Kings Free Fall Continues With Another Anemic Showing

Another Saturday night loss leaves the Los Angeles Kings as the NHL's only winless team. (0-4-2) Los Angeles held a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes and played a solid first period, but missed chances and defensive breakdowns led to a 4-1 home win. 

The Kings are now the only winless team remaining after losing to the Boston Bruins. For some perspective, LA didn't lose their sixth game last season until Oct. 25, when they were 3-3-3.

All things considered, the Kings were on the verge of their first win of the season, but the Bruins capitalized on several missed chances in the clutch by LA. 

Mikey Anderson spoke postgame after losing another disappointing game. 

"We came out good, like we want to at home, and then lost it along the way. It’s on the team. It’s on us.”

If the Kings keep playing this poorly, especially early in the season, where every loss reduces their chances of making the postseason, they should at least decide which direction they're going. 

The home team's anemic offense continued, as they scored one goal again in their fourth straight game. After scoring eight goals in their first two games, the Kings now have just four total goals in their last four games. 

Playing the NHL's slowest, least effective hockey raises the question of whether it's time for the Silver and Black to blow it up and rebuild around young talent. For the last 5-10 seasons, the pattern has been the same: the Kings make or miss the playoffs and go home early in the postseason, with no real success since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014. 

The bigger concern for Los Angeles isn't necessarily its six-game winless streak, but the possibility that the organization has reached its ceiling with the current core. Five consecutive first-round playoff exits, multiple coaching changes, and continued offensive struggles have left the Kings searching for answers.

General manager Ken Holland now faces a difficult question: Does he remain patient with a roster built to compete immediately, or begin looking toward the future with younger players such as Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, and Alex Laferriere?

Now, just over two weeks into the season, it couldn't have been a uglier start for a team with high hopes after hiring a new coach and switching to a new system. The Kings entered the season with expectations of improving on last year's terrible run, reaching the playoffs despite being 12 games below .500 and getting swept out. But six games without a victory have already raised serious doubts about whether this roster is capable of competing

If the Kings are going to be this bad for the rest of the season, they should at least have the courtesy to plan ahead for an increasingly impatient, loyal, and passionate fanbase.

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The Kings' Hot Start Doesn't Stop the Losing Streak

LOS ANGELES — The Kings scored an early goal, 31 seconds into the game, but that didn't change the result. The Bruins were still able to clobber the Kings 4-1.

Alex Laferriere was plugged into the first line to pair with Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin. That move paid dividends for the Kings as they saw quick results early in the game.

“Every time I play with [Kempe and Panarin] we have good energy and good chemistry,” said Laferriere. “Just trying to make it easy for those guys to play the game and just trying to find open ice.”

Within the first minute of the game, Laferriere scored a goal to give the Kings an early lead. This goal allowed Los Angeles to control the tempo and keep the puck in the throughout the first period.

Despite a strong start by the Kings in the first period, it all came crashing down. The Bruins were able to flip the script and take control in the last two periods.

In the second period, David Pastrnak had a breakaway goal for Boston that shifted the momentum. The Bruins pushed the tempo, which allowed them to keep the puck in the Kings' defensive zone.

Los Angeles couldn’t keep up with the tempo, which translated to more penalties for the team. The Kings racked up 21 penalty minutes while the Bruins only had 11minutes in the box.

Heading into the night, the Bruins had 108 penalty minutes, which lead the league.

However, the Kings were so sloppy that they spent more time in the box than the most penalized team.

The Kings gave up a 1-0 lead to a Bruins team that was coming off back-to-back games played. This was a golden opportunity for Los Angeles that only resulted in a disappointing loss.

“We got to take [the loss] with us and stew on it a little bit. It's certainly not where we want to be,” said Coach Laviolette. “I thought the start was really good and on point and then as the second period rolled over it just seemed to tilt the other way. So we've got to be better.”

Six games into the season and the Kings have lost all six of those games. Los Angeles is the only team in the NHL that has yet to secure a victory.

Now the Kings head on a five-game road trip without much momentum on their side. However, this loss to the Bruins could be a turning point for the Kings to pull away some victories.

Even though the Kings lost, the first line change gave the team an energy boost that they desperately needed. The hot start was a sign of how fluently the Kings could play, but they didn’t finish the job. This loss showed the Kings that they needed to execute for 60 minutes, not just the first minute.

Fundora brutally knocks out Hadribeaj with one second left to retain 154lb title

  • Fundora lands decisive blow at 2:59 of final round

  • Champion makes fourth successful title defense

  • 6ft 5in fighter targets undisputed crown at 154lb

Sebastian Fundora kept his pursuit of an undisputed championship on track with a second to spare.

Fundora stopped Ermal Hadribeaj with a left hand at 2:59 of the 12th round on Saturday night at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to retain his WBC super welterweight title.

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Penguins/Golden Knights Recap: Pens trampled, lose in Vegas 6-2

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 17: Shea Theodore #27 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates with teammates Brayden McNabb #3, William Karlsson #71 and Brett Howden #21 after Theodore scored a goal during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period at T-Mobile Arena on October 17, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Pregame

The Penguins use the same skaters and groupings as last night while swapping in Sergei Murashov in net.

First period

Vegas activates defensemen and scores two goals in the first 4:02 of the game to set the tone.

First up it’s Rasmus Andersson jumping in the play and scoring 1:06 into the game.

Not long after that Jack Eichel draws all the attention and no one notices Noah Hanifin sneaking into the vacant space. No one except Eichel. 2-0.

The Golden Knights get a power play and try a lot of backdoor plays. It finally pays off, Mark Stone gets his third point of the night redirecting a puck from right in front of Murashov. 3-0.

Tough period on what’s becoming a tough road trip (and even tough season). Vegas flexes their muscles and get in full control.

Second period

The Pens get their first power play, and brace yourself, they score on it. Tommy Novak shoots, it hits Sidney Crosby in front and is good for goal No. 657 in his career. 3-1 game.

Faint hope doesn’t last long, a Crosby pass goes awry and the Golden Knights go off on the rush. Trevor Connelly snipes Murashov. 4-1.

Pittsburgh has a penalty coming and Sam Girard gets tripped and goes heavy into the boards on his arm. The 4v4 trickles away, Vegas wins the puck out of a scrum and feeds Shea Theodore for a big shot. 5-1.

It’s spooky season and this game has been a house of horrors so far.

Third period

Some mild signs of life with 15 minutes to go, Novak shoots the puck and then pokes it around Adin Hill. Both Evgeni Malkin and Ville Koivunen are crashing the net, one of them gets the stick on it to score, apparently Koivunen. 5-2.

Not long after, Novak sets up Koivunen for a really nice chance, his shot goes just wide of the net and that’s a back-breaker for trying to make a comeback effort.

Penguins pull the goalie, Golden Knights get awarded a goal.

Some thoughts

  • Bad game, sad game. Much like last night, the Penguins faced a really good team and it showed. They didn’t come close to measuring it up.
  • Not to go all Doc Internet, but the read on Girard didn’t look good at all. He favored his left arm, was on the bench briefly and left for the lockerroom. We’ll see what comes of it but given the velocity he went into the end boards at a tough angle, it wouldn’t be surprising if he’ll be dealing with a serious injury.
  • Well, at least the power play scored for the first time in seven games. That’s the most minor of silver linings but could be a bright spot on the confidence meter for those guys moving forward. Didn’t matter much tonight, could be something positive for the future considering how fastly those groups can go from ice cold into a heater.
  • After last night, Crosby and Bryan Rust said it wasn’t time to panic. That makes sense from their perspective and I’m not sure that veterans like that ever really would admit to it. And this weekend was tough, playing two legit championship contenders on the road. There’s no shame in dropping it, though it’s a look in the mirror to realize the difference in quality between yourself and a big-time team. The Pens are also 1-5-1 in their last seven. It’s a long year but the results are pretty clear that this team needs to find some answers really quickly.
  • Do such answers exist? That might be the trickier question. The Pens aren’t very good defensively, and that’s not reserved to just their goalies or defensemen. Give up three goals tonight to defensemen and that says a lot about the forward positioning and tracking. On the other side, the offense has been tough to come by.

Pittsburgh will look to salvage something out of this ugly road trip on Monday against Utah.

Alex Tuch has 2 goals and an assist in the Capitals' win over the Canadiens

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ryan Leonard scored a highlight-reel goal and the Washington Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Saturday afternoon.

Ilya Protas, Dylan Strome and Boone Jenner also scored and Vincent Desharnais had two assists for the Capitals, who have won back-to-back games.

Arsenal Gritsyuk and Timo Meier scored for the Devils, who dropped to 4-4-0 to open the season.

The Devils got on the board first roughly halfway through the first period, when Gritsyuk beat Logan Thompson through traffic at the end of New Jersey’s second power play of the period.

With 3:18 to go in the first, though, Leonard would even the score and change the momentum with his spectacular goal. In the final seconds of Washington’s power play, Leonard took the puck up ice himself, going coast to coast before beating Luke Hughes, cutting to the inside and deking out Jake Allen for his third goal of the season.

From there, the Capitals took over the game, starting with back-to-back goals in a span of 4 minutes, 46 seconds to open the second period. First, Protas buried a cross-zone feed from Alex Ovechkin to give Washington the 2-1 lead. Then, Strome finished off a passing play from Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou to put Washington up by two.

HURRICANES 3, JETS 2

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers scored a power-play goal 6:43 into the third period to lift Carolina to their seventh straight victory, over Winnipeg.

The former Jet fired a wrist shot past the glove of Clay Stevenson.

Mark Jankowski — also on the power play — and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored for Carolina as well. Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere had two assists.

Pyotr Kochetkov made 21 saves and has posted victories in all five starts this season. With fewer than 40 seconds remaining, Kochetkov made a pad save on Cole Perfetti, following that up with a save on 18-year-old Viggo Bjorck off the helmet to preserve Carolina’s lead.

Mark Scheifele and Alex Iafallo scored for Winnipeg, which lost its first game this season on home ice in regulation. Stevenson stopped 34 shots.

LIGHTNING 4, CANUCKS 2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored twice, Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist, and Dennis Hildeby stopped 12 shots as Tampa Bay defeated Vancouver.

Guentzel scored the winner in the third period as Tampa Bay came back from a two-goal deficit.

Pontus Holmberg also scored and Brayden Point finished with two assists for Tampa Bay, which improved to 5-0 at home.

Linus Karlsson and Elias Pettersson scored while Kevin Lankinen finished with 31 saves for the Canucks, who finished winless (0-4-1) on a five-game road trip. Vancouver is winless in the past seven games (0-6-1) overall.

Guentzel picked up the winner at 2:04 of the third after Charle-Edouard D’Astous slid a pass off the wall to Guentzel for the quick snap shot that deflected off the stick of Vancouver’s Liam Ohgren.

For the second consecutive game, the Canucks had a 2-0 lead they were not able to hold.

PANTHERS 8 KRAKEN 3

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe had a history-making natural hat trick, Sam Bennett scored his first three goals of the season and Florida rolled past Seattle

The Panthers became the first team in NHL history with natural hat tricks in three consecutive games, after Brady Tkachuk had them in wins over Columbus on Tuesday and Vancouver on Thursday. Florida also became only the third team in 30 years to have a hat trick — of any variety — in three consecutive games.

With four hat tricks already this season — all coming in the last three games — Florida has matched its total from the last three regular seasons combined. Niko Mikkola and Sam Reinhart also scored for the Panthers, and Matthew Tkachuk had three assists.

Freddy Gaudreau, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans had goals for Seattle, while Kaapo Kakko and Berkly Catton both had two-assist games.

ISLANDERS 4, MAPLE LEAFS

TORONTO (AP) — Bo Horvat scored the winner and added an assist to help the New York beat Toronto.

Simon Holmstrom scored twice, the second into an empty net, and Anthony Duclair also connected for New York (4-3-1). Ilya Sorokin made 28 saves.

Colton Sissons replied for Toronto (3-4-2). Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 16 shots for the Maple Leafs. They have dropped three straight games and four of their last five.

The Islanders jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 8:18 of the first period when Duclair took a pass in the slot and changed the angle before firing through a partial screen on Bobrovsky.

Coming off a hat trick Thursday night in a 5-4 home shootout loss to Buffalo, Maple Leafs winger Kirill Marchenko had a couple of chances that Sorokin turned aside in the second.

No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna, who was benched for the second half of Thursday’s contest, had an opportunity it late in the second period on a partial breakaway, but fired high and wide. The Islanders raced the other way, with Horvat eventually beating Bobrovsky with 1:27 to go.

CANADIENS 4, SABRES 3 (OT)

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the game 54 seconds into overtime to lift Montreal over Buffalo.

Caufield had a breakaway after Josh Norris missed his shot on a 3-on-1 rush. He ripped a shot into the top-left corner, extending his franchise record with his 14th regular-season overtime goal.

Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Texier also scored while Montreal built a two-goal lead before Buffalo stormed back. Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Carrier added two assists each.

Jacob Fowler stopped 23 shots in his fourth start in five games.

RED WINGS 4, SHARKS 3 (SO)

DETROIT (AP) — Lucas Raymond scored the only goal during the shootout and Detroit rallied for a victory over San Jose.

Alex DeBrincat scored with 1:33 remaining to send the game into overtime. DeBrincat’s team-high fifth goal left him one shy of 300 for his career.

Justin Faulk and Emmitt Finnie also scored for the Red Wings, who have won back-to-back wins for the first time this season. John Gibson stopped 32 shots.

Macklin Celebrini had a goal and two assists to lead the Sharks. Dmitry Orlov and Ivar Stenberg contributed power-play goals, while Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves in the second of six consecutive road games for San Jose.

With Gibson pulled for an extra skater, DeBrincat tapped in the puck with 1:33 remaining during a scramble in front of the net. Detroit needed to kill off Andrew Copp’s penalty in overtime to force the shootout.

FLYERS 3, SENATORS 1

PHILEDELPHIA (AP) — Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone each had a goal and an assist, and Philadelphia beat Ottawa for their first victory this season.

Philadelphia (1-6-3) opened with nine consecutive losses, a franchise record.

Michkov set up Martone with a nifty pass to the far post, and Martone tapped in his second goal this season at 9:03 of the second period to tie the score 1-all.

Martone returned the favor on a power play late in the period, firing a shot toward the net that Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark stopped. But the rebound went right to Michkov, who snapped home his fourth goal of the season at 18:33.

It was the 50th career goal for Michkov in 171 games. He became the fastest Flyers player to reach the milestone since Matt Read in 2014.

Trevor Zegras added an empty-net goal with 14 seconds left in the third to seal it.

BLUE JACKETS 1, RANGERS 0 (0T)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kent Johnson scored with 1:33 remaining on the clock in overtime, Jet Greaves got his fifth career shutout and Columbus beat New York.

Charlie Coyle brought the puck into the zone and passed to Zach Werenski near the left faceoff circle. Werenski then found Johnson in the slot, who fired a wrist shot past Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand for his team-leading fourth goal of the season as the Blue Jackets snapped a two-game slide.

It was Werenski’s 22nd career point in overtime. With seven goals and 15 assists, he passed Seth Jones for most overtime points in franchise history.

It was the fourth time the Blue Jackets won 1-0 in overtime. The previous occasion was Feb. 4, 2020, against the Florida Panthers.

STARS 4, BLACKHAWKS 0

CHICAGO (AP) — Jake Oettinger made 19 saves for his NHL-leading third shutout in six games, Arttu Hyry scored twice and Dallas beat Chicago.

Jason Robertson scored and Roope Hintz also connected before he exited late in the third period with a right hand injury. Dallas (4-3-1) won its second straight to give Glen Gulutzan his 200th NHL coaching victory.

Oettinger had his 19th career shutout and lowered his goals-against average to 1.00. The 25-year-old Hyry had his first multi-goal game.

The Stars, who trimmed their NHL-best team goals average to 1.50, outshot the Blackhawks 32-19 in this one and limited Chicago’s chances.

Spencer Knight blocked 28 shots in his fourth straight start as the Blackhawks’ two-game winning streak ended.

PREDATORS 5, BLUES 2

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Filip Forsberg scored a goal and added an assist to lead Nashville to a victory over St. Louis.

Jonathan Marchessault, Adam Edstrom, Ryan O’Reilly and Jack Drury also scored and Juuse Saros made 24 saves to help the Predators snap a three-game losing streak.

Phillip Broberg and Jimmy Snuggerud scored and Jordan Binnington made 19 saves for the Blues. They have lost consecutive games.

Broberg scored the game’s first goal at 6:21 of the opening period. Coming through the slot unchecked, Broberg beat Saros with a wrist shot on the glove side.Mason McTavish assisted on the goal, extending his points streak to six games. He has four goals and four assists over that span.

BRUINS 4, KINGS 1

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marat Khusnutdinov scored in the third period and Boston beat Los Angeles Kings for their fifth straight victory.

David Pastrnak had a goal, Elias Lindholm and JJ Peterka scored empty-netters, and Jeremy Swayman made 25 saves. The Bruins swept the three California teams as part of a four-game trip that ends in Dallas on Tuesday.

Alex Laferriere scored for Los Angeles, and Anton Forsberg made 24 saves. The Kings remained winless through six games to start the season and were held to one goal for the fourth straight contest.

Khusnutdinov put the Bruins ahead 2-1 with 6:24 remaining, scoring on a backhander after Forsberg failed to cover up Morgan Geekie’s shot and Matt Poitras kept the puck alive.

The Kings got off to a quick start, scoring 31 seconds into the game. Laferriere was at the top of the crease to put in Adrian Kempe’s pass for his second goal of the season, making the most of his promotion to first-line center.

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Busted Three-peats, Triple Crowns, and the Spurs three guard lineup

SAN ANTONIO, TX -SEPTEMBER 28: Stephon Castle #5, De'Aaron Fox 34 and Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs pose for photos during San Antonio Spurs Media Day at Victory Capital Performance Center on September 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images

At the start of October, I had high hopes for a fan’s Triple Crown for 2026-27.  My main team, the Spurs, are co-favorites to win it all this season.  My two local teams were also favorites – the Dodgers were already into the NLCS looking for a three-peat, and the Rams were everyone’s favorite to win the Super Bowl.  While nothing has changed for the Spurs, a lot has changed for the Dodgers and Rams.  The Dodgers, two-time defending World Series champs, were just swept 4 – 0 by the Milwaukee Brewers.  Preseason favorite Rams are 2 – 3, and about to fall three games behind the 49ers, who are now Vegas favorites.  At least the Rams have better chances than the Dodgers, who have none.  

To make it worse, I just realized that if we look backwards,  each of my teams lost in the “final four” for each of their leagues.  The Rams lost to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game, the Spurs in the NBA Finals, and the Dodgers lost to the Brewers.  Just like the Spurs against the Knicks, the Dodgers led in every game. I don’t know what you would call the opposite of my hoped-for Triple Crown, but it would not be very nice.

But let’s look forward instead of back.  The Spurs remain co-favorites with OKC to win it all this season.  Indeed, league GMs picked the Spurs ahead of OKC to prevail, with 77% predicting that Victor Wembayama will be the MVP.  2,000% of the GMs also predicted that Victor would repeat as Defensive Player of the Year, though I might have that percentage slightly off.

Closer to the main point of this post, Dylan Harper was voted the player most likely to have a break-out year, ahead of Cooper Flagg (27% to 7%).  That vote may reflect that Flagg is starting at a much higher baseline, as he averaged 21 points, 6.7 boards and 4.5 assists last season.  It is a bit harder to “break out” from numbers like that.

But I do want to address the “three guard” debate going on in the Spurs universe. I addressed this point several times last season, pointing out that having three excellent guards is a good thing and not a “problem”.  For instance, even before training camp opened in 2025, I wrote this:

“The basketball universe unanimously approved the Spurs’ selection on Dylan Harper as the clear second best player in the 2025 NBA draft. The only concern I have heard is that Harper’s skills overlap with those of the anticipated starting backcourt of De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.

Having coached a bit, I know that having three good guards for the two backcourt spots is a good thing, not a bad one. The reason is simple — players don’t play all 48 minutes. Indeed, the Spurs’ best player last year (you know his name) averaged just 33 minutes per game. In 17 games with the Spurs, Fox averaged 34 minutes while Castle averaged 27. If Fox and Castle play the same amount this season, they will play a total of 61 minutes out of the 96 minutes available. That leaves 35 minutes for Harper or others — for instance. if Devin Vassell splits his time between the 2 and the 3. Harper will be not be 20 years old until March 2026 — and 20 is probably about the right number of minutes for such a young player in his rookie season.”

This prediction was remarkably accurate – in the regular season, Fox averaged 31 minutes, Castle 30 and Harper 22.  In the playoffs, those numbers ticked up to 33, 33 and 27.  Interestingly, Devin Vassel led the team in playoff minutes with 34.8 per game, slightly more than Victor.  Of course, Victor was ejected early in a T’Wolves game, pushing his average minutes per game down a bit.

But back to the three guards issue.  Fox, Castle and Harper’s playoff minutes totaled 93 minutes per game, very close to the 96 minutes available for the two guard spots.  Which meant that the Spurs had two of their excellent guards on the floor virtually all the time – just the way you want it. If the Spurs play all three of them at the same time for portions of each game, and try to keep the per player minutes close to 32 per game, that will necessarily mean that for portions of each game, only one of them will be on the floor. If the goal is to maximize the number of lead ball-handlers on the floor, last season’s system seems preferable.  (Side note – the Spurs won 62 games last season and made it to the NBA Finals. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.). I am certainly OK with increasing Harper’s minutes from the 22 he played in the regular season, and the 27 in the playoffs, but that can be done with the 2026-27 season model instead of forcing a three guard line-up.  

Indeed, no one on the Spurs averaged more than 32 minutes per game in the regular season – a Spurs tradition that keeps the players fresh and their careers long.  This also allows the non-starters to get real minutes and stay sharp.  So long as Harper is getting his minutes, no one should care who is starting. Something Manu Ginobili can certainly attest to. 

This is especially true because while the Spurs do not have a logjam at guard, they do in the frontcourt.  Assuming Victor, Luke Kornet and the rookie soak up all 48 of the center minutes, that leaves 96 minutes for the two frontcourt spots.  And the Spurs have a bunch of good players vying for those minutes.  Vassel, Julian Champagnie, Tobias Harris, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, and Harrison Barnes.  That is six legitimate NBA players.  

Last season, the two starters, Vassel and Champaigne, combined for 58 of the 96 minutes. Harris averaged 28 minutes in Detroit, and should play about the same this year.  We are up to 86 minutes, leaving only 10 minutes for 6th Man of the Year Johnson, potential star Bryant and whatever minutes Barnes gets.  If the Spurs use the three guard line-up for even ten minutes per game, that leaves ZERO minutes for Johnson, Bryant and Barnes.  And I am pretty sure the Spurs don’t want to significantly cut the minutes of either Vassel or Champagnie.  Fun fact:  those two had the second and third best plus-minus on the team.  You can guess who had the best. 

If I had a vote, which I don’t, I would vote for minimizing the three-guard line-up.

POSTSCRIPT:

I wrote most of this before the Spurs’ Friday night preseason game against the Suns.  The Spurs started the game with the three-guard line-up, plus Vassel and Victor.  When the Spurs made their first substitution (Champagnie for Fox) at the 6:34 mark of the first quarter, they were already up by 16 points, 24 – 8. Mitch Johnson said that they will start the three guards against OKC in the season opener on Tuesday. Maybe that is why I don’t have a vote.

Braves News: Briggs McKenzie, ALCS, more

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 07: The Los Angeles Dodgers pose for a photo on the field after defeating the Atlanta Braves in game four of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 07, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images

As we approach the offseason and it increasingly looks like we will get a window for transactions before a likely lockout in early December. Last time we had a CBA negotiation and associated lockout, there was a flurry of transactions before the lockout, as teams and players looked to lock in some certainty before an unknown absence. Labor tensions seem higher and the changes being discussed larger than last time, which could chill the market some, but we will surely still see some movement. I would love to see the team lock in Tyler Mahle to a 2-3 year deal and add a high-quality bat before the lockout, and then perhaps allow themselves more time to evaluate their injured pitching before adding more after the lockout. Of course, Alex Anthopoulos will be opportunistic and the market conditions may not allow for this strategy, but I think it’s a decent plan.

Braves News

MLB News

The Rays evened up the ALCS with a win over the Guardians, to the thrill of the Brewers.

Pistons season preview: Kevin Huerter’s 3-point shooting could make or break his spot in the rotation

When the Detroit Pistons traded Jaden Ivey at the deadline last season for Kevin Heurter, I was a bit underwhelmed. I hadn’t spent a ton of time watching Heurter play throughout his career and pretty much just viewed him as a shooter whose shot had been failing him the last couple seasons.

Say what you want about Jaden Ivey and where things have gone for him since that trade, but getting that value out of somebody you spent the 5th pick on just a few years earlier could be viewed as selling low. Especially since that player had seemingly lost the one skill that he had banked on throughout their career, and Ivey was in the midst of a breakout season before suffering his season-ending injury the prior season and was still hypothetically getting his legs back when dealt.

When Heurter arrived, the shooting was mostly still dormant, but what stood out was all of the little things on the court he was able to do. His finishing around the basket is fantastic, and he can defend well in a team setting. I wouldn’t call him a shot-creator, but he does have some ability to put the ball on the floor and create a little offense for himself and others, especially when playing off of another ball handler, a skillset the Pistons badly need.

All of these things are why he was given a three-year, $27 million deal to return to the team in the offseason. Those are the things that still have value for a bench player, even if his shot never gets back to where it was early in his career. But as the Pistons look to keep their reign at the top of the Eastern Conference, they will need bench players who can provide skills their main rotation players do not, and one of those skills is outside shooting.

If Kevin Heurter hopes to carve out a consistent role in the Pistons’ regular-season rotation, getting his shot back is going to make or break his season.

The Shooting

Kevin Huerter is a 36.8% three point shooter for his career. But that is skewed heavily by four of his first five seasons in which he shot over 38% from beyond the arc, which is also where he got his reputation as a shooter. After hitting a career-high 40.2% of his outside shots as a key member of the 2022-23 Sacramento Kings that ended the season as the 2-seed, his shooting has fallen off a cliff.

He shot 36.1% during the 2023-24 season, still a solid number. However, he only shot 33.8% from beyond the arc in 2024-25 with both the Kings and Bulls. Then, he shot 30.8% last year with both the Bulls and Pistons, but only 29.4% with the Pistons.

It was a small sample size, and he was trending up a bit towards the end of the season before a hip injury kept Heurter out for most of the playoffs. Heurter actually got minutes in game 1 of the playoffs and appeared like he was going to be a part of JB Bickerstaff’s playoff rotation, so the timing of his injury was unfortunate.

Heurter reportedly underwent a procedure to clean up this injury, which had been bothering him for most of last season, so maybe being fully healthy will help get his shooting back on track.

The reason why Huerter has stuck around in team’s rotations the last couple seasons despite the drop-off in shooting are the things I listed above, like his finishing ability and his ability to do the tertiary things that may not show up on a box score. Huerter has shot 75% or above from 0-3 feet since the 2022-23 season with the Kings. He has actually been above 80% from that range the last couple of seasons. That is a very solid number for any player, but especially one who has the reputation as a one-dimensional shooter.

However, over 50% of his shots still come from beyond the arc, which is why recapturing his early-career shooting ability is so crucial.

The Pistons spent the offseason acquiring more players who can put the ball in the basket from beyond the arc. With their young core of Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren locked in, the Pistons are positioned well to be a very good regular-season team for the foreseeable future. But, two of those three are not outside shooters, so surrounding them with guys that can shoot is almost as important as getting a secondary offensive option that can take some creation pressure off of Cade Cunningham.

You know that guys like Isaiah Joe, Duncan Robinson, and even John Collins are going to shoot in the high-30s and low-40s from beyond the arc, as that is something they have done for at least the last 3 or 4 years. In the case of Kevin Heurter, you don’t have that same level of trust because of how much the shooting has fallen off over the last couple of seasons.

You also still have players getting rotation minutes beyond the “Big Three,” like Ron Holland, who are still a work in progress from beyond the arc.

So, having a player like Kevin Heurter come off the bench and return to being the 38%+ shooter he was early in his career could be a boon to the Pistons’ rotation. It would also make the contract he signed in the offseason very good value since he does do other things on the basketball court well.

The Pistons don’t need another one-dimensional offensive player who can score inside and play a little defense. They need guys that can hit shots from outside, so Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren can attack the basket and dominate games inside like they did all last year. Kevin Heurter, at his peak, can provide exactly that while also being able to put the ball on the floor a bit, finish inside, and not get played off the floor defensively.

The Verdict

JB Bickerstaff seems to trust Kevin Heurter regardless of whether or not he is hitting outside shots. That is evidenced by the fact that he was in the playoff rotation last season before his injury. But, the Pistons did add some more backcourt players in the offseason that will fight for minutes like Ebuka Okorie and Isaiah Joe. Heurter has a size advantage over those two and has the positional versatility to play minutes at the three.

The Pistons also have a few players who will see minutes at the three like Duncan Robinson, Ron Holland, and Javonte Green. Heurter probably can’t reach the level of defense of a Holland or Green or the level of shooting of Duncan Robinson, but some of his complementary skills can be very useful if he is able to get back to form from beyond the arc. He can be somebody who puts some of the skills of both groups of players into one body and can kind of split the difference between all of these likely rotation mainstays.

I don’t see a season quite as good from beyond the arc as he was at his peak, but even getting back to that 2023-2024 season shooting of 36.1% from beyond the arc will be a huge help to the Pistons and give a reason for JB Bickerstaff to continue giving minutes to Heurter.

Flyers' Youth Movement Ends Nightmare Streak with Aplomb

Heading into Game 10 on an almost unfathomable nine-game losing streak, the Philadelphia Flyers, led by the likely suspects, finally got their first win of the season against the Ottawa Senators, holding on for a 3-1 win that was a full team effort.

As has become customary, the Flyers conceded the first goal of the evening, with Drake Batherson converting on a 2-on-1 midway through the second period after a bad pinch by Travis Sanheim left rookie Oliver Bonk back to defend by himself.

However, the Senators' goal didn't leave the Flyers shaken or fazed, and the team just kept playing, as they have been preaching all throughout this nightmare nine-game skid.

Just over three minutes after Batherson's tally, Flyers youngsters Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone answered the bell.

After recovering the puck immediately after a Jamie Drysdale turnover in the slot, Michkov pivoted and fired a pass towards the Ottawa goal, with Martone home on the doorstep to redirect the puck past a helpless Linus Ullmark.

Then, with less than two minutes left in the middle frame, Michkov found the net himself with a power play goal.

On a Martone one-timer rebound, Michkov snuck up to the side of the net and popped the puck into a yawning cage to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead they wouldn't relinquish.

"There's a lot of good passes. I think I got a good shot from the flank, and it was a rebound goal," Martone said after the game. "Not all of them are going to be pretty, so it was nice to see that one go in." 

It was an fascinatingly composted unit for the Flyers that scored the goal, too. David Jiricek had been demoted to the second unit mid-game, while Michkov elected to stay on the ice instead of changing with the first unit.

Then Michkov was rewarded for his gamble, scoring the game-winning goal in the blue paint.

"Well, I mean, it depends," Tocchet said of Michkov's extended shift on the power play. "Like, if he's on the ice and he feels it, and you know that we have possession, you don't want to change. It's a feel thing, I think."

Without confirming or denying that Michkov was supposed to change with the rest of his unit, Tocchet seemed pleased with the final outcome, a game-winning goal delivered by the power play and the Flyers' 21-year-old talisman who has been under the spotlight since Day 1 in Philadelphia,

Flyers observations

Flyers goalie Dan Vladar (R) looked back to his best against the Senators on Saturday night. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
Flyers goalie Dan Vladar (R) looked back to his best against the Senators on Saturday night. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)

The 3-1 win over the Senators on Saturday night was an important one for everyone on the Flyers, but it's fitting that Dan Vladar helped deliver the team's first win of the 2026-27 campaign.

Vladar finished with 25 saves on 26 shots, a .962 save percentage, and 1.33 goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck.

Every power play goal the Flyers have scored this season has come with David Jiricek on the ice.

Rookie Oliver Bonk continues to impress, and he finished with the fourth-most ice time amongst defensemen (19:12) against Ottawa, trailing only Nick Seeler, Jamie Drysdale, and Travis Sanheim.

Things can change if and when Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York return from injury, but he's earned the right to stay in the NHL until his play suggests otherwise.

Matvei Michkov is currently on pace for a career-high 33 goals.

Despite the breakout performance, Michkov finished Saturday night's win with 14:29 of ice time, slightly below his season average of 14:52.

In Lehigh Valley, prospect Alex Bump has scored in every AHL game he's played in this year, and he's now up to seven goals in just five games.

It will be interesting to see how long the Flyers can avoid bringing him back up to the NHL level, especially with the youngsters getting the party started against Ottawa.

Will the Suns win a playoff series? Mat Ishbia thinks so

Mat Ishbia is confident about the Phoenix Suns escaping the first round of this year’s playoffs. Is this fake-it-till-you-make-it internet bluster or are the Phoenix Suns built for playoff success?

It wouldn’t be the first time Ishbia expressed his confidence in the potential of the Phoenix Suns. To open the 2025-26 season, The Ringer predicted the Suns’ defense to finish at the bottom of the league, an assertion that Ishbia vehemently rejected. The Suns stamped his words with an exclamation point, finishing in the top 10 in defensive rating. Can the Suns do it a second time and deliver Phoenix its first playoff series win after three years of disappointment?

The answer to that may depend on who they play.

The following are my predictions of how the Suns might fare against the presumptive top 6 teams in the Western Conference in a seven-game playoff series.

Suns 0 – Thunder 4

The Thunder are the team that the Phoenix Suns are building to be. It was very clear in last year’s playoff matchups that the Thunder consistently turned aggressive defensive pressure on the perimeter and active hands into turnovers that sparked eight- to twelve-point runs. That’s exactly what the Suns have described this iteration of the roster to become over the course of the remaining years of Booker’s contract. I don’t think they get there this season. If the Suns want to avoid another first-round exit, they must avoid the play-in and the Thunder.

Suns 2 – Spurs 4

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – APRIL 28: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates with teammates after the victory against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game Five of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on April 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images

If there’s anything the preseason has shown us, it’s that the Suns have the Spurs number. Despite this, I think handling Wemby, in the manner in which the Suns have been able to contain him, takes its toll, and the supporting cast of Castle, Harper, Fox, and the refs are going to prove to be too much for the Suns to take down. However, I don’t think they go quietly into the night in this scenario and score at least two wins in a six-game scuffle.

*In the event of a Wemby-less Spurs. Suns 4, Spurs 1. Last year, Victor Wembanyama played a total of 1,866 minutes in the regular season. He went on to play an additional 750 minutes in the Spurs’ Finals run, totaling 2,616. In his rookie year, he totaled 71 games played and 2,106 minutes. He followed up with 1,527 minutes and 46 games played his sophomore season. If Wemby struggles to stay on the court, expect a very different playoff experience from the Spurs this season.

Suns 1 – Rockets 4

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Houston is a team the Suns don’t match up well against. They have athletic defenders on the perimeter, size inside, and elite scorers that can close out games in the clutch. The Suns struggled in their regular season matchups against the Rockets last season, losing all four. The Rockets are in a similar position to the Suns, where they are leaning on a second year of continuity and improved injury luck to improve off last season’s disappointing finish. While I don’t think Houston is necessarily better than teams that I’ll discuss as possible series wins for the Suns, I do think they are one of the worst postseason matchups the Suns could face.

Suns 4 – Nuggets 3

Nikola Jokic has done his time with the Nuggets, and it shows. By this time next year or the year after, he will be teaming up with Luka on the Lakers and the Nuggets will sink back into the depths of the Western Conference.

Until then, I think the Suns, like every team in the league, will have their hands full with Jokic. This year with Maluach and possibly a healthy Mark Williams, the Suns will have the length and strength to at least make things difficult for the two-time MVP. Denver is, at the end of the day, a finesse team, and the Suns’ new physical defense could give Denver’s potent offense problems they haven’t been able to give them in past matchups.

Still, I think the Suns will need to run the total up when Jokic hits the bench, and the role players will have to deliver an outsized performance for that to happen. Add to that the altitude, and this is a series that screams out for the Suns to secure a 3-4 seed if they want to advance against the Nuggets.

Suns 4 – Lakers 3

The Lakers are retooling for life after Bron, but by the time the playoffs roll around, they should have most of the kinks worked out. There are questions about the defensive acumen of the Lakers’ starting guards, and the Booker/Green backcourt may prove too much for even the best defensive efforts of Luka and Reeves.

Answers to Luka Doncic on offense are hard to come by, and as the Suns saw in ‘22, home-court advantage doesn’t guarantee anything, but if the Suns sneak into a 5 or 6 seed, I like their chances against the Lakers better than a potential matchup against the Rockets or Nuggets.

Suns 4 – Timberwolves 1

Close your eyes and repeat after me. Suns first-round matchup against the Timberwolves. Now say this seven times in the mirror every morning until the playoffs start. This is the clearest path to backing up Ishbia’s bold claim. They moved off of the size that made Minnesota a difficult matchup in hopes of Lamelo being something he hasn’t proven to be in the NBA: a winner. If the Timberwolves make it through the regular season without completely unraveling, the Suns will mop them up in the first round.

There are still a lot of questions to be answered about who each of these teams are going to be by the time the playoffs roll around. There may be some young upstart teams, such as the Jazz or Trail Blazers, that sneak into the top 6. But it seems to me significant that Ishbia and the Suns organization feel optimistic internally. He didn’t set any expectations for the 45-win Suns team to win a playoff series last season. Mat Ishbia is always confident, but never full of expletive. If he says it will happen. I give it a 60 percent chance that it will. That’s a number.

To me, it all depends on who we play, but others might think differently. Let me know in the chat what teams you think give the Suns the best chance to advance, or which teams you think the Suns need to avoid at all costs.


Padres sign international free agent to minor-league deal

The San Diego Padres wasted no time making their first move of the offseason. Pitcher Tatsuya Nogami signed a minor-league deal out of Osaka Sangyo University, bypassing Nippon Professional Baseball. It’s an emerging trend among Japanese players to bypass NPB by signing out of the collegiate level. Whether it continues is another question entirely. NPB could certainly step in and put a stop to it, but they haven’t just yet.

Regardless, San Diego has an intriguing new prospect. Not much is known about Nogami. By “not much” I mean next to nothing. Nogami has almost zero public stats available. What is known is that he played baseball in high school before attending OSU. He decided not to play for the university team in his first year, instead joining them in his second year.

Crunching the Numbers

There are no stats available for that second year, but there are some for his most recent season. This spring, OSU won the league championship in the Seito Six University Semi-Hardball Baseball League with an undefeated record. Much of that was due to Nogami’s work on the mound. In six games of work (25.1 IP), Nogami allowed just one earned run for a 0.36 ERA.

The 20-year-old’s most intriguing ability is his strikeout rate. In 25 1/3 innings pitched this season, Nogami struck out 54 batters. That is not a typo. The number resulted in a blistering 19.18 K/9 rate. He threw up to 90 mph in high school but hasn’t had any public measurements available while in university. It’s safe to say his velocity has increased a little since then. His pitch mix has obviously kept hitters guessing, with a four-seamer, slider, cutter, curveball and splitter.

Differences in Semi-Hardball

The big question is how Nogami will adjust to MLB. That’s not just because he’s coming over from Japan, it’s because he’s been pitching in a semi-hardball league instead of baseball. Semi-hardball isn’t that much different from baseball. The way that the ball moves for pitchers is incredibly similar. The bigger difference is for hitters, with batters not being able to hit the ball as hard.

Because Nogami is a strikeout pitcher (in every definition of the term), the change shouldn’t affect his stuff all that much. It might be a bigger problem if he was a groundball pitcher, but that shouldn’t change too much for the 20-year-old in his transition to professional baseball in America.

Immediate Expectations

Nogami is certain to begin the coming season in the minor leagues. Not only is he incredibly young, but he also would benefit from gaining some experience facing higher-caliber hitters. A more intriguing question is whether Nogami will be issued a non-roster invite to Spring Training. It could be valuable to see him face big-league hitters. If his stuff plays well against them in a small sample, that could push his timeline forward.

Red Wings Complete Comeback, Defeat Sharks 4-3 Via Shootout

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The Detroit Red Wings found themselves trailing by a 3-1 score in the third period of Saturday night's contest against the visiting San Jose Sharks, one of the NHL's most exciting young, up and coming clubs.

But they didn't wilt, and in the end, they got the last laugh.

Emmitt Finnie and Alex DeBrincat scored third period goals for the Red Wings, while Lucas Raymond scored the only goal in the subsequent shootout, resulting in a 4-3 victory at Little Caesars Arena. 

With the win, the Red Wings improved their record to 3-3-2 in the early goings of the 2026-27 campaign. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

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It was defenseman Justin Faulk who got the scoring started for the Red Wings, beating former Detroit goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from the point while on the power play. San Jose responded later in the frame with a power play goal of their own from defenseman Dmitry Orlov. 

The Sharks took a 2-1 lead thanks to superstar captain Macklin Celebrini, who capped a three-way passing play with a one-timed blast over the glove of Red Wings goaltender John Gibson following a turnover from William Wallinder.

San Jose then extended their lead to 3-1 early in the third period, striking for the second time with the man-advantage. 

Lucas Raymond Still Feeling Confident Amidst Goal Drought Lucas Raymond Still Feeling Confident Amidst Goal Drought While Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond is still searching for his first goal of the season, the confidence that's made him one of their top forwards hasn't wavered.

But Detroit began fighting their way back into the contest soon afterward. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård sent a perfect shot-pass to a waiting Emmitt Finnie at the side of the net, who had a tap-in for his third goal of the season. 

With Gibson on the bench, it was DeBrincat who once again came through in the clutch for Detroit, roofing a loose puck over Nedeljkovic from the same spot Finnie scored; it was his fifth of the season. 

The Red Wings not only killed off a Sharks power play in overtime, but got the only goal of the subsequent shootout from Raymond, who is still searching for his first official tally of 2026-27. 

DeBrincat and Brandsegg-Nygård were both stopped by Nedeljkovic in the shootout; he finished with 24 saves. Gibson stopped all three Sharks shooters, which included Will Smith, Celebrini, and Stenberg; he finished with 31 saves, the biggest of which was a sprawling two-pad stack on Celebrini late in the first period. 

After playing seven of their first eight games at home, the Red Wings will now embark on a four-game Western road swing, beginning Tuesday night in Seattle against the Kraken; Detroit will look to avenge their 6-3 loss to the Kraken from Oct. 9. 

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Miles McBride’s agent leaves door open for future talks with Knicks

Miles McBride claps his hands during the Knicks' preseason win over the Raptors on Oct. 15, 2026 at Madison Square Garden.
Miles McBride claps his hands during the Knicks' preseason win over the Raptors on Oct. 15, 2026 at Madison Square Garden.

Of the three Knicks who did not get their desired contract extension heading into the season, Miles McBride’s long-term future with the team is the most at risk.

His agent, Mark Bartelstein, opened up about the team shutting down all extension negotiations.

“No doubt, he would love to get that,” Bartelstein said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “But at the end of the day, you work for the Knicks and it takes two sides to get a deal done. And if the Knicks aren’t ready to do extensions right now, then we just gotta buckle up and go have a great season. He’ll be a free agent this summer, but we’ll see. We’ve got a great relationship with [president] Leon [Rose] and the front office. We’ll see: there may be opportunities during the season, maybe in the near future. Who knows where we’ll be able to have those conversations.”

McBride is set to make just under $4 million in the final year of his contract this season and will be in line for a dramatic raise if he hits free agency next summer.

Miles McBride claps his hands during the Knicks’ preseason win over the Raptors on Oct. 15, 2026 at Madison Square Garden. Jason Szenes for New York Post

Operating under owner James Dolan’s demand to stay under the second apron, it will be extremely difficult for the Knicks to have all five starters on big contracts and still have space left over to give a significant contract to a bench player.

That makes McBride the most likely trade candidate on the roster before the Knicks potentially lose him for nothing in the summer.

And he is someone, as a proven bench contributor currently on a cheap deal, who would actually bring back a strong return.

The Post’s Stefan Bondy predicted in his season preview that McBride will be moved.

McBride has not been as pointed as Karl-Anthony Towns about the negotiations, but he did make it clear that he felt he deserved an extension before the Knicks shut down talks.

“We’ve spoken to the Knicks throughout the summer,” Bartelstein said. “Miles, like any player in his position, would love to get an extension. I think he’s earned it. He’s been a huge part of where that organization has gone over the last three or four years. He’s been their sixth man. A lot of people don’t realize how hurt he played last year in the playoffs. He had abdominal surgery that caused him to miss a couple of months. He came back and he wasn’t really right yet, but he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to be there for his teammates.”


Dink Pate’s wild basketball journey has landed him back with the Knicks.

The team signed him to an Exhibit 10 contract Saturday and quickly waived him — a housekeeping procedure to get him to their G-League team.

Since Exhibit 10 deals are basically just training camp deals, they expire at the start of the regular season. But as long as he clears waivers as expected, it means the Knicks will keep his G League rights.

Pate, 20, spent last year with the Westchester Knicks. Then, as part of college sports’ increasingly Wild West-like system, he tried to play in college this year at Providence.

He didn’t have previous college experience, having instead opted to play for the G League Ignite before entering the draft last year, where he went undrafted and signed with the Knicks.

But the NCAA recently denied Pate’s amateur status and ruled him ineligible. So with his college hopes dashed, he’s likely headed back to the G League.

Pate, a 6-foot-8 guard, averaged 16.0 points and 3.7 assists with the Westchester Knicks during the G League regular season last year.


Joel Embiid isn’t planning on taking in the Knicks’ championship festivities before their season opener Tuesday night against the 76ers and Madison Square Garden.

“I don’t really feel like watching that whole ceremony,” Embiid said. “I guess I’ll be in the locker room.”

Jaylen Brown, though, had a different sentiment.

“It’s an honor,” Brown said. “Opening night, it’s primetime, the former champions, I think it’s serendipitous.”

Caufield scores his second goal in OT to lift Canadiens over Sabres 4-3

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the game 54 seconds into overtime to lift the Montreal Canadiens over the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 on Saturday night.

Caufield had a breakaway after Josh Norris missed his shot on a 3-on-1 rush. He ripped a shot into the top-left corner, extending his franchise record with his 14th regular-season overtime goal.

Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Texier also scored while Montreal built a two-goal lead before Buffalo stormed back. Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Carrier added two assists each.

Jacob Fowler stopped 23 shots in his fourth start in five games.

Jack Quinn, Tage Thompson and Norris scored for Buffalo, which fell 4-3 in a shootout to the Canadiens on Tuesday. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 30 saves.

Thompson tied it at 3 with 9:48 remaining in the third period after Josh Doan found him alone at the side of the net to eventually force overtime.

The Sabres went on the power play with 2:17 remaining in regulation after Slafkovsky tripped Jiri Kulich but couldn’t capitalize despite spending the majority of the time in Montreal’s zone.

UP NEXT

Sabres: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.

Canadiens: Host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Arizona Fall League: week two

Week two of the AFL season saw the Peoria Javelinas dealing with a rainout that was rescheduled for an off day. Going 2-3 for the week, the Javelinas sit in fourth place with a 5-6 record overall. They are 2.5 games back of the two leading teams, the Scottsdale Scorpions and Surprise Saguaros.

San Diego Padres RHP Kannon Kemp had a start on Oct. 10 and pitched three innings allowing four runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Two of the runs were the result of a home run. RHP Winyer Chourio started on Oct. 14, pitching 2.2 innings allowing a hit and two runs with six walks and two strikeouts. He also had three wild pitches in his 59 pitches thrown with only 25 strikes. After a breakout season in 2025, Chourio has struggled with command during parts of the 2026 season.

Righty reliever Francis Peña pitched in one game for one innings and allowed no hits or runs. He had no walks or strikeouts. Lefty reliever Igor Gil pitched 1.2 innings with a hit, two walks and three strikeouts.

Outfielder Alex McCoy played in two games and hit his second home run for the Javelinas. Infielder Justin DeCriscio also played in two games with two RBI. Catcher Ty Harvey played in two games with two RBI for the week.

Sam Dykstra, who writes for MLB Pipeline on MLB.com, featured McCoy and Harvey in his AFL update this week. For his first two home runs in the AFL, McCoy rose to the top levels of baseball with a 118.2 mph EV on the 435-foot homer he hit on the 15th. The blast came on an 89.3 mph sinker and was not the hardest-hit ball of his 2026 season.

On April 12, while playing for Fort Wayne, McCoy had a groundout clocked at 119.5 mph and a 118 mph home run with Lake Elsinore at another point in the season.

McCoy missed time in 2025 due to injury but that is not reportedly the reason he is playing in the AFL this year. The Padres want him exposed to other pitching than he has seen so far. Hoping that there would be top prospects throwing during AFL games, McCoy’s high strikeout rate and swing-and-miss tendencies need more exposure to improved pitching. A successful adjuster so far in his career, challenging the 6-foot-5 outfielder makes sense as the Padres consistently challenge their top prospects.

Harvey, who did miss big portions of the 2026 season, is making up for lost time. At 20 years old, just one month younger than Padres catcher Ethan Salas, Harvey is also a potential plus power hitter in the system. After returning later in the season, Harvey was the catcher of record for most of the championship run for the Lake Elsinore Storm.

Ethan Salas gets an award

To wrap up the 2026 minor league season for the Padres’ top prospect, Ethan Salas was named the MiLB Defensive Player of the Year. Recognized as a plus defender at this point in his career, Salas almost certainly is done with his minor league career. Assured of an opportunity to win a starting job with the Padres in 2027, Salas will benefit from working with Padres catching coach Kevin Plawecki, who has been credited with helping Luis Campusano up his game.