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LAS VEGAS — Across their 43 seasons, the Washington Capitals have dabbled in hapless hockey and exquisite hockey, boring hockey and effective hockey, but never had they played winning hockey through four playoff rounds, all the way to a grueling, glorious end. It took a team hardened by those postseason failures but liberated from high expectations to complete a run as dazzling as it was cathartic, capping it on Thursday night by dispatching the upstart Vegas Golden Knights, 4-3, to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. It was the Capitals’ fourth consecutive victory in the finals after a disorienting 6-4 loss in the opener that made little sense in the context of how they played immediately before and afterward. After twice shutting out the offensive powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning to advance to its first Cup finals since 1998, Washington outscored the Golden Knights across these last four games by 16-8. Lars Eller scored the winning goal with 7 mi...

PARIS --  Serena Williams  announced Tuesday she had received "super exciting" news regarding the chest muscle injury that forced her to  withdraw from the French Open . Williams withdrew shortly before her highly-anticipated fourth-round clash with Maria Sharapova at Roland Garros on Monday, citing a right pectoral injury that prevented her from serving. The American is expected to undergo an MRI scan in Paris on Tuesday but had seen one doctor earlier in the day. "So today has been interesting already," Serena said via a story posted on her Instagram channel. "I just finished one exam with one doctor, and the news is actually super exciting, so I'm really happy about that. "I'm having an MRI soon, but I wanted to keep you guys totally updated. Thanks for the support and love and understanding." Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, was competing at a major tournament for the first time in 16 months -- and for the first...

Dwight Clark, the receiver who made one of the most memorable plays in NFL history and jump-started the San Francisco 49ers dynasty, died Monday at his home in Montana. Clark, who had been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) since he first began feeling weakness in his left hand in September of 2015, was 61 years old. Clark's wife, Kelly, shared the news of her husband's death via his Twitter account. Dwight Clark ✔ @DwightC87 I’m heartbroken to tell you that today I lost my best friend and husband. He passed peacefully surrounded by many of the people he loved most. I am thankful for all of Dwight’s friends, teammates and 49ers fans who have sent their love during his battle with ALS. Kelly Clark. 4:09 AM - Jun 5, 2018 62K 19.5K people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy "The San Francisco 49ers family has suffered a tremendous loss today with the passing of Dwight Clark," the team s...

The MLB draft is here! One year after the Minnesota Twins selected Royce Lewis with the first pick, the Detroit Tigers kick off the 2018 festivities. Most expect Auburn righty Casey Mize to go No. 1, but surprises are always in store. Follow along with the SI staff and the analysis of Dave Perkin, a retired scout who worked for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Baseball America. 1. Detroit Tigers: Casey Mize, RHP, 6' 3", 220 lbs., Auburn The consensus choice to be the first overall selection in 2018, Mize has endured a series of nagging ailments in his career at Auburn, including elbow tightness. In the past, most 1–1 candidates have engendered little doubt or reservations among scouts; not so with Mize. Mize tosses a 93–95 fastball, mixing in an 88–90 cutter, low 80’s curve and his “out” pitch, an 87–89 splitter.  His 14:1 strikeout to walk ratio is phenomenal. That figure would be difficult to accomplish at the Little League distance of 46 feet. M...