National Sports

CALGARY — Kerri Einarson took a significant step toward defending her Canadian women's curling championship by skipping her team to a playoff berth Saturday.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Nelly Korda surged into the lead Saturday in the Gainbridge LPGA with a 4-under 68 that left her in position to make it consecutive wins for the Korda family to start the season. Annika Sorenstam sank to the bottom.

WINNIPEG — Ryan Poehling scored the game winner Saturday as the Laval Rocket downed the Manitoba Moose 2-1. Lukas Vejdemo also scored for Laval (5-2-1), beating Moose goalie Arturs Silovs 7:18 into the first period.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A first-ever Bassmasters Elite Series win is within Canadian Jeff Gustafson's grasp. The angler from Kenora, Ont., continues to lead the Elite Series event on the Tennessee River heading into the final round Sunday.

OTTAWA — Juuso Valimaki and the Calgary Flames have been talking a lot lately about the importance of quality starts. The Finnish defenceman helped put his team's plan into motion Saturday afternoon at Canadian Tire Centre.

OBERSTDORF, Germany — Canada's cross-country ski team battled warm conditions and stiff competition at the World Nordic Ski Championships in Germany on Saturday.

EDMONTON — The Maple Leafs will be without star centre Auston Matthews when they take on the Edmonton Oilers Saturday. Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe says Matthews won't play due to a wrist injury that he's been dealing with for much of the year.

CHICOUTIMI, Que. — The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's three teams in New Brunswick are set to return to the ice, while games have been postponed for a team in Nova Scotia.

BAKURIANI, Georgia — Canada's Jared Schmidt has clinched his first podium on the ski cross World Cup circuit, finishing third in Georgia on Saturday.

It's a year of change at the Canadian women's curling championship in the Calgary bubble. The field was padded to 18 teams this year for the first time. There are no spectators at the Markin MacPhail Centre due to the pandemic.