National Sports

TORONTO — The NHL has passed the halfway point of its schedule. All-star festivities are set for early next month in Toronto. Teams are making moves in the standings.

TORONTO — Winnipeg's Jerin Valel is one of four Canadian referees working Saturday night at UFC 297 in Toronto. A look at his routine: Referees like Valel are hired and supervised by the local commission, not the promoter.

TORONTO — With nine homegrown fighters on the 12-fight card, Canada is well represented at UFC 297. It's the same for the referees. Four of the six working Saturday night are Canadian in Jerin Valel, Todd Anderson, Brian E.

VANCOUVER — Dakota Joshua scored his fourth game-winning goal of the season as the Vancouver Canucks found a way past a determined Arizona Coyotes team. The goal, Joshua's 12th of the season, came with assists from Nils Hoglander and Teddy Blueger.

CALGARY — Winless in four and down 2-0 in the first period on Thursday, Toronto was reeling until Auston Matthews took over and led the Maple Leafs to a comeback victory.

RED DEER, Alta. — Canada's Kerri Einarson defeated American Tabitha Peterson 7-4 on Thursday to remain unbeaten at the Grand Slam of Curling's Co-op Canadian Open. Einarson (3-0), the reigning national champion from Gimli, Man.

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers' winning streak has reached a dynamic dozen.

BOSTON (AP) — David Pastrnak scored on the opening shift and added two insurance goals late in the third period as the Boston Bruins beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Thursday night.

Maddy Grant and Breanne Nicholas return to the Canadian women's rugby sevens side for the HSBC SVNS in Perth, Australia, later this month. Grant was with the Canadian 15s team at the WXV tournament in New Zealand in the fall.

TORONTO — Bruce Brown wasn't sure if he'd even play for the Raptors just six hours after he arrived in Toronto, but he knew his abilities to cut to the basket and set picks would make the trip with him from Indiana.