soccer teams (Reuters)

Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense were on board a plane that crashed in Colombia killing 76 people, police said on Tuesday. Chapecoense had been flying in to face Atletico Nacional of Medellin in the first leg of Wednesday's Copa Sudamericana final, South America’s equivalent of the Europa League. The following are other air disasters which have involved football teams: * 1949.

Soccer world sends condolences to Brazil's Chapecoense after air crash (Reuters)

By Andrew Downie SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The soccer world was in mourning on Tuesday as clubs, players and fans from around the globe sent tributes and support to Brazilian side Chapecoense following a deadly air crash in Colombia that killed 76 people, including several players. One of the first messages came from their rivals in Wednesday's now postponed final, Atletico Nacional of Medellin. "Nacional deeply laments and stands in solidarity with @ChapecoenseReal in the accident and we await information from authorities," the home town club tweeted soon after the disaster was reported.

Gerhardsson to replace Sundhage as Sweden women's coach (The Associated Press)

STOCKHOLM (AP) -- The Swedish soccer association says Peter Gerhardsson will replace Pia Sundhage as coach of the women's national team after next year's European Championship.

Frankfurt revival as Kovac quietly leads club to 4th place (The Associated Press)

Eintracht Frankfurt's latest win has got the rest of the Bundesliga sitting up and taking notice of Niko Kovac. The former Croatia midfielder, who took over as coach last March when Frankfurt was in the relegation zone, has revitalized the unheralded club, guiding it through a relegation playoff and quietly steering the side to fourth place in the league after its best start in 23 years. The latest victory was a 2-1 win over a formidable Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

The Latest: Reports: Male passenger alive in Colombia crash (The Associated Press)

Local media in Colombia are reporting that a male passenger going by the name of Alan has arrived in an ambulance to a hospital near Medellin after the plane crash involving a Brazilian first division soccer team. Blu Radio said the passenger arrived on a stretcher with an oxygen mask and covered in a blanket. The chartered plane was carrying 81 people, including the Chapecoense soccer team from southern Brazil.

Plane carrying soccer team from Brazil crashes in Colombia (The Associated Press)

A chartered aircraft carrying a Brazilian soccer team to Colombia for a regional tournament final has crashed on its way to Medellin's international airport, officials said Tuesday. Medellin's Mayor Federico Gutierrez said Tuesday that it is possible there are survivors. ''It's a tragedy of huge proportions,'' Gutierrez told Blu Radio on his way to the site in a mountainous area outside the city where the chartered aircraft is believed to have crashed shortly before midnight on Monday local time.

Tarasenko scores at 3:24 of OT to lift Blues past Stars (Yahoo Sports)

Vladimir Tarasenko scored at 3:24 of overtime to lift the St. Louis Blues to a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Tarasenko took a pass from Jori Lehtera and fired a wrist shot past Stars goalie Antti Niemi for 10th of the season and team-leading 23rd point. Stars defenseman Jamie Oleksiak scored twice, including the tying goal with 50 seconds left in the third period.

Hickey scores in OT, Islanders beat Flames 2-1 (Yahoo Sports)

Thomas Hickey scored 3:07 into overtime, helping the New York Islanders again find their footing at home with a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Monday night. With the Flames caught in an awkward change after Michael Frolik broke his stick, captain John Tavares wheeled around the zone and then backhanded one that Hickey tipped past Brian Elliott. Tavares also scored in the first period.

Red Wings remove Jurco from injured reserve (Yahoo Sports)

DETROIT (AP) -- The Detroit Red Wings removed forward Tomas Jurco from long-term injured reserve and recalled him from Grand Rapids of the AHL on Monday.

Rangers look to bounce back vs. Hurricanes (Yahoo Sports)

The Rangers are near the top of the Eastern Conference and are far and away the highest-scoring team in the league while the Hurricanes are barely above .500 and outside the playoff picture. When the teams meet in New York on Tuesday -- Carolina won the first meeting 3-2 at home on Oct. 28 -- the Hurricanes will be the team pointed upward. The Rangers dropped four of six and lost four straight at Madison Square Garden, the site of Tuesday night's game.

Emerging stars to collide as Oilers host Maple Leafs (Yahoo Sports)

For the foreseeable future, any matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers will be focused on Auston Matthews versus Connor McDavid. Mitch Marner is making a pretty good case to be included in future conversations. All three players will be on display Tuesday night when the Maple Leafs open begin a three-game, five-night swing across western Canada against the Oilers.

Bruins, Flyers both looking for a spark (Yahoo Sports)

Six weeks into the season, the Flyers and Bruins are looking like a pair of teams who could battle it out for one of the two wild card playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. "We've got to scratch and claw every night right now," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol told the Philadelphia Inquirer of his 10-10-3 team. The Flyers will play eight games in the next 13 days and 13 games in the 24-day stretch leading up to their Christmas break.

Avalanche seek revenge against banged-up Predators (Yahoo Sports)

The Nashville Predators opened November with a dominant win in Denver. Nashville left Pepsi Center with a 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 1 but it might be tough to duplicate the results when the teams play Tuesday night. Nashville is without leading goal scorer James Neal, who didn't make the brief two-game trip that started Sunday with a 3-0 loss in Winnipeg.

Canadiens look to keep rolling against the Ducks (Yahoo Sports)

The NHL's best team will seek to exploit a struggling opponent when the Montreal Canadiens meet the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night at the Honda Center. The Canadiens enter the game with 16 wins and 34 points, both league highs. Montreal owned an even better record at this time last season, when the club won its first nine games to set a team record while going 18-4-2 through Nov. 27 of last year.

Florida Panthers announce the firing of coach Gerard Gallant (Yahoo Sports)

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- Gerard Gallant's firing has been announced by the Florida Panthers, one day after the 2015-16 coach of the year finalist was dismissed in a somewhat surprising move.

Flames look to seal winning trip vs. Isles (Yahoo Sports)

The Calgary Flames are staying afloat during a six-game Eastern Conference road trip. Calgary fell to the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 Sunday night, while New York dropped a 3-2 decision to the Sharks in San Jose on Friday. The Islanders return home to open a brief two-game homestand.

Carolina places Jordan Staal on IR with concussion (Yahoo Sports)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- The Carolina Hurricanes have placed forward Jordan Staal on injured reserve with a concussion.

Europe's match-fixing problem highlighted by players' survey (The Associated Press)

European soccer's challenge in eradicating match-fixing has been highlighted by a large number of players in Cyprus and Malta telling the world players' union that they have been approached to fix games. FIFPro says 40.5 percent of the 235 respondents to its player survey from Cyprus reported being aware of fixing in their league and 18.6 percent said they had been approached to fix a game. FIFPro received responses from 112 players in Malta, with 18.2 percent of players saying they were aware of fixing and 15.5 percent reporting being approached to fix a match.

Las Palmas beats Athletic Bilbao 3-1 in Spanish league (The Associated Press)

MADRID (AP) -- Kevin-Prince Boateng scored in the first half to lead Las Palmas to a 3-1 win over 10-man Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish league on Monday.

Wasteful Napoli held to 1-1 draw by Sassuolo in Serie A (The Associated Press)

Napoli was again made to count the cost of missed opportunities as it was held 1-1 by Sassuolo in Serie A on Monday. Lorenzo Insigne fired the hosts in front three minutes from the break, cutting inside and curling in under the crossbar. The ball went in with the aid of a slight deflection off former Napoli defender Paolo Cannavaro - who had been given a warm welcome by the Partenopei fans at the start of the match.

Brazil's new coach: Bring on Germany, Italy and Spain (The Associated Press)

Brazil's new coach is tearing up South American World Cup qualifying. In six matches in charge, Adenor Leonardo Bacchi - known universally as Tite (pronounced Chi-Chi) - has won all six. Now he's offering to challenge Europe's best, including defending champion Germany, as the five-time World Cup winners prepare for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where they are likely to be among the favorites.

LA Galaxy hires Peter Vagenas as GM, replacing Bruce Arena (The Associated Press)

CARSON, Calif. (AP) -- Peter Vagenas has been chosen to replace Bruce Arena as the LA Galaxy's general manager.

Brazil coach on corruption: Those responsible must pay (The Associated Press)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Brazil's national coach says anyone at the Brazilian Football Confederation found guilty of corruption should be punished.

Brazil's new coach: Bring on Germany, Italy and Spain (The Associated Press)

Brazil's new coach is tearing up South American World Cup qualifying. In six matches in charge, Adenor Leonardo Bacchi - known universally as Tite (pronounced Chi-Chi) - has won all six. Now he's offering to challenge Europe's best, including defending champion Germany, as the five-time World Cup winners prepare for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where they are likely to be among the favorites.

Barcelona discouraged by setbacks ahead of Madrid clasico (The Associated Press)

Barcelona players are unusually downbeat ahead of one of their most important games of the season. The Catalan club will enter the first ''clasico'' of the season against Real Madrid filled with doubts after a couple of disappointing performances in the Spanish league. Barcelona was outplayed throughout the 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad on Sunday for its second consecutive setback in the league.

Mourinho charged with improper conduct by FA (The Associated Press)

LONDON (AP) -- The Football Association has charged Jose Mourinho with improper conduct after the Manchester United manager was sent to the stands for the second time in a month in Sunday's 1-1 draw with West Ham.

Sabres coach says it's possible Eichel plays at Ottawa (Yahoo Sports)

Jack Eichel says he's cleared every hurdle in recovering from a sprained left ankle, and Buffalo Sabres coach Dan Bylsma says there's a possibility the center will make his season debut at Ottawa on Tuesday. Bylsma said ''we'll see,'' but noted he liked what he saw out of Eichel during practice Monday. Eichel took part fully in practice, when he was reunited with his linemates and also saw time on Buffalo's top power-play unit.

Tony Pulis loses case, ordered to pay ex-club Palace $4.6m (The Associated Press)

LONDON (AP) -- West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis must pay ex-club Crystal Palace 3.7 million pounds ($4.6 million) after losing a court case over his departure.

Caribbean official appeals at CAS in FIFA election case (The Associated Press)

Caribbean soccer leader Gordon Derrick has testified at the Court of Arbitration for Sport to challenge being barred from an election to become a FIFA vice president. CAS says a verdict in Derrick's appeal against FIFA is expected early next year. Derrick, the Caribbean Football Union president from Antigua, failed an eligibility test in April to be a candidate for the presidency of CONCACAF, the governing body of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Florida Panthers announce the firing of coach Gerard Gallant (Yahoo Sports)

Gerard Gallant was a coach of the year finalist last season after guiding the Florida Panthers to a division title and the best regular season in franchise history. The Panthers fired Gallant and assistant coach Mike Kelly on Sunday night, and announced the moves publicly on Monday morning. The firing came after the Panthers' 3-2 loss at Carolina - one that dropped Florida to 11-10-1, good for only 10th in the Eastern Conference.

Sochi stadium rebuild completed for World Cup in 2018 (The Associated Press)

Officials overseeing World Cup preparations in the southern Russian city of Sochi say construction work on the city's stadium has finished on time. The stadium held the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics, but has yet to host a soccer game because it needed extensive modifications to remove a temporary roof and increase capacity from 40,000 to 47,700. Sochi is one of four host cities for next year's Confederations Cup, a World Cup warm-up tournament.

Soccer coach at center of English abuse scandal hospitalized (The Associated Press)

LONDON (AP) -- The coach at the center of English soccer's sex abuse scandal has been hospitalized.

China Railway Construction Corp wins Qatar World Cup stadium contract (Reuters)

China Railway Construction Corp has secured a contract to build a stadium for Qatar's 2022 World Cup, according to a statement by the tournament's organizers. The state-owned Chinese construction enterprise will operate as part of a joint venture with Qatari contractor HBK Contracting to build the 80,000-seater Lusail stadium that will host the opening and final matches of the 2022 World Cup. The venue, located in Lusail City, 20 km (miles) north of Qatar’s capital Doha, is scheduled for completion by 2020, said a statement by Qatar's 2022 Supreme Committee.

Stolarz makes 29 saves, Flyers beat Flames 5-3 (Yahoo Sports)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Anthony Stolarz made 29 saves for his first NHL victory in the Philadelphia Flyers' 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames on Sunday night.

AP Source: Panthers fire coach Gerard Gallant (Yahoo Sports)

Gerard Gallant was a coach of the year finalist last season after guiding the Florida Panthers to a division title and the best regular season in franchise history. The Panthers fired Gallant on Sunday night, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The move was made after the Panthers' 3-2 loss at Carolina - one that dropped Florida to 11-10-1 this season, good for only 10th in the Eastern Conference.

Anderson makes 32 saves, Senators beat Rangers 2-0 (Yahoo Sports)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Craig Anderson made 32 saves for his third shutout of the season and the Ottawa Senators beat the New York Rangers 2-0 on Sunday night for their fourth straight victory.

Skinner has goal and assist, Hurricanes beat Panthers 3-2 (Yahoo Sports)

Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist in a three-goal, second-period rally in the Carolina Hurricanes' 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Sunday night. The Hurricanes ran their home winning streak to five, and ended a six-game skid against Florida. Carolina goalie Michael Leighton stopped 31 shots in his first NHL game this season.

Sounders beat Rapids 1-0 to advance to MLS Cup (The Associated Press)

Jordan Morris' sensational rookie season was in jeopardy when he was sick to his stomach Friday. Morris scored in the 56th minute and the Seattle Sounders advanced to their first MLS Cup, beating the Colorado Rapids 1-0 on Sunday in the second leg of the Western Conference final. Nelson Haedo Valdez set up the goal to help Seattle take the series 3-1 in aggregate scoring.

Sounders beat Rapids to reach their first MLS Cup final (Reuters)

(The Sports Xchange) - Jordan Morris scored in the 56th minute on a pass from Nelson Haedo Valdez as the visiting Seattle Sounders beat the Colorado Rapids 1-0 on Sunday to advance to their first MLS Cup final. The Sounders won the Western Conference finals series 3-1 in aggregate goals and handed the Rapids their first home loss of the season. Seattle is headed to the final after coming close twice in the past five seasons.

McGinn breaks late tie, Coyotes beat Oilers 2-1 (Yahoo Sports)

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Jamie McGinn broke a tie with 3:44 left and Mike Smith made 41 saves in the Arizona Coyotes' 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.

Benfica wins again to remain unbeaten in Portuguese league (The Associated Press)

LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- Benfica remained the only undefeated team in the Portuguese league after beating Moreirense 3-0 Sunday to stay five points clear at the top.

Sounders beat Rapids 1-0 to advance to MLS Cup (The Associated Press)

Jordan Morris scored in the 56th minute and the Seattle Sounders advanced to their first MLS Cup, beating the Colorado Rapids 1-0 on Sunday in the second leg of the Western Conference final. Nelson Haedo Valdez set up the goal to help Seattle take the series 3-1 in aggregate scoring. The Sounders will play Toronto or Montreal on Dec. 10 for the league title.