OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Stephen Halliday had two goals and an assist, Dylan Cozens also scored twice and the Ottawa Senators routed the road-weary Vegas Golden Knights 7-1 on Sunday night.
Senators goalie Linus Ullmark returned to to the active roster from a personal leave, backing up Mads Sogaard. Ullmark was the 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner.
Halliday scored his second and third career goals, and added the assist for a three-point game in his first season in the NHL.
Fabian Zetterlund, Jordan Spence and Nick Jensen also scored, and Brady Tkachuk had three assists. Sogaard stopped 19 shots.
Rasmus Andersson scored in third period for Vegas, making it 7-1. It was the defenseman'sfirst goal in two games with the Golden Knights following a trade with Calgary.
Vegas played for the third time in four nights. The Knights lost 4-3 at Boston on Thursday night to open a four-game trip, then topped Toronto 6-3 on Friday night.
It will surely go down as one of the more shocking results of the NHL season.
Playing their second game in less than 24 hours, the Ottawa Senators called up minor-league goaltender Mads Søgaard to start against the rested Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday evening.
Somehow, the Sens took down the Knights 7–1 at Canadian Tire Centre (17,025).
Sogaard was named the game's first star, making 19 saves, and had a chance to address the crowd afterward in a live post game interview with TSN. The Great Dane, who's dealt with so many injuries, spoke about how appreciative he was to play again for the fans in Ottawa.
"It's been a really long road back here and a lot of hard work a lot of really hard days," Sogaard told the media after the game. "But I have an amazing support system and they're the ones who helped me to get here. So I'm very thankful to get the opportunity and then super thankful for the guys to play as hard as they did."
Rookie Stephen Halliday led the way offensively with two goals and an assist, though he unfortunately left the game in the third period after being hit into the stanchion near the players’ bench. Halliday's head struck the stanchion and he fell hard to the ice, requiring some help to get up and head for the locker room.
Brady Tkachuk chipped in with three assists, Dylan Cozens scored twice, and Søgaard, appearing in just his second NHL game of the season, lost his shutout bid with less than five minutes left in the third period on a goal by newcomer Rasmus Andersson.
With the Senators playing the second game of a back-to-back, 37-year-old James Reimer was given the night off, while Linus Ullmark returned to Ottawa’s lineup after missing most of the past month while dealing with mental health issues. He served as Søgaard’s backup.
The Senators are back at it on Tuesday, hosting the Colorado Avalanche.
The sky is the limit for Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond, who has not only emerged as one of the club's best players but has also proven to be a blessing in disguise after they inexplicably fell to fourth place in the 2020 Draft Lottery.
Raymond, whom the Red Wings selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, has reached an offensive mark that hasn't been seen since their most recent Conn Smythe Trophy winner in Henrik Zetterberg.
With his assist against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night, Raymond reached 40 assists on the season, becoming the first Red Wings skater since Henrik Zetterberg to record three consecutive seasons with at least 40 assists.
FYI: Lucas Raymond is the first #RedWings skater with three consecutive 40-assist seasons since Henrik Zetterberg, who had five from 2007-08 to 2011-12. pic.twitter.com/yAzNXMHajf
Zetterberg reached the 40+ assist mark in five consecutive seasons from their Stanley Cup-winning campaign of 2007-08 to 2011-12, which was the final season in the career of Hall of Fame defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom.
Not only did Raymond pick up an assist against the Jets, but he also tallied his 18th goal of the season and extended his point-streak to five games.
If Raymond continues on his current trajectory, he's on pace to easily establish what would be a new career-high in points.
Following his two-goal performance in Detroit's previous game, a 4-3 overtime setback against the Minnesota Wild, Raymond attested to how seriously he takes his work and constantly strives to improve.
“Every year and offseason, you try to take steps towards being a better player,” he explained. “And for me, it’s no different. It’s about being curious and wanting to work on your craft to hopefully see your results.
I’m just trying to play my game and keep developing.”
The Red Wings, who moved back into first place in the Atlantic Division, continue to reap the benefits of what has proven to be an absolute steal of a selection by GM Steve Yzerman in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Robbie Ray was an All-Star in 2025. At least, up until the All-Star break.
His 2.65 ERA led the club into the July recess. At that point in the season, he ranked in the top-10 among qualified pitchers across the MLB in innings pitched, batting average of balls-in-play, runners stranded (LOB%), and opponents’ average. In tandem with Logan Webb, the pair were co-aces leading one of the better rotations in the Majors. They were an odd-but-effective couple: Ray’s blunt instrument attacks at the letters one day; Webb’s heavier rocks-at-the-knees the next.
The invitation to the Midsummer Classic was well-deserved. His last two seasons for Seattle and San Francisco were cut short by Tommy John surgery then long delayed by recovery. But at the start of the 2025 season, Ray was finally healthy and pitched with purpose from the jump. The relief he felt being back on the mound with regularity was clear, his loud grunts of gratitude echoed throughout the stadiums as he won his first three outings of the year. From the end of April to the beginning of June, the southpaw strung together eight consecutive quality starts. His strong performance had Fangraphs’ blogger Ben Clemens singing his praises, marveling at Ray’s ability to do so much with so little. Just a mid-to-low 90s four-seamer, three subpar secondary pitches, and a whole lot of backspin was ostensibly all he needed to not only be effective, but reclaim his Cy Young form from 2021. Out of nowhere, he flirted with a “Maddux” in Arizona, throwing his second career complete game. He then tangoed with future World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto right before the break, logging his 13th quality start in 20 games.
But this is a 2025 San Francisco Giants player review after all, so we know the good times just don’t last — and Ray might’ve been the first body to fall off the back of the wagon.
His first start after the All Star break came in Toronto in which he surrendered 5 earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched. It was his worst outing of the year up to that point — but it’d have more competition as he and the Giants slogged through the dog days of summer. Having allowed just 4 earned runs in a start just once over his first 20 games, Ray gave up at least 4 or more runs in 6 over his final 12, including a horrific, knuckle-dragging stumble in which opposing teams plated 22 runs in 22.2 innings against him over his last 5 games. His ERA over the “shorter half” nearly doubled. His K/9 rate fell and his BB/9 rate increased. Balls in play started finding holes and open grass. Hitters became more persistent. Innings drew on longer and became harder to close out. Ray’s left-on-base percentage dropped nearly 20 points. Opponent’s OPS rose from .608 to .810.
As disappointing and as sharp as the decline was, it shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise. Fatigue is always a factor for any pitcher in the latter half of the season. Not to mention the fact that Ray, who turned 34 in October, has been wringing his arm out like laundry for over a decade’s worth of seasons now. The fabric is worn, the color faded, and then there’s the long wrinkle of his Tommy John surgery that stretches back to 2023. His last full season with a proper pitching load was with Seattle way back when in 2022 (189 IP/ 32 GS). The 119 innings Ray logged over his first 20 starts was nearly four times his innings total from 2024.
While the final 3.65 ERA in 2025 is surely a disappointment considering what Ray initially seemed to promise, it’s still lower than his career mark, and the drop off shouldn’t be too surprising. Looking back over his career, Ray has never been a steady hand. His three-outcomes style opens him up to wild swings in results, making sustained dominance over a whole season difficult. The real accomplishment of 2025 for Ray is that he stayed healthy. For better or for worse, he notched 32 starts for the fifth time in his career. His 182.1 innings were just 11 shy of his career high. He would’ve been considered the workhorse in the Dodger rotation, throwing more than Yoshinobu, more than double Tyler Glasnow’s regular season innings, nearly three-times Blake Snell’s, and nearly four-times Ohtani’s.
Small points of pride — but points all the same.
Ray has one more year on his Giants contract, and considering how the offseason has played out in terms of pitching acquisitions, the team is counting on him to reclaim his partnership with Webb at the top of the rotation. They need him to stay healthy again…and to be better through August and September.
Can he do that? Sureyeerrrrmaaheeyybeeee…
All I know is that Ray is a pitcher who can be both fun and infuriating to watch — and often these emotions are felt in the same game, or in the same inning. A lot of his success in the league comes from getting out of his own way. Walks and home runs and home runs after walks have been his downfall for a long while now. When he won the AL Cy Young Award in 2021 with a league leading 157 ERA+, his HR/9 rate was 1.5, the same rate as it was the following year in 2022 when he posted a 100 ERA+. Players will always hit the ball hard and in the air against Ray, the difference is if there are runners on base when that happens. While he’s certainly used to, and accepted, that walks are a part of his game, they still very much matter. His 4.77 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2021 dropped to 3.42 in 2022, while his walk rate increased from 2.4 to 3.0. That small increase has a ripple effect. All those extra pitches thrown and extended innings add up over 180 innings and can whittle you down to average.
A pitcher like Webb has a myriad of ways to get a batter out in terms of pitch type and location. He’s not afraid of contact because it’s often shot into the ground. Ray is playing a much more dangerous game. He needs to miss bats. He needs the strikeout, and to get a lot of strikeouts, count leverage, chase, and whiff are key ingredients. Last season, Ray’s 27 Whiff-%, while still above leave average, was his lowest (in a full season) since 2016. His K/9 rate dropped below 10 for the first time since 2015. More plate appearances ended when the batter was ahead in the count against Ray than behind (265 to 253). Count leverage can mean the difference between facing an All-Star in the box or Matt Cain. An .888 OPS and a .455 OPS is pretty stark, and for Ray last season, it ended up being a coin flip at times what kind of hitter he faced. Best not to leave that kind of thing up to chance.
First pitch strikes are key, as are finding a way to wiggle yourself back into a count you fell behind in. Webb’s strikeout-to-walk ratio after he fell behind 1-0 to a hitter was still 2-to-1 last season. For Ray, it was a smidge better than one-to-one.
I think the key for Ray in 2026 is to reassert his fastball. This is somewhat obvious. As mentioned earlier, it’s no secret, with its backspin and rise, that it’s his best pitch — but just because its his best pitch doesn’t mean it needs to be saved for two-strike situations. In his most successful years, the four-seamer was a dynamic weapon in all counts. Ray threw a first-pitch fastball nearly 65% of the time in 2021, and last year that number dropped down to 49%. In 2017 (his first All-Star year), he threw his four-seamer 53% of the time when he was ahead in the count. Last year, that usage again fell to 49%. When he was behind to a batter in 2017, he threw his signature pitch 66% of the time; 65% in 2021 — but just 59% in 2025.
These are not monumental shifts in approach, but the drops seem to hint at a hesitancy or a lack of conviction around the pitch. Why? I don’t know, but Ray clearly needs to do better at establishing the fastball early on against hitters. If he doesn’t there’s a negative trickle down effect on the rest of his mix and his peripheral weapons become less dynamic. While his revamped change-up (with its Tarik Skubal inspired grip) got the most buzz last season, it’s Ray’s non-sliding slider that really feeds off of the four-seamer. The offering is an awkward duck for sure, with little drop or break, and easily turn into an ugly one if left up over the middle of the plate against righties, but when mixed in well, it’s historically flummoxed hitters with whiff rates nearing 50% for years.
As you can see, in 2025, the slider’s whiff-% came in at 29% — Ray’s lowest mark ever in a full season of work.
Ray’s fastball-slider pairing accounted for 90% (59% FF – 31% CH) of the offerings he threw en route to Cy Young hardware. Not all solutions lie in the past, and I appreciate the desire to evolve, especially as he strides into his mid-30s, but perhaps its best not to overthink certain things. Ray needs to quit playing around with toy pitches like that dang knuckle-curve and just lean on the attack.
Juventus beat Napoli to leave title challenge in tatters
Barcelona capitalised on two defensive mistakes by bottom-of-the-table Real Oviedo to seal a 3-0 victory at a rain-drenched Camp Nou, regaining top spot in La Liga. Goals from Dani Olmo, Raphinha and, acrobatically, Lamine Yamal powered the Catalan club to 52 points, one ahead of Real Madrid, while Atlético Madrid trail in third on 44.
Barça struggled to break the deadlock against a spirited Oviedo until they finally found the breakthrough in the 52nd minute, with Olmo striking home following a defensive lapse. Five minutes later, Oviedo’s struggles deepened, with the defender David Costas under-hitting a back-pass, which Raphinha intercepted before calmly chipping the onrushing AarónEscandell in Oviedo’s goal to double Barcelona’s lead. Lamine Yamal wrapped up Barça’s win by scoring in the 73rd minute with a brilliant acrobatic volley from an Olmo cross.
The most interesting moment of the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-1 loss against the Colorado Avalanche didn't come on the ice.
During the third period of Sunday's game, TSN's broadcast panned up to the press box, where the Maple Leafs' scratches and injured players were sitting. Pictured were Philippe Myers, Calle Jarnkrok, Chris Tanev, Dakota Joshua, and William Nylander.
Just before the broadcast cut away from the players' box, Nylander spotted the camera and, with a smile, stuck up the middle finger.
Hours after the game concluded, Nylander issued an apology, via his Instagram.
“Only love for Leafs Nation. Sorry about my moment of frustration today,” he wrote on his Instagram story. “Didn’t mean to upset anyone. Looking forward to being back on the ice and not in the stands. Love Willy.”
The 29-year-old is currently dealing with a groin injury, which he re-aggravated in Toronto's 6-5 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 15. Nylander scored a goal and an assist in the game but only played 2:17.
He's missed the last five games due to the ailment.
Nylander originally picked up the groin injury against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 27. It's unknown how the forward suffered the injury, which eventually forced him to miss six straight games before returning against the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 10.
The forward skated on Saturday, the first time he's been on the ice since re-aggravating the injury against the Golden Knights. Nylander and Joshua skated for 20 minutes before leaving the ice.
"We'll see where he progresses, and how he felt," said head coach Craig Berube on Saturday. "Hopefully, he can keep getting on the ice here and be ready to go. I can't give you a timeline on [his return] yet."
Despite missing 11 games from Dec. 27 to now, Nylander still leads the Maple Leafs with 17 goals and 48 points in 37 games. John Tavares is second among Toronto players with 19 goals and 44 points in 52 games.
Toronto's loss to Colorado was its fourth straight home defeat. The Maple Leafs have picked up just one point during that stretch, in an overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.
The Maple Leafs currently sit five points away from the second wild-card spot, held by the Boston Bruins. Toronto plays the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, and it's now arguably one of the biggest games of their season.
"We got to fix the execution part for me," said Berube after Sunday's loss to the Avalanche. "And then the battle level. When you get down in a game, we got to come together as a team and we got to fight through that, because it's going to happen. We all know that.
"But I think losing at home here, it's worn on our team a little bit. But that's pro sports and we got to all pull together here and get ready for Tuesday. We need a win."
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Linus Ullmark was in uniform as the backup goalie for the Ottawa Senators’ game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
Mads Sogaard will start in net for Ottawa.
Ullmark has not played since Dec. 27 after taking a personal leave of absence from the team. The 32-year-old netminder missed 14 games. He's 14-8-5 with a 2.95 goals-against average this season.
Stop me if you've heard this one before, but a former Philadelphia Flyers goalie is dominating for one of the NHL's hottest teams, and it may not be who you expect.
The Flyers were, at one point, one of those teams, though Dan Vladar has since gotten injured and slowed down overall.
They now find themselves five points back of the second wildcard spot and two points off third in the Metropolitan Division; either result would be satisfactory.
But, over the last few weeks, the once-lowly Buffalo Sabres exploded into third in the Atlantic Division from the bottom of the Eastern Conference, buoyed by a 10-game win streak that carried them into the New Year.
Leading the charge has been ex-Flyers goalie Alex Lyon, who signed with Buffalo this past offseason.
Lyon, 33, has racked up an impressive 12-6-3 record for the Sabres this season to the tune of a 2.70 GAA and .911 save percentage, complemented by two shutouts.
For the sake of comparison, Lyon won a career-high 21 games with Detroit in 2023-24 and now has a clear opportunity to set a new personal best, so long as he can fend off Sabres teammates Colten Ellis and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for ice time.
Lyon shouldn't have too much of an issue doing that if he keeps up the way he's been playing, though.
Dating back to Dec. 9, the 6-foot-1 netminder has won nine straight appearances, and eight straight starts, including a 24-save effort in a 5-3 win against the Flyers on Dec. 18.
Lyon did do his old Flyers club a favor by posting a 26-save shutout of the New York Islanders on Saturday in just his second game of January, but, with how inconsistent Sam Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov have been behind Vladar, we can be sure the Flyers would just prefer to have Lyon on their roster helping them directly instead of indirectly.
Anyhow, the Sabres have quickly become the story of the NHL this season after transforming a dismal start into a chance to become a rousing success should they reach the postseason.
Lyon, even through injury and a three-goalie rotation, has been at the forefront of that transformation.
1. Did Chris Drury have to announce that he's looking to peddle Breadman Panarin? Absolutely not!
2. Hockey author and Seattle Kraken reporter Glenn Dreyfuss agrees that Drury is in error. "Exposing an asset you wish to trade goes against sports dealmaking," says Dreyfuss.
3. When The Maven asked Dreyfuss to amplify, he graciously added: "Never tell the world you want to make a trade; that diminishes the value of the player."
4. The fact that the Rangers had to reach out for goaltending help and haul in Spencer Martin, a KHL alumnus, tells you how bare the Blueshirts AHL cupboard is in Hartford.
5. Vic Morren, co-host with Neil Smith on the excellent podcast "NHL Wraparound," asks an interesting question about Alexis Lafrenière: "Do you see a buyout possibility here? This (Lafrenière) may be one of the most useless players in the NHL."
6. Hey, what if The Breadman decides he loves living in The Big Apple so much he wants to stay here in New York. "The Rangers got to get Panarin to change his mind," says Jess Rubenstein. "Right now he's not interested in waiving his no-movement clause."
7. Jess adds: "I'm guessing that Panarin is looking to extract either a new contract BEFORE any trade or to punish Drury for what he did to the core of the team."
8. You don't need analytics to figure these equations: With Sid Crosby, Geno Malkin and Kris Letang, Pitt coach Mike Sulllivan missed the playoffs for three straight years. With an aging Sid, Geno and Kris, and rookie coach Dan Muse – the Penguins are hell bent for a playoff berth.
9. I don't have to tell what a wonderful job Sully has done with The Beloved Blueshirts. The Pitt-Rangers comparison says it all!
10. Not that this falls into the "Surprise" category, but guess how The Athletic NHL staff graded the Rangers at the halfway mark of the season?
TORONTO (AP) — Brock Nelson scored twice in a 1:12 span in the first period and sealed his fifth career hat trick with an empty-netter in the Colorado Avalanche's 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.
Jack Drury also scored to help NHL-leading Colorado improve to 35-6-9. MacKenzie Blackwood made 32 saves.
Colorado became the fourth team in NHL history with six or fewer regulation losses through 50 games, joining the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers (35-3-12), 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens (38-5-7) and 1975-76 Canadiens (36-6-8).
The last team with at least 77 points through 50 contests was the 2022-23 Boston Bruins (38-7-5), who went on to set the NHL record for wins in a season with 65.
Max Domi had a late power-play goal for Toronto, and Joseph Woll stopped 33 shots. The Maple Leafs are 24-19-9.
The Maple Leafs had a 4-3 overtime victory in Denver on Jan. 12, but have dropped six of seven (1-4-2), including an ugly 0-3-1 start to their current five-game homestand following an 8-0-2 run.
Colorado became just the fourth team in NHL history with six or fewer regulation losses through 50 games, joining the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers (35-3-12), 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens (38-5-7) and 1975-76 Canadiens (36-6-8).
The last team with at least 77 points through 50 contests was the 2022-23 Boston Bruins (38-7-5), who went on to set the NHL record for wins in a season with 65.
Nelson opened the scoring at 6:19 of the first on a 2 on 1 before adding his second just over a minute later on a sneaky pass off the stick of Artturi Lehkonen from behind Woll’s net. He has 27 goals this season.
Nelson tied Alex DeBrincat and Kyle Connor — both with eight — for the third-most 25-goal seasons among active American players. The list is led by Patrick Kane (11) and Toronto captain Auston Matthews (10).
Brock Nelson wasted little time reminding the league why Colorado invested in him, torching the Maple Leafs with a hat trick as the Avalanche opened a three-game road trip with a convincing 4–1 win over Toronto on Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Arena.
Nelson scored his 26th and 27th goals of the season as part of the three-goal performance, while Jack Drury also found the back of the net for Colorado. Mackenzie Blackwood rebounded from two subpar outings with a stellar showing, stopping 32 shots to anchor the victory.
The 34-year-old Nelson, who was recently named to Team USA to represent his country at the Olympic Games in Italy, surpassed his goal total from last season with 30 games still remaining, further validating the Avalanche’s decision to sign him to a three-year, $22.5 million extension in the offseason.
Max Domi scored Toronto’s lone goal, and although Joseph Woll delivered several strong sequences, he was tagged with the loss after making 33 saves.
First Period
Gavin Brindley sprinted down the ice early and tried to set up Taylor Makar for a tap-in at the crease in hopes of securing his teammate’s first NHL goal, but Makar just missed the puck.
At the other end, Martin Nečas broke up a prime scoring chance when Auston Matthews attempted a pass from behind the goal line into the slot for Matthew Knies Nečas tied him up effectively, causing Knies to fan on the shot.
Necas tied up Knies in front of the net and forced him to fan on that puck.
Blackwood coughed up a rebound, which created a dangerous chance, but we got away with it.#avs
Nelson opened the scoring 6:18 into the game by intercepting a Toronto pass in the neutral zone, bursting into the offensive end, and snapping a wrist shot past Woll to give Colorado a 1–0 lead. The blast was so forceful it damaged the net camera.
Just 1:12 later, Nelson struck again. Artturi Lehkonen worked the puck from behind the net and fed Nelson in the slot, where his shot banked off Woll’s numbers and in to make it 2–0.
Lehkonen was later sent off for slashing John Tavares on the hands, giving the Avalanche their first penalty kill of the afternoon. The unit responded with a clean kill. Colorado then earned a power play after Simon Benoit was called for tripping, but failed to capitalize.
Since the team meeting Jared Bednar held prior to the January 9 game against Ottawa in an effort to jump-start the power play, the Avalanche have converted just four of their last 26 opportunities.
Second Period
With 4:55 remaining, Nathan MacKinnon and Nečas broke into the zone on a 2-on-1 rush. Rather than pass, MacKinnon fired on goal and took a swipe at the rebound, but Woll was able to smother the puck.
Moments later, Cale Makar nearly extended the lead before Toronto defenseman Brandon Carlo chased him down, grabbed his right arm, and prevented the chance—earning a holding penalty with just over four minutes left in the period.
Colorado finally broke through again with 1:07 remaining. Parker Kelly stickhandled through center ice, elected not to dump the puck, and instead fed Drury, who snapped a shot from the left circle past Woll to make it a 3–0 game.
Third Period
The third period opened with a strong defensive play by Makar to deny a potential scoring chance. The Avalanche quickly transitioned the other way, where Nečas rang a shot off the iron.
At the 8:03 mark, Josh Manson was called for high-sticking Matthew Knies behind his own net, giving Toronto its second power play. Colorado’s penalty kill stood tall again, completing its second kill on as many chances.
After failing to convert on the man advantage, Toronto generated its best look in some time, but Carlo clanged a shot off the post. With 8:30 remaining in regulation, Colorado held a 34–24 edge in shots.
Matias Maccelli later pounced on a loose puck with a wide-open net, but Blackwood reacted instantly, dropping into the splits to make a spectacular save and preserve the shutout bid.
Toronto pulled Woll for the extra attacker with just under six minutes remaining. The Avalanche lived dangerously in their own zone, and Matthews narrowly missed wide as Blackwood went down into the butterfly.
Despite leaving the net empty for more than two-and-a-half minutes, Toronto couldn’t cash in, while Nelson narrowly missed completing the hat trick on multiple empty-net chances.
Finally, with 3:46 left, Nelson buried the insurance marker to complete the hat trick with the empty netter and silence the crowd.
Zakhar Bardakov was later penalized for batting the puck with his glove off a faceoff, drawing a delay-of-game penalty. On the ensuing power play, Domi scored his seventh goal of the season to spoil the shutout.
After going 4-4-2 over their last 10 games, it was certainly nice to see the Avalanche (35-6-9) get on the right track. And with a win or an overtime/shootout loss in their next game, Colorado will become the first NHL team to reach or eclipse 80 points this season. Their next matchup will take place Wednesday against Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators. Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. local time.
The Mavs were still awaiting takeoff on the plane, stranded on the tarmac in Dallas as of 3 p.m. CT for their originally scheduled 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) tip-off in Milwaukee. Dallas Hoops Journal's Grant Afseth reported the start time had already been pushed back by an hour to 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CT) before the NBA postponed the game.
The Mavericks-Bucks game is now the third NBA matchup this weekend impacted by the winter storm as midwestern and east coast states have experienced several inches of snow, and southern states have been hit by icy conditions with temperatures expected to drop to as low as -58 degrees in some areas. A total of 17 states have declared a state of emergency.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Los Angeles Lakers, who played in Dallas on Saturday night, will attempt to fly to Chicago Sunday afternoon for Monday's game against the Bulls. The Lakers, like the Mavericks, remained stuck in Dallas, however.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been playing better basketball of late, but there’s reason to believe they could make a move before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. One of the players that teams have reportedly been trying to target recently is versatile defensive forward Dean Wade.
According to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com, “no fewer than 10 teams have reached out and expressed interest” in Wade. Up until this point, the Cavs have rejected those offers. We’ll see if that continues for the next week and a half.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Mark Price shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
Wade is an attractive asset for contenders. He’s an incredible defender who can guard numerous positions. The Cavs have used him as both the primary defender on guards like Devin Booker and as a small-ball center when the team needs to space the floor.
That unique skillset is useful when playing alongside two shot-blocking centers in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Lineups with that trio on the court are outscoring opponents by 16 points per 100 possessions (97th percentile) with a 101.6 defensive rating (99th percentile).
Aside from his value on the court, Wade’s expiring $6.6 million contract fits into a lot of teams’ cap sheets. And if a team were to trade for Wade, they would have his Bird Rights, which means that they could go over the salary cap to sign him. A team trading for and signing Wade to a larger contract this offseason could also create an additional salary slot that they could trade in the future, which is incredibly beneficial if you’re a team that’s already over the salary cap.
Trading Wade wouldn’t make sense for the Cavs right now. They don’t have any other bigs that can provide what he does, even if the Cavs don’t think they’ll be able to sign him this upcoming offseason.
We’ll see what moves, if any, the Cavs make at the fast-approaching trade deadline.
We have reached the portion of the offseason where most of the major pieces have come off the board (and shocker — for the third offseason in a row, the Dodgers are drinking everybody’s milkshake, allegedly bullying everyone, much to everyone’s agita).
Never mind that the Dodgers have created an environment that both keeps and attracts the league’s best talent. No one can accuse the Dodgers of sitting on their laurels.
“We’ve agents reach out and say, ‘Hey, I know you haven’t called, but our player would really like to play there.’”
Andrew Friedman on the Kyle Tucker signing & the Dodgers culture.
At this point, as fans, we await the upcoming World Baseball Classic and the potential returns of Kiké Hernández (think when the 60-day injured list goes live) and Evan Phillips (think All-Star Break).
Rather than devote column inches today on the Gondola, or the absurd narratives that the Dodgers are responsible for the impending lockout in December of this year, which is just so dumb, but when does a lion worry about the shrill bleating of sheep, it’s really the same story but from different angles.
Let us instead look northward and at our northern cousins to see what, if anything, they have gotten up to.
As for the Arizona Diamondbacks, I have nothing to say as they are the last team to vanquish the Dodgers in October. Game recognizes game, even if you only thumped a now-retired-as-a-three-time-champion Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller, and Lance Lynn. I have been respectfully silent for three offseasons, which will be long enough once play resumes in March.
As for the Colorado Rockies, well, my mother picked Denver for the August trip.
But the Giants? I always pay attention because of the fact I live less than an hour from Oracle Park. Even if I wanted to ignore them, the citizenry will not oblige. And the Giants’ offseason can be summarized as follows:
Firm, Masterly Inactivity
To quote one of my favorite British comedies, Yes, Prime Minister, which debuted in 1986, featuring Paul Eddington playing Jim Hacker, a well-meaning doofus who ascended to Prime Minister at the conclusion of Yes, Minister (the previous series), squaring off against Sir Nigel Hawthorne playing Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Cabinet Minister: the Giants have mastered “firm, masterly inactivity” during this offseason.
I have been on record lamenting the obstinate, persistent mediocrity of our northern cousins during these past five years. Apart from a sugar high fluke of 2021, you can basically write the Giants being non-contenders in pen, while glancing and wondering whether a chisel and stone tablets might be more appropriate.
When I last left off, I had the following to say about our northern cousins:
Much like a kid who peaked in high school, instead of engaging in self-reflection and therapy when life did not go according to plan, the Giants assumed everyone else was the problem, 2021 was the norm, and they continued to double down.
And double down and double down. The fun part, especially as a Dodgers writer who lives in the Bay Area, the locals are starting to notice and grouse about this fact.
The Giants signed pitchers Tyler Mahle, Sam Hentges, and Adrian Houser…in a market that had Tatsuya Imai, Bo Bichette, Kyle Tucker, Edwin Diaz, etc. The Dodgers paid almost as much in luxury tax as the Giants paid in total to their roster last year. Talk about not leaving home.
When a head-scratching manager hire is the most notable thing about your offseason, even the locals are starting to wonder if Buster Posey has lost the plot. Sure, he will likely get elected into the Hall of Fame next year, but at this rate, he is mimicking the arc of other star athletes who went into the front office: woefully inadequate.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle spoke to Foul Territory on January 20, and she did not hold back.
To gently disagree with Ms. Slusser on one point, yes, the Giants finished two games out of a playoff spot.
However, portraying the Giants as having any serious postseason aspirations in 2025 is generous to the point of absurdity, without discussing the LOLMets trainwreck. The Mets started 45-24 with the best record in MLB on June 12 before melting down over the next 93 games, going 38-55, worse than everyone except the Rockies, the Washington Nationals, the Minnesota Twins, and the Chicago White Sox.
Yes, the Dodgers were maddeningly inconsistent this summer and even putrid in stretches, but they managed to right the ship, which clearly the Mets did not.
And even if the Giants had somehow bumbled their way into the postseason a la the Cincinnati Reds, their prize would have been facing…the Dodgers, who could be forgiven for what that thumping noise was while easily dispatching the Queen City boys.
Ms. Slusser summarized how team president Buster Posey has said he will make moves, yet ownership has largely been absent in this postseason regarding Bo Bichette (Mets), Tatsuya Imai (Astros), Cody Bellinger (Yankees), and Munetaka Murakami (White Sox). All were available at non-exorbitant contracts.
"He seems convinced that when he wants to spend big, they will let him, but we just aren't seeing it."
Attendance was up marginally in 2025, finishing 7th in baseball while averaging 36,121 per game, compared to 10th in 2024, when the average was 33,096 per game. At this rate, one wonders why.
Farhan 2.0?
Dave Tobener of SFGatewas even less complimentary of the Giants’ offseason on January 22 in a delightful essay titled “I thought Buster Posey had changed the SF Giants’ ways. Looks like I was wrong.” Some highlights to bask in include:
It’s been an underwhelming offseason for Farhan Zaidi and the Giants. Coming off a year when they missed the playoffs by a handful of games, it seemed like the organization was just a few key moves away from making a real push this season. But instead of addressing their most pressing needs in free agency or through a trade, the Giants instead settled for a series of moves that Zaidi is known for: signing pitchers coming off major injuries, loading up on backup catchers, and crossing their fingers that platoons can give them enough offensive production to get by. Very, very underwhelming.
Whoops, hang on – sorry, this is a lede I wrote a few years ago. I opened the wrong Word doc. Let me see here… well, actually, it still works. I just have to change Zaidi’s name to Buster Posey, and it’s good to go…
…As it stands now, the Giants are going to roll out a team that’s remarkably like the one that just went 81-81, only this time with a weaker bullpen, clear lineup holes and a shaky rotation beyond their ace. They seem to be counting on a new manager to generate excitement and right the ship, but has anyone ever bought a ticket to see the manager? Tony Vitello has been making the rounds lately to talk about how he wants the Giants to be the villains of baseball this season (which is laughable considering the team they share a division with), but what reason would anyone have to hate this Giants team? What have they done to make anyone fear them, let alone hate them?
The only vitriol may be coming from their own fan base. There’s a clear path to the playoffs in the National League that they seem to have no interest in taking. It’s maddening. Posey may not be turning into Zaidi, but the differences are getting harder to spot.
When it rains, it pours, because just before this essay was to be submitted, a news alert gave us one last gift.
A thimble for the ocean
To conclude, the media asked Giants’ pitcher Logan Webb after the Giants’ FanFest in San Ramon about his participation in the upcoming WBC. During the scrum, someone asked Webb his thoughts about the Giants’ offseason.
To his credit, Webb was diplomatic, while looking like someone being asked to empty an ocean with a thimble.
“It’s not my job to add guys or do anything,” Webb told reporters Saturday at Giants FanFest in San Ramon. “It’s our job to just go out there and try to compete. Obviously, yeah, it’s not fun for me to watch the team that won it and the team that kicked our ass a lot last year go out and get some really good players just to make it more difficult.
The Dodgers prevailed in nine of 13 contests in 2025. For the record, if not for Blake Treinen and Tanner Scott, that count would have been eleven out of 13 contests. And the Dodgers just added to their bullpen and upgraded their corner outfielder play, while likely saying goodbye to Giantkiller Michael Conforto.
Do I have much pity for an organization that helped nudge the Oakland Athletics into their exile in West Sacramento? Sometimes you reap what you sow.
The Giants did make an acquisition back in December that I almost forgot about: the Curran Theater, which is about a mile and a half from the ballpark and the Mission Rock development. I do not recall the McCourts ever buying a theater, but considering that 15 years ago, the Dodgers were the punchline, the recommendation for the Dodgers faithful is to enjoy every drop of this golden era.
If we were to do a Sporcle of the Diamondbacks current 40-man roster, I strongly suspect that Fernandez would come bottom of the list, in terms of name recognition. Jose is the youngest player there, having turned just 22 in September – beating Mitch Bratt by a couple of months. He was added to the 40-man in November, in order to keep him from being picked in the Rule 5 draft. As that implies, he has been in the organization for some time, signing to a $275,000 bonus in February 2021. However, he has moved through the ranks quite quickly, spending all of 2025 with the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles, in his age 21 season.
Bar Manuel Pena, Fernandez was the youngest player on the Sod Poodles’ Opening Day roster, and close to three years younger than the average player in the Texas League. In addition to his youth, Jose also had to handle a change in role this year. He switched to shortstop, having played mostly at third-base to that point. The position adjustment does appear to be a work in progress, Fernandez making 22 errors at SS over 104 games – though the play below was certainly nice. But with LuJames Groover likely embedded as the Diamondbacks prospect of choice at the hot corner (and recently named the #6 prospect in baseball there), changing direction might represent a clearer long-term path to the majors for Jose.
Looking at the raw stats, you would be forgiven for thinking that Fernandez enjoyed a break-out campaign with the bat. He had never posted a .700 OPS at any minor-league level, putting up a slash of .256/.292/.344 (.636 OPS) with High-A Hillsboro in 2024. So it might seem that batting .272 with 17 home-runs, for a .775 OPS, was a great improvement. However, Amarillo, which sits 3,600 feet above sea-level, is a total launching-pad. You think Reno is bad? And it is, in the 93rd percentile as a hitter-friendly environment. But Amarillo is more extreme still: #1 among all 120 minor-league parks. Fernandez’s OPS in 2025 was almost exactly at the Sod Poodles’ team average (.777).
Still, there weren’t many 21-year-olds playing a full season of Double-A baseball. The decision of the team to add Jose to the 40-man roster speaks to their interest in ensuring he remained within the Arizona farm system, and was seen as a credible selection onto another major-league roster. While he has yet to make an appearance on the MLB Pipeline top thirty, Fangraphs ranked him in December as the team’s #42 prospect, saying “He has the kind of wiry frame to make you think there could still be a little more pop coming even at his age, and you can dream on a utility guy with enough power to be dangerous. More likely, he’s a depth middle infielder.”
His presence on the roster was likely a decision made for protection, rather than any immediate expectation that Fernandez will reach the major leagues. Obviously, the team has its literal everyday shortstop in Geraldo Perdomo, who skipped only 19 innings there all last season. Should need arise – and I imagine we all fervently hope it doesn’t – Arizona has reasonably experienced backup options, already on the 40-man roster (or NRIs, such as Ildemaro Vargas). With no immediate rush for 40-man spots, I imagine Fernandez may well start the year again in Double-A. If we see him in the majors this year, that suggests something has gone rather wrong.
