DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist avoided having to go to the hospital after taking a skate to his face, though coach Glen Gulutzan had no further update Sunday.
Lundkvist suffered a deep laceration after taking an inadvertent skate to the left side of his face during the second period of Dallas' 3-2 overtime loss at Minnesota on Saturday that tied the best-of-seven first-round series at 2-2.
Stars players had the day off Sunday, when Gulutzan spoke to reporters on a Zoom call and said he was waiting for an update after a further examination of Lundkvist. But the coach said Lundkvist never had to to go the hospital for the cut.
Game 5 is Tuesday night in Dallas.
On the play where he go hurt, Lundkvist was called for a tripping penalty. As Michael McCarron tumbled over, his skate inadvertently caught the face of the Stars defenseman, who was bleeding when he immediately went to the Dallas bench and then down the tunnel.
Lundkvist signed a two-year, $3.5 million contract that was announced just before the start of the playoffs and goes through the 2027-28 season.
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson, right, and Dallas Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist, left, collide during the third period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Dallas Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist, left, is checked by Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson during the second period in Game 1 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Dallas, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
ATLANTA (AP) — Chris Sale shut down the Phillies for the second time in nine days and won his 150th career game as the Atlanta Braves built an early lead and beat Philadelphia 6-2 on Sunday.
Sale (5-1) threw six shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out a season-high nine. In his previous start on against the slumping Phillies on April 18, Sale gave up one run in seven innings.
The Phillies, who snapped a 10-game losing streak Saturday, dropped to 0-10 against left-handed non-opener starters and fell to 9-19 overall.
Matt Olson hit a three-run home run in the first inning and Eli White added a two-run homer in the second for the Braves, who won for the 10th time in 12 games. Olson's homer was his eighth of the season and fourth in his career off Phillies starer Aaron Nola (1-3).
Ronald Acuña Jr. was 2 for 3 with two runs scored and a steal. Drake Baldwin was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored, and Ozzie Albies extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single in the seventh inning.
Nola gave up a season-high six runs on seven hits and has now allowed 11 earned runs in his last two starts. Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer run in the eighth inning as the Phillies avoided the shutout.
Sale's only difficulty came in the third inning, when a hit by pitch, a single and a walk loaded the bases for Phillies slugger Bryce Harper. After falling behind 3--0, Sale struck out Harper to end the threat.
The Braves are 8-0-1 in nine series this season and are the only team not to lose a series.
Phillies: LHP Jesus Lozardo (1-3, 6.91) will face Giants RHP Tyler Mahle (1-3, 5.26) in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Braves: LHP Martín Pérez (1-1, 2.70) will start against Tigers RHP Casey Mize (2-1, 2.51) for Tuesday's first game of a three-game series in Atlanta.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) reacts after giving up a three-run home run to Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr., left, runs out an infield single ahead of the throw to Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper, right, during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
Atlanta Braves' Matt Olson hits a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale (51) delivers to a Philadelphia Phillies batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
