ST. PAUL, Minn. — Vladimir Tarasenko and his family welcomed a summer visitor to their home in Florida with a feast befitting a New Year's Eve celebration in their native Russia, sending him off after a five-hour stay with an armful of leftovers. Minnesota Wild coach John Hynes was so ...

MILWAUKEE — Blake Snell was injured and unavailable to pitch in July when the Los Angeles Dodgers lost all six of their regular-season meetings with the Milwaukee Brewers. Facing the Brewers for the first time this year in the National League Championship Series, the two-time Cy Young Award ...

LAS VEGAS — With tears in his eyes and needing a moment to compose himself, Denny Hamlin collected his sixth checkered flag and reflected on everything it meant. The victory Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was the 60th of his career — a lifetime goal he dedicated to his ailing father ...

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — From the day he was hired more than a decade ago, James Franklin stressed the importance of creating a family atmosphere at Penn State. Over the course of 11-plus seasons in Happy Valley, that approach helped the Nittany Lions churn out pros and double-digit victory ...

GREEN BAY, Wis. — This time, the Green Bay Packers built a double-digit lead and finished the job. Josh Jacobs and Lucas Havrisik helped close it out. Jacobs overcame an illness to rush for two touchdowns, and the Packers held off Cincinnati for a 27-18 victory in Joe Flacco's Bengals ...

MILWAUKEE — Ending their recent run of playoff frustration earned the Milwaukee Brewers a new nickname from their manager. Pat Murphy has referred to his team as the "Average Joes," a nod to their small-market status and lack of big names. But after the Brewers beat the rival Chicago Cubs ...