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2 min United win a throw-in on the right, and then a free kick, which comes to nothing.
We have a minor celebrity in the tunnel! Kelly Osbourne, daughter of the late lamented Ozzy, is there and she’s wearing a Villa shirt. Is she playing? No, her son Sid is a mascot today. He’s not holding hands with John McGinn in the traditional fashion – he’s in his arms.
Continue reading...Can basketball be a force that helps bring a divided nation, a divided world together?
That's the dream of World Basketball Day. A day — designated by the United Nations to be commemorated every Dec. 21 — where we celebrate the power of basketball to unite communities and connect people around the world.
"There's increasingly few spaces left where we humanize each other, where we actually spend time face-to-face, eye contact, wordlessly negotiating and sharing and creating space with and between each other — doing the kinds of intimate, continuous, fluid communication that the space of a basketball court fosters," said David Hollander, an NYU professor who helped create World Basketball Day. "The game itself is an empathy lab. And so, yes, I believe it is one of the greatest exercises that people can engage in to begin to knit back together the social fabric."
It's a dream shared by the NBA and people who love basketball around the globe — and it's a chance to give back to the community through the game.
"World Basketball Day is a chance to celebrate the game and impact it has on people everywhere," the Celtics' Jayson Tatum said. "Basketball has had such a positive influence on my life, and I hope I can pass along the joy and skills I've learned, both on- and-off the court, to the next generation."
“Be nice to yourself. You're not going to shoot the ball great every night, but what you can control is your attitude and effort. And that’s what really matters.”
— Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA (@jrnba) December 21, 2025
- Klay Thompson with advice for the next generation of hoopers #WorldBasketballDaypic.twitter.com/Dw7J4dRMJJ
The NBA is doing this in part by announcing the extension of its longstanding relationship with the YMCA, collaborating on year-long youth basketball and community-focused programming that will reach 6 million youth in the next year. World Basketball Day also means events to connect with youth around the nation and around the globe.
"World Basketball Day takes on a special meaning this year as we commemorate the 175th anniversary of the YMCA, where the sport was first invented 134 years ago," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. "We are thrilled to join our many friends in the basketball community to celebrate the game's impact and influence around the world."
World Basketball Day is the brainchild of Hollander, an NYU professor with the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport. Holland teaches a course at NYU called "How Basketball Can Save the World."
"It's a very popular elective that treats basketball like a philosophy," Hollander said. "I created principles that I believe basketball stands for — the way you play basketball can be understood as a really good guide for how we can behave with each other. The way the game was intended to be structured can tell us a lot about how we ought to structure a society, and it's a game intrinsically of hope."
He eventually turned that course into a book, in which he drafted a UN resolution for World Basketball Day. That idea took off in a way he did not fully expect.
"Basketball was always intended to be stateless, borderless, global right from the very start," Hollander said. "And as the world tries to solve the problems that only a whole world can solve, I suggested that we ought to start somewhere where the whole world is happy and the whole world comes together, and the whole world agrees. And, I said, that place is basketball, and it should have a day.
"That's how it began."
World Basketball Day was established in 2023 by the United Nations. Not coincidentally, World Basketball Day is observed each year on Dec. 21, the date in 1891 that Dr. James Naismith hung up the peach baskets and first introduced the game of basketball at the YMCA in Springfield, Mass.
Part of what World Basketball Day has become is a focus on the future and connecting people. For example, last week marked the third annual United Nations diplomats basketball game, in which more than 60 diplomats from 30 countries played pickup at the local YMCA.
"In other words, these peacemakers are actually doing the thing that I hope basketball on a grand scale achieves," Hollander said.
It's not just the NBA and the United States celebrating this, it is FIBA — the international governing body of basketball — and its coaching clinics and camps in Africa on this day. It's local hoopers and content creators from Australia, Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines featuring World Basketball Day content across the NBA's localized channels in those countries.
“It's so cool to be from a different place and come to America and play in the best league in the world.”
— Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA (@jrnba) December 21, 2025
- Mo Wagner on what it means to represent Germany in the NBA. #WorldBasketballDaypic.twitter.com/pZafVPXYcL
"Basketball has always been global," Hollander said. "Dr James Naismith sent emissaries to teach basketball in 1895, as soon as he could right after he invented the game, to Europe to Australia, to China to South America. So it is no surprise to me that coming from all corners of the world are some of the most eloquent speakers of the language of basketball."
That language of basketball and how it can be a unifying force deserves to be celebrated. And, much like Christmas, we could use more of that force and spirit all year-round.
The victory was Texas Tech’s first over a top-five foe since defeating No. 1 Baylor 65-62 in January 2022.
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The only thing left for JJ Redick to do was joke about it. What else could be said after the Lakers made just six of 38 three-pointers in a 103-88 loss to the Clippers on Saturday?
“I was proud that we improved from three 4-for-33,” the coach deadpanned. “So we got better as the game progressed.”
With four regular starters limited by injuries, the Lakers’ ice cold shooting night doomed them to a season-low in points. Star guard Luka Doncic left the game with 12 points at halftime after a left leg contusion sustained in the first half. Redick noticed the NBA’s leading scorer limping on the court during the second quarter. Starters Austin Reaves (calf), Deandre Ayton (elbow) and Rui Hachimura (groin) were all sidelined for the game, as well as key reserve Gabe Vincent (back).
It left just LeBron James, who had 36 points, four rebounds and three assists as the Lakers (19-8) fell behind by 22 but cut the deficit to seven in the fourth quarter before fading again.
“We just didn’t make shots,” said James, who was three for seven from three-point range and made half of the team’s threes. “It happens over the course of a season. We had some great looks. We just didn’t make shots. But we still gave ourselves a chance to be in the game with how well we defended, our competitive spirit, our competitive nature.”
Here are three takeaways from the game:
The Lakers have been assessed five technical fouls in the last two games because of conduct with officials as frustration over inconsistent calls is starting to boil over. After Doncic, Jaxson Hayes and Marcus Smart were all given technical fouls in the third quarter of Thursday’s win over Utah, Doncic and Smart were T’ed up again Saturday in the first and third quarters, respectively.
“I think if any coach, any player, what we ask for is consistency,” Redick said. “And that's not to single any official out or any crew out, it's not about that. We need to know what it is night to night.”
Smart also drew a technical foul against Utah after attempting to talk to an official at halftime. When Smart walked away frustrated, he raised his middle finger toward the official, a gesture that got him fined $35,000 Saturday, the NBA announced.
“Sometimes you got to take the hit to get your point across,” Smart said Saturday.
Read more:Lakers lose Luka Doncic to injury, then fall to Clippers despite LeBron James' 36 points
Redick expressed additional frustration with the lack of transparency in the replay system and murky communication with officials. He said he has not received any feedback when he requests it and the distinction between plays that can and can’t be challenged appears to change every night.
The lack of communication has been frustrating for players as well, Smart said, who met with referees before the Utah game as a team captain, but still had his questions dismissed.
“The captain should be able to come talk to them,” Smart said. “They still don't want to hear it. So control what you can control. They don't want to talk, you know, you try and you move on. But it definitely is frustrating when you pour your heart out to this game and the feedback is literally waving you off, telling you to get out your face, and then giving you a tech because you're asking a simple question.”
The Lakers had their worst shooting night of the season by far, making just 34 of 88 shots (38.6%). The team that was second in the NBA in shooting percentage hadn’t shot worse than 40.3% from the field in a game this season. Even their shaky three-point shooting that was 23rd in the league (34.5%) found a new low: the 15.8% (six for 38) shooting from three-point range is the worst for the team since Jan. 3, 2024 when the Lakers made four of 30 threes in a 110-96 loss to Miami.
Smart, who had made 14 of 28 threes in his last three games, missed on all of his nine long-range shots Saturday and finished with five points on one-of-12 shooting. Jake LaRavia, who was acquired as a free agent in part for his three-point shooting, was 0 for four from beyond the arc. The 24-year-old is shooting a career-low 32.1% from three-point range this season despite his eight-for-15 start in the first five games of the year.
“I know I'm a good shooter, everyone on the staff knows I'm a good shooter, everyone on the team knows I'm a good shooter,” LaRavia said. “At some point, I have to make shots. Obviously, been in a slump pretty much this entire season outside of that first stretch of games where I was making some. But they'll drop."
Once Doncic left the game, the Lakers’ best chance at scoring points became “effort offense,” LaRavia said. Hustling, grabbing offensive rebounds and cherry-picking points in transition was almost enough as the Lakers pieced together a 15-0 run to cut a 22-point Clippers lead to seven with 7:56 remaining in the fourth.
Redick praised the team’s “incredible spirit,” noting that James led the charge in that aspect. In addition to making 15 of 28 shots from the field for his season-high in points, James had two steals and a block. After he drove aggressively to the basket for a layup through contact and finished a three-point play to cut the lead to nine, he was the first to dive on the floor for a loose ball on the next defensive possession when he poked the ball away from Kawhi Leonard.
With the Clippers (7-21) playing most of the game without center Ivica Zubak, who rolled his ankle in the first quarter and didn’t return, James took advantage of the smaller lineup by aggressively getting into the paint.
“He did a terrific job of driving the basketball,” Redick said. “Anytime he had [Brook] Lopez on him, he'd beat him up from the perimeter. Great game from him.”
James, who turns 41 on Dec. 30, has passed his unofficial “training camp” phase after he missed the first 14 games of the season because of right sciatica. He has averaged 30 points in the last three games while shooting 50% from the field.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
DENVER — Scott Wedgewood is tied with four other goaltenders for the NHL lead in wins and owns both the league’s lowest goals against average and highest save percentage this season; yet even with those credentials, he remains at risk of being overlooked for the 2026 Winter Olympics roster.
Hockey Canada recently announced that the Olympic roster would be unveiled on New Year’s Eve, and according to a recent report, Scott Wedgewood is not in the running to be one of the three Canadian goalies named to the team. However, his teammate Mackenzie Blackwood remains in the running.
On a recent TSN Insider segment, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported that Team Canada has narrowed its goalie pool to four candidates, including Mackenzie Blackwood, Logan Thompson, and former Avalanche netminder Darcy Kuemper.
HOW DID SCOTT WEDGEWOOD MAKE THAT SAVE!? 😱
— NHL (@NHL) November 17, 2025
Incredible. pic.twitter.com/rg5o8eSBny
But any list that doesn't include Wedgewood in some capacity just seems wrong for a variety of reasons.
When it was revealed during the offseason that Blackwood was dealing with a lower-body injury, Colorado Avalanche fans responded with a familiar, collective unease—the kind that carries an unspoken here we go again, signaling fears of yet another arduous season.
Wedgewood arrived in Colorado last year via a trade with the Nashville Predators and proceeded to deliver the finest campaign of his eight-year professional career. He finished 13-4-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average and a career-high .917 save percentage, numbers that far exceeded expectations for a presumed backup.
Many assumed the performance was an outlier and that Wedgewood would regress toward his career norms—perhaps dipping well below a .900 save percentage—settling back into the role of a capable but unspectacular No. 2. Instead, the 33-year-old has forced a reevaluation.
Scott Wedgewood deserves ALL THE STARS #GoAvsGo
— Sticks Up My Sleeve (@ayebeesees) November 17, 2025
While Blackwood recovered from what was later disclosed as lower-body surgery, Wedgewood shouldered the burden, stabilizing the crease and, at times, carrying the team. From the outset of training camp, there was a perceptible shift in the atmosphere surrounding the Avalanche. Goaltending remained the lingering concern, but Wedgewood’s play has largely erased it, offering reassurance that Colorado’s most pressing question may, in fact, already be answered.
Now 22 games into the season, Wedgewood has compiled a 15–1–4 record, pairing a 2.10 goals against average with a career-high .920 save percentage. Equally noteworthy is the manner in which Jared Bednar and the Avalanche have managed his workload. Wedgewood has made nine fewer starts than New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, yet despite the substantial disparity in usage, the two netminders are level in wins.
Viewed in proper perspective, if Wedgewood were just a typical backup, he would be exactly that—an unremarkable goaltender with average numbers, far from any serious conversation about league-leading wins or elite performance. But the reality is very different: Wedgewood ranks at or near the top in nearly every meaningful category, and yet he still risks being left off the Olympic roster. If that happens, we already know the expected excuse: “There are so many elite goaltenders, but only a few spots.” While technically true, being tied for the league lead in wins—and excelling across other key statistics—should be more than enough to earn a place on Team Canada.
The other excuse might be what we brought up earlier, the anomaly factor. That claim, however, collapses under even modest scrutiny. Wedgewood appeared in 19 games for the Avalanche last season and has already made 22 starts this year, many of them against red-hot opponents and the NHL’s elite. Despite the increased workload and heightened competition, his save percentage has actually improved.
As Michael Traikos, Managing Editor of The Hockey News, recently stated, the Avalanche—the NHL’s top team—boast not only exceptional depth but also arguably the two best goaltenders in the league. Beyond Wedgewood, Mackenzie Blackwood has fully recovered from his injury and notably recorded back-to-back shutouts earlier this season, posting a save percentage identical to Wedgewood’s. Accordingly, it would seem logical for Team Canada to consider selecting both Wedgewood and Blackwood.
The best team in the NHL also happens to have the 2 best goalies in the NHL.
— Michael Traikos (@Michael_Traikos) November 27, 2025
If you’re the Avs, who have seen Wedgewood and Blackwood combine for 3 straight shutouts, this is a great problem. If you’re Team Canada, it poses a complicated questionhttps://t.co/r08UAt8KtE
The final roster spot might be a contest between Logan Thompson and Darcy Kuemper, though the probability of that scenario remains slim. Furthermore, the options Canada had at the 4 Nations Face-Off last season haven't exactly been stellar between the pipes this season.
Jordan Binnington, Colorado’s favorite sweetheart, is 7-8-6 with a .873 save percentage. Then there’s Adin Hill, who has missed most of the season due to injury and has only recently returned to the lineup. In five starts, Hill has a record of 1-0-2 with a .888 save percentage—not much better.
Scott Wedgewood clearly deserves a spot on the Olympic roster. It’s obvious why—unless you’re completely blind. But life has a way of throwing curveballs, and as much as Wedgewood shouldn’t be snubbed, the reality is that he probably will be.
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Dmitri Voronkov(13), Mason Marchment(5), and Zach Werenski(14) scored the goals for Columbus, and Elvis Merzlikins shook off a sloppy start to make 24 saves in a 4-3 loss to Anaheim.
First Period - SOG 10-9 Ducks - CBJ Goal - Dmitri Voronkov-PPG
The first period was going pretty well for the CBJ until Mikael Granlund scored on a 3-on-1 Anaheim breakaway to make it 1-0 just 2:14 into the game. Jacob Trouba scored to make it 2-0 just 46 seconds later. Elvis Merzlikins had given up 5 goals in his last 8 shots, dating back to the last game he started.
Rookie Beckett Sennecke put the Jackets on the power play when he got called for holding the stick. Dmitri Voronkov took a nice pass from Charlie Coyle to put one past Ducks goalie Lukáš Dostál. It was his 6th power play goal of the season.
Kent Johnson gave the Ducks their first power play of the game when he shot a puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty. The Jackets killed it off fairly easily and is the 47th straight Anaheim penalty they've killed off.
Second Period - SOG 10-10 - CBJ Goal - Mason Marchment
Newly acquired Mason Marchment scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket when he knocked down a Damon Severson shot to get it past Dostál. It was a beautiful deflection, and in the celebration, he lost his gum on the ice. He picked it up and put it back in his mouth - No big deal.
The Blue Jackets went on their second power play when Beckett Sennecke drove through Elvis Merzlikins to get a goalie interference call. Elvis was able to pop back up and continue, but it was a hard shot. The Penalty was killed with ease by Anaheim.
Mason McTavish scored to make the score 3-2 at 13:36 into the second. Dante Fabbro tried to get a puck from behind the net to Brendan Smith, but it was stolen and fed to McTavish, who was standing point blank for the score.
Mason Marchment went to the box for tripping with 3:30 left in the second, giving the Ducks their second power play. Columbus was able to kill it off.
Third Period - SOG 7-7 - CBJ Goal - Zach Werenski
The first 10 minutes of the third period was a bunch of back-and-forth hockey with a few scoring chances each. Both Merzlikins and Dostál had to make a couple big saves each as well.
Zach Werenski continued his hot streak by scoring his 14th goal of the season at 12:44 of the third. Werenski's goal now puts him tied for first among all NHL defensemen in goals, and tied with Cale Makar in points.
Unfortunately, a common mistake reared its ugly head of the Jackets when they simply couldn't clear the puck after several seconds. Pavel Mintyukov put in the game-winner with just over three minutes to play.
Zach Werenski blocked a shot with his foot and collapsed to the ice, having to crawl to the bench in obvious pain. The CBJ ended up taking a penalty on the play because he couldn't get off the ice. They killed the penalty, but it was too late.
A replay of what happened to Werenski.
— The CBJ Center (@CBJcenter) December 21, 2025
Watch at your own discretion. pic.twitter.com/fU7CMPD5oQ
The Jackets would fall to the Ducks 4-3.
Final Stats
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Team Stats
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NASHVILLE — The Toronto Maple Leafs appeared to be in control of their fate while leading 2-1 late in the second period. However, a defensive coverage mistake allowed Adam Wilsby to walk into the Predators' zone uncontested and fire a shot past Joseph Woll, tying the game.
In the third period, Luke Evangelista gave Nashville a lead they would not relinquish with an incredible solo effort around Toronto’s defense—a highlight-reel goal likely to be shown for years to come. The Leafs eventually fell 5-3 in what was a very winnable game, and a disappointing follow-up to one of their worst outings of the season against Washington.
Following a loss to one of the Western Conference’s struggling teams, the defeat only intensifies the debate: are the Leafs’ problems purely mental, or is it a question of fundamental ability?
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube used the term "avoidable" to describe both of those critical Nashville goals.
"It's mental, for sure. We've got to get through it. We've got to get over that. We've got to make better decisions throughout the game." Berube said.
WILSBY'S FIRST OF THE SEASON 🤩 pic.twitter.com/MZgSEGwjK3
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) December 21, 2025
Toronto's bench boss had previously noted during practice that he didn't mind mistakes if they stemmed from aggressive play. While the Leafs did start aggressively—highlighted by Nicolas Roy scoring in his 400th NHL game on a line with Nick Robertson and Bobby McMann—that energy faded.
“There's definitely a shift we have to make mentally, where you never want to play 'not to lose,'” Roy lamented after the game.
NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT?!!!! pic.twitter.com/0z09mI3Re5
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) December 21, 2025
The statistics reflect this regression. While Toronto controlled 68 percent of the expected-goals share in the first period according to NaturalStatTrick.com, that number plummeted to 42 percent in the second and a dismal 22 percent in the third. Overall, the Predators outshot the Leafs 34-22. Despite the offensive slump, the club has largely stuck to a positive public message rather than identifying a specific cause
Not everyone agrees on the root cause, however. While some in the locker room admit to a mental block, the team captain took a different view.
"I think mentally we're fine,” Auston Matthews said. “I thought tonight, as shitty as it is losing, I thought the process was better. I thought we had good energy all night".
Regardless of the diagnosis, the results are stark: the Maple Leafs have fallen to last place in the Atlantic Division. They must now regroup before facing a formidable Dallas Stars team on Sunday.
You often here that the NHL is a results-based business and if it's not the mental side of it, it can only be ability. Are their top stars willing the team to success when they need to? Is Berube's coaching method not the correct one for this group?
Time could be running out, but a win against a top Western Conference opponent like the Dallas Stars could help calm things down for a bit.
As Nick Robertson summarized the locker room sentiment: “We haven't had that much success as of late... we've got to start winning some games”.
Fresh from a day off after their win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night, the Montreal Canadiens came out strong against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Martin St-Louis’ men were ready from the puck drop and skated with speed while showing great anticipation, forcing the Pens to commit 11 giveaways in the first frame alone.
The Habs were without newly acquired Phillip Danault, who is set to join the team in Boston on Monday, but they could have used him. Jake Evans, who started the game very well by bulldozing Tommy Novak, left the game before the four-minute mark after colliding with Ben Kindell twice near the blueline on a penalty kill. As soon as he exited the ice, he went straight to the dressing room when he got off the ice, never to be seen again.
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While he doesn’t play with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield anymore at even strength, Juraj Slafkovsky still skates with them on the first power play unit, and he made the most out of it when he scored the first goal of the game.
The big Slovak did absolutely everything on the play: he stretched his stick to poke the puck away from the Penguins' recovery attempt to Suzuki, then headed back to the slot and tapped the ice to ask for the puck, which Caufield passed to him. He didn’t one-time it, though; he walked in, picked his spot and beat Stuart Skiner with a sharp wrister high.
That was a fantastic shift, a perfect demonstration of how his game has improved this year: his confidence, his ability to shift from attack to defence and then attack again effortlessly. It’s great to see.
He didn’t let up in the second either; minutes into the frame, he backchecked and robbed the Penguins of a scoring chance. With Evans leaving the game so early, he even got to play on two lines at times, filling in between Josh Anderson and Alex Texier. It shows just how much St-Louis appreciates his body of work.
Through 40 minutes of play, Jacob Fowler had only faced 14 shots, including only four in the second frame, but he had to make some high-quality saves. His positioning and technique remind me of one Carey Price. I’m not saying he’ll have the same kind of career, but he’s so well-positioned in his net that he can make any save look easy, much like the winningest goalie in Habs history.
He made a few highlight reel-worthy saves. Including one when a Pens’ defenseman faked a slap shot but passed the puck cross-zone on the doorstep to Connor Dewar, who one-time it. The left-winger might have thought it would be an easy goal, but Fowler calmly followed the puck and made the save with a side-to-side move.
Later in the frame, he had to make the split to reach a puck, and while a rebound could have left him vulnerable, he managed to freeze the puck right away. Later still, Sidney Crosby walked in from the side with the puck on his stick, and he poke checked him as if there was nothing to it.
If I had written this straight after the second frame, when Pittsburgh had a total of 14 shots, I would have said it’s not about the quantity of shots but about the quality. However, in the final frame, the Penguins took 16 shots on net, and he once again saved them all. No matter how busy he is in a game, the youngster can maintain the same level of concentration, which is admirable.
Jacob, Jacob, Jacob...#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/lgF02sXUDl
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 21, 2025
In his fourth game in the NHL, Fowler was more impressive than in his first three, as if to send management a message that he’s not ready to go back down to Laval even if Samuel Montembeault is set to rejoin the team on Sunday. Both he and Jakub Dobes are waiver-exempt and could easily be sent down to Laval. Still, from a performance standpoint, neither deserves to be there right now, especially not after Fowler recorded the first shutout of his career. Asked about his young netminder, the bench boss explained:
He's a kid that you know, you feel like he’s got a lot of confidence, I think he believes in himself, and it’s not arrogance, there’s a big difference. He plays very maturely, like in all these games he’s getting right now, you can’t buy that experience. Playing on a Saturday night at the Bell Centre, you can’t buy that; you’ve got to live through it. He did that tonight, and he did a heck of a job. The way he carries himself, he seems like he’s been ready for this for a long time.- St-Louis on Fowler
While Montembeault lost his two games with Laval, he did look good in Saturday’s game, but I wouldn’t send another goaltender down until I’ve tested him in the NHL.
After the game, Jake Evans was still being evaluated, but the coach confirmed that he wasn’t flying with the team to Pittsburgh tonight. According to game footage, he got hurt on a knee-on-knee hit, and it would be surprising if he were to be ready to come back before the Christmas break. Montreal plays the Penguins again tomorrow and the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, which means that Phillip Danault’s acquisition will have been more than timely, especially since he and Danault can do the same kind of defensive work.
The Canadiens have announced that Jake Evans will not return to tonight's game after this play pic.twitter.com/8zD7HRB5Qc
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 21, 2025
Watching the Penguins play tonight, I couldn’t help but wonder if Sidney Crosby would finish his career there. I was always of the opinion that he was a Penguins for life, but tonight, seeing what they could or, more importantly, couldn’t do, I couldn’t help but think it would be a waste of his talent. A bit like Connor McDavid trying to win the Stanley Cup in Edmonton without proper goaltending. Needless to say, the trade deadline should be interesting this season.
The Canadiens headed to Pittsburgh right after the game and will play there tomorrow night before heading to Boston for their last game before the Christmas break on Tuesday night.
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A look at the Los Angeles Times' 24-player All-Star high school football team for the 2025 season.
With the NBA Cup in the rearview mirror, the next scheduling quirk for fantasy managers to navigate is Christmas Day. Not only are there the five games on Thursday for managers to worry about, but there's also how the lack of games on Christmas Eve affects the week. Twenty-eight of the league's 30 teams will be in action on Tuesday, and nine-game slates on Friday and Saturday follow Christmas Day.
The good news is that there aren't any matinee tip times on Boxing Day, so fantasy managers won't have to worry about missing the random afternoon tip time. Let's look at the Week 10 schedule breakdown and some key storylines.
4 Games: CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, IND, MEM, NOR, OKC, ORL, POR, UTA
3 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, GSW, HOU, LAC, LAL, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYK, PHI, PHX, SAC, SAS, TOR, WAS
2 Games: BKN
Sunday (Week 9)-Monday: None
Monday-Tuesday: CHA, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, IND, MEM, OKC, ORL, POR, UTA
Tuesday-Wednesday: None
Wednesday-Thursday: None
Thursday-Friday: None
Friday-Saturday: ATL, CHI, IND, MIA, MIL, NOR, ORL, PHO
Saturday-Sunday: SAC
Sunday-Monday (Week 11): GSW, OKC, POR, TOR, WAS
- Avoid the Nets at all costs during Week 10.
The Nets are the lone team scheduled to play twice in Week 10, and they'll be active on the busiest days of the week. Michael Porter Jr. will remain valuable given his production, and an argument can also be made for Nic Claxton. However, Noah Clowney may be a player fantasy managers can afford to move on from if they find a more active option on the waiver wire. Also, the Nets' matchups won't be easy, as they visit the 76ers on Tuesday and the Timberwolves on Saturday.
- Indiana, Oklahoma City, Orlando and Utah are among the teams with two back-to-backs to navigate.
The back-to-backs may not be a significant issue for the fantasy-relevant Pacers or Thunder, except for Isaiah Hartenstein. He sat out Thursday's win over the Clippers, which was the first game of a back-to-back. However, Jalen Williams played both games, a positive development for fantasy managers who waited patiently for him to make his season debut last month. While both of Indiana's back-to-backs will be played entirely during Week 10, Oklahoma City's second is of the Sunday/Monday variety.
Orlando and Utah are more concerning for fantasy managers. Jalen Suggs has been out with a hip injury, and he was not playing both games of back-to-backs before that issue came to light. His recent absences have raised Anthony Black's fantasy ceiling, especially with Franz Wagner sidelined by a high ankle sprain. As for Utah, they've already begun to sit players, with Jusuf Nurkić and Lauri Markkanen missing a game this week. Instead of waiting until closer to the start of the "silly season," now may be the time to hop onto the Kyle Filipowski bandwagon.
- Wednesday and Thursday are the light game days.
As is usually the case, there are no games on Christmas Eve after 28 of the league's 30 teams play on Tuesday. The Christmas Day slate consists of five games, starting with Cavaliers/Knicks and concluding with Timberwolves/Nuggets. Thursday is the day to target potential streamers, with Golden State and Oklahoma City being the teams playing on Christmas Day that will also be active on the final day of Week 10. Even with the Thunder edging closer to full strength, that could make low-rostered players like Cason Wallace and Ajay Wallace more valuable to managers needing a scoring boost to end Week 10. As for Golden State, their rotation has been challenging to figure out beyond the Warriors' proven options.
- Which Lakers stars will (or won't) be available to begin Week 10?
Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura all sat out Saturday's loss to the Clippers, and Luka Dončić did not return for the second half after suffering a leg contusion during the second quarter. The Lakers play three games in Week 10, starting with a return trip to Phoenix on Tuesday. There's hope that Dončić, Reaves and Ayton will be available, while the Christmas Day matchup with Houston may be a more realistic target for Hachimura. The good news, schedule-wise, is that the Lakers won't have to navigate a back-to-back during Week 10, and they'll have two days between the Christmas Day game and their matchup with the Kings to end the week. If Dončić, Reaves and Ayton are available on Tuesday, fantasy managers may be able to get a full week out of each.
- The Hornets have the worst schedule to end Week 10.
Only one team has no game scheduled for either Saturday or Sunday in Week 10, and that's Charlotte. After opening the week with an away/home back-to-back against the Cavaliers and Wizards, the Hornets play their third and final game on Friday in Orlando. Given the injury woes of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, it would not be shocking if Week 10 were a two-game week for either of them. Ball has not played both games of a back-to-back since Charlotte's second and third games of the season, while Miller played both games of a November 28-29 back-to-back against the Bulls and Raptors. Players like Kon Knueppel and Miles Bridges are more valuable due to Ball and Miller's injury histories. Still, the front-loaded Week 10 schedule doesn't do them or fantasy managers any favors.
- How many games will fantasy managers get out of Zion Williamson?
The Pelicans will play two back-to-backs during Week 10. First, there's the home/away back-to-back against the Mavericks and Cavaliers on Monday and Tuesday. Then, there are home games against the Suns on Friday and Saturday. It's conceivable that Williamson, who has yet to play both games of a back-to-back this season, is only available for two games at the most. Saddiq Bey has remained in the starting lineup due to Williamson coming off the bench, and he'll be worth holding onto, at least through the end of Week 10. Atlanta's Trae Young could also be looking at a two-game week, as the Hawks conclude their three-game week with a Friday/Saturday back-to-back.
Even if things haven't been going so hot at the NHL level for the Pittsburgh Penguins, there are some good things happening down on the farm.
And one Penguins' forward prospect is beginning to make a pretty good case for an imminent NHL call-up.
23-year-old winger Avery Hayes - signed to a two-year entry-level contract this summer by the Penguins - is on quite the run with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins right now. In his last 11 games, Hayes has six goals and 11 points to go along with 38 shots on goal, and he continues to get better and better as the season rolls on.
On the AHL season overall, he has nine goals and 17 points in 23 games - including three game-winning goals and the tying goal to send the game to extra time on Saturday against the Utica Comets, which ultimately ended in a 3-2 shootout loss for WBS.
Gritty effort from Hayesy! pic.twitter.com/Vg07kBaGtw
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) December 21, 2025
The undrafted forward showed out well in NHL training camp as one of the final cuts from the camp roster, making it until the last week. Hayes earned his entry-level contract last season after putting together a campaign for WBS that included 23 goals and 42 points in 60 games - as well as six game-winning goals.
He has yet to make his NHL debut with the Penguins, but given the big club's immense struggles as of late - Pittsburgh has lost eight straight games - it would come as no surprise if Hayes does have his NHL debut sooner rather than later. There is an NHL roster freeze until Dec. 28, so until that time, Pittsburgh can only recall AHL players on an emergency basis.
After Eighth Straight Loss, Where Do The Penguins Go From Here?The Pittsburgh Penguins are at a crossroads after their 4-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, which handed them their eighth straight loss. What's next for the organization?Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Australian captain: ‘I doubt I’ll be playing in Melbourne’
Spinner set to miss final two Tests with hamstring injury
Australia captain Pat Cummins could join spinner Nathan Lyon on the sidelines for the rest of the Ashes.
Lyon is expected to be ruled out for the last two Tests against England after suffering a hamstring injury in Adelaide on Sunday. And Cummins is unlikely to feature in the fourth Test in Melbourne from Boxing Day, while he is also doubtful for the Sydney finale from 3 January.
Continue reading...The house wins on Hockey Night in Canada.
The Calgary Flames continued their strong play on home ice Saturday night, earning a 6–3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Mikael Backlund led the way with two goals, while Connor Zary and Mackenzie Weegar each recorded three assists. Weegar’s performance included the 200th assist of his NHL career. Ryan Lomberg, Adam Klapka, Joel Farabee and Jonathan Huberdeau also scored for Calgary, while Devin Cooley turned aside 34 shots to secure his fourth win of the season.
The Flames went All-In early, and with Hockey Night in Canada spotlighting the matchup, the Flames delivered an energetic start.
Calgary opened the scoring at 3:54 when Zary drove the net and created a rebound that found its way to Backlund, who shoveled the puck home for his eighth goal of the season.
The Flames extended the lead at 8:42 after sustained pressure in the Vegas zone. Yan Kuznetsov’s point shot made its way through traffic and deflected off Klapka in front, slipping past Akira Schmid to make it 2–0.
Vegas responded at 10:02 when Riley Smith broke in alone, made a move to the backhand, and beat Cooley to cut the deficit to one on just the Knights’ third shot of the game.
Calgary answered again at 15:45 as Zary picked off a pass in his own zone and led a 2-on-0 rush with Lomberg, who finished the play to restore the two-goal advantage.
Moments later, Lomberg dropped the gloves with Jeremy Lauzon following the ensuing faceoff, igniting the Saddledome crowd. Calgary carried a 12–6 edge in shots after the opening 20 minutes.
The second period featured steady pace and flow, and the Flames capitalized. At 8:38, Backlund drove the net and stayed with the play, sliding home his second goal of the night off a pass from Weegar, with Zary picking up the secondary assist. The goal gave Calgary a 5–1 lead and marked Weegar’s 200th career NHL assist.
Vegas pulled one back at 14:34 when Kaeden Korczak fired a shot through traffic that eluded Cooley, making it 5–2.
The Golden Knights pushed in the final frame, outshooting the Flames 21-5 and applying sustained pressure, generating several quality chances. Mark Stone converted on the power play, batting a bouncing puck into the net to bring Vegas within two at 5–3.
However, with the Vegas net empty, Huberdeau scored into the empty net to seal it for the Flames.
Brzustewicz Settling In:
Hunter Brzustewicz continues to look comfortable at the NHL level. In his fifth game since being recalled, he made mature reads, directed pucks to the net, and even rang a shot off the post. He looks close to finding his first NHL goal any game now.
Triple Chip Performances:
Zary recorded his first multi-point game of the season with three assists and now has four assists in his last three games. Weegar also finished with three helpers, highlighted by his career milestone.
Captain Leading the Way:
Backlund’s two-goal night proved pivotal. With four goals over his last two games, the Flames captain continues to deliver timely offence and set the tone for his team.
Backlund on his hot hand:
“Some good plays, just trying to go to the net and put the puck in. Obviously it feels good to score some goals and help the team win.”
Lomberg on the goal and fight:
“(Lauzon) hit Matty (Coronato) pretty good a couple of shifts before… it just kind of worked out that I scored before I got the chance to ask him (to fight).”
Weegar on 200 assists milestone:
“I think I got more compliments on the plus-2 than I got on the 200th assist tonight… (Backlund) gets the goal that I got the 200 on and I look up to Backs a lot so it’s a great moment for sure.”
