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Dodgers hero Miguel Rojas announces retirement as he plans to stay with team in new role

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas running the bases with a dirty uniform, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers players Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas carry back-to-back World Series trophies at Dodger Stadium

Amid the Dodgers’ pain, hurt and frustration of their National League Championship Series sweep at the hands of the Brewers on Thursday night, Miguel Rojas added even more emotions to one final postgame clubhouse meeting.

As he had planned –– but not fully committed to –– throughout this season, the 37-year-old veteran told his teammates he was indeed retiring from baseball, making Game 4 of the NLCS the final act in his accomplished 13-year MLB career.

“This is it,” Rojas told reporters afterward. “I’m moving on with the next chapter in my life.”

Miguel Rojas runs out a base hit during the third inning of the Dodgers’ Game 3 loss to the Brewers in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Gregory Bull

“The last four years here changed my life,” he added.

Almost as much as Rojas changed the two-time defending champions themselves.

A Venezuelan native who broke into the majors with the Dodgers in 2014, before spending the next eight years of his career as a defensive stalwart with the Marlins, Rojas returned to Los Angeles in a trade ahead of the 2023 season, initially in what was viewed as a marginal addition for a star-studded Dodgers roster trying to climb back to the mountaintop after their 2020 World Series championship.

Right from the start, however, Rojas carved out an important role as a steady, experienced leader.

During his second Dodgers stint, he produced plenty on the field, hitting .260 with 22 home runs, 117 RBIs and versatile infield defense in 446 total games.

He was even more crucial in the postseason, contributing to their 2024 title before saving them in the 2025 Fall Classic with his game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 against the Blue Jays.

“I’m just proud of being part of this group,” he said. “That we were able to win back-to-back championships.”

Rojas will remain in the Dodgers’ organization moving forward, having agreed to transition into player development after 2026 when he re-signed as a free agent with the club this winter.

Second baseman Miguel Rojas throws to first base for an out during the Dodgers’ Game 3 NLDS win over the Braves on Oct. 6, 2026 at Truist Park in Cumberland, Ga. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I wanna stay here,” he said. “I wanna wear this uniform or this logo in a different capacity.”

Still, he didn’t want to take off his uniform –– or even his cleats –– on Thursday night, remaining dressed in his full game attire as he spoke to reporters after addressing his teammates. 

“It’s really hard to take them off right now,” he said. “It was really emotional after the game.”

Freddie Freeman (left) and second baseman Miguel Rojas carry the back-to-back World Series trophies to the field before the Dodgers’ blowout win over the Diamondbacks in their season and home opener on March 26, 2026 in Los Angeles. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post

Rojas never went to an All-Star Game or hit more than 11 home runs in a season, and somehow was denied Gold Glove recognition.

But to this Dodgers dynasty, he will go down as a core piece and a beloved veteran leader.

“He built a legacy,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “We’ll be talking about Miguel Rojas for a long time.”

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Flames' Slow Start Continues With 6-2 Loss to Golden Knights

The Calgary Flames dropped to 1-6-0 after a 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.

Vegas struck early and capitalized on its special teams opportunities, while the Flames struggled to find consistency defensively. Calgary managed to cut into the deficit in the second period, but the Golden Knights responded almost immediately to take control of the game.

Credit: Christopher Trim-Imagn Images
Credit: Christopher Trim-Imagn Images

Brett Howden opened the scoring just 25 seconds into the contest, skating into the Flames zone before firing a shot over Dustin Wolf’s shoulder to give Vegas an early lead.

The Golden Knights doubled their advantage at 9:34 of the first period with a shorthanded goal. Jack Eichel intercepted the puck and broke in alone on Wolf, beating him on the glove side to make it 2-0.

Calgary found a response while shorthanded in the second period, as Jake Middleton scored his first goal as a Flame at 10:15. Joel Farabee set up Middleton in the slot, where the defenceman ripped a wrist shot past Carter Hart to cut the deficit to one.

Credit: Christopher Trim-Imagn Images
Credit: Christopher Trim-Imagn Images

However, the momentum didn’t last long. Vegas answered just 48 seconds later, with Braeden Bowman finishing a quick passing play on the power play to restore the Golden Knights’ two-goal lead.

Vegas added another early in the third period. At 1:06, Eichel sent a cross-seam pass to Mark Stone at the side of the net, where the Golden Knights captain redirected the puck past Wolf to make it 4-1.

Stone struck again at 12:10, beating Wolf with a backhand to complete the scoring and completed the natural hat-trick late in the game as Eichel set up the Vegas captain for this third goal of the period.

Matt Coronato scored a late powerplay goal, but it was too little too late as the Flames fell 6-2.

Three Takeaways

1. The Flames need timely saves

The Flames couldn’t afford to give up goals at critical moments, but that’s exactly what happened in Vegas.

Howden scored on the opening shift, putting Calgary behind immediately. Then, after Middleton cut the deficit to one in the second period, the Golden Knights responded less than a minute later.

Those goals made it difficult for the Flames to build any momentum. Wolf and the Calgary defence need to find a way to limit those momentum-killing moments, particularly when the team starts to generate some offence of its own.

2. Special teams made the difference

Both teams found the scoresheet on special teams, but Vegas made better use of its opportunities.

Calgary got a shorthanded goal from Middleton, and a powerplay goal late from Coronato, while the Golden Knights scored once shorthanded and added a power-play marker of their own.

The Flames showed they can create offence on special teams, but they couldn’t build on that success. Vegas, meanwhile, answered Calgary’s shorthanded goal with a power-play marker of its own, quickly restoring its two-goal advantage.

In a game where Calgary needed something to swing its way, the Golden Knights consistently had the answer.

3. Middleton gives the Flames another scoring option

Middleton’s second-period goal was a positive takeaway from another difficult night for Calgary.

The defenceman jumped into the rush, found space in the slot and finished Farabee’s pass with a quick wrist shot. It was his first goal since joining the Flames and his first career shorthanded marker.

Middleton was brought in to provide physicality, experience and leadership on the blue line. Getting offence from him is an added bonus, particularly for a team that has struggled to generate consistent scoring.

The Flames need more contributions throughout the lineup. With the team searching for answers early in the season, goals from unexpected sources can help, but Calgary needs to turn those moments into more complete efforts.

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New Zealand cling to hope of Kalyn Ponga playing at World Cup despite broken arm

  • Kiwis fullback sustained injury in second half in defeat to Kangaroos

  • Ponga was a standout in his first Test since a switch of allegiance

Kalyn Ponga will undergo surgery on his broken arm but will remain in camp with New Zealand not giving up on the superstar fullback playing again in the Rugby League World Cup.

Ponga failed to finish his long-awaited Test debut for the Kiwis, departing in the 70th minute of the 24-22 loss after suffering the injury earlier in the second half.

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Dodgers manager sends direct message to Brewers after crushing NLCS sweep

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts speaks at a press conference, Image 2 shows The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after a win during the National League Championship Series, Image 3 shows Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell and Cooper Pratt celebrate a home run during a game

For the first time in a long time, Dave Roberts had to give a consolation speech in the Dodgers clubhouse.

The Brewers completed a four-game sweep of the back-to-back World Series champions in the National League Championship Series Thursday night, ending the Dodgers’ historic run to complete the three-peat.

Manager Dave Roberts had nothing but praise for Milwaukee following a crushing 6-4 defeat in NLCS Game 4.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts speaks to the media ahead of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series. AP Photo/Gregory Bull

“I can’t give enough praise to the Brewers organization and the baseball office of Matt Arnold and his staff and Pat Murphy and his staff. And how they got those guys to play,” Roberts said.

“They played flawless, they really did,” he added.

The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Murphy wasn’t so kind in his parting message to the Dodgers as the Brewers were crowned National League champions at Dodger Stadium Thursday night. For all the excitement and hype surrounding the Dodgers in 2026, the juggernaut miserably failed to live up to expectations in October.

Across eight postseason games, the Dodgers were 5-for-43 with runners in scoring position and stranded 50 runners on base. Their performance was not up to snuff to beat Milwaukee or even get a game over the Brewers in the Championship Series.

Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell celebrates his solo home run with Cooper Pratt during the sixth inning of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series. AP Photo/Ashley Landis

The Dodgers may have assembled one of the best rosters in baseball, but the 2026 group will have nothing to show for it. There are several question marks regarding the future of the franchise as the front office will have to navigate the direction of the Dodgers in 2027 and beyond.

But Roberts took the crushing sweep on the chin and mustered a heartfelt message for the Brewers, a team that will be remembered for dominating the juggernaut Dodgers.

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Knicks weighing options to keep both James Wiseman, Bruce Brown on roster

The Knicks’ regular-season roster is taking shape. The only remaining question is: will there be room for Bruce Brown?

Brown and James Wiseman have made it through preseason cuts. The Knicks clearly like both players. But New York only has room under the second apron in team salary to keep one player. In order to keep both Brown and Wiseman, the Knicks would need to trade a player on a standard contract without taking back salary.

My read heading into the weekend: Wiseman is a lock to make the roster. There is strong support to add Brown as well. The Knicks would need to make a trade by Monday afternoon if they want to keep Brown. I think they will explore all avenues to make that happen.

It's logical to assume that the Knicks will move third-year wing Pacome Dadiet. But I believe New York will explore other deals — including trades involving third-year guard Tyler Kolek — this weekend and Monday.

The Knicks will be asking teams to take on a player without sending back salary. To get a deal done, New York may need to attach its own second-round picks (New York will have at least 11 second-round picks in the next seven drafts).

Something worth noting here: multiple teams (Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers and others) are trying to attach second-round picks to work through a roster crunch. So the Knicks have competition in that regard. But given their plethora of second-rounders, they have the draft capital to get a deal done.

Here's what Knicks head coach Mike Brown likes about the veteran combo guard:

“Bruce has been through a lot with a lot of different teams at a pretty high level,” Brown said of the NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets. “His toughness, his experience, his feel, all those things — he's a winner. It seems like every place he's gone, he's won, but all those things can add a lot to the program, and then he's versatile both ends of the floor. He could play a few different positions offensively; he can guard a few different positions defensively. So a guy like that, especially a veteran winner, can be helpful to any team.”

Here’s what Brown likes about Wiseman:

“He's young, he's talented, you know, he's raw, still. I think he's still trying to establish a foothold in this league,” Brown said of the former No. 2 overall pick. “But with the God-given attributes he has, in terms of athleticism and length and quickness, [they] can bode well for him on both ends of the floor. And at 25 years old, he hasn't even reached his prime, especially knowing he hadn't played a ton of basketball; having a vertical threat at the rim will help [the Knicks], or could help everybody else play the game a little bit easier, whether it's driving the basketball or playing pick and roll.” 

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Four fatal flaws that doomed the Dodgers’ bid for a historic three-peat

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani strikes out at the plate, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman watches his hit during Game 4 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium, Image 3 shows Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow on the mound

Winter has come early in Los Angeles this year.

There will be no World Series three-peat for the Dodgers this season. No downtown parade to celebrate the continuation of their modern-day dynasty. Not even a return trip to the Fall Classic to try and defend their back-to-back titles.

Instead, despite a 100-win regular season and league-record $432 million payroll, the two-time defending champions were eliminated in the National League Championship Series by the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, ending their bid for history and sending them into an uncertain offseason –– one that could include an extended lockout, notable changes to the roster, and existential questions about how to retool around their aging veteran core.

Many questions loom about where the Dodgers go from here.

Many unknowns remain about what the sport at large will look like in 2027 –– and when next season, amid what figures to be a protracted labor battle, will even begin.

But for now, the focus will be on why a team with the most talent in the sport, the most October experience on their roster, and the best statistical odds of winning the World Series couldn’t even get back to it.

As a long winter begins, here are the five biggest reasons the 2026 Dodgers came up short.

No-Sho’ Ohtani

On paper, no team in the majors has a better-looking lineup than the Dodgers.

In reality, however, cracks in their offensive production have grown increasingly evident in recent postseasons.

Dating back to the 2024 World Series, the club has batted .219 in postseason play. In five of their seven playoff series in that span, their team average has been .206 or worse.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani strikes out during the first inning of NLCS Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post

Even in regular-season play, they have endured extended lulls and repeated second-half slumps. They’re a supremely talented unit, to be sure. But, despite all the big names they boast, they haven’t performed all that different from most other playoff teams, either.

Really, only Shohei Ohtani has been a true separator for them at the plate.

And this October, he was in no condition to help the club compensate for its other shortcomings offensively.

That’s why the team’s mismanagement of Ohtani’s injury saga this year proved so costly. For all his talent on the mound, his greatest importance to the Dodgers has long been as a hitter. And this season, the toll of his attempted return to full-time two-way duties rendered that all-important skill set void.

After all, it was no real surprise that some of the team’s other aging star hitters suffered inconsistent postseason campaigns. That was the case last year. Ohtani’s eight playoff home runs and 1.096 OPS helped them overcome it.

But this fall, the four-time MVP’s right arm and left knee injuries limited his capabilities in the box. Where the Dodgers needed a superstar to spearhead their offense, all they had for most of the month was a physically diminished slap hitter who struggled to even reach base consistently instead.

And even when the old Ohtani finally re-emerged in Game 4 on Thursday, hitting a mammoth home run that gave the Dodgers an early 4-0 lead, it was too little, too late, with Ohtani later coming up short again on a three-pitch strikeout with the tying runner at third and one out in the seventh.

That Ohtani and the team couldn’t better manage his health this season will be the biggest regret from this failed three-peat pursuit.

While he was far from the only slumping bat in their lineup, he was the one who, if fully healthy, could have made the biggest impact.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning of Game 4 of the NLCS. Wally Skalij for the CA Post

A mortal rotation

The other way the Dodgers overcame their offensive inconsistencies last year, of course, was through superhuman starting pitching.

In the 2025 playoffs, their rotation posted a 2.68 ERA and while averaging more than six innings per start.

Replicating that kind of production again always felt like an unlikely challenge.

Indeed, this October, even an equally star-studded staff encountered inevitable struggles.

Outside of Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s seven-inning, one-run gem in Game 3 of the NL Division Series, the Dodgers only had one other pitcher get past the sixth inning. And that, of course, was in Game 3 of the NLCS, when Blake Snell gave up back-to-back seventh-inning home runs in a gut-wrenching loss that all but ended the Dodgers’ season.

That didn’t mean the Dodgers’ rotation pitched terribly this postseason. They still finished the playoffs with a 3.89 combined ERA from their starters.

Given the fine margins that came with their lackluster offense, however, that wasn’t nearly good enough.

In the NLCS, the Brewers got to each of their big arms, chasing Tarik Skubal after five innings of two-run ball, knocking out Yamamoto in less than three innings the following day, ambushing Snell for three home runs in Game 3, then erasing their four-run deficit against Glasnow in Game 4.

In the same way Ohtani couldn’t put the team on his shoulders, neither could the rotation.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman lines out to left at the bottom of the third inning during NLCS Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post

RISPy business

After every loss this postseason, the Dodgers’ explanations boiled down to the same futile failure.

They generated plenty of chances for themselves. But, as manager Dave Roberts said for the umpteenth time after Game 3, “we’re just not getting those timely hits.”

No stat better epitomized that than the Dodgers’ 5-for-43 mark in these playoffs with runners in scoring position.

Such challenges, of course, aren’t unique to their offense. Entering Thursday, the league-wide batting average with runners in scoring position was .221.

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Tommy Edman reacts after striking out against the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS. Wally Skalij for the CA Post

Still, the Dodgers’ output fell far below that mark.

For a team that prided itself on “winning the big moments” each of the past two Octobers, they were repeatedly unable to do so en route to this year’s early exit.

“It’s just one of those points in time where it seems to go that way,” utilityman Kiké Hernández said of the Dodgers’ RISP struggles. “And it just happened to be at the worst time of the season.”

While that might be true — there is an inherent randomness to situational hitting — the issue has also been a recurring problem for the Dodgers recently.

Last postseason, the team hit .204 with runners in scoring position. This year, they ranked seventh in the majors in that category with a .262 but also experienced long stretches in which big hits felt impossible to consistently produce.

Questions about why that was the case will reverberate long into the offseason.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts throws out Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras on a ground out during the sixth inning of Game 3. AP Photo/Gregory Bull

Dino Dodgers

All season, the Dodgers downplayed concerns about having the majors’ oldest lineup. Throughout the playoffs, they embraced their “Dinosaur Dodgers” nickname.

But in the end, it was hard not to feel like the club’s age eventually caught up to it.

Exhibit A: They didn’t hit a home run in the NLCS until Ohtani’s blast in Game 4, lacking the kind of consistent pop that has helped carry them through offensive lulls in previous postseasons.

“I don’t know what you can really say to that,” Freddie Freeman, the second eldest of the bunch at 37 years old, said before Game 4. “That’s just people’s opinions of what that is. We do know we have an older team. That doesn’t mean we’re old and we’re playing bad because we’re old. We’re just not playing that great, in my mind.”

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Lakers vs. Nuggets Preseason Preview: The final dress rehearsal

The Lakers are down to one last preseason game which will be against the Denver Nuggets on Friday. The purple and gold will be back on their home floor for this one.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

When: 7:30 p.m. PT, Oct 16

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch:  ESPN, Spectrum Sportsnet

Just like that, the Lakers are just one preseason game away from the real thing that is the regular season.

The preseason has provided plenty of early clues about what lies ahead for the Lakers this season. Clues like which lineups work and don’t, what some of the role players can bring to the table alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves and even how the overall Lakers game experience — from the new PA announcer to broadcast — team — will look like this season.

But if there’s one thing that we haven’t seen yet in the last four games, it’s a complete Lakers team on the floor.

We saw perhaps the biggest signing of the offseason, Walker Kessler, finally take the floor in Tuesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors in Las Vegas. Kessler, who had 16 minutes of burn, recorded 11 points and nine rebounds.

Besides Kessler’s sensational defense, the highlight was witnessing him already running plays with Reaves, who had himself a night with 28 points and seven assists.

The Lakers may have come up short after resting their key players in the second half but this one was still arguably their most entertaining preseason game yet. Now the question is, will the fun continue in Friday’s dress rehearsal against the Nuggets?

Hopefully we see even just a few minutes of Dončić, Kessler and Reaves together on the floor. If those three indeed suit up, it’ll be interesting to see who takes the last two slots in the starting five as well as head coach JJ Redick’s substitution patterns.

Speaking of Redick, yes, it may be preseason but it’s hard to imagine him not having a game plan against Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets. Note that this will also be the Nuggets’ last preseason game, so it’s fair to assume that they’ll treat this one like a dress rehearsal as well. All of Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon played minimal minutes in their previous game so they could possibly suit up and do the same on Friday.

It may be preseason, but it sure will be nice to see how these two projected playoff teams in the Western Conference match up. Remember, the purple and gold have won four of their last six matches against the Nuggets since Dončić arrived in Los Angeles. Facing a reenergized Nuggets team is a great test for the Lakers ahead of the season opener.

Let’s see if LA can get that win on Friday.

Notes and Updates

  • Collin Sexton has yet to play in any preseason game as he continues to recover from a lower leg injury. There is optimism that he could play on opening night.
  • One thing to look at for in Friday’s game is how the Lakers perform in the rebounding department, something they worked on in practice on Thursday.
  • We have an exciting new feature in our app this season. It’s easier than ever to chat in our game threads. Each game, this post will become a live chat and will be easy to find at the top of the Lakers community page, so be sure to download the app and give it a try this preseason.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

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Brewers manager twists the knife after Dodgers’ humiliating postseason collapse

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy smiles while being interviewed on the podium after winning the NLCS, Image 2 shows The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate with pitcher Aaron Ashby after the final out of Game 4 of baseball's National League Championship Series, Image 3 shows Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches from the dugout holding a bat

The Dodgers’ season is over.

After losing four straight games to the Brewers in the National League Championship series, the hopes of a historic three-peat have diminished. As Milwaukee accepted the National League pennant at Dodger Stadium Thursday night, Brewers manager Pat Murphy took a moment to send a somewhat cruel message to the back-to-back World Series champions.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy celebrates on the podium after defeating the against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“They may have a bunch of Hall of Famers, but we have a bunch of gamers, and the gamers won this week,” Murphy said on the broadcast.

The Dodgers completely collapsed this October. After incredible World Series runs in 2024 and 2025, the magic was gone.

The Brewers outperformed LA in every facet of the game. Milwaukee’s hitting was superior. The defense was elite. The Brewers out-pitched baseball’s juggernaut.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches from the dugout during the ninth inning of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate with pitcher Aaron Ashby (26) after the final out of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series. AP Photo/Gregory Bull

The Dodgers starting rotation — filled with Cy Young winners, All-Stars and World Series MVPs — posted a 6.50 ERA in the NLCS. The Dodgers lineup — which featured nine players with at least one All-Star selection to their name — was 4-for-27 with runners in scoring position.

The Dodgers assembled one of the greatest rosters in baseball, but fell short in what is likely to be remembered as one of the worst postseason collapses in MLB history. LA couldn’t muster a single win over the Brewers throughout the NLCS, despite the star-studded team.

Evidently, Milwaukee is reveling in its historic sweep of the Dodgers as Murphy’s comments are sure to sting ahead of a trying offseason for the organization.

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Instant Analysis: Two Nights After Blowout Win, Blues Get Rattled Despite Late Rally In 5-4 Loss To Wild

The St. Louis Blues knew the objective would be tough facing the Minnesota Wild on Thursday despite the home side missing a plethora of key players due to injury.

Instead of accounting for who wasn’t in the Blues’ lineup, they needed to be more mindful of of the ones that were in the game, namely the Wild’s best players.

Minnesota’s top line of Matt Boldy, Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek combined for nine points, and Quinn Hughes – Minnesota’s best defenseman – had two assists, and the turnover-prone Blues, in search of a three-game winning streak, saw that notion come crashing to a halt despite making it interesting late in a 5-4 loss at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minn.

The Blues (3-3-1) have split their two games of a three-game road trip after a 7-2 win against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.

Let’s get to the key moments of the game …

* Too many turnovers – If there’s one thing the Blues have done a decent job of in the early going this season is take care of the puck.

Not Thursday.

Even though the Blues were playing not up to par, two costly turnovers led directly to Wild goals that essentially put the game away.

It had already been a tough night for the Cam-Fowler-Brandon Carlo defensive pairing (more below), but the Blues had some positive momentum going, and when Connor McMichael paid a puck for Fowler to step into in the offensive zone and the veteran D-man fumbled it, it led to the Wild transitioning the other way, and Kaprizov would eventually make it 4-2 at 8:47 of the second period:

And in the simplest of plays, and at the end of his shift, Philip Broberg had a puck on the left side of the ice, and as partner Colton Parayko went off for a change, Justin Barron jumped on, took a pass from Broberg but fumbled it in the neutral zone.

The puck turned back in the D-zone, Broberg is tired and badly needed a change, and the line on the ice wasn’t able to win a puck back before Kaprizov found Boldy for a one-timer in the left circle for the hat trick goal and a 5-2 lead at 16:47 of the second:

The turnovers were a microcosm of the Blues’ play throughout much of the game that kept this game closer than the score thanks to some terrific saves by Joel Hofer.

And then there was that learning moment for Dylan Peterson, playing in just his second NHL game.

Instead of chipping a puck in and going to work on the forecheck, which is his game, the 24-year-old tried to stick-handle along the wall, got stripped and it was off to the races for Minnesota before Danila Yurov made it 2-1 at 11:17 of the first:

* Too many odd-man rushes – The Blues, even with the Wild missing a lot of their veteran players, couldn’t afford to play a track meet game against this team.

But tying in with the turnovers, that’s what it turned into, and at least through two periods, the odd-man chances were 6-1 in favor of the Wild and scoring chances were 21-11. A lot of those came off the odd-man rushes, but as mentioned, Hofer was making some really nice stops.

* Tough night for the Fowler-Carlo pairing – A veteran pairing that had been really strong to begin the season, this pairing did not have a good night.

We already mentioned the fumbled puck of Fowler that led to Minnesota’s fourth goal, but it seemed like they were a step slow in reading coverage and as a result, backing in instead of attacking Minnesota’s forwards.

Let’s call it a one-off, or at least Blues fans hope it is, because they have been steady-solid to begin the season.

Fowler did end up with three assists in the game after two late third-period goals, but through 40 minutes, he and Carlo were each a minus-3 and a three-goal deficit was too much to overcome.

* Berggren takes advantage – With Pavel Buchnevich (expecting birth of child) returning to St. Louis and missing the game, the Blues needed someone to step into the special teams slot vacated by Buchnevich, and Jonatan Berggren, already getting minutes on the PK, was inserted onto the power play and it paid immediate dividends with a beautiful power move to the net and backhand goal that actually gave the Blues a 1-0 lead 1:45 into the game that gave Berggren a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists):

* McTavish keeps shining – Hofer had made a series of really good saves that at the time kept it a one-goal game at 2-1, and you had a sense that normally when that happens, teams find a way to score the tying goal, and Mason McTavish did just that when his breakaway goal, off a clever pass from Pius Suter to spring him, tied the game 2-2 at 4:57 of the second:

It was just what the doctor ordered until …

* Poor shift after tying goal – The Wild retook the lead just 27 seconds later when Boldy would get his second of the game and make it 3-2 and the Blues could never recover.

Blues coach Jim Montgomery had the Dalibor Dvorsky line on the ice with Jake Neighbours and Pius Suter and the Fowler-Carlo pairing, and what does a coach always say after scoring: the next shift of always crucial.

The Blues actually get the puck into the Minnesota zone, and they’re in position everywhere on the ice, but when the puck gets whipped along the right boards to the Blues’ blue line, the puck gets chipped in, and Fowler had already backed in and was now fending a 2-on-1 forecheck, which he wasn’t able to win, and Jake Neighbours was caught puck-watching until it was too late to identify where Boldy was:

But ultimately what was a 3-on-3 from the blue line going in wasn’t played well at all and cost the Blues big time.

* Costly penalties against league’s top power play unit hurt – The strong start on the Berggren goal was wiped out by two costly penalties that enabled Boldy to get his first of the night and tie it.

McTavish was whistled for a high stick 200 feet from his net, then Neighbours got called for tripping giving Minnesota 28 seconds of a 5-on-3, which the Wild took advantage of on Boldy’s one-timer at 7:31 of the first, or with five seconds on the two-man advantage.

And even though the Blues have been strong out of the gates on the PK, having to kill five penalties against this team despite going 4-for-5 is asking a lot.

* Thomas, Holloway finally get on the board; can that get them going? -- Well, yoou were just sitting back and wondering when Robert Thomas and/or Dylan Holloway would get on the board with goals.

Two-thirds of the Blues’ top line, along with Jimmy Snuggerud, has seen remnants of looking like they would break out, and they combined for six points last Saturday in a win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, but it had been slim pickings for this unit as a whole.

Serving a penalty when Hofer was nabbed for interfering with Kaprizov behind the Blues’ net, Thomas would finish off a play and score the Blues’ third shorthanded goal in seven games and second in as many to make it a 5-3 game with four minutes on the clock, using patience to gain the zone before feeding Fowler for a good look before potting home the rebound:

And with a sixth attacker on the ice, Holloway finally got his first with 15 seconds on the clock to make it 5-4:

The goals didn’t help the Blues win, but just getting on the board could certainly fuel this trio on a run, which they can definitely benefit from.

* Need to start winning divisional games – After beating the Dallas Stars 4-0 in the season-opener, the Blues have now lost three straight to divisional opponents. This was a sore spot last season when they went 10-16-0 in that department, and if they want to be relevant in the playoff chase this season, those are the teams they’re going to have to be beating, and with another divisional game on the road – the first five within the division are on the road – against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, these are the games they need to start being on the better side of.

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Have Brewers ever won World Series? What to know about last trip

Manager Pat Murphy and the Milwaukee Brewers are headed to the World Series.

The Brewers advanced to Fall Classic after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Thursday, Oct. 15.

Jake Bauers was named the NLCS MVP after posting an .412 on-base percentage with a home run and six RBIs in four games, including two epic game-changing at-bats.

Milwaukee became the first team in MLB history to sweep a team in the postseason after being swept by the same team the previous year. The Brewers are now just four wins away from winning a title for the franchise.

Here's when the Brewers last appeared in the World Series:

Brewers last World Series appearance

Brewers have not played in the World Series since losing Game 7 to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982.

Then playing in the American League. Brewers dropped the last two games in that series to fall short in the title series.

Did the Brewers ever win a World Series?

The Brewers have not won a World Series in its history. Milwaukee is one of five teams that haven’t won a World Series in MLB history.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Have Brewers ever won World Series? What to know about last trip

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Dodgers' disaster leaves massive questions on LA's offseason, free agents

What now?

The Los Angeles Dodgers' season is over. Their bid for history failed. Their hopes swept away on their home field as the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate their first pennant in 44 years.

Now comes an offseason of uncertainty in LA.

Put owner Mark Walter's federal investigations aside; let's ignore the (seemingly) impending lockout as the MLB owners' tense standoff with the players' union over a salary cap doesn't appear to be anywhere close to a resolution. The Dodgers have nine players set to hit free agency this winter and, given that the average age of their lineup is 30.9 years old − the oldest in the big leagues, according to Baseball Reference − the clubhouse might look a bit different come next spring training, whenever that might be.

The Dodgers are old

"When you do think about it, it is special what we have accomplished over the last couple years," Freddie Freeman told reporters before Game 4. "And we still want this to keep going. We know we have a lot left in the tank together. It's a great group of guys, been through a lot, been all over this world together."

Freeman is one of three former MVPs on the Dodgers alongside Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani. He's also 36 years old. Retirement isn't likely this offseason, but he's talked about his baseball mortality before and will enter the final year of the six-year, $162 million contract he signed in 2022. Betts, 33, and Ohtani, 31, are also on the other side of 30. In fact, the only regular fixtures in LA's lineup under 30 years old this season were Kyle Tucker, 29, and Andy Pages, 25.

Free agents

Miguel Rojas' contract expires this winter; he's strongly considering retirement but has definitively said he won't play for any other organization besides the Dodgers at this point in his career. One of the most important figures in the clubhouse, Rojas is a vocal leader and mentor to several of the younger players; when Betts was transitioning to shortstop, it was Rojas who stayed on the field with him every day to take groundballs and give advice to the Gold Glove outfielder. If Rojas does hang up his (often customized) cleats, he'll likely step into some sort of coaching or player development role within the organization.

Kiké Hernández held back tears when addressing reporters after the Dodgers' Game 3 loss on Wednesday.

"We didn’t expect to be in this situation, this position," he said, referring to their 3-0 deficit. "But this one sucks."

Hernández's biggest moments have come in October, but like Rojas, at this point in his career, his biggest contribution is his leadership. He's battled through injuries this year, including offseason elbow surgery that delayed his 2026 debut until May, but this winter Andrew Friedman will need to decide whether Hernández's clubhouse presence justifies his declining bat.

Here's the full list of Dodgers set to be free agents, according to Spotrac:

  • Tarik Skubal, LHP
  • Evan Phillips, RHP
  • Miguel Rojas, IF
  • Kiké Hernández, UTIL
  • Alex Vesia, LHP
  • Kris Bubic, LHP
  • Blake Treinen, RHP
  • Brusdar Graterol, RHP
  • Eric Lauer, LHP

Where does Josue De Paula fit next season?

De Paula was thrust into the big leagues when Ohtani went on the IL in September and was an immediate spark to the Dodgers any time he stepped foot in the batter's box. The 21-year-old's impact popped out on the stat sheet with his 1.081 OPS in a small sample size of 11 games, but it also showed up in the intangibles − his poise, his confidence, and a plate discipline beyond his years.

He made enough of an impression to make the 26-man postseason roster as a lefty bench bat, where he continued to thrive. De Paula didn't register a hit this postseason, but each of his two walks in three plate appearances were in clutch situations that gave the Dodgers a fighting chance late. The moment proved not to be too big for the No. 6-ranked prospect in baseball.

That all begs the question: where does he go next season?

De Paula may have proved that his bat is MLB-ready, but his defense as a corner outfielder is still a work in progress.

"Right now, as we've talked about, we view him as a DH," Friedman said in late September. "I think the improvement that Josue had in the outfield from '24 to '25, to '26 is real and for us, it's about taking another big step going into '27. He's got the tools and the ability to do it."

Every day, both in those two weeks in September and throughout the postseason, De Paula has been spotted working at just that. He's shagging fly balls, taking pointers from manager Dave Roberts, third base coach Dino Ebel, and Betts. He was even spotted taking reps at shortstop at one point during the NLCS. Defense has been De Paula's number one priority, and he's vowed to "shut a lot of people up with my defense."

If he takes that leap by spring, he could potentially force a conversation on where he could fit in on the roster among Tucker and Teoscar Hernández.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers' disaster leaves massive questions on LA's offseason, free agents

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Heroes and zeros: Dodgers’ October nightmare ends with a whimper

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy celebrates with a microphone in hand next to a trophy on a podium after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy reacts after striking out while Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras walks back to the dugout, Image 3 shows Milwaukee Brewers' Jake Bauers heads to second base after hitting a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers

Heroes, zeros and other observations from the Dodgers’ 6-4, season-ending loss to the Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, which completed a pennant-clinching sweep for Milwaukee:

Zero: The Dodgers’ offense –– after the second inning

In 2004, one clutch stolen base changed everything for the Boston Red Sox.

In 2026, it briefly felt like one cathartic swing could potentially spark something similar for the Dodgers.

In the bottom of the second inning Thursday, the team finally had its breakthrough moment, taking a 4-0 lead after a long-awaited home run swing from Shohei Ohtani.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani hits a home run at the bottom of the second inning. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post

It was the four-time MVP’s first long ball since Aug. 18, snapping his career-long 25-game homer drought. It was also the Dodgers’ first big fly of this series, representing the first true sign of life all week from their slumping offense.

However, it wouldn’t last.

As the Brewers came storming back, the Dodgers’ bats once again went mysteriously cold.

Ex-Dodger Dustin May gave up the home run to Ohtani, but then responded with a couple of shut-down innings. Left-hander JoJo Romero came out of the Milwaukee bullpen next, and also threw up a couple scoreless frames, stranding the potential tying run in scoring position in the sixth by striking out Max Muncy and sending him spiking his bat into the dirt.

From there, the Brewers only needed one more arm.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras returns to the dugout as Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) slams his bat after striking out to end the sixth inning. AP Photo/Gregory Bull

Hard-throwing southpaw Aaron Ashby entered for the seventh and gave up a leadoff double to Andy Pages, but stranded him by striking out Ohtani on three pitches and getting Mookie Betts to bounce one to short.

In the eighth, the Dodgers had life again after Will Smith lined a ball into the right-field corner that kicked away from Sal Frelick, allowing him to reach third with one out. But Ashby buckled down once more, getting Kyle Tucker to hit a shallow fly ball and Teoscar Hernández to strike out swinging.

In the ninth, Ashby returned for a third inning of work, and retired the side in order.

Game, set, match. National League pennant to the Brewers.

Hero: Jake Bauers

If you want to know why this year’s Brewers team is different from the one that got swept by the Dodgers in last year’s NLCS, all you have to do is look at the series MVP winner.

Before this season, Jake Bauers was a journeyman slugger who had never hit better than .235 in a season while playing for five different big-league teams.

But this year, he blossomed in Milwaukee’s player development factory, hitting .266 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs.

Milwaukee Brewers’ Jake Bauers (9) heads to second base after hitting a two-RBI double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning in Game 4. Caroline Brehman/UPI/Shutterstock

And this week, he inflicted pain on the Dodgers time and again, following up his pivotal 12-pitch walk against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, and a go-ahead two-run homer in an 11-pitch battle against Blake Snell in Game 3, with a couple more heroic moments that helped the Brewers overcome their four-run deficit.

In the fourth inning, he hit a two-run ground-rule double that cut the Dodgers’ lead in half. In the fifth, he drew a bases-loaded walk that erased it, giving him an NLCS-best six RBIs in this four-game series.

Like the rest of the Brewers’ relentless lineup, he fought off pitches, worked long at-bats, and kept Dodgers pitching under constant stress.

For a small-market franchise that has had to find different ways –– and undervalued players –– to win, he has been the epitome of their success, and the No. 1 reason this week they won their first pennant in almost half-a-century.

Unsung hero: Pat Murphy

Last year, Pat Murphy tried playing the underdog card against the Dodgers.

This year, the Brewers’ manager implored his club to fight.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy celebrates on the podium after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The shift in mentality worked. The baseball lifer helped inspire Milwaukee’s NLCS upset, setting the tone for a team that –– at the plate, on the mound, in the field, and on the bases –– did every little thing right to flip this year’s script.

The Brewers’ triumph marked only the second time in MLB history a club had been swept by an opponent in the playoffs one year, then come back to eliminate them the next. This was the first time such a reversal happened with a sweep.

Murphy challenged his team. And they responded.

Stat of the game: Six

That’s how many different times the Dodgers held a lead in this series. Once in Game 1. Three times in Game 2. After Will Smith’s go-ahead sixth-inning double in Game 3. And after Thursday’s four-run outburst in the second.

Every time, Milwaukee answered.

Not once did the Dodgers even stay in front for longer than three innings.

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Flyers' Epic Free Fall Continues with Another Anemic Offensive Showing

The Philadelphia Flyers' comically bad start to the 2026-27 continued in embarrassing fashion on Thursday night, losing 2-1 to a mediocre Detroit Red Wings team mired in turmoil of their own.

With the anemic loss, the Flyers now own an 0-6-3 record on the year and hold the distinction of one of the two winless remaining teams in the NHL beside the 0-3-2 Los Angeles Kings, who have played four fewer games.

Third-year forward Matvei Michkov continues to impress in spurts, tallying his third goal of the season - the Flyers' lone goal - in the loss to Detroit, which makes him the team's leading goal-scorer and tying him for the team lead in points.

The caveat is that only four Flyers played less than Michkov against the Red Wings: linemates Noah Cates and Porter Martone, and fourth-liners Jack Studnicka and Michael Bunting.

In total, Michkov took just 18 shifts, and Martone (17), Bunting (13), and Studnicka (11) were the only Flyers who took fewer.

As has become customary, the Flyers also lost the shot battle once again. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers were out-attempted 52-37 at 5-on-5, while the Red Wings doubled them up on unblocked shot attempts, 34-17.

Even more egregiously, high-danger chances were an astounding 15-4 in Detroit's favor, including a 5-0 third period.

If the Flyers are going to consistently play this poorly without making major personnel or staff changes, the least they can do is lean into developing the youth they already have on the roster. Playing the most sluggish, ineffective, and boring hockey in the NHL is not a suitable alternative.

NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers 'Untouchable' Forward Drawing Big InterestNHL Trade Rumors: Flyers 'Untouchable' Forward Drawing Big InterestThe Philadelphia Flyers are refusing to trade this popular forward drawing trade interest around the NHL.

Instead, Michkov and Martone, the organization's only two long-term building blocks, again barely played for a team devoid of any offense - at forward, at defense, at even strength, and on the power play.

Just over two weeks into the season, Trevor Zegras isn't playing center anymore, and Tyson Foerster has two points since the start of the playoffs last season.

Winger prospect Alex Bump, who started the season with the Flyers before getting replaced by Bunting, has scored in each of his three games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms since being sent down to the AHL, recording 11 shots on goal across those three games.

Jett Luchanko, who has three assists in four AHL games, could conceivably take on a third-line role for the Flyers should the losing continue, with Noah Cates and Sean Couturier the obvious candidates to receive reduced workloads going forward.

With Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York out, the Flyers brought up Oliver Bonk, and that move has paid dividends for them thus far. The 21-year-old should remain with the NHL club for the foreseeable future, even if and when the two injured veterans return.

That's the one silver lining the Flyers can secure for themselves this season, having already lit 10% of the campaign on fire.

The development of young players was the organization's modus operandi until last year, when many players enjoyed career years to spur the team to a somewhat fluky playoff run.

Now, with higher expectations, the Flyers have lost sight of that, and the incorporation of older players like Bunting and Studnicka is a recent example of the philosophical shift.

If the Flyers are going to be this bad for the rest of the season, they should at least have the courtesy to make it fun and interesting for an increasingly impatient, loyal, and passionate fanbase.

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Brewers' Jake Bauers wins NLCS MVP for unforgettable heroics vs. Dodgers

The fifth team was the charm for Jake Bauers. Was it ever.

Traded from Tampa Bay, crushed in Cleveland, slugless in Seattle and gone from the Yankees in a New York minute, Bauers loaded up his equipment bag one more time when the Milwaukee Brewers called, a team always seeking improvement on the margins taking a no-risk bet on a player who couldn't stick anywhere.

Yet nearly three years after the Brewers first snagged Bauers from baseball oblivion, they're going to the World Series together - and Bauers is taking the National League Championship Series MVP trophy with him.

Bauers' fantastic postseason did not stop in the decisive Game 4 of the NLCS, as he drove in half the Brewers' runs and got them back in the game with a crucial two-run double in a 6-4 victory at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 15.

The World Series will begin in eight days from American Family Field, the Brewers' first appearance since 1982. It's only slightly more overdue and unlikely than Bauers' journey.

The 31-year-old first baseman has been traded four times, released three times and pondered retirement after his first go-round with the Brewers didn't result in immediate success.

Yet he stuck it out one more year, in part to support his family. And was justly rewarded.

"Somewhere along the way, I chose to be confident," he said in a Fox Sports postgame interview. "I chose to believe in myself."

As did the Brewers. They won a club-record 103 games and Bauers was a big part of it, hitting 26 home runs and also setting career highs in OPS (.889), on-base percentage (.389) and RBIs (86).

He, and they, were just getting started.

Bauers pushed the Brewers toward NLCS victory with an epic 12-pitch at-bat against Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, resulting in a walk that preceded a Christian Yelich RBI single. More important, it wore down Yamamoto and enabled the Brewers' bullpen to assert its dominance.

He came back with another gem in Game 3 Wednesday, flipping the game - perhaps the series - with a two-run, go-ahead left-on-left homer off Blake Snell, capping an 11-pitch at-bat. And a 2-1 Brewers deficit turned into a 3-2 lead and eventual 4-2 victory.

Now, the World Series, a worthy destination for a slugger whose route was so circuitous. Yet so rewarding.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brewers' Jake Bauers wins NLCS MVP for unforgettable heroics vs. Dodgers

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Levshunov’s OT winner caps Blackhawks’ 4-3 win over Jets as Kane sets US-born assists record

CHICAGO (AP) — Artyom Levshunov scored 1:37 into overtime and Patrick Kane set the NHL record for most assists by a U.S.-born player in a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.

Connor Bedard scored on the power play for his first goal of the season after missing the first six games with a shoulder injury. Frank Nazar and Ryan Donato also scored for Chicago and Bedard added an assist.

After breaking Phil Housley’s record with his 895th assist in the first period, Kane had a hand in Levshunov’s game-winner.

Kane gained the Jets’ zone and dropped the puck to Bedard, who fed Levshunov. The defenseman took a few steps up the middle and snapped a shot to beat Stuart Skinner on the glove side.

The goal came some 40 seconds after Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight kicked out his left pad to foil Neal Pionk’s attempt to convert Mark Scheifele’s cross-ice pass on a two-on-one break.

Knight had 31 saves.

Pionk had a goal and two assists. Kyle Connor, on the power play, and Alex Iafallo also had goals for the Jets. Connor now has a four-game point streak with five goals and an assist. Skinner had 24 saves.

DEVILS 7, RANGERS 1

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Evan Rodrigues scored with 29.6 seconds left in the first period to begin a barrage of four goals in just over five minutes, and New Jersey rolled over New York in the first matchup this season between the cross-Hudson River rivals.

The bubble burst on the Rangers and Dylan Garand, the minor-league callup who had been spectacular in his first two starts — and wins — since franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin was lost to a season-ending injury. Teammates did him few favors this time.

Captain J.T. Miller, who was spectacular on a 5-on-3 penalty kill and had a strong offensive-zone shift near the end of the first, whiffed on a passing attempt that put the puck on Rodrigues’ stick in prime scoring territory. Top-pairing defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov had a giveaway that led to Luke Hughes’ first of two goals, which came 18 seconds out of intermission.

Garand made a puck-handling mistake that led to Devils captain Nico Hischier scoring on a tap-in. The shift after New York coach Mike Sullivan called timeout to attempt to stunt his opponent’s momentum, Arseny Gritsyuk scored on a juicy rebound to end Garand’s night following four goals on 13 shots.

Spencer Martin allowed goals to Hughes, Stefan Noesen and Cody Glass in relief.

PANTHERS 3, CANUCKS 2, OT

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Brady Tkachuk completed his second straight natural hat trick with a nifty move up the middle in overtime to give Florida a victory over Vancouver.

Tkachuk also scored three straight goals Tuesday night in Columbus in the second period of a 7-3 victory over the Blue Jackets.

With goalie Akira Schmid off for an extra attacker, Tkachuk tied it with 13 seconds left in regulation with a one-timer from the right faceoff circle. He started the run with 8:49 to go, firing a shot from the top of the right circle past goalie Leevi Merilainen.

Merilainen made 36 saves, and Liam Ohgren and defenseman Elias Pettersson scored first-period goals for Vancouver. The Canucks have lost six straight, the last five to start a six-game trip.

Schmid stopped 15 shots.

Ohgren opened the scoring at 7:23. After a Florida turnover, he took a pass from Linus Karlsson and snapped in a shot from the high slot.

Pettersson struck with 2:54 left in the first with his third goal of the season. Filip Chytil — making his season debut after returning from preseason shoulder injury — set up the defender for a shot from the slot.

LIGHTNING 4, KRAKEN 3, OT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Captain Victor Hedman scored just over two minutes into overtime to give Tampa Bay a victory over Seattle.

Hedman crossed the blue line, split the defense and drove straight to the net, tapping the puck through the legs of Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer, who was trying to poke the puck away. Pontus Holmberg got an assist on the goal 2:07 into OT.

Brandon Hagel scored twice and Ilya Mikheyev added a goal for the Lightning, who improved to 4-0-0 at home. The last time Tampa Bay opened a season with four straight wins in 2020-21, when they opened 6-0.

Tampa Bay led 2-1 after two periods and was 3-0 when leading after 40 minutes entering Thursday’s game. Last season, the Lightning were 33-1 when leading after two periods.

Jared McCann, Matthew Beniers and Ryan Winterton scored for the Kraken. Beniers’ tip-in goal in the third tied the game with 4:19 left in regulation.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 24 saves in the win for the Lightning. Grubauer had 31 saves for the Kraken.

SABRES 5, MAPLE LEAFS 4, OT

TORONTO (AP) — Owen Power scored in overtime and Buffalo rallied from two goals down in the third period to overcome Kirill Marchenko’s hat trick and beat Toronto.

Marchenko had the fifth hat trick of his career in his 300th NHL game. His third goal, at 16:51 of the second period, put the Leafs ahead 4-2.

Jack Quinn had a pair of goals for Buffalo before Dennis Gilbert and Mattias Samuelsson scored in the third to tie it at 4-all. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 shots for the Sabres, who were coming off a shootout loss to Montreal two nights earlier.

Auston Matthews also scored for Toronto, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves.

Power took a feed from Quinn at center ice and ripped it past Bobrovsky at 3:14 of overtime.

Acquired from Columbus on Sept. 28, just before the season began, Marchenko had scored only once for Toronto before Thursday.

John Tavares had two assists before he left the game early in the third after he collided with Buffalo forward Josh Norris. The former Toronto captain appeared to favor his left leg as he left the ice.

RED WINGS 2, FLYERS 1

DETROIT (AP) — Andrew Copp broke a tie with 4:38 left and the Detroit Red Wings sent the Philadelphia Flyers to their franchise record-extending ninth straight loss to start the season, winning 2-1 on Thursday night.

The Flyers dropped to 0-6-3.

After Copp put Detroit ahead with a point-blank shot, the Flyers had one more chance but Oliver Bonk shot wide from 10 feet with eight seconds left.

The Flyers scored first when Matvei Michkov’s baseball swing put a bouncing puck past Daniil Tarasov with 2:28 left in the first period.

Dylan Larkin set up the tying goal, passing across the slot on a 2-on-1 to set up Anton Johansson’s first NHL goal at 4:31 of the second period.

Johannson is the third Scandanavian rookie to score his first career goal this season for Detroit, joining fellow Swede William Wallinder and Norwegian Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.

Tarasov stopped 17 shots. Joseph Woll made 24 saves for Philadelphia.

SENATORS 2, ISLANDERS 1, SO

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Shane Pinto scored the shootout winner to lead Ottawa to a win over New York.

Ridly Greig scored in regulation and Linus Ullmark made 20 saves for Ottawa (6-2-0). Ullmark has won his first six starts of the season.

Matias Macelli scored and Semyon Varlamov, making his second start of the season, stopped 18 shots for the Islanders (3-3-1).

The Islanders’ Adam Pelech took a hooking penalty with 3:08 remaining in overtime. Varlamov made two saves to extend the game before Dylan Cozens took a tripping penalty catching Pelech as he came out of the box and looked to break in on Ullmark. Bo Horvat had the lone shot on the power play.

Trailing 1-0, the Senators tied the game late in the second on a 2-on-1. Warren Foegele broke in and made a cross-ice pass to Greig, who beat Varlamov high on the stick side.

New York opened the scoring with 11.2 seconds remaining in the period when Maccelli stripped Pinto of the puck at Ottawa’s blueline, took two strides and wristed a shot past Ullmark.

Artem Zub made his season debut Thursday, assisting on Greig’s goal. The Senators defenseman hadn’t played since sustaining a knee injury in Game 1 of the first round of last season’s playoffs.

SHARKS 3, PREDATORS 2, SO

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Macklin Celebrini scored the only goal of a shootout to give San Jose a victory over Nashville.

Mason Marchment and Will Smith scored, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 33 saves to help the Sharks snap a two-game losing streak. Nedeljkovic has won both of his starts this season.

Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos scored, and Juuse Saros made 30 saves for Nashville, losers of three straight. Saros is 15-2-2 in his career against San Jose.

Celebrini beat Saros with a wrist shot on the glove side for the shootout’s only goal. All four of the Sharks’ wins on the season have been beyond regulation time.

Marchment scored the game’s first goal at 5:20 of the opening period.

From behind the Nashville net, Tyler Toffoli sent a pass to Marchment in front, where he beat Saros for his second goal of the season.

Smith doubled the San Jose lead at 4:28 of the third, snapping a wrist shot from the right circle to beat Saros on the far side.

Smith has seven points, three goals and four assists, in seven career games played against Nashville.

WILD 5, BLUES 4

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matt Boldy had his fifth career hat trick as part of a four-point night, Kirill Kaprizov added his league-high ninth goal and two assists, and Minnesota held off St. Louis.

Quinn Hughes had two assists to establish a franchise record for the longest season-opening point streak at eight games.

Danila Yurov also scored, Joel Eriksson Ek also had two assists and Jesper Wallstedt made 21 saves for Minnesota, which has won three of four.

Dylan Holloway scored with 15 seconds left for St. Louis after Robert Thomas scored with 4 minutes remaining. Jonatan Berggren and Mason McTavish also had goals.

From near the left dot, Boldy hammered home a no-look backhand pass by Kaprizov for a 5-2 lead late in the second period, leading to hats aplenty landing on the ice.

Boldy, who scored on a one-timer in the first period and off a turnover earlier in the second period, is the third-fastest active American skater to record five hat tricks, doing so in 369 games. Only Tage Thompson of Buffalo (279 games) and Jason Robertson of Dallas (363) were quicker.

MAMMOTH 4, OILERS 2

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Clayton Keller scored a pair of goals and Utah snapped Edmonton’s five-game win streak.

Barrett Hayton and Logan Cooley also scored for the Mammoth, who have won three straight. Karel Vejmelka stopped 22 shots.

Leon Draisaitl and Shakir Mukhamadullin scored for the Oilers, who were missing five starting forwards and a defenseman. Devon Levi made 20 saves for Edmonton.

Just 23 seconds after Draisaitl got Edmonton on the board at 13:54 of the second period to pull the Oilers within 2-1, Vincent Trocheck sent he puck in front to a hard-charging Cooley, who directed in his first of the season to restore Utah’s two-goal lead.

Connor McDavid picked up an assist to extend his season-starting points streak to seven games. He now has four goals and 14 assists for a league-leading 18 points, his best start to a season.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 6, FLAMES 2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone had the fourth hat trick of his career and Vegas beat Calgary.

Vegas (7-2-0) leads the NHL with 14 points.

Stone scored all three of his goals in the third period to put the game out of reach for the defending Western Conference champion. He’s tied for sixth in the NHL with six goals.

Jack Eichel, who ranks second in the NHL with 16 points, had a goal and two assists and has had at least a point in seven of Vegas’ first nine games.

Brett Howden and Braeden Bowman also scored for the Golden Knights. Ivan Barbashev finished with three assists and Carter Hart made 28 saves.

Jacob Middleton and Matt Coronato scored for the Flames and goaltender Dustin Wolf stopped 27 shots.

Calgary dropped to 1-6-0.