AP Sports

Update on the latest sports

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NHL
NHL postpones Boston-Montreal game due to COVID-19 cases
NEW YORK (AP) – The NHL has postponed Saturday’s game between Boston and Montreal amid a rise in COVID-19 cases around the league. The league says a makeup date for the game hasn’t been finalized. The Canadiens play again Monday at the New York Islanders.
There was no word from the league on the Bruins’ game Sunday at Ottawa. The Canadiens beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Thursday night in a mostly empty Bell Centre because of the rise of COVID-19 cases. Quebec public health officials asked the Canadiens earlier in the day to play without fans in their home arena to help slow the spread of the virus.
The Bruins were without seven players because of COVID-19 protocol – including stars Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron (pah-TREES’ BEHR’-zhuh-rahn) – for Thursday night’s 3-1 loss at the New York Islanders. They played a man down with 11 forwards and six defensemen.

NHL-JETS-COACH RESIGNS
Winnipeg coach Maurice resigns, Lowry gets interim job
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) – Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice has resigned in a surprise move in his ninth year with the team.
The team announced Maurice’s decision on Friday, and said it was effective immediately. Dave Lowry was elevated to interim coach.
The Jets are 13-10-5 heading into Friday night’s game against the visiting Washington Capitals.
Maurice, who turns 55 on Jan. 30, coached Winnipeg into the playoffs in each of the previous four seasons. The Jets swept Edmonton in the first round in May and then were swept by Montreal in the next round.
Maurice took over as Jets coach in January 2014. He coached exactly 600 regular-season games with the franchise, going 315-223-62.

NFL-CHARGERS-PARHAM
Chargers’ Parham stable, undergoing tests after slamming head
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) – Los Angeles Chargers tight end Donald Parham was in stable condition and being evaluated for a head injury after being removed on a stretcher during Thursday night’s loss to Kansas City.
Parham appeared to lose consciousness and was taken off the field early in the first quarter. He was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he was undergoing further tests and imaging.
Parham, in his second year with Los Angeles, got his hands on a 5-yard pass from Justin Herbert in the back of the end zone on fourth-and-goal, but he dropped the ball when the back of his head slammed into the ground.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-BOWL GAMES
Toledo and Middle Tennessee kick off college bowl season
UNDATED (AP) – Redshirt freshman quarterback Dequan Finn and the Toledo offense face turnover-forcing Middle Tennessee State in the Bahamas on Friday to kick off the college bowl season.
The Middle Tennessee State defense leads the nation in turnovers with 31, and tops the country with six defensive touchdowns. Finn is 125 of 209 passing, including 16 TDs and one interception. Toledo has turned the ball just six times, which the fewest nationally.
Later Friday in Orlando, Coastal Carolina tries to finish with 11 wins for the second straight year when it faces Northern Illinois in the Cure Bowl. Quarterback Grayson McCall’s efficiency rating of 207.95 is well ahead of the pace to break the record of 203.06 Alabama’s Mac Jones set last season.
Northern Illinois is the first team in FBS history to win its conference championship game one season after going winless. The Huskies will try to win the MAC championship game and a bowl game in the same season for just the second time.

SKI-GUT-BEHRAMI-VIRUS
Swiss skier Gut-Behrami tests positive, to miss four WCup races
VAL D’ISERE, France (AP) – Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the next four World Cup races in France. Her team says the two-time world championship gold medalist is now in isolation after taking a PCR test in Switzerland.
The Swiss ski federation says Gut-Behrami and two team officials who also tested positive had left French resort Val d’Isere (val dih-SEHR’) after feeling light flu-like symptoms.