NHL And NBA Playoffs Galore

The Nashville Predators became the third NHL team to wrap up a first-round series when they shut out the Colorado Avalanche 5-0 on Sunday. The Preds won the series in six games.

That’s how many it took the Pittsburgh Penguins as well. Their 8-5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers was highlighted by Jake Guentzel scoring four goals.

On Saturday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning knocked out the New Jersey Devils in five games, clinching the series with a 3-1 win.

Those three join the Vegas Golden Knights in moving on to the second round. The Golden Knights had earlier put away the Los Angeles Kings in four games.

NBA: The first team to advance to the second round is the New Orleans Pelicans, who took four straight from the Portland Trail Blazers. Anthony Davis and Jrue Holliday combined for 88 points in Saturday night’s 131-123 win. … The Philadelphia 76ers hold a 3-1 edge over the Miami Heat, and the Golden State Warriors enjoy that same margin against the San Antonio Spurs.

ELSEWHERE: The Boston Red Sox have the best record in baseball, but they got no-hit on Saturday by Oakland’s Sean Manaea in the A’s 3-0 victory. Manaea struck out 10 and walked two. On the other end of the spectrum are the Cincinnati Reds, who fired manager Bryan Price after a 3-15 start. After losing 9-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals they are 0-3 under Jim Riggleman.

Andrew Landry won the Valero Texas Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory, pulling away with early birdies and then parring the final seven holes.

Kyle Busch won Saturday night’s NASCAR race at Richmond.

Welterweights Adrien Broner and Jessie Vargas fought to a 12-round majority draw on Saturday night in Brooklyn, New York. Vargas controlled the early rounds, Broner the later ones.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman