Games of the day

Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche (3:30 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, ALT, SN, TVAS)

Mikko Rantanen will make what is expected to be an emotional return to Denver and play his first game in Colorado since the forward was traded by the Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-team deal on Jan. 24. After 13 games with the Hurricanes, Rantanen was traded again, from Carolina to Dallas just prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7. Rantanen played 10 seasons with the Avalanche and had 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) in 49 games this season prior to the initial trade. In three games with Dallas, where he signed an eight-year, $96 million contract ($12 million average annual value) starting next season, Rantanen has two goals and an assist. The Stars (42-21-2) are trying to hold off the Avalanche (40-24-3) for second in the Central Division; Dallas enters three points ahead. The teams are likely to meet in the Western Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 102 points (27 goals, 75 assists) in 67 games, two points ahead of Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, who has 100 points (49 goals, 51 assists) in 66 games. MacKinnon has been held off the score sheet each of his past two games; he has not gone without a point in three consecutive games this season.

Vegas Golden Knights at Detroit Red Wings (1 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MAX, truTV, TNT, SN1, TVAS)

Jack Eichel has an opportunity to extend his point streak to nine games in the second game of a back-to-back; the center scored in a 4-3 shootout loss at the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday to give him 11 points (two goals, nine assists) on an eight-game run. Vegas (39-19-8) has lost three of four (1-1-2) but is first in the Pacific, five points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings. Detroit (31-29-6) is trying to climb back into the playoff race after a six-game losing streak. The Red Wings trail the New York Rangers by four points for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with the Montreal Canadiens (three points) and Columbus Blue Jackets (two points) also ahead of them. Detroit is trying to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16.

Edmonton Oilers at New York Rangers (7 p.m. ET; MSG, SNW, SNO, SNE, TVAS)

Draisaitl needs one goal to reach 50 for the fourth time in 11 seasons; the Oilers forward is making a strong case to win the Hart Trophy as League MVP for the second time (2019-20). He scored both goals in a 2-1 overtime win at the New York Islanders on Friday to extend his point streak to 17 games (26 points; 14 goals, 12 assists) and reach 100 points for the sixth time in his career. Edmonton captain Connor McDavid is on a 10-game point streak (14 points; two goals, 12 assists). The Oilers (38-24-4) can regain second place in the Pacific with a win; they are one point behind the Kings, who won 1-0 in overtime against the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The Rangers (33-28-6) are playing the second of a back-to-back following a 4-0 win at Columbus on Saturday and are looking to tighten their grip of the second wild card in the East. Forward Artemi Panarin had a goal and assist in the win for New York to extend his point streak to eight games (12 points; six goals, six assists). The Rangers are 9-6-2 since acquiring center J.T. Miller in a trade from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31. Miller has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 17 games with New York.

LAS VEGAS — Nique Clifford scored 24 points and No. 2 seed Colorado State made a Mountain West tournament-record 12 3s and beat fifth-seeded Boise State 69-56 on Saturday night for its first title since 2003.

Colorado State (25-9) will make its second straight NCAA tournament appearance on a 10-game win streak.

Boise State trailed by 10 points at the half and pulled to within five points during the first minute of the second. But Jaylen Crocker-Johnson hit consecutive 3-pointers during an 11-0 run and the Rams led 43-27. Clifford made the Rams’ 12th 3-pointer with about 10 minutes left that stretched their lead to 60-36.

Ethan Moore scored a career-high 11 points and Bowen Born added nine for the Rams. Clifford and Born each made three 3s as the Rams shot 12 of 24 from distance.

Tyson Degenhart scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half to lead Boise State (24-9).

Colorado State took the lead for good about eight minutes in and led by as many as 17 points in the first half. Boise State used an 11-4 surge to cut the deficit to 32-22 at the break. Crocker-Johnson’s layup gave the Rams their largest lead, 63-38, with 6:48 remaining.

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders added legendary NFL running back Marshall Faulk to coach the same position on Sanders’ coaching staff, but how hard was it to convince Faulk to begin a coaching career? Earlier in the week, Faulk told the story to reporters after one of Colorado’s spring practices.

“I’ve been saying no to coaching since I left football. For the past like three, maybe four years, coach (Sanders) has been grooming me. You know, he’ll call me and ask me certain stuff. He’ll ask me about a player and we’ll talk about this and that: ‘Hey, come up and watch us practice.’ So he’s he’s been grooming me, and I always felt like for for what I for what I invested in the game, it took away from me with my kids,” said Faulk.

However, now that Faulk’s kids are older, he has returned to the football field as a member of Sanders’ coaching staff. Faulk joins Sanders and Buffaloes defensive analyst Warren Sapp as three members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame currently working at Colorado. In fact, Faulk’s and Sanders’ experience being inducted into the Hall of Fame might have led to the legendary running back’s hiring in Boulder, Colorado.

When talking about his relationship with “Coach Prime,” Faulk talked about the time he spent with Sanders during the Hall of Fame experience, as well as working together on TV broadcasts.

“We worked in television together at NFL network, and we spent so much time on the road. We literally went through the Hall of Fame process, we were the same year. We actually had our party together. We’ve done a lot of stuff together,” said Faulk.

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The 2025 season will be Faulk’s first year with the Buffaloes, and he inherits a running back room that returns some experience. Colorado running back Isaiah Augustave led Colorado with 384 rushing yards in 2024, and he is returning for his junior season. Additionally, the Buffaloes return running back Micah Welch who appeared in nine games as true freshman.

“Where can we improve? That’s the idea, and that’s the mindset that we have to have. And that’s what we want to instill in the football players we bring in here and that we coach,” said Faulk. “I don’t care how good you are. It’s how much better can we make you? Where can you get better? And if that’s all you do is focus on the things that you do well, then you’re not improving. I gotta take your weakness and turn it into a strength.”

A few of Faulk’s many accomplishments in the NFL include a Super Bowl ring, an NFL MVP, three Offensive Player of the Year awards, as well as Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1994. He also holds a number of NFL records, including four consecutive seasons with 2,000 yards from scrimmage. He played with the St. Louis Rams and the Indianapolis Colts during his career, but now, Faulk is a Colorado Buffalo.

Will the running back room become a strength under Faulk’s leadership in 2025?