Pirates Sweep Marlins

     The Pittsburgh Pirates completed a four-game series sweep of the Miami Marlins with a 9-7 victory on Sunday at loanDepot park. Miami began with a 0-4 record for the first time since the 2001 season. 

     The Marlins wore their powder blue jerseys in the regular season for the first time in team history. They had worn that color shirt for spring training games since 2018. 

     The Fish will host the Los Angeles Angels next to finish off the seven-game opening season homestand. The Pirates will stay on the road to face the Washington Nationals on Monday. 

     Miami(0-4) attacked early and scored five runs with no outs in the bottom of the first. Jake Burger singled to shallow left field to score Luis Arraez. Burger had an RBI in four consecutive games for the first time in his MLB career. Bryan De La Cruz then got a base hit into right field to load the bases. 

     Jazz Chisholm Jr. came up next and blasted a grand-slam home run to right-center field on a 2-0 pitch for his first homer of the year. Bell, Burger and De La Cruz scored in front of him on the play. Chisholm had two grand-slam homers in 2023, which were the only grand-slam home runs hit by the Marlins last season. 

     Pittsburgh(4-0) answered back in the top of the second with three runs and trailed 5-3. Alika Williams tripled to the left-field wall for Jack Suwinski and Jared Triolo to score.

     The Pirates would later have the bases loaded. Bryan Reynolds hit a soft ground ball to left side of the infield and Williams reached home.

     The Bucs closed it to 5-4 in the top of the fourth. Ke'Bryan Hayes singled into center field and Connor Joe crossed the plate. 

     The Marlins extended their lead to 6-4 in the bottom of the fourth. Avisail Garcia homered on the first pitch of the frame to right-center field for his first home run of the season. It was first home run for Garcia since April 26, 2023. 

     In the seventh inning, Pittsburgh took the lead for the first time in the contest. Rowdy Tellez cracked a three-run homer to center field with Hayes and Edward Olivares aboard. It was the first home run for Tellez with his new team. The Bucs have the most runs batted in with two out in Major League Baseball this season with 17. 

     Miami tied the contest with one out in the bottom of the ninth 7-7. Pinch-hitter Nick Gordon connected with a solo home run to right-center field for his first round-tripper of the campaign. 

     The Pirates reclaimed the lead with two runs in the top of the 10th. Jason Delay had a sacrifice bunt for Oneil Cruz to score. Four baters later, Michael A. Taylor walked with the bases loaded and Williams scored to make it 9-7. 

Heat Slow Down Wizards

     The Miami Heat returned to the road following a three-game homestand and beat the Washington Wizards 119-107 at Capital One Arena on Sunday night. The Heat will not have a losing record in 2023-24 with (a) victory tonight. 

     There has been a buzz in the last couple of days for the Wizards franchise. The team announced they were not moving to Virginia and will stay in Washington D.C. at the same venue. 

     Both clubs were tied 29-29 at the end of the first quarter. Miami(41-33) took control and had a 66-59 lead by halftime. 

     The Heat increased their margin to 95-80 at the conclusion of the third quarter. Washington(14-61) did cut it down to a nine-point gap in the final minute of the contest. 

     Miami was led by Terry Rozier with a game-high 27 points. Bam Adebayo contributed a double-double of 22 points along with 10 rebounds. Jimmy Butler added 17 points and seven rebounds. Jordan Poole had a team-high 22 points for the Wizards.

Inter Miami CF Tie New York City FC

     Inter Miami CF tied New York City FC 1-1 at Chase Stadium on Saturday night. Lionel Messi did not play for Inter Miami CF in the contest. 

     It became a 1-0 lead for Inter Miami CF(3-2-2) in the 15th minute of play. Luis Suarez was able to compile his fifth Major League Soccer tally.

     New York City FC(1-4-1) evened it up 1-1 before the end of the first half. Alonso Martinez scored for NYCFC during the 34th minute. 

Panthers Scoot By Red Wings

     The Florida Panthers got by the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in a shootout on Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers clinched a postseason spot just two days ago. They are now 2-5-1 in their last eight games.

     The Cats leaped by the Boston Bruins for first place in the Atlantic Division. The Red Wings are one point behind the Washington Capitals for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. 

     Detroit(36-30-8) pulled out to a 1-0 lead on the power play with 9:39 left in the opening period. Broward County native Shayne Gostisbehere angled a pass from the top of the zone. David Perron zipped a cross-ice pass from the left wing and Robby Fabbri snapped a shot from the right circle past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 17th goal this season. 

     After a scoreless second period, Florida(47-22-5) tied the contest 1-1 with 7:39 left in the third. Aleksander Barkov made a lead pass in the neutral zone to Aaron Ekblad, who just came out of the penalty box. Ekblad entered the Red Wings zone, darted up the middle and put a soft shot on net from the top of the crease. Barkov followed with a wrist shot from the right of the crease past Alex Lyon for his 20th goal of the season.  It was the ninth consecutive season that Barkov has scored at least 20 goals in a season. Niko Mikkola was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

     The Panthers moved in front 2-1 with 4:56 remaining in the period. Sam Reinhart guided the puck from right point. Barkov raced in with it through the right circle and steered the puck in with a one-handed poke shot from the low slot for his second tally of the contest and 21st goal in 2023-24. 

     The Red Wings rallied back on a power-play goal with 4:00 to go. Dylan Larkin got his 29th goal of the campaign on a snap shot from the right goal line. Patrick Kane and Gostisbehere both had assists during the man advantage. 

     There were no goals in overtime and it would go to a shootout. Only one of six shooting attempts were converted. Reinhart scored with a snap shot on the Panthers first attempt.   

Pirates Take Marlins

     The Pittsburgh Pirates knocked off the Miami Marlins 9-3 at loanDepot park on Saturday. The Pirates were victorious in the first three games of the four-game series and look to sweep the Marlins on Sunday. 

     The Bucs had a 3-0 lead by the top of the fourth inning. Miami(0-3) closed it with two runs in the bottom of the third and were down 3-2. 

     Pittsburgh(3-0) answered back quickly responded in the top of the fifth and regained a three-run lead. The Marlins picked up one run during the bottom of the sixth. The Pirates put the contest out of reach with four runs in the top of the seventh and had a 9-3 advantage. 

Pirates Sail By Marlins

     The Pittsburgh Pirates rushed by the Miami Marlins 7-2 at loanDepot park on Friday night. It was the second contest of a four-game series between both clubs. 

     Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez is so far 0-for-10 at the plate this year. He is tied for third all-time in MLB history for a reigning batting champion to go hitless to start a season. 

     Pittsburgh(2-0) would go up 4-0 with two runs in the second and two runs in the third. Miami(0-2) answered back with one run in the bottom of the third and trailed 4-1. The Bucs would get a run in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings for a 7-1 lead. 

Heat Blow Out Trail Blazers

     The Miami Heat pounded the Portland Trail Blazers 142-82 at Kaseya Center on Friday night. The Heat concluded a three-game homestand. It was the largest margin of victory for the Heat in their franchise history. 

     Miami(40-33) had a 17-4 spurt late in the first quarter and were up 29-19 at the end of the frame. The Heat went on a 28-11 run to begin the second half and led 74-40 at halftime. 

     Portland(19-55) fell even more down and trailed 107-63 at the end of the third quarter. Neither team played any of their starters in the final quarter. The Heat ended up with a 60-point margin of victory at the end of the game. 

     Terry Rozier got 22 points for the Heat. Bam Adebayo composed a double-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Jimmy Butler was held to eight points and eight assists in the contest. Thomas Bryant came off the bench and scored a game-high 26 points. 

Panthers Make Postseason, Shocked By Islanders

     The Florida Panthers were stunned by the New York Islanders 3-2 on Thursday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers, who clinched a playoff spot for the fifth straight season with a Detroit Red Wings loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, are now 1-5-1 in their last seven games. It was the 10th time that the Panthers made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in franchise history. 

     Florida(46-22-5) jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 8:13 mark of the first period. Vladimir Tarasenko chalked up his 21st of the campaign on a wrist shot. 

     New York(31-26-15) tied it 1-1 with 6:40 left in the first. Ryan Pulock placed in a wrist shot from his fifth goal this year.

     In the second period, the Panthers regained the lead 2-1 at 6:32 when Aleksander Barkov deflected the puck in for his 19th goal of the season. Barkov picked up his 700th NHL point on the play.  

     The Isles evened it up 2-2 at the 8:43 mark. Mathew Barzal was able to redirect the puck by Anthony Stolarz for his 23rd goal in 2023-24. 

     The Islanders moved in front for the first time of the contest and had a 3-2 advantage. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored his 10th goal this season on a wrist shot with 9:18 remaining in the second. 

Marlins Lose Season Opener Versus Pirates

     It was opening day for the 2024 season as the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Miami Marlins 6-5 in 12 innings at loanDepot park on Thursday. The Marlins were opening up their 32nd season in Major League Baseball. Marlins starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo made his first opening-day start of his career.

     Pittsburgh(1-0) pulled ahead of Miami(0-1) in the top of the 12th. Jared Triolo singled into right field for Ke"Bryan Hayes to score the go-ahead run. 

Marlins Trade Jon Berti

     The Miami Marlins have traded infielder Jon Berti one day before the start of the 2024 regular season. The Marlins dealt Berti to the New York Yankees as part of the three-team trade. The Fish will get outfielder prospects John Cruz from the Yankees and Shane Sasaki from the Tampa Bay Rays. 

     Berti joined the Marlins as a free agent in December 2018. He contributed to Miami reaching the National League postseason in 2020 and 2023. Berti set career highs last year with seven home runs, 33 runs batted in and a .294 batting average in 133 games. 

Kevin Rolston Wins Kidd Kraddick Award

     Former West Palm Beach sports talk radio host Kevin Rolston has been named the 2024 Kidd Kraddick Award winner. He is currently the morning co-host of the KVJ Show at 97.9 WRMF-FM. Rolston will be presented the award in early August by Morning Show Boot Camp in San Diego. 

     He once hosted a sports show at 640 WMEN-AM called Kevin's Other Show in mid-afternoons. The first run of the program went from February 2018 to September 2018. It returned as a Monday afternoon show one month later in October 2018 and lasted until the end of December 2018. 

Warriors Walk By Heat

     The Golden State Warriors pulled away from the Miami Heat 113-92 at Kaseya Center on Tuesday night. The Heat continued their three-game homestand. 

     Golden State(37-34) rolled out with a 13-5 spurt to begin the contest, but Miami(39-33) had a 16-6 run at the end of the frame and led 26-24 after one quarter. Neither team had more than a six-point lead during the second quarter and the Heat held a slight 55-53 lead at halftime. 

     The Warriors started the second half on a 17-8 run and had a 85-75 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Heat chipped down the 10-point gap to a six-point margin with 9:25 left in the final quarter, however Golden State went on a 26-11 run for the rest of the game. 

     Klay Thompson led the Warriors with a game-high 28 points. Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins both scored 17 points each. Draymond Green was held to four points along with nine rebounds. Jonathan Kuminga dropped in 18 points in the victory. 

     Bam Adebayo fell short of the double-double with 24 points and nine rebounds for Miami. Terry Rozier and Haywood Highsmith both contributed 15 points each. Jaimie Jacquez Jr. drained in 12 points while Nikola Jovic had 11 points.  

Bruins Escape Panthers

     The Florida Panthers could not hold off the Boston Bruins and lost 4-3 at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday night. The Bruins, who clinched the season series, now lead the Panthers in the Atlantic Division by two points. Both clubs will face each other again in Boston on April 6. 

     The Cats began a three-game homestand against Eastern Conference opponents. The Bruins continued their season-high, six-game road trip. 

     Florida(46-21-5) exploded out to a 1-0 lead on their first shift 28 seconds into the opening frame. Vladimir Tarasenko had his shot from the high slot stopped by traffic in front of the net. Aleksander Barkov got to the loose puck at the right goal line and took a shot which got by Jeremy Swayman. Evan Rodrigues poked in a shot from the blue paint for his 11th goal of the campaign. 

     Boston(42-16-15) evened it 1-1 with 2:17 left in the first. Pavel Zacha made a backhand pass from the left wing. Matt Grzelcyk connected a cross-ice pass from the left point. Charlie McAvoy fired a slap shot from the right-circle dot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 10th goal this year. 

     The Panthers reclaimed the lead 2-1 with 1:04 to go in the frame. Dmitry Kulikov sent a pass from the right point to Eetu Luostarinen at the top left circle. He centered it from the low left circle and it went off the right skate of Sam Reinhart in the crease area for his 51st goal of the season. 

     The B''s tied it up 2-2 with 4:01 remaining in the second. McAvoy intercepted the puck on the right wing and zipped a pass toward the Panthers cage. David Pastrnak, all alone at the top of the crease, released a wrist shot for his 45th goal this season. 

     In the third period, the Cats moved ahead 3-2 at the 9:53 mark. Matthew Tkachuk whipped a pass through the center-ice circle to Oliver Ekman-Larsson. He made a square pass to his left and Carter Verhaeghe got his 33rd goal in 2023-24 as he snapped a shot from the left circle. 

     The Bruins picked up a power-play goal with 4:22 left in the third. Swayman pushed the puck ahead from his own crease and Brad Marchand raced down the left side of the ice to the left wing of the Panthers zone. Trent Frederic then blasted a one-time slap shot from the high slot for his 18th goal this season. It was Swayman's first assist and first point of his NHL career. 

     Boston got their first lead of the contest 4-3 with 2:21 remaining. Parker Wotherspoon stopped a clearing pass at the left point and angled a centering pass. Pastrnak passed the puck from the right circle and it went off the left skate of Zacha at the left of the crease for the go-ahead goal. 

Ben Steeves Signs With Panthers

     The Florida Panthers have signed forward Ben Steeves to a deal. It is a two-year, entry-level contract between him and the club that will take effect starting in the 2024-25 season. 

     Steeves played college hockey with the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He compiled 24 goals and 10 assists for 34 points in 37 games this season. 

Sam Reinhart 50th Goal & Panthers Plant Flyers

     The Florida Panthers exacted revenge on the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday night. The Flyers had already won the season series between both teams with two victories earlier this year in Sunrise. The Panthers set a franchise record with their 25th road win of the season. 

     Sam Reinhart collected his 50th goal of the season. It was the third time that it has happened in Florida Panthers franchise history. Pavel Bure accomplished it first on March 18, 2000 at Nassau Coliseum against the New York Islanders. Bure reached the 50-goal mark in the following season. 

     The Cats snapped a four-game winless streak. They will host the Boston Bruins on Tuesday in a battle between the two top teams in the Atlantic Division standings with first place on the line. 

     Florida(46-20-5) broke out to a 1-0 advantage with 9:27 to go in the first period. Brandon Montour crossed the Flyers blue line and made a square pass to Anton Lundell. He sent a cross-ice from the left circle and Reinhart released a wrist shot from the high slot by Felix Sandstrom for his 49th goal this season. 

     The Panthers increased it to 2-0 on a power-play goal just 55 seconds into the second period. Montour forwarded the puck with a backhand pass from the neutral zone. Reinhart connected a cross-ice pass from the left wing. Vladimir Tarasenko skated to the inner right circle and snapped a shot for his 20th goal of the campaign. It was the eighth time in his NHL career that he has reached the 20-goal mark in a season. 

     In the third period, the Cats made it a three-goal margin at 4:43. Montour poked the puck and then Sam Bennett pushed up an outlet pass from his own zone. Carter Verhaeghe rushed through the left side down the ice and released a wrist shot from the left circle for his 32nd goal of the season. 

     Philadelphia(36-27-9) pulled their goalie with 7:30 to go and broke the shutout with 7:06 left in the third on a power-play tally. Bobby Brink chalked up his 10th goal of the year with a forehand shot from left side of the crease past Anthony Stolarz. 

     Reinhart got his 50th goal of the season with 1:12 remaining in the third. Eetu Luostarinen centered the puck on a backhand pass from the right corner and Reinhart blasted a slap shot from the slot area into an empty net. Reinhart also set a personal season-high record with his 83rd point. He compiled 82 points during his first Panthers season in 2021-22. 

Heat Can Cavaliers

     The Miami Heat rushed by the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-84 on Sunday night at Kaseya Center. Both clubs faced each other just four days ago in Cleveland.

     Miami(39-32) rumbled out to a 32-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Heat got on a 12-4 spurt to start the second quarter and were up 60-39 at halftime. \

     Cleveland(43-28) surrendered a 24-7 run to begin the second half and were behind 90-57 after three quarters. The Heat coasted to the victory in the fourth quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo closed out with a double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Heat. Jimmy Butler contributed 15 points while Haywood Highsmith came off the bench with a game-high 18 points. Evan Mobley was the only player for the Cavs that had double-digit scoring with 15 points. 

Trey Mancini & Curt Casali Exit Marlins

     Trey Mancini has opted out of his contract with the Miami Marlins. He signed a minor league deal with the club back in January. He was unable to make the Marlins major league roster by the end of spring training. 

     Mancini played up until August last season with the Chicago Cubs. He spent the majority of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles from 2016 to 2022. Mancini captured a World Series title with the Houston Astros in 2022. 

     Casali was told that he would not make the Marlins major league roster. He inked a minor league contract with the team in February. 

     He spent last season with the Cincinnati Reds and chalked up 11 home runs, 23 runs batted in and a .175 batting average during 40 games. Casali has been in the majors for the past 10 seasons. 

Rangers Edge Panthers

     The Florida Panthers challenged the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night and lost 4-3 in a shootout The Panthers are winless in their last four games with a 0-3-1 record. The Cats will visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. 

     Florida(45-20-4) is two points behind the Boston Bruins for first place in the Atlantic Division. New York(47-20-4) leads the Metropolitan Division by three points over the Carolina Hurricanes and are tied for first in the National Hockey League standings with 98 points alongside the Vancouver Canucks. 

     The Panthers took a 1-0 lead at the 8:18 mark of the opening frame. Carter Verhaeghe sent a diagonal pass from the right wing to Josh Mahura on the left point. His slap shot was deflected in by Matthew Tkachuk at the top of the crease for his 23rd goal this season. 

     Florida moved out to a 2-0 lead just 21 seconds into the second period. Sam Reinhart slid a cross-ice pass from the low right circle and Eetu Luostarinen collected his 12th goal of the season as he steered the puck in from the left of the crease. 

     The Blueshirts closed it to 2-1 on the man advantage at 6:22. Adam Fox chalked up his 14th goal of the campaign with a snap shot from the high slot on assists from former Panther Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad. 

     New York evened it up 2-2 at the 8:23 mark. Fox fed the puck from the top of the zone and Trocheck passed it from the top left circle. Artemi Panarin blasted a one-time slap shot from the left circle for his 42nd goal in 2023-24. 

     In the third period, the Cats regained the lead 3-2 with 4:08 remaining as they kept New York bottled in their defensive zone. Tkachuk pushed the puck out from the low right circle to Brandon Montour on the right point. He connected a pass to Verhaeghe and he snapped a shot from the right circle for his 31st tally this season. 

     The Rangers answered back quickly with 3:25 left to tie it 3-3. It was a mad scramble in the crease and Panarin found the net from close range for his second goal of the game and 43rd goal this season. 

     The contest would be decided in a shootout. Zibanejad dragged a one-handed backhand shot on the Rangers first attempt. Reinhart snapped a shot on Florida's first shootout attempt for a tally. Panarin followed with a goal on a wrist shot during the Blueshirts second attempt. 

     Anton Lundell came up next for the Cats and could not release a shot on goal during their second attempt in the shootout. Trocheck followed for New York and was stopped on his attempt. Vladimir Tarasenko had the third shooting attempt for Florida and his snap shot was saved.   

Inter Miami CF Routed By New York Red Bulls

     The Major League Soccer road swing continues for Inter Miami CF as they were wallopd by New York Red Bulls 4-0 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey on Saturday. Lionel Messi did not dress for the contest due to a hamstring injury. 

     Messi along with eight other Inter Miami CF players were not expected to play in the game. Many nations are playing international friendlies this weekend. 

     New York Red Bulls(3-1-1) rocketed out to a 1-0 lead just third minutes into the contest. Former Inter Miami CF player Lewis Morgan pounded a 14-yard shot with his right foot. 

     It became 2-0 for New York during the 51st minute. Morgan scored on a right-footed shot from 12 yards away. 

     Inter Miami CF(3-2-1) trailed 3-0 in the 66th minute when Wikelman Carmona put in an 11-yard shot with the left foot. Morgan completed the hat trick during the 70th minute when he blasted a left-footed shot from 12 yards out for his third goal of the game. 

FAU Basketball On Three Local Radio Stations

     The Florida Atlantic University men's basketball team played their first-round game in the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Barclays Center against Northwestern on Friday. Their game was broadcast on three of the five sports talk radio stations in the South Florida area. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM is the flagship radio station for their basketball and football contests with Ken LaVicka as the radio play-by-play announcer. They have held the FAU broadcast rights since the beginning of the 2019-20 school year. 

     Their crosstown competitor ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM used the national feed from Westwood One and so did Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM in Miami. ESPN West Palm once held the FAU radio rights from 2013 until 2019 and their sister-station WEFL-AM had it from the mid-2000s to 2013.

Pelicans Ram Heat

     The New Orleans Pelicans flew by the Miami Heat 111-78 \at Kaseya Center on Friday night. The Heat are coming off a four-game road trip. 

     It was a low-scoring first quarter as New Orleans(43-27) led 21-20 after the opening frame. Miami(38-32) kept it close in the second, but the Pelicans remained in front 46-42 at halftime. 

     The Pelicans sprinted out with an 11-3 spurt to begin the second half and were up 76-66 at the end of the third quarter. New Orleans had an 18-6 run to start the final quarter and the Heat could not get within 10 points. 

     Jimmy Butler had a team-high 17 points for Miami. Bam Adebayo got a double-double of 12 points along with 10 rebounds. Cole Swider entered the game as a non-starter and dropped in 14 points. C.J. McCollum scored a game-high 30 points for New Orleans. 

Predators Shut Out Panthers

     The Florida Panthers were blanked by the Nashville Predators 3-0 at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday night. It was the first time that the Panthers wore white jerseys at home for a regular season game since their final contest during the 2002-03 campaign against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 6, 2003. 

     The Panthers had a rare four-day break prior to tonight's contest. They have been shut out in wo of their last three games. The Cats will visit the New York Rangers on Saturday night. 

     The Predators are now 14-0-2 in their last 16 games. They have not been on a roll like this since the 2016-17 regular season.  

     Nashville(41-25-4) scooted out to a 1-0 lead with 2:13 remaining in the first period. Gustav Nyquist placed in a wrist shot by Sergei Bobrovsky from the blue paint for his 19th goal of the campaign. Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly chalked up assists on the play. 

     In the second period, the Preds made it 2-0 with the man advantage at the 7:32 mark. Roman Josi set up the tally from the left point. Tyson Barrie shot the puck from the right point and Forsberg deflected it in from close range to get his 37th goal of the season. 

     Florida(45-20-4) surrendered another goal with 5:41 left in the third period and trailed 3-0. Nyquist flipped a backhand pass from the right wing and Forsberg poked in a shot from the top of the crease for his second tally of the contest and 38th goal in 2023-24. 

West Palm Beach Ratings February 2024

     West Palm Beach sports talk radio stations were issued their ratings. The time span went from the first week in February to the final week in February. 

     ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM does not subscribe to the ratings. Their parent company Good Karma Brands had not been associated with the ratings since February 2012 in the West Palm Beach market. That organization decided to no longer subscribe to a ratings service for all of their radio stations throughout the country at the end of December 2023. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM fell from a 0.7 to a 0.5 in the period. The Florida Atlantic University men's basketball contended for the regular season conference title during their first campaign in the American Athletic Conference.  

     Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM remained at 0.4 for the third straight month and was at the mark for the fourth time in the past five months. Their current rating still ties an all-time high for WBZT since they flipped to a sports format in late July 2017. The Florida Panthers were near the top of the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference and National Hockey League standings. 

Heat Bounce Cavaliers

     The Miami Heat knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-104 on Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The Heat finished up a four-game road swing with a 3-1 record. 

     Miami(38-31) rolled out to a 31-30 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Heat stayed in front 61-57 by halftime. 

     Cleveland(43-26) kept when striking distance and were down 83-75 after three quarters. The Heat went on an 11-4 spurt in the final 90 seconds of the fourth quarter. 

     Jimmy Butler dropped in a game-high 30 points for Miami. Terry Rozier scored 24 points while Nikola Jovic added 14 points. Jarrett Allen led the Cavs with a double-double of 25 points and 20 rebounds. 

Miami Ratings February 2024

     Miami/Fort Lauderdale sports talk radio stations received their ratings. The time span when from the first week in February to the last week in February. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM remained at a 1.2 for the third straight month. The Miami Haet won six consecutive road games and spent most of the month away from South Florida. The Florida Panthers leaped to near the top of the standings in the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference and National Hockey League. It was the earliest that Inter Miami CF opened up a Major League Soccer season. The University of Miami Hurricanes men's basketball has been a disappointment following their Final Four appearance last year. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM improved to a 0.6 following four consecutive months with a 0.5. NASCAR began their 2024 season. The Marlins opened up their spring training camp in Jupiter. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM went from a 0.2 to a 0.1 in the month. The FAU men's basketball had a fine record and were looking to reach the NCAA Tournament again. 

     The stream for WQAM appeared in the ratings again. It remained at a 0.1 for the fourth consecutive month. 

76ers Get By Heat

     The Philadelphia 76ers pushed by the Miami Heat 98-91 on Monday night at Wells Fargo Center. It was the third contest of a four-game road trip for the Heat. The 76ers moved by Miami in the Eastern Conference standings. 

     Philadelphia(38-30) went on a 10-2 spurt and had a 31-23 advantage after one quarter. Miami(37-31) scored the first eight points of the second quarter and trailed 51-49 at halftime. 

     The Sixers started the second half on a 17-2 run and were ahead 79-65 at the end of the third quarter. It was tied 85-85 with 6:54 left in the final quarter and then the 76ers finished the contest on a 13-6 spurt. 

     Bam Adebayo easily had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Heat. Terry Rozier compiled 20 points with eight rebounds. Caleb Martin drained in 13 points while Haywood Highsmith added 11 points. 

     Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 30 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds for Philadelphia. Kyle Lowry faced his former team and placed in 16 points, which was his highest total since being traded by the Heat to the Sixers. 

Panthers Wearing White Home Jerseys

     The Florida Panthers will be wearing white uniforms for their home game at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators, who will wear their home gold jerseys. It will be the first time that the Panthers franchise will be in their all-white jerseys since the 2002-03 season. 

     Florida did wear white jerseys for their primary home uniforms in Miami Arena from 1993-94 to 1997-98 and their current home in Sunrise from 1998-99 to 2002-03. The National Hockey League required clubs to wear their colorful uniforms for home contests beginning in 2003-04. 

Miami Dolphins Recent Signings

     The Miami Dolphins made several transactions over the past week. The 2024 NFL calendar year began on Wednesday. 

     Wide receiver and special teams returner Braxton Berrios re-signed with the team for one year at close to $3 million. Defensive back Kendall Fuller joined the team signing a two-year deal worth $16.5 million. 

     The Dolphins picked up several free agents from other teams. They included Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Neville Gallimore, Buffalo Bills defensive back Siran Neal and Denver Broncos defensive lineman Jonathan Harris. 

     The Fins added tight end Jody Fortson. Defensive lineman De'Shawn Hand and offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn stayed with the club while defensive lineman Benito Jones returned to the Dolphins for a second stint. 

Tyler Huntley Landing With Browns

     Former Broward County high school quarterback Tyler Huntley is expected to sign a contract with the Cleveland Browns He is leaving his backup quarterback position behind Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. 

     Huntley played high school football with the Hallandale Chargers and college football with the University of Utah. He spent his entire four-season National Football League career with Baltimore. Huntley participated in 20 regular season games with the Ravens. 

Heat Sweep Pistons

     The Miami Heat held off the Detroit Pistons 104-101 on Sunday at Little Caesars Arena. It was the second time in three days that both teams faced each other in the same venue. The Heat were victorious over the Pistons on Friday night. 

     Detroit(12-55) had a slight lead 23-21 at the end of the first quarter. Miami(37-30) went on a 26-14 run at the conclusion of the second quarter and led 60-50 at halftime. 

     The Heat had a 13-6 spurt to begin the second half and were ahead 79-76 after three quarters. Duncan Robinson helped with a four-point play with 2:00 left in the fourth to give them a 101-96 lead. The Pistons scored five straight points to tie it up 101-101. Bam Adebayo nailed a three-point shot with no time remaining to give the Miami the victory. 

     Robinson dropped in a game-high 30 points for Miami. Terry Rozier contributed 17 points while Jaime Jacquez Jr. had 15 points. Adebayo collected a double-double of 20 points and 17 rebounds. Evan Fournier came off the bench for the Pistons with a team-high 18 points. 

Lightning Streak By Panthers

     The Florida Panthers lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday night. Both clubs have faced each other during the Stanley Cup Playoffs in two of the last three seasons. 

     The Panthers were coming off a three-game road trip. The Boston Bruins surpassed the Cats for first place in the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference and National Hockey League. 

     The Bolts scored four unanswered goals in the first 27 minutes of the contest and held a 4-0 lead. In the first period, Steven Stamkos scored his 26th goal of the season just 20 seconds into the opening frame. Michael Eyssimont added his 10th goal of the campaign at 6:39 left in the first. 

     Tampa Bay(36-25-6) added two more goals for a four-goal margin during the second period. Darren Raddysh chalked up his fifth goal of the year at the 3:02 mark. Stamkos got his second tally of the contest and 27th goal of the season with the man advantage at 6:59. 

     Florida(45-19-4) would then mount a comeback. Matthew Tkachuk scored his first goal in nine games and his 22nd goal this season at 8:23 with a shorthanded goal. Sam Reinhart nailed a power-play goal for his 47th goal of the season at 11:55. 

     In the third period, the Panthers closed it to 4-3. Reinhart delivered his second goal of the game and 48th goal of the season with 3:52 remaining. 

     The Lightning wrapped it up on an empty-net goal by Nikita Kucherov with 1:32 to go for his 40th goal in 2023-24. It was the third time that Kucherov has reached the 40-goal plateau in a season. 

Inter Miami CF Rip By D.C. United

     Inter Miami CF went on the road and dropped D.C. United 3-1 at Audi Fild on Saturday. Lionel Messi did not play in the contest. Inter Miami CF advanced to the CONCACAF Champions Cup Quarterfinals back on Wednesday. 

     D.C. United(1-1-2) broke out to a 1-0 advantage during the 14th minute of play. John Stroud gave them the early tally. 

     It became a tie game 1-1 in the 23rd minute. Leonardo Campana of Inter Miami CF(3-1-1) fired a left-footed shot from 16 yards out. 

     The second half would belong to Inter Miami CF. A crossing pass was made from the right side and Luis Suarez tapped the ball in with his left foot from six yards. 

     Inter Miami CF expanded their lead to 3-1 during the 85th minute. Suarez lobbed a left-footed shot from 17 yards away for his second goal of the game and his fourth goal this season. 

Adam Duvall Inks With Braves

     Former Miami Marlins outfielder Adam Duvall has signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves. It will be his third stint with that organization. 

     Duvall spent a part of one season with the Marlins in 2021. He compiled 22 home runs and 68 runs batted in during 91 games. Duvall was later dealt to the Braves and gave Atlanta their first World Series title since 1995. 

Heat Down Pistons

     The Miami Heat defeated the Detroit Pistons 108-95 at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night. The Heat will be staying a couple more days in Michigan. Both teams will go at it again on Sunday in the same venue. 

     Detroit(12-54) was barely ahead 28-27 after one quarter. Miami(36-30) kept it close during the second quarter and led 56-54 at halftime. 

     The Heat were able to go up by double digits and had a 84-72 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Pistons trailed by 19 points midway through the final quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo of the Heat fell short of a double-double with 22 points along with nine rebounds. Terry Rozier and Caleb Martin both had 18 points each. Duncan Robinson dropped in 16 points and Jimmy Butler added 14 points. Jalen Duren led Detroit with 15 points and 17 rebounds. 

Hurricanes Surge By Panthers

     The Carolina Hurricanes stormed by the Florida Panthers 4-0 at PNC Arena on Thursday night. Both teams are contenders for the Stanley Cup from the Eastern Conference. 

     Carolina(40-20-6) waited until 48.6 seconds left in the first period to go up 1-0. Jaccob Slavin sent a long lead pass from his own zone to Jordan Staal at the Panthers blue line. He had it poked away in the slot area. Seth Jarvis followed up and snapped a shot from the left circle past Sergei Bobrovsky to get his 21st goal of the campaign. 

     In the second period, it became 2-0 for the Hurricanes at the 2:46 mark. Evgeny Kuznetsov took an initial shot from the top of the crease and it was stopped. Dmitry Orlov ripped a slap shot from the left circle which was saved. Martin Necas smashed a slap shot from the right-circle dot for his 21st of the season. 

     The Canes make it 3-0 at 8:27 of the second. Jalen Chatfield connected a pass from the right point. Kuznetsov placed in a snap shot from the inner left circle for his seventh tally of the year. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with five minutes to go in the third period. Carolina increased it to 4-0 when Andrei Svechnikov banked a shot from his own zone into an empty net with 4:18 remaining. 

     Both clubs met each other just three weeks ago at the same venue. Florida(45-18-4) was shut out in both games that were played in Raleigh this season. 

Titans Sign Calvin Ridley

     The Tennessee Titans have signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley. It is a four-year contract that is worth $92 million. 

     It has been an unusual last two years for Ridley. He was suspended for one year because of gambling on the National Football League and missed the 2022 season. Ridley was with the Jacksonville Jaguars last year and compiled 76 catches for 1,016 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. 

     Ridley played high school football with the Monarch Knights. He moved on to the University of Alabama for three years and captured two national championships in 2015 and 2017. 

     He was selected 26th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He spent his first four seasons with that club before being suspended by the NFL and then traded to the Jaguars in November 2022. 

Inter Miami CF Advances By Nashville SC

     Inter Miami CF eliminated Nashville SC 3-1 in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday night. Both teams tied 2-2 in the first leg last week in Nashville. Inter Miami CF, who had a 5-3 aggregate advantage, will move on to the CONCACAF Champions Cup Quarterfinals. 

     In the first half, Inter Miami CF motored out to a 1-0 lead during the eighth minute. Lionel Messi made a lead pass up the middle and Luis Suarez finished it with a shot off his outside right foot from nine yards away. 

     It became 2-0 for Inter Miami CF in the 23rd minute. Messi powered a left-footed shot from 14 yards out following a square pass from Diego Gomez. 

     Inter Miami CF expanded their lead to 3-0 in the 63rd minute. Suarez crossed the ball from the right side and Robert Taylor scored on a header into the top right side of the cage from 10 yards. 

     Nashville SC broke the shutout during stoppage time and were down 3-1. Sam Surridge put in a right-footed shot from three yards away.

Nuggets Plunge Heat

     It was a rematch of the 2024 NBA Finals as the defending champions the Denver Nuggets survived the Miami Heat 100-88 at Kaseya Center on Wednesday night. The Nuggets were able to sweep the season series. They have stopped the Heat in eight consecutive regular season contests. 

     Denver(46-20) started out with a 26-19 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Nuggets remained in front and had a 50-44 advantage at halftime. 

     Miami(35-30) went on a 19-10 run to begin the second half, however they trailed 72-71 after three quarters. Denver went on an 18-9 spurt in the middle part of the fourth quarter and pulled away. 

     Bam Adebayo collected a double-double for Miami with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Jimmy Butler added 15 points while Terry Rozier scored 14 points. Duncan Robinson was able to pour in 11 points. 

     Michael Porter Jr. dropped in a game-high 25 points for Denver. Nikola Jokic had 12 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. Aaron Gordon contributed 16 points and Reggie Jackson came off the bench with nine points. 

Good Karma Brands Eliminates Radio Ratings

     Good Karma Brands will no longer subscribe to any of the Nielsen radio ratings. They have many of their sports talk radio stations in large size markets that includes New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, West Palm Beach and Madison. 

     Their West Palm Beach cluster, which has ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM and Deportes Radio 760 WEFL-AM, have not used a ratings service in almost 11 years. The last time was with the Arbitron radio ratings in February 2012 for only ESPN Radio 760 WEFL. 

     It has been a different circumstance for Good Karma Brands in other markets. Their New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Milwaukee radio stations had been measured until December 2023. Cleveland and Madison had not used it in many years. 

     Recent radio station acquisitions had the listing of ratings carried over from previous ownership. Good Karma Brands closed the purchase of radio stations in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago in March 2022. 

Florida Panthers In Global Series

     The National Hockey League announced that the Florida Panthers will be part of the Global Series next season. They will face the Dallas Stars on November 1 and November 2 in Tampere, Finland. The Panthers previously participated in the Global Series back in November 2018 against the Winnipeg Jets. 

     It will be a homecoming for one of the Florida players. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov returns to his hometown where he played his youth hockey with Tappara Tampere and made his Liiga professional debut. Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola are other Panthers players from Finland. 

Panthers Overcome Stars

     The Florida Panthers began a short two-game road trip as they pulled off a three-goal comeback by taking the Dallas Stars 4-3 at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night. Kyle Okposo made his debut with the Panthers. 

     The Panthers are first in the National Hockey League and the Atlantic Division while the Stars are first in the Central Division. The Cats have the best record in the NHL since January 20 at 18-3-0. The Stars had their five-game winning streak snapped. 

     Dallas(40-18-9) walked out to a 1-0 lead at the 3:53 mark of the first period. Wyatt Johnston tipped the puck at the red line to set up a two-on-zero breakaway. Jason Robertson made a lead pass from the blue line and Joe Pavelski snapped a shot from the low slot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 24th goal of the season. 

     The Stars added to their lead 2-0 with a power-play goal at 7:48 of the second period. Jamie Benn took a shot from the inner left circle which was saved. Pavelski slid the puck across in the crease area and Robertson placed in a wrist shot from the right of the crease for his 23rd goal of the campaign. 

     The momentum remained with Dallas as they made it a three-goal margin just 23 seconds later. Former Panther Mason Marchment intercepted a pass on the left wing and fired a forehand shot. It was deflected in by Johnston at the top of the crease for his 24th goal in 2023-24. It was his fifth goal in the last six contests. 

     Florida(45-17-4) broke the shutout on a power-play tally with 7:08 left in the second and trailed 3-1. Matthew Tkachuk angled a pass from the right wing to Aleksander Barkov on the right goal line. He centered it and Sam Reinhart powered a slap shot from the high slot by Jake Oettinger for his 46th goal this season. 

     In the third period, the Panthers scored with the man advantage at the 11:09 mark. Carter Verhaeghe got his 31st goal this year with assists from Brandon Montour and Tkachuk. 

     The Cats tied the game 3-3 with 6:00 remaining in the third. Gustav Forsling made a square pass from the left point. Tkachuk took a shot from the top of the zone and it was tipped in by Sam Bennett in the crease area for his 16th goal of the season. 

     Florida got their fourth unanswered goal with 5:22 left and moved ahead 4-3. Montour fed a pass ahead from the left point. Verhaeghe connected a pass from the left wing and Barkov scored his 17th goal this season on a wrist shot from the right-circle faceoff dot. 

Brandon Powell Stays With Vikings

     Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Brandon Powell has decided to remain with the team. He will sign a new contract with the club. 

     Powell participated in high school football with the Deerfield Beach Bucks and college football with the University of Florida Gators. He won Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams. 

Isaiah McKenzie Heads For Giants

     Former Broward County high school football player Isaiah McKenzie is about to be part of the New York Giants. He will soon sign with that team. 

     McKenzie was with the American Heritage Patriots while in high school. He contributed to them winning their first football state title with the FHSAA Class 4A championship in 2013. He later attended the University of Georgia. 

     After a two-year stint with the Denver Broncos, he had a five-year reign with the Buffalo Bills. He was with the Indianapolis Colts in 2023. 

Jordan Poyer To Join Dolphins

     Former Buffalo Bills defensive back Jordan Poyer is about to join the Miami Dolphins. He is ready to sign a one-year contract. 

     Poyer was released by the Buffalo Bills last week. He has been in the National Football League for the 11 years, which includes the past seven seasons with the Bills. 

Jorge Sedano United Football League Announcer

     Former Miami sportscaster Jorge Sedano will add extra job duties at ESPN. He had been named a United Football League television play-by-play announcer for the upcoming 2024 season. The USFL and the XFL merged together several months ago to form the only national spring football league. 

     Sedano had previous experience as a radio play-by-play announcer of Florida International University football. He has worked recently as an NBA play-by-play announcer on ESPN. 

     He was a sportscaster in South Florida from 1999 to 2013 with stints at 1700 The Fan WAFN-AM, Fox Sports Radio 940 WRFX-AM, News Radio 610 WIOD-AM, Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM, WFOR-TV Channel 4, Sun Sports and Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. After a stint co-hosting a national show on ESPN Radio from September 2013 to August 2016, he has co-hosted a program on KSPN-AM in Los Angeles since September 2016. 

DeVante Parker Lands At Eagles

     It did not take long for former Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker to find a new home. He will sign a one-year contract close to $4.7 million with the Philadelphia Eagles. The New England Patriots, where he was at for the last two seasons, released him yesterday. 

     Parker was with Miami during his first seven years of his NFL career. He ended up with 338 receptions for 4,727 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns while in a Dolphins uniform. 

Ron St. Pierre Passes Away

     Former Palm Beach County radio program director Ron St. Pierre has passed away at the age of 69. He spent most of his broadcasting career in Rhode Island. 

     St. Pierre was the program director at 1290 WBZT-AM and 98.7 The Gator WKGR-FM in West Palm Beach from 1992 to 1997. He flipped WBZT to a talk/sports format in February 1992 and introduced the newly launched ESPN Radio to Palm Beach County. That radio station became an affiliate of several Miami sports teams during the 1990s.

Dolphins Pick Up Shaquil Barrett

     Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett will remain in the state of Florida. He will ink a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins worth around $9 million. 

     Barrett has chalked up two Super Bowl championship as a player. He was with the Denver Broncos from 2015 to 2018 and won Super Bowl L with them. Barrett then participated with the Buccaneers from 2019 to 2013 and captured Super Bowl LV. 

Bengals Signing Mike Gesicki

     Former Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki will be signing with the Cincinnati Bengals. It is a one-year deal worth $3.25 million. He was with the New England Patriots last season. 

     Gesicki played for the Miami Dolphins for five seasons from 2018 until 2022. He had 231 pass receptions for 2,617 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns in 81 contests during his time with the Fins. 

Zack Moss Off To Bengals

     Former Broward County high school football player Zack Moss will be moving on to the Cincinnati Bengals. He will ink a two-year contract worth $8 million. 

     Moss was with the Hallandale Chargers playing high school football and the Utah Utes playing college football. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2020 during the third round and stayed there until the middle of the 2022 season. Moss was dealt to the Indianapolis Colts where he spent the last two seasons. 

Jacoby Brissett Returns To Patriots

     Quarterback Jacoby Brissett is back with the New England Patriots. He is signing a one-year contract with Pats worth around $8 million. 

     Brissett played high school football in Palm Beach County with the Dwyer Panthers. They earned their first FHSAA state football championship in 2009 winning the Class 4A title. He would go on to play college football with the Florida Gators and the North Carolina State Wolfpack.  

     He was selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Brissett helped them capture Super Bowl LI over the Atlanta Falcons during his rookie season. 

     Brissett was traded to the Indianapolis Colts and spent the next four seasons there. He would have one-year stints with the Miami Dolphins in 2021, the Cleveland Browns in 2022 and the Washington Commanders in 2023. 

Dolphins To Get Aaron Brewer

     The Miami Dolphins are expected to ink offensive lineman and long snapper Aaron Brewer to a contract. It is a three-year deal worth $21 million. 

     Brewer can play at different parts of the offensive line. He was with the Tennessee Titans for the last two seasons. 

Jordyn Brooks Goes To Dolphins

     Linebacker Jordyn Brooks will be heading to the Miami Dolphins. He will sign a three-year contract worth $30 million. 

     Brooks has spent his entire National Football League career with the Seattle Seahawks. His first action was in 2020 and finished with them last season. 

Anthony Walker Added By Dolphins

     The Miami Dolphins have added linebacker Anthony Walker to their organization. He has agreed to a one-year deal with the club. 

     Walker has split his seven-year NFL career between the Indianapolis Colts and the Cleveland Browns. He was with the Colts from 2017 to 2020 and the Browns from 2021 to 2023. He has competed in 85 games during his career. 

Devin Singletary Shifts To Giants

     Devin Singletary has agreed to join the New York Giants. It is a three-year contract that is worth around $16.5 million. He will replace Saquon Barkley in the running back position for that club. 

     Singletary played high school football with the American Heritage Stallions and three years of college football with the Florida Atlantic University Owls. He spent his first four NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills from 2019 to 2023 and was with the Houston Texans last year. 

Patriots Releasing DeVante Parker

     The New England Patriots will be letting go wide receiver DeVante Parker from their roster. He was with the Patriots for the past two seasons. 

     Parker spent his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. He compiled 338 catches for 4,727 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns in 93 contests while with the Fins.

Robert Hunt Lands In Carolina

      Former Miami Dolphins guard Robert Hunt is about to join the Carolina Panthers. He is expected to sign a five-year contract with that team that is worth $100 million. 

     Hunt was with the Miami Dolphins for his entire four-year National Football League career. He participated in 61 games with the Fins. 

Andrew Van Ginkel Inks With Vikings

     One-time Miami Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel will sign a deal with the Minnesota Vkings. It is a two-year contract worth $20 million. 

     Van Ginkel spent his entire five-year NFL career with the Dolphins. He played in 73 games during his tenure with Miami. 

Christian Wilkins Moving To Raiders

     Former Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins has found his new team. Wilkins will join the Las Vegas Raiders by signing a four-year deal worth $110 million. 

     He captured two national championships with Clemson University in 2016 and 2018. Wilkins was selected by the Fins 13th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. He played in 81 games during five seasons with the Dolphins. 

Brandon Jones Going To Broncos

     Former Miami Dolphins defensive back Brandon Jones is headed to the Denver Broncos. The free agent will be signing a three-year contract. 

     Jones was with the Miami Dolphins for his entire four-year National Football League career. He played in 54 contests and made three interceptions with the team. 

Robert Jones Remains With Dolphins

     Offensive lineman Robert Jones will be staying with the Miami Dolphins. He is re-signing with the team to a one-year deal. 

     Jones has played his entire three-season National Football League career with the Fins. He has participated in 32 games with Miami. 

Heat Edged By Wizards

     The Miami Heat lost to the Washington Wizards 110-108 at Kaseya Center on Sunday night. The Heat will have three days off and then host the defending NBA champions the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. The Wizards entered the contest tied with the worst record in the NBA. 

     Miami(35-29) was barely up 27-25 after one quarter. The Heat was able to stay in front during the second quarter and led 54-48 by halftime. 

     Washington(11-53) made it competitive and were down 82-81 at the end of the third quarter. The Wizards moved ahead by double digits 110-100 with 2:45 left in the fourth and did not surrender the lead. 

     Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Jimmy Buttler led the Heat with a team-high 23 points. Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier both added 16 points each. Kyle Kuzma fell short of a double-double with a game-high 32 points along with nine rebounds. 

Inter Miami CF Upset By CF Montreal

     Inter Miami CF had their three-game undefeated streak stopped in Major League Soccer with a 3-2 defeat to CF Montreal at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday night. Both teams are in first place and second place of the Eastern Conference standings. Lionel Messi did not dress for the contest. 

     CF Montreal(2-0-1) got up 1-0 during the 13th minute. They took a corner kick from the right side and Fernando Alvarez scored on header from six yards away. 

     In the second half, Inter Miami CF(2-1-1) was able to even it up 1-1 in the 71th minute. It was a direct kick from the left side and Leonardo Campana put in a head ball from seven yards away. 

     The tie game lasted just four minutes as CF Montreal went back in front 2-1. A crossing pass came from the right side and Matias Coccaro knocked in a header from five yards. 

     It became a two-goal margin for CF Montreal during the 78th minute. Sunusi Ibraham released a shot from 15 yards away that went off a defender. 

     Inter Miami CF answered back quickly in the 80th minute and trailed 3-2. Jordi Alba blasted a left-footed shot from 20 yards away. 

Marlins Adding Mychal Givens

     The Miami Marlins have increased their pitching staff and have signed Mychal Givens to a minor league contract. He will report to their spring training camp in Jupiter.

     Givens has been in the majors since 2015 and has played for the Baltimore Orioles Colorado Rockies, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets. He spent a second stint with the Orioles in 2023 and made six relief appearances.

Nik Needham Remaining With Dolphins

      Miami Dolphins defensive back Nik Needham will be staying with the team. He has re-signed a contract with the organization. 

     Needham has spent his entire five-season National Football League career with Miami. He has played in 61 contests with the Dolphins and make six interceptions during his tenure. 

Inter Miami CF Avoids CONCACAF Loss

     Inter Miami CF made a comeback to tie Nashville SC 2-2 at GEODIS Park in Nashville on Thursday night. It was the first leg of the Round of 16 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The second leg will be played in Fort Lauderdale at Chase Stadium on Wednesday. 

     Nashville SC was able to roll out to a 2-0 lead. Lionel Messi scored for Inter Miami CF in the 52nd minute with a left-footed shot from 19 yards away. Luis Suarez evened it up 2-2 with a tally during stoppage time. 

Jerry Jeudy Heading To Browns

     Former Broward County high school football player Jerry Jeudy is expected to be traded by the Denver Broncos in the middle of next week. The destination is the Cleveland Browns. 

     Jeudy played high school football with the Deerfield Beach Bucks. He later attended the University of Alabama for three years and contributed to the Crimson Tide capturing a national championship in 2017. 

     He was taken 15th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Broncos and stayed there for four seasons. Jeudy compiled 211 pass receptions for 3,053 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 57 games during his NFL career. 

Tarasenko Leads Panthers Over Flames

     The Florida Panthers downed the Calgary Flames 5-1 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday. The Panthers have been victorious in seven of their last eight games and 17 of their previous 20 contests.

     Aaron Ekblad took over second place in Florida Panthers franchise history as he played in his 672nd game. He passed former teammate Jonathan Huberdeau, who played in today's game with the Flames. 

     After a scoreless first period, Vladimir Tarasenko picked up his first goal in a Panthers uniform 23 seconds into the second frame for a 1-0 lead. Huberdeau passed the puck from his own left corner and it was intercepted by Tarasenko in the left circle. He then put in a wrist shot from the top of the crease for his 18th goal of the season. 

     Calgary(31-27-5) evened it up 1-1 at 5:51 of the period with the man advantage. Andrei Kuzmenko backhanded a pass from the low left circle. Nazem Kadri ripped a point-blank shot from the low slot which was saved by Anthony Stolarz. Yegor Sharangovich followed and snapped a shot from the right of the crease for his 26th goal in 2023-24. It was his third tally and fifth point in the last two contests.

     It became 2-1 for Florida(44-17-4) at the 6:19 mark of the second. Tarasenko angled a pass from the neutral zone and Sam Reinhart got to it to the left circle. He connected a cross-ice pass and Aleksander Barkov blasted a one-time slap shot from the inner right circle by Jacob Markstrom for his 16th goal of the campaign. 

     The Cats extended it to 3-1 with 6:48 to go as a couple of former Flames got on the scoresheet. Matthew Tkachuk made a backhand pass from the left point. Gustav Forsling fired a slap shot from the top of the zone and Sam Bennett deflected it in from the crease area for his 15th goal this season. 

     Florida increased it to a three-goal margin with 5:05 remaining in the second. Oliver Ekman-Larsson angled a pass back from the left wing. Forsling sent a diagonal pass from the top of the zone. Tarasenko scored his second goal of the game with a snap shot from the right circle. 

     In the third period, the Panthers added a shorthanded goal at 4:30 to make it 5-1. Eetu Luostarinen fed a pass in the high slot and Kevin Stenlund scored his 10th of the season on a wrist shot from the left circle. 

Christian Wilkins Exiting Dolphins

     Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins is not expected to be re-signed by the team and will become a free agent. The club did not franchise tag Wilkins earlier this week and the Fins are currently $20 million over the salary cap. 

     Wilkins has been with the Dolphins for the past five seasons. He was drafted from Clemson University where he won two national championships in 2016 and 2018. Wilkins participated in 81 games with Miami and made 77 starts. 

Jake Bailey Re-Signing With Dolphins

     Jake Bailey will be returning to punt for the Miami Dolphins in 2024. He is expected to re-sign for a two-year deal the team worth around $4.2 million. 

     Bailey spent his first four seasons in the National Football League with the New England Patriots from 2019 until 2022. He was with the Fins last season and averaged 45.7 yards per punt. 

Steelers Releasing Patrick Peterson

     The Pittsburgh Steelers will be releasing cornerback Patrick Peterson. He just played one season with them and made two interceptions. 

     Peterson played high school football with the Blanche Ely Tigers and college football with LSU. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2011 and stayed there for 10 seasons. Peterson then was with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and 2022. He has participated in 201 games during his 13-year NFL career. 

Thunder Storm By Heat

     The Miami Heat were knocked off by the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-100 on Friday night at Paycom Center. The Heat completed a short two-game road swing. 

     Miami(35-28) had a slight 29-28 advantage after one quarter. The Heat had an 18-7 spurt to begin the second quarter and led 57-47 at halftime. 

     Oklahoma City(44-19) bounced back with a 21-8 run to start the second half to go in front and were up 77-73 at the end of the third quarter. The Thunder never trailed during the final quarter. 

     Jaime Jacquez Jr. came off the bench for Miami with 25 points while Jimmy Butler contributed 20 points along with 10 rebounds for a double-double. Patty Mills made his Heat debut with 13 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 37 points. 

Magnus Hellberg Moves To Panthers

     The Florida Panthers completed one more deal before the National Hockey League deadline on Friday. They received goalie Magnus Hellberg from the Pittsburgh Penguins for goalie Ludovic Waeber and a conditional 2025 seventh-round draft selection. 

     Hellberg has been in the NHL for six seasons. He had stints with the Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. Hellberg has an 8-8-1 career record with a 3.08 goals-against-average in 26 contests. 

Andrew Peeke Lands With Bruins

     Parkland native Andrew Peeke has been dealt by the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Boston Bruins for Jakub Zboril. Peeke skated with the Junior Panthers program as a child. 

     Peeke has played his entire NHL career with the Blue Jackets. He was in his fifth season with that club and had 42 points in 242 contests with Columbus. 

Panthers Pick Up Tobias Bjornfot

     The Florida Panthers have added defenseman Tobias Bjornfot to their roster. He was placed on waivers by the Vegas Golden Knights. He only participated with Vegas for just two games this season and had no points. 

     Bjornfot was with the Los Angeles Kings from 2019-20 until earlier in the 2023-24 campaign. He has compiled one goal and 14 assists for 15 points in 119 games during his NHL career. 

Kris Versteeg At Sportsnet

     Former Florida Panthers forward Kris Versteeg was seen on Sportsnet Friday. He worked as part of the players lounge panel on the Hockey Central Deadline Show. 

     Versteeg, who retired from hockey in April 2020, was traded to the Panthers in July 2011. He helped Florida win their first division title in franchise history in 2011-12. Versteeg had 65 points in 99 contests with Florida during his three-season tour. 

Kyle Okposo Traded To Florida Panthers

     The Florida Panthers have acquired right wing Kyle Okposo from the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Calle Sjalin and a conditional 2024 seventh-round pick. Okposo was the current captain of the Sabres over the past two seasons. He has 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points in 61 games with Buffalo in 2023-24. 

     Okposo began his NHL career with the New York Islanders and was there for nine seasons from 2007-08 to 2015-16. He spent the last seven seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. Okposo has played 1,045 NHL games and compiled 614 points in his career. 

Ryne Stanek Heads To Mariners

     Ex Miami Marlins relief pitcher Ryne Stanek has agreed to a contract with the Seattle Mariners. He played his last three seasons with the Houston Astros. Stanek ended up winning a World Series title with them in 2022. 

     Stanek was with the Marlins for two seasons in 2019 and 2020.  He contributed to the Fish reaching the postseason in 2020 for the first time in 17 years. Stanek made 31 relief appearances during his tenure with Miami. 

Chuck Fletcher On Sportsnet

     Chuck Fletcher was an executive board panelist on the Hockey Central Trade Deadline Show at Sportsnet on Friday. He started on Sportsnet as a studio panelist for the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft back in June. 

     Fletcher was the assistant general manager of the Florida Panthers from their inception in 1993-94 and remained there for 10 seasons. He later became the general manager of the Minnesota Wild from 2009 to 2018 and the Philadelphia Flyers from 2018 to 2023. 

Anthony Duclair Dealt To Lightning

     One-time Florida Panthers left wing Anthony Duclair has been traded by the San Jose Sharks to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was sent by the Panthers to the Sharks in July 2023. Duclair had 16 goals and 11 assists for 27 points in 56 contests with San Jose this season. 

     Duclair was with the Florida Panthers from 2020-21 until 2022-23. He contributed to the Panthers winning the Eastern Conference championship in 2023. Duclair compiled 99 points in 137 games during his three-season reign with Florida. 

Mavericks March By Heat

     The Miami Heat fell to the Dallas Mavericks 114-108 at American Airlines Center on Thursday night. It was the first contest of back-to-back road games for the Heat. 

     Miami(35-27) had a 36-28 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Heat withheld a charge by the Mavs during the second quarter and stayed ahead 58-54 at halftime. 

     Dallas(35-28) got a 20-12 spurt to conclude the third quarter and led 91-83. Miami went on an 18-9 run to begin the fourth quarter to go up 101-100, however the Mavericks responded with an 11-3 spurt.

     Terry Rozier collected a double-double for Heat with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Duncan Robinson was able to drain in 19 points. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo had 14 points each. Both Caleb Martin and Jaime Jacquez Jr. scored 13 points. 

     Luka Doncic compiled a triple-double of 35 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds for Dallas. Kyrie Irving helped out with 23 points in the victory. 

Flyers Skip By Panthers

     The Florida Panthers returned home following a three-game sweep of their road trip and lost to the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 on Thursday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers, who have won 16 of their past 19 games, had their six-game overall winning streak and six-game home winning streak snapped. 

     Vladimir Tarasenko made his debut with Florida and wore the number 10. His uniform number was 91 with three NHL teams he previously played for. 

     The Flyers are in third place in the Atlantic Division. They defeated the Panthers by the same score at the same venue earlier this season back on February 6. 

     Neither team had a goal during the first frame. Philadelphia(33-23-8) quickly scored 10 seconds into the second period. Travis Sanheim sent a square pass to Cam York at the center-ice circle. He made an outlet pass to Ryan Poehling at the left point. Poehling dashed through the left circle and released a wrist shot from the left of the crease by Sergei Bobrovsky for his eighth goal of the campaign. 

     Florida(43-17-4) tied it 1-1 at the 7:12 mark of the second. Anton Lundell connected a cross-ice pass from the left circle to Aaron Ekblad in the right circle. He fed the puck to the top of the zone and Gustav Forsling chalked up his 10th goal this season as he snapped a shot past Samuel Ersson. 

     The Flyers pulled ahead 2-1 with 21.3 seconds left in the third period. Former Panther Marc Staal took a slap shot from the left point which was saved. Garnet Hathaway steered in the rebound from the left of the crease for his seventh tally of the season. 

Patty Mills Now With Miami Heat

     Former Atlanta Hawks forward Patty Mills has joined the Miami Heat and signed a deal for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. He has competed in the National Basketball Association for 15 seasons. 

     Mills played with the Hawks earlier this season. He finished with 2.7 points per game and 0.7 assists per game in 19 contests with Atlanta. 

Jonnu Smith Signing With Dolphins

     Former Atlanta Falcons tight end Jonnu Smith is expected to sign a contract with the Miami Dolphins. It will be the fourth NFL franchise that he will participate for. 

     Smith spent one year with the Falcons which was last season. He ended up with 50 catches for 582 receiving yards and three touchdowns with Atlanta in 2023. 

Jonah Gadjovich Staying With Panthers

     Florida Panthers forward Jonah Gadjovich will be remaining with the club. He has inked a one-way, two-year extension with the team worth $1.55 million. 

     Gadjovich signed a one-year deal with the Cats after the 2023-24 campaign started back on October 16. He has compiled two goals and two assists in 33 contests this season. 

Panthers Extend Gustav Forsling

     The Florida Panthers have signed defenseman Gustav Forsling to an eight-year contract extension. The deal is worth $46 million. It will go into effect beginning in 2024-25 and it will last until the 2031-32 season.

     Forsling spent the past four seasons with the Florida Panthers and helped them capture the Eastern Conference title last season. Forsling has nine goals and 22 assists for 31 points in 62 games with the Cats in 2023-24. He currently leads the National Hockey League with a +43 plus/minus rating.

Spring Breakout Games

     Major League Baseball will hold Spring Breakout games from March 14 to March 17. Top prospects of all 32 MLB clubs will be involved in this event. 

     12 of the 16 Spring Breakout contests will be part of doubleheaders at spring training stadiums. The Marlins will face the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter at 2:05 p.m. while the Nationals take on the Mets in Port St. Lucie at 3:10 p.m. on March 15. 

     The Cardinals will play an additional Spring Breakout game due to 14 teams having spring training in Florida. The Cards will host the Houston Astros at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter on March 17 at 10:05 a.m.

Alexander Wennberg Off To Rangers

     Former Florida Panthers center Alexander Wennberg has been dealt from the Seattle Kraken to the New York Rangers for two draft picks. He signed as a free agent with the Kraken back in July 2021. 

     Wennberg spent just one season with the Panthers in 2020-21. He did not miss a regular season contest during that campaign. Wennberg compiled 17 goals and 12 assists for 29 points in 56 games.  

Florida Panthers Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko

     The Florida Panthers acquired forward Vladimir Tarasenko from the Ottawa Senators for a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick. Should the Panthers win the Stanley Cup this season, the 2024 selection would be upgraded to a 2026 third-round draft pick. 

     Tarasenko spent the bulk of his National Hockey League career with the St. Louis Blues. He helped that club capture the Stanley Cup in 2019. Tarasenko had 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points in 57 games this season with the Ottawa Senators. 

Josh Richardson Out Of Lineup

     Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson will miss the rest of the 2023-24 season with the team. He suffered a dislocated right shoulder during their game back on February 11 and went for surgery on Wednesday. 

     Richardson is in his second stint with Miami. He has averaged 9.9 points per game and 2.4 assists per game in 43 contests during 2023-24. Richardson was a second-round selection in the 2015 NBA Draft and his first stint with the club went from 2015-16 until 2018-19. 

Heat Ride By Pistons

     The Miami Heat beat the Detroit Pistons 118-110 on Tuesday night at Kaseya Center. The Heat have won 11 of their last 14 games. The Pistons entered the game with the second worst record in the National Basketball Association. 

     Detroit(9-52) scored the first five points in the contest. Miami(35-26) rallied back with a 13-4 spurt and led 36-26 after one quarter. The Heat maintained their lead 61-59 by halftime. 

     Miami was able to stay in front 88-83 at the end of the third quarter. The Heat ended up pulling away in the last couple minutes of the final quarter on a 10-3 run. 

     Jimmy Butler composed a game-high 26 points and eight assists for Miami. Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robison scored 18 points each in the victory. Terry Rozier dropped in 17 points while Caleb Martin added 15 points. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with a team-high 23 points and eight assists. 

Panthers Breeze By Devils

     The Florida Panthers ran by the New Jersey Devils 5-3 at Prudential Center on Tuesday night. The Panthers have won 16 of their last 18 contests along with their sixth consecutive victory. The Cats were able to complete a three-game sweep on their road trip. 

     It was the Devils first game with new interim head coach Travis Green. Former Florida Panthers assistant coach Lindy Ruff was fired from his post as the Devils head coach on Monday. 

     The Panthers are 14-1-0 in their past 15 road games. They lead the National Hockey League with 23 road victories in 2023-24. 

     Florida(43-16-4) rocketed out to a 1-0 lead at the 2:54 mark of the first period. Matthew Tkachuk pushed the loose puck ahead from outside the Devils blue line.  Nick Cousins skated with it to the inner right circle and backhanded a shot by Akira Schmid for his fourth goal this year. 

     The Cats expanded it to 2-0 at 6:30 with the man advantage. Sam Bennett tapped the puck to Tkachuk on the right wing. He centered it to the middle and Evan Rodrigues one-timed a slap shot from the slot area for his 10th tally this season. 

     New Jersey(30-28-4) closed it to 2-1 with 8:15 left in the first on power-play goal. Luke Hughes angled a pass from the top of the zone and Jesper Bratt connected a pass from the right point. Jack Hughes released a wrist shot from the left point past Anthony Stolarz for his 21st goal of the season. 

     The Devils evened it up 2-2 with 8:59 to go in the second period. Timo Meier was able to score his 14th goal of the campaign on a backhand shot. 

     The Panthers regained the lead 3-2 with 7:23 remaining in the frame. Oliver Ekman-Larsson passed across to Dmitry Kulikov deep in his own zone. Kulikov sent a long lead pass to Luostarinen at the Devils blue line. Luostarinen raced into the zone and snapped a shot from the high slot for his 11th goal in 2023-24. 

     In the third period, Florida stretched the lead to 4-2 at 5:33 mark. Tkachuk dropped a pass from the top of the left circle back to Gustav Forsling at the left point. His forehand shot was redirected in by Cousins on the top of the crease for his second tally of the game and fifth goal this season. Tkachuk collected his third assist of the game. 

     It became 4-3 when New Jersey cut the lead with 8:44 left in the third. Hughes handed the puck off to Jesper Bratt at the right point. He pushed the puck to the middle and Colin Miller scored his fourth goal from the top of the zone. 

     The Panthers wrapped up the game with 7.4 seconds remaining in the period for a 5-3 advantage. Sam Reinhart chalked up his 45th goal of the season as he put in a forehand shot into an empty net from the low slot. Aaron Ekblad was credited with an assist on the play. 

Dolphins Releasing Players

     The Miami Dolphins will be releasing two defensive players. They are linebacker Jerome Baker and defensive back Keion Crossen. Team decisions have to be made with the 2023 league year concluding next week. 

     Baker spent his entire six-year NFL career with Miami. He ended up playing in 94 games with the Fins and had a career-high two interceptions in 2023. 

     Crossen was with the Dolphins for the past two seasons. He only saw action during the 2022 regular season and participated in 16 games. 

George Beasley In Florida Broadcasters Hall Of Fame

     Former local radio owner George Beasley has been elected to the inaugural class of the Florida Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Rush Limbaugh was also one of 10 people selected for the honor by the Florida Association of Broadcasters. 

     Beasley did own several South Florida radio stations from the 1990s to the 2020s. His company, now branded as Beasley Media Group, owned Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM, Power 96 WPOW-FM and Kiss Country 99.9 WKIS-FM in Miami from 1996 until October 2014. Beasley became the owner of WSBR-AM, WHSR-AM and WWNN-AM in Boca Raton back in 2000 and held them until 2021 and 2022. Beasley passed away at the age of 89 in February 2021. 

     Limbaugh was the midday host at WQAM when it went to an all sports format in 1993. He moved on to News Radio 610 WIOD-AM in 1997 and remained there through his passing in 2021. Limbaugh had been heard for over 30 years at WJNO-AM in West Palm Beach. 

Austin Eckroat Wins Cognizant Classic

     Austin Eckroat captured the 2024 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on Monday at PGA National Resort And Spa in Palm Beach Gardens. With the victory, Eckroat has officially qualified for The Masters tournament in April. 

     It was the first Monday finish for this specific PGA Tour event since 2015. This tournament was previously named The Honda Classic from 1981 to 2023. 

Panthers Outlast Rangers

     The Florida Panthers outscored the New York Rangers 4-2 at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. The Panthers are first in the Atlantic Division, the Eastern Conference and the National Hockey League while the Rangers are first in the Metropolitan Division. It was the first time that Florida had a regulation win at Madison Square Garden in seven years. 

     New York(40-18-4) moved in front 1-0 with 3:20 left in the first period. K'Andre Miller sent a cross-ice pass from the left point to the right point. Jacob Trouba released a shot that was saved by Sergei Bobrovsky. Will Cuylle slid in a backhand shot from the right of the crease for his 11th goal this season. 

     In the second period, Florida(42-16-4) picked up a power-play goal with 9:49 remaining to tie it up 1-1. Carter Verhaeghe angled a pass from the left side of the neutral zone. Aleksander Barkov raced through the middle and made a square pass in the crease area. Sam Reinhart placed in a wrist shot from the right of the crease for his 43rd goal in 2023-24. 

     The Panthers leaped over the Blueshirts to make it 2-1 with 7:06 to go in the second. Gustav Forsling ripped the puck around the end wall from center ice. Aleksander Barkov picked it up on the right wing and exchanged it will Reinhart several times. Reinhart then snapped a shot from the slot area for his second tally of the contest and 44th goal of the season. He now has the third most goals in a season in Florida Panthers franchise history. Pavel Bure had 59 goals in 2000-01 and 58 goals in 1999-2000. 

     The Rangers scored on a power play with 4:34 to go in the frame. Artemi Panarin centered the puck from the right wing and Vincent Trocheck shot the puck from the high slot which was stopped. Chris Kreider hustled for the rebound and scored his 31st goal of the campaign on a forehand shot from the left of the crease. Panarin became the third player in New York Rangers franchise history with at least 50 assists in three straight seasons. He joined Wayne Gretzky from 1996-97 to 1998-99 and Mark Messier from 1991-92 to 1993-94. 

     The Cats reclaimed the lead 3-2 at the 6:11 mark of the third period. Forsling sent a lead pass from his own zone to Ryan Lomberg at the red line. Lomberg brought the puck into the Rangers zone and then powered in a wrist shot from above the left circle past Igor Shesterkin for his fifth goal of the year. 

     New York pulled their goalie for an extra skater with 1:25 remaining. It did not work as Anton Lundell scored an empty-net goal with 58.2 seconds left to give Florida a 4-2 lead. 

Brandon Montour NHL Second Star Of The Week

     Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour was announced as the National Hockey League Second Star of the Week. The time period went from February 26 to March 3. 

     Montour compiled two goals and four assists for six points in three victories during the time span. Both of his tallies ended up being game-winning goals. He has 25 points in 45 contests with the Panthers this season. 

New Jersey Devils Fire Lindy Ruff

     The New Jersey Devils have let go head coach Lindy Ruff. He has been at the helm for the Devils since the start of the 2020-21 season. 

     He is currently fourth all-time in NHL coaching wins with 864. Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice is now the active leader in coaching wins at 858. 

     Ruff was an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers during their first four seasons as an NHL franchise from 1993-94 to 1996-97. He had stints as a head coach with the Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils. 

     The ironic thing of New Jersey releasing him was that Tom Fitzgerald is the head of their hockey operations department. Fitzgerald played with the same Florida team at the same time when Ruff on the coaching staff of Roger Nielsen and Doug MacLean. 

The Greek Changes Airshift

     There was a minor change in one of the South Florida sports radio stations last month. The Greek changed his shift from mid-afternoons to early afternoons at Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM in West Palm Beach. 

     Mike Golic and Mike Golic Jr. began to co-host their VSIN one-hour program at noon beginning on February 19. It became a lead-in to The Greek Show at that radio station. 

     Another factor for shifting The Greek was the numerous amount of local sports shows from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. during weekdays. AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM has Hochman & Crowder, Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM has Andy Slater and ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM has Josh Cohen & The Hometown. 

Panthers Ink Sandis Vilmanis

     The Florida Panthers have signed forward Sandis Vilmanis to a three-year, entry-level deal. The start of the contract will begin in the 2024-25 season. He was a fifth-round selection by the Panthers during the 2022 NHL Draft. 

     Vilmanis has split his time in the Ontario Hockey League this season with the Sarnia Sting and the North Bay Battalion. He has compiled 53 points in a combined 50 OHL contests in the 2023-24 campaign. 

Heat Work Jazz

     The Miami Heat returned home and came back on the Utah Jazz 126-120 on Saturday at Kaseya Center. The Heat came off a six-game road trip and had not hosted a contest since February 11. 

     Utah(27-34) moved out to a 38-34 lead at the end of the first quarter. They still held a four-point lead 62-58 after two quarters. 

     Miami(34-26) went on a 13-2 spurt and led 80-78 with 4:47 left in the third quarter. Both teams were tied 90-90 heading into the final quarter. Miami stayed ahead of them in the last seven minutes of the game. 

     The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler with a game-high 37 points and seven assists. Bam Adebayo compiled 23 points along with seven rebounds in the victory. Terry Rozier contributed 14 points and a game-high eight assists. Caleb Martin was able to come off the bench with 18 points. 

     Keyonte George dropped in 31 points and Lauri Markkanen added 25 points for the Jazz. Cardinal Newman High School grad John Collins scored 18 points. 

Inter Miami CF Routs Orlando City SC

     Inter Miami CF pounded their MLS cross-state rivals Orlando City SC 5-0 on Saturday at Chase Stadium. It was Inter Miami CF's second Major League Soccer regular season contest in their newly named venue. They outscored their first two vesting opponents 7-0 so far in 2024. 

     It was a strong start for Inter Miami CF(2-0-1) in the first half. Luis Suarez scored during the fourth minute and 11th minute. Robert Taylor increased it to a three-goal margin at 29th minute. 

     Orlando City SC(0-1-1) failed to break the shutout and fell more behind in the second half. Inter Miami CF made it a five-goal gap. Lionel Messi had goals during the 57th minute and the 62nd minute for a 5-0 advantage. 

Panthers Freeze Red Wings

     The Florida Panthers blanked the Detroit Red Wings 4-0 at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday. The Panthers have won 12 of their last 13 road games. The Cats started off a three-game road trip. 

     The Panthers have scored at least three goals in 10 of the previous 11 games. They have held opponents to three goals or less for the 16th consecutive game.

     Sergei Bobrovsky chalked up his fourth shutout of the 2023-24 season. It was the seventh time that Bobrovsky had reached at least 30 wins in a campaign. Brandon Montour led all Florida players with three points on the scoresheet. 

     After a scoreless first period between both squads, Florida(41-16-4) got two goals in the second period. Brandon Montour snapped a shot from the inner left circle at the 8:50 mark for his sixth tally this year and Sam Reinhart lit the lamp for the 42nd time this season on a snap shot with 6:54 remaining in the frame. 

     Detroit(33-22-6) surrendered two more goals during the final period. Evan Rodrigues marked his ninth goal with his new team on a slap shot at 4:39. Carter Verhaeghe scored a power-play tally on a snap shot for his 31st goal of the season with 6:58 left for a 4-0 advantage. 

Luis Arraez On Lindy's Sports Magazine Cover

     Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez appeared on the annual Lindy's Sports baseball magazine cover. It was one of several 2024 regional covers distributed by Lindy's. 

     Arraez played his first season with the Marlins in 2023. He ended up capturing in his second straight batting title, taking the National League crown, and helped the Fish reach the postseason. Arraez won the American League batting title in 2022 with the Minnesota Twins. 

Cognizant Classic Begins

     The Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches began at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens on Thursday. The four-round PGA Tour event will run through Sunday. 

     The event had been known as the Honda Classic from 1981 until 2023. It was in Inverrary from 1981 to 1983, Coral Springs from 1984 until 1991 and then was held in Weston from 1992 to 1995. After a seven-year stint back in Coral Springs, the tournament was shifted to Palm Beach Gardens in 2003.