ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his second goal of the game on a power play at 3:38 of overtime to give the Minnesota Wild a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night.
Minnesota got the power play when Phillip Danault hooked Kaprizov in front of the goal. Kaprizov took a feed from Quinn Hughes and fired a shot past Jakub Dobes from the high slot for his 32nd goal of the season.
Joel Eriksson Ek and Brock Faber also scored, and Hughes had three assists to reach 50 for the season. Filip Gustavsson made 17 saves.
Faber tied it at 3 at 7:05 of the third, racing onto the puck down the right side for a quick shot. Quinn assisted on the goal.
Hughes assisted on Kaprizov’s first goal to tie the Russian’s team-record assists streak at nine and push his franchise-record points streak for defenseman to nine. Kaprizov had assists in nine straight games in 2022-23.
Minnesota won its fourth straight, ending Montreal winning streak at three.
Brendan Gallagher, Ivan Demidov and Kirby Dach scored to give Montreal the lead after the Wild raced to a 2-0 advantage.
Dach put Montreal ahead 12 seconds into the third, knocking in Nick Suzuki’s feed. Gallagher started the comeback with 52 seconds left in the first, and Demidov tied it with 17 seconds to go in the second,
Eriksson Ek opened the scoring at 38 seconds of the first, firing a wrist shot from right circle. Kaprizov made it 2-0 with 4:12 left in the first, tipping in Quinn's feed.
Wild defenseman Daemon Hunt didn’t return after taking a puck to the throat in the first period.
Up next
Canadiens: At Winnipeg on Wednesday night in their final game before the Olympic break.
Wild: At Nashville on Wednesday night in their final game before the Olympic break.
MEMPHIS, TN - FEBRUARY 2: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #3 of the Memphis Grizzlies drives to the basket during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 2, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Everything the Minnesota Timberwolves do right now is under a massive microscope. That microscope’s name is Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It’s hard to watch Jaden McDaniels shoot 18-26 from three during the last two weeks and not think immediately of how a certain team in Milwaukee would think of him. It’s increasingly difficult to watch Julius Randle without wondering if he will be sticking around if Minnesota continues to try to prioritize McDaniels and Naz Reid without getting a deal done for Giannis.
Jaden McDaniels over his last 10 quarters…
Points: 58 Rebounds: 11 Assists: 6 2s: 11 for 18 (61%) 3s: 11 for 14 (79%) https://t.co/fdPhRMkgYa
All of that is on the table. It means that so little about tonight’s game is actually about tonight’s game. Still, the nature of this recap means that we do need to talk about what happened against the Memphis Grizzlies instead of thinking about what price, if any, is too high for a current top-three player in the entire association.
(If that price is all three of Naz, Jaden, and Julius, that’s certainly too high for me)
The Wolves did what we all know them to do and came out flat. A first-quarter deficit grew and festered like an ever-spreading cough that no one seems to be able to get rid of. While on the topic of sicknesses, it seems pretty clear that the entire team frequently looks anemic and completely devoid of whatever vitamin is needed to provide consistent effort.
The story of this game was the eight-point lead that the Grizzlies maintained for the entirety of the contest. It is exceptionally difficult to consider the Wolves a good team when they have inverted their early-season form and turn into a pumpkin whenever they face a team below 500.
To Minnesota’s discredit, Memphis was also missing two consistent starters and at least four rotation pieces by my count.
It’s just bad.
Despite a great performance from Jaden, these are the types of games that fuel the desperation necessary for the Wolves to go all in on a Giannis trade. And it doesn’t help when your supposed second option has fans tweeting like this:
Julius looks like he’s volunteering to be the guy traded tonight lol
The word to describe it is just flat. So much of this team is without depth and without texture. The Wolves are not a product you can trust. They are the gas station sandwiches of the NBA. One day, they are the exact thing you need on a road trip, a shocking bit of excellent normalcy to distract from disappointing other options. Another day, they had you projectile vomiting on the side of the highway about an hour and a half later because the lettuce had started to rot.
All that is to say that anyone who sees Minnesota as a title contender is simply wrong. The unseriousness is unavoidable and is just fully baked into this team as is. Whether that would change in an era focused fully on the Jaden/Ant/Naz trio remains to be seen, but this iteration of the team will not escape who they are.
Maybe we will look back on this recap in a couple of months — as we did last year… and the year before as well — and laugh at this level of declaration, but I think there’s a reason that the Wolves burn out in the conference finals.
The Wolves have the ceiling of being able to beat anyone. The last few matchups with the Thunder have shown that. But their inability to lock in and just show up every day, every hour, every play means that they just cannot stop getting in their own way.
If you missed this whole game, you missed out on nothing. You should’ve watched Unrivaled.
A 16-3 run in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter buried any hope of a Minnesota comeback. What else is there to say about a performance like tonight that hasn’t already been said? Ant started off hot, and then cooled off as the game fell out of grasp. Cam Spencer and Ty Jerome made a bad loss worse for Minnesota.
If there’s a story that continues to stand out, it is how dreadful Mike Conley has been. Whereas Bones Hyland at least has a lesser version of the Jordan Poole/Michael Jordan wheel that he spins every game, Conley is ping-ponging between Hornets Tony Parker and Bucks Jeff Teague.
The old man is, by all accounts, a wonderful teammate and an integral part of the locker room, but the biggest difference maker for the Wolves’ deadline hopes is probably getting number 10 to go from a five-minute-a-game player to a zero-minute-a-game player.
Additionally, it was a terrible night for Naz Reid, who had been the most impactful Wolves player according to most net rating numbers over the past few game winning streak. Naz’s issues tend to mirror the team’s. There’s such a high high, but such a low low. Tonight was quite low.
Basketball is fun. Being a fan of a good team is, typically, fun. The Wolves have once again drained me of my will to watch and my will to support.
That brings us back to the question that looms as large as the last name that would answer it. I’d have no problems putting my own words to it, but I think it’s already been said about as well as it can.
To me the Wolves trading for Giannis puts both potentially crashing and burning AND potentially winning a ring on the near-future table — maybe even equally as likely. I don’t think either of them are foreseeable right now
Your view kinda depends on your appetite for risk/reward
Goodnight Wolves fans. I’m sorry you had to watch that. I wish you didn’t have to. I wish I hadn’t.
Up Next
The Timberwolves finish their three-game road trip north of the border as they take on the Toronto Raptors, where they look to end one of the craziest streaks in the NBA, as they have not won a road game in Toronto since January 21, 2004. The game begins at 6:30 PM CT, airing on FanDuel Sports Network.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 09: Matt Shaw #6 of the Chicago Cubs throws to first base during the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the National League Division Series at Wrigley Field on October 09, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s a new week here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad you decided to stop by. Come on in out of the cold. We’ll waive the cover charge for you. Let us take your coat. The hostess can take you to your table now. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last week, I asked you which Cubs corner outfielder should the team sign to an extension. Your choice was Seiya Suzuki with 49 percent of the vote. Ian Happ only got 21 percent, which affirms my belief that Happ is the most underrated Cub of the 21st Century. Nineteen percent of you did want to sign both players to an extension.
Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. You’re free to skip that if you’d like. You won’t hurt my feelings.
Tonight we’re featuring Brazilian pianist Eliane Elias in New York in 2011 playing “Samba Triste.” Joining her are Marc Johnson on bass and Satoshi Takeishi on drums.
You voted in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic and like most things that decide to go up against Godzilla, The Day the Earth Stood Still got crushed. I would have thought Gort would have been able to put up a better fight with all his alien technology, but that’s what people thought about Mechagodzilla as well.
Today we’ve got another third round matchup to decide which film will face off against Godzilla in the semifinals. It’s director Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey and the film with one of the most famous endings of all time, Planet of the Apes (1968).
2001: A Space Odyssey.(1968) Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Starring Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood.
Here’s the “hunt” scene where Taylor (Heston) and his crew are captured by the Apes.
Reading back what I wrote about these two films, I don’t really have a lot more to say. Both of them kind of defy criticism anyways, but in very different ways. I also assume that all of you who have been following along have already seen both of these movies, so I don’t need to tell you a lot.
So you might as well vote.
You have until Wednesday to vote. Up next, Alien takes on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I’m wondering if we won’t get Alien versus Godzilla in the final, which would no doubt give some producer an idea for a new film series.
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.
The Boston media and Red Sox fans have been going nuts since the Cubs signed Alex Bregman. Even the few Boston fans who didn’t think the Red Sox should re-sign Bregman are upset because the team has too many outfielders and not enough infielders. Marcelo Mayer is pencilled in for third base and while he was a highly-regarded prospect coming into last season, he didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his first go at the major leagues. He also struggled badly against left-handed pitching, so he probably needs a platoon partner. That’s no reason to give up on Mayer, but it is a risky spot to be in for a team that has title aspirations.
The situation for the Red Sox at second base is even worse. Romy Gonzalez did very well at the plate last season—..305/.343/.483 in 96 games, but most of that damage was done against left-handers. Basically, he’s a good platoon partner for Mayer at third base and he can’t play second and third base against left-handed pitching at the same time.
Another option the Red Sox have at second base is Kristian Campbell, who was poor in his rookie season, hitting .223/.319/.345 over 67 games. There’s also David Hamilton, who was even worse.
The situation is so desperate that the team is apparently kicking around is moving center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela to second base. Rafaela was a good defensive infielder before the Red Sox moved him to center field and he could probably handle the position well should they move him back. The problem is that Rafaela is an elite center fielder who may be the only outfielder in Pete Crow-Armstrong’s class as a defender. So that might solve the Red Sox problem of too many outfielders and not enough infielders, but it comes with a big cost.
One thing that has been suggested a lot by Red Sox fans is to trade for one of the Cubs infielders, in particular Nico Hoerner or Matt Shaw. The idea is behind Hoerner is that the Cubs have one too many infielders and Hoerner is a free agent at the end of the season. If the Cubs aren’t planning to sign him to an extension, they might be better off getting something for him in trade.
Honestly, I don’t see the Cubs trading Hoerner. The Cubs also consider themselves playoff contenders and Hoerner is one of the best all-around players on the team. For the Cubs to trade Hoerner, they would have to get something back that would give them equal or better production this year. If the Red Sox had that to trade, they wouldn’t need Nico Hoerner.
Matt Shaw is a more interesting question. Shaw got off to a poor start to his rookie season last year, but he really turned it on in the second half. He also was surprisingly good at third base, but with Alex Bregman under contract, he doesn’t have a full-time job. The Cubs have made it clear that they’d like to use Shaw as a “supersub” all around the diamond, but for 2026 at least, Shaw is a luxury rather than a necessity. It’s also escaped no one’s attention that Shaw is from Massachusetts and grew up a Red Sox fan.
Most of the trade offers I’ve seen out of Boston for Shaw is along the lines of “here’s a bunch of players we don’t want for a Cub we very much do want.” Sorry, but trades don’t work that way. The Cubs have no reason that they have to trade Shaw. The Cubs need a strong bench and he’s the backup plan for 2027 should Hoerner leave as a free agent. On top of that, I believe that even though Hoerner is the better player, Shaw has more trade value than Hoerner. He was the 35th-ranked prospect according to Baseball America coming into last year. Keith Law of The Athletic ranked him as the 14th-best prospect. While he didn’t set the world on fire his rookie season, he’s still young and promising. On top of that, he has five years of team control left instead of just one for Nico.
So sorry Red Sox fans. If you want Matt Shaw, it’s gonna hurt. Boston will definitely have to give up something they don’t want to give up if they want Shaw.
Fortunately for them, they do have two prospects the Cubs might covet. The Red Sox have two young (23 years old) starting pitchers who are major-league ready this season: left-handers Payton Tolle and Connelly Early. Baseball America ranked Tolle as the 17th-best prospect in the game. They ranked Early 52nd. Law ranked Tolle 40th and Early 64th. Both have already made their major league debuts. Early and was very good (2.33 ERA) over four starts. Tolle wasn’t nearly as effective out of the gate with a 6.06 ERA over three starts and four relief spots. But the important thing is that both pitchers are ready to pitch in the majors this season.
Here’s a little of what Baseball America said about Tolle
He . . . averaged 96.6 mph in his big league cameo and hit triple digits for the first time in his life on a pitch that averaged 16.7 inches of ride and 6.7 inches of armside run. Tolle reshaped his secondary mix throughout the season, most notably with the introduction of an 88-90 mph cutter in August that immediately surpassed his gyro slider,
And here’s a little of what they said about Early.
He paired the [93-94 mph] fastball with an excellent mid-80s changeup with sink and fade to his arm side as well as a slider and curveball against righties, while crushing lefties by mixing his four- and two-seamer with a low-80s sweeper that produced a 100% whiff rate—not a typo—on 10 regular-season swings.
To be clear, while all the rankings I’ve seen have Tolle ranked higher, presumably because of his greater velocity, I have read some people saying they think Early is the better prospect and will be the better pro. He was certainly better in his cup of coffee last year than Tolle was. In any case, this isn’t a situation where one pitcher is obviously superior to the other. There’s a general consensus that Tolle is better, but reasonable teams could think otherwise.
The Red Sox would have to give up one of those two to get Matt Shaw and probably another lesser prospect as well. As I said, it’s going to have to hurt if they want Matt Shaw. I’m not going to speculate on who that might be (I don’t know the lower reaches of the Red Sox system at all) and maybe if the Cubs took Early they’d get a slightly better second prospect than with Tolle.
I’m not saying that the Red Sox would make this deal. They may not want to part with either pitcher. But what I am saying is that this is the type of offer they would have to make for the Cubs to consider dealing Shaw.
To be clear, such a trade would be risky for the Cubs as well. Shaw is pencilled in for a major bench role in 2026 and if someone gets hurt, he’s likely going to have to play a lot. On top of that, if the Cubs were to trade Matt Shaw, they’d be operating without a safety net with Nico Hoerner. If Hoerner leaves at the end of the year, then the Cubs would be without a second baseman if they trade Shaw. Maybe another minor league infielder like Jefferson Rojas, Pedro Ramirez or James Triantos will establish themselves this year as an alternate heir apparent to Hoerner. But there’s no guarantee of that.
So with the understanding that the Red Sox may not be willing to make the offer, would you be willing to part with Matt Shaw for either of these packages?
Thanks for stopping by tonight. It’s always good to start the week with friends. Please get home safely. Stay warm and dry out there. Tell your friends about us. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next time for more BCB After Dark.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 20: Alanna Rizzo of the MLB network reports as part of the first all female broadcast on Youtube during a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field on July 20, 2021 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Tampa Bay Rays announced today that Major League Baseball will take over production and distribution of local television broadcasts beginning with the 2026 season. The partnership ensures that fans across Florida will be able to watch Rays games through their cable or satellite provider and through MLB’s direct‑to‑consumer streaming service.
“Since our first days of taking ownership of the club, we’ve been committed to delivering a world‑class fan experience,” said Tampa Bay Rays CEO Ken Babby. “This transition reflects that commitment. With MLB’s best‑in‑class streaming platform, Rays fans in our home market will finally be able to stream games on the MLB app without local blackouts. And just as importantly, fans who prefer the tradition of watching Rays baseball on television will continue to find our games on cable and satellite. Every decision we make is done first and foremost with our fans in mind.”
Fans in the Rays home market will be able to access games on participating cable and satellite systems, with provider details and channel lineups to be shared soon. Streaming access will be available for purchase on MLB.com and the MLB app once subscriptions go on sale in February.
The Rays join a number of MLB clubs already partnering with the league for local broadcasts. All 162 regular‑season games in 2026 will be available either through local distribution or MLB’s national broadcast partners.
Additional details will be shared in the coming weeks.
Feb 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) controls the ball under pressure from Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The NBA officially filled out its All-Star game roster, and it is filled with former Kentucky Wildcats. There will be five total Cats in Los Angeles as the ASG festivities kick off in a little less than two weeks.
The five Wildcats named to the league’s most prolific game are New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Jamal Murray, and Phoenix’s Devin Booker.
Murray, a nine-year veteran with the Nuggets, will appear in his first-ever All-Star Game in 2026. He’s having a career year in Denver, averaging 25.5 points per game, shooting 48.7% from the field, and also 7.5 assists per game. He currently has the Nuggets sitting as the third seed in the Western Conference.
The Wildcats’ guard pipeline never fails to amaze. Maxey, who is playing his sixth season for the 76ers, has been one of the most elite guards in the league this season. Averaging just under thirty points a game, the former Wildcat has become the face of the franchise in Philly. A savvy guard who can score at all three levels.
In a weekend full of celebrities and stars in LA, there will be no shortage of Wildcats around all weekend long. Former Cats are always making BBN proud.
The All-Star game is set for February 15th at the Inuit Dome, the home of the Los Angeles Clippers.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Joyce Edwards had 28 points and Tessa Johnson added 19 and tied a career high with five 3-pointers to help No. 3 South Carolina outlast Texas A&M 71-56 Monday night.
South Carolina (22-2, 8-1 Southeastern Conference) led by as many as 16 points, but was clinging to a five-point lead when Edwards scored eight points in a 9-0 run that made it 67-53 with less than two minutes remaining.
Johnson made her first four 3-point attempts and made all five of her 3s in the first half. She finished 5 of 11 from long range.
The Aggies had made six free throws in the fourth, but missed their first 10 shots of the quarter before Janae Kent made a 3-pointer with 90 seconds remaining.
Ny’ceara Pryor had 14 points for Texas A&M (8-10, 1-8), which lost its sixth straight. The Aggies performed much better on Monday night than they had in recent contests when they dropped four of their previous five games by 25 points or more.
NO. 13 MISSISSIPPI 71, AUBURN 45
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Cotie McMahon scored 20 points and Mississippi rolled to a victory over Auburn at neutral site Legacy Arena.
McMahon made 7 of 13 shots, 6 of 8 free throws and grabbed seven rebounds for the host Rebels (19-4, 6-2 Southeastern Conference), who have won three straight and five of six.
Sira Thienou totaled 14 points and eight rebounds for Ole Miss. Christeen Iwuala added 12 points and 11 rebounds for her ninth double-double this season.
NO. 25 NORTH CAROLINA 61, NC STATE 59
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Lanie Grant scored 10 of her 18 points in the third quarter and Indya Nivar rebounded her own missed free throw in the closing seconds to secure North Carolina’s victory over N.C. State.
North Carolina (18-5, 7-3 ACC) broke a five-game losing streak on the road in the series, notching its first victory in Raleigh since the 2018-19 season. The Tar Heels also secured their fifth straight victory overall this season.
Nivar’s driving layup in the opening minute of the fourth quarter gave North Carolina the first double-digit lead of the game at 52-42.
Tilda Trygger made a layup with 12.6 seconds left to pull N.C. State within 61-59 and the Wolfpack forced a jump ball at the other end to regain possession. N.C. State was off on a 3-point attempt and Nivar secured the defensive rebound before being fouled. Nivar missed both free throws, but she outhustled three N.C. State players to secure the rebound.
Nivar finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists for North Carolina. Nyla Harris had 10 points and nine rebounds.
Khamil Pierre led N.C. State (15-7, 8-3) with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Trygger finished with 11 points and Qadence Samuels scored 10.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 02: Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) and Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield (24) fight during the New York Islanders versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on February 2, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Third-string rookie goalie? No problem… for the Capitals. Clay Stevenson played just his second game this year, and while he didn’t get his first career shutout, he turned away 29 of 30 shots by the Islanders.
Bo Horvat still looks a bit rusty after missing some time due to injury; he had a lot of chances tonight but just was off the mark each time. Hopefully he’ll get on the board soon, since the power play could really use his shot.
It wasn’t a bad effort by the Islanders, but struggling to score more than one goal against this guy just isn’t going to cut it for a team that has some level of playoff ambitions.
Early, David Rittich made a save on Ryan Leonard and took some extra contact and went down. Nic Dowd was called for slashing Rittich, sending the Islanders to the power play. That power play was not great, despite Patrick Roy putting Mat Barzal, Bo Horvat, and Matthew Schaefer back together on PP1.
Schaefer took a holding penalty, and Horvat missed a shorthanded breakaway backhand, but the Islanders killed the penalty.
Rittich saved an Anthony Beauvillier breakaway, and then the Capitals gave the puck away to Barzal in the slot, and he made it 1-0 with his 15th of the season.
Ondrej Palat drew a slashing penalty on Tom Wilson with 19 seconds left in the period, and the Caps killed it in the second period. Palat, on PP1, nearly gave the puck away to Aliaksei Protas, but he couldn’t catch up to it.
Then, Martin Fehervary scored to tie the game, and just 30 seconds later, Beauvillier made it 2-1 quickly, two fairly soft goals given up by Rittich.
Bo Horvat shot wide on a breakaway chance and Simon Holmstrom hit the outside of the post, on the best opportunities to tie the game after the quick Capitals lead.
David Rittich made big saves on Wilson and Jakob Chychrun, and then Wilson laid a big open ice hit on Holmstrom, which got Scott Mayfield’s attention. Mayfield and Wilson fought, and Mayfield picked up an extra two minutes for “roughing” that seemed like a pseudo-instigator penalty even though Wilson was the one who dropped the gloves first after Mayfield came up to him.
Casey Cizikas had a good shorthanded chance on the kill, but with 10 seconds left, Carson Soucy took a high sticking penalty, giving the Capitals some 5 on 3 time and another power play.
After some dangerous moments, the Islanders killed both Mayfield and Soucy’s penalties. Any chance of a comeback seemed to deflate, though, when a Dowd pass bounced off Tony DeAngelo and past Rittich to make it 3-1.
Rittich was pulled for an extra skater with 5 minutes left, but John Carlson scored the empty netter with 2:25 left, giving the Capitals a 4-1 win.
Up Next
Tomorrow, the Islanders head back to UBS Arena to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins, who currently occupy the second seed in the Metro Division, two points ahead of the Islanders. Feels like a big one for the season as we approach the Olympic break!
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 29: Jarrett Allen #31, Darius Garland #10, Donovan Mitchell #45 and Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers pose for a portrait during Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day at Rocket Arena on September 29, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the things that the team seemingly hasn’t been willing to do in the past is give up one of their core four players: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. That group — based on what was said publicly — was considered mostly untouchable. That might be changing.
ESPN insider, Brian Windhorst, said Monday during a radio hit for ESPN Cleveland that he’s “not as convinced” that keeping that group together is their focus.
“For a while now, it was very clear that they did not want to touch the core four. I think it’s probable that the core four will still be on the team on Thursday afternoon, but I think the fact that I have heard some more willingness to expand beyond that indicates that the Cavs feel a level of pressure with this roster in this season.
“I just want to be careful how I word it, because I think what’s most likely to happen is that the roster, the core, stays intact. But I’m not as convinced that that is 100% their focus as it has been in the last year and a half or so.”
“I’m not as convinced that that is 100% their focus as it has been in the last year and a half,” – @WindhorstESPN on if the Cavs will keep the Core 4 intact through the trade deadline on Thursday 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/SX7PmYkaim
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Spida shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
While it’s likely that the core will stay together, it’s notable that there is noise around it breaking up, even if it’s unlikely at this time. Presumably, any move that would shake up the core would have to put them in a better position to compete now, which is difficult to do given how little time is left in the season.
At the same time, there is pressure within the organization to succeed at all levels. This is the most expensive team in the league, and they’re expected to compete at a championship level. Despite their recent strong play, they frankly aren’t near the same level as the other top contenders in the league, and they’re running out of time to prove that they can get there.
The Cavs’ recent success is almost more damning than anything. For example, Allen has consistently played his best basketball in Cleveland when Mobley isn’t available. That showed again on Sunday when he dropped 40 points in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. You don’t want to make too much from one game, but outside of stretches last regular season, their core group specifically has been less than the sum of their parts — especially in previous playoff runs.
There’s also the tacit admission that the team’s two biggest trades in the last year were misses. The Cavs didn’t win the initial Hunter trade with the Atlanta Hawks, and were wrong to choose Lonzo Ball over either/both Isaac Okoro and Ty Jerome — even though Jerome has only played two games this season. They already moved Hunter and are looking to move Ball as well.
We’ll see if the Cavs make any moves before Thursday’s deadline. They likely won’t make a trade just for the sake of doing so. That’s not how this front office has operated. But it’s worth noticing that they could be open to making a bigger move and finally have the ability to do so.
Altman has often talked about how his team has a long runway to compete. This season, they’re starting to run out of that runway. The plane needs to start flying.
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Jason Zucker broke a tie on a power play at 5:31 of the third period and he Buffalo Sabres beat the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 5-3 on Monday night.
The Sabres have won six of seven and took over the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They hold a 10-point lead over the Panthers. Florida, which has lost four straight, trails Boston by nine for the final playoff position with 27 games remaining.
Peyton Krebs had a goal and an two assists for the Sabres. Tage Thompson, Zach Benson, and Josh Doan also scored for Buffalo, with Rasmus Dahlin had two assists. Alex Lyon, who has won 11 of his past 12 starts, made 38 saves.
Sandis Vilmanis, Evan Rodrigues, and Uvis Balinskis scored for Florida. Sergei Bobrovsky made 15 saves.
The Panthers took a 2-0 lead early in the first period, but the Sabres scored the next three.
Florida, already playing without a number of its top forwards including captain Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand, lost center Sam Bennett to an upper-body injury.
Bennett left the game after the first and did not return.
The Panthers scored 37 seconds in on a goal from Vilmanis, with Rodrigues making it 2-0 at 5:56 of the period.
Buffalo scored the next two to tie the score going into the second, first off a long wrist shot from Thompson, then off a goal from Kreps in front off the rush.
The Sabres led 3-2 at 5:44 of the second when Bobrovsky came 15 feet out to play the puck. Only Ryan McLeod beat the Florida goalie to it, and he found Benson in the slot for the easy goal.
The Panthers tied it late in the second on a power-play goal from Balinskis, but Buffalo took the lead back on a power-play of its own at 5:31 of the third when Zucker scored off a blind feed from Doan. Doan ended the scoring with a goal off a pass from Krebs with 2:1:9 remaining.
The Florida Panthers are going through some hard times right now.
Desperate for every point they can get in the standings, Florida dropped their fourth straight game on Monday night in Sunrise, a 5-3 affair to the Buffalo Sabres.
It didn’t take long for Florida to pick up the game’s opening goal, and it came off the stick of rookie Sandis Vilmanis.
Earning a start along with Cole Schwindt and A.J. Greer, Vilmanis jumped on the rebound of a Niko Mikkola point shot that hit Greer in the backside, corralling the puck and wiring a wrist shot over Alex Lyon’s glove at the 37-second mark.
The Cats weren’t done there.
After Sam Reinhart forced a turnover deep in the Sabres’ zone, Evan Rodrigues’ cross-crease pass attempt deflected past Lyon and into the net, making it 2-0 Florida before the game hit its first TV timeout.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, the lead did not stick.
A pair of quick goals by Tage Thompson and Peyton Krebs brought Buffalo right back into the game after the first 20 minutes.
Buffalo took their first lead of the game immediately after killing off a delay of game penalty early in the second, with Zach Benson catching Sergei Bobrovsky out of position after taking a pass from Ryan McLeod, who had just come out of the penalty box and beat Bob to the puck in Florida’s zone.
Another power play for the Panthers would prove much more prosperous, with Reinhart finding Uvis Balinskis sneaking down from the point. His one-time snap shot beat Lyon over the glove, sending the game into the third period tied at three.
Buffalo took the lead back about five minutes into the final frame after an iffy hooking call on Cole Schwindt quickly led to the Sabres first power play goal of the game.
After a couple key penalty kills by Buffalo, they converted a 2-on-1 with just over two minutes to go to cement the victory for the visitors.
Photo caption: Feb 2, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Peyton Krebs (19) celebrates after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 2: Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins takes the puck to the net as Linus Ullmark #35 of the Ottawa Senators tends goal in the first period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on February 2, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pregame
The Penguins go with the same lineup as last game with a change in goalies back to Arturs Silovs.
Thought the Penguins were cutting corners and falling into some bad habits early. One example early was Ryan Shea in the opening minute attempting to go up the wall to a covered players. It got picked off and a nice Ottawa passing play nearly led to a goal (and probably should have if the placement was elevated to where it should have been). They got away with it, thanks to the play of Silovs in the first 5-10 minutes, following some cross-ice passes and good looks by the Senators after the Pens either flew the zone or just weren’t quite as connected with their positioning and/or decision making with the puck.
The Pens’ style pays off when Parker Wotherspoon is able to make one of those long passes up to Evgeni Malkin. Malkin puts a centering pass in an area with Egor Chinakhov can take one touch and shoot. When Chinakhov shoots, he shoots hard. This one low past Linus Ullmark, 1-0 Pens.
THRIVING IN THE BLACK AND GOLD 🐧
Egor Chinakhov has nine points (7G-2A) in 16 games since he joined the Penguins. pic.twitter.com/IZthuV5CaD
Rickard Rakell sideswipes Ullmark to take a goalie interference penalty in another avoidable little moment of not quite being super-sharp. The hot Pittsburgh PK kills it off.
Ilya Solovyov is the next to go to the penalty box for getting a stick up, another kill for the Penguins.
First period comes to a close, Ottawa is up 13-7 in shots, Pittsburgh carries a 1-0 lead where it counts. More in the thoughts section, didn’t like this start for the Pens. Silovs was very good and they’re fortunate to be ahead at this point.
Second period
The sloppy play continues, Malkin fumbles a puck in front of his net and hands it over to Michael Amadio. Amadio quickly puts the puck glove side on Silovs and in. 1-1 game.
Still not going well, Shea coughing the puck up leads to Parker Wotherspoon cross-checking a guy. The refs call it to send Ottawa to their third power play of the night. Another kill, though the Sens are getting more and more zone time and opportunities.
Lines have changed, Anthony Mantha joins the Crosby/Rakell group, Justin Brazeau goes to play with Kindel/McGroatry. The Penguins finally get their first shot of the period with just over nine minutes to go.
Solovyov breaks his stick and fails to clear the zone in the last minute, then Connor Clifton takes another cross-checking penalty for Ottawa’s fourth power play in the game, compared to the zero for the Penguins. The buzzer sounds before too much can happen.
It’s been a sludge for the Penguins tonight. Only three shots on goal in the second period and just 10 for the game. It’s a tie game after 40 minutes.
Third period
The Pens deal with the 91 seconds of carryover power play time. It takes until 13:14 remaining for Ottawa to take the lead. Shea fails to get the puck deep and turns the puck over at the far blueline while the Pens are changing behind him. That gives Drake Batherson a clean breakaway, Silovs makes the first stop, the rebound is sitting right there for the second player on the scene to get to. Turns out it’s Tim Stutzle. 2-1 Ottawa.
The Pens finally find a response on the rare chance to get a puck to the net. It’s Shea again (he’s everywhere) taking a shot that hits off Tommy Novak in the crease. Novak is able to find the loose puck and tap it into the net. 2-2 game with 11:12 to go.
It takes until 9:09 left in the game for Pittsburgh to get their first power play of the night. The big group stays out the whole time without scoring.
Claude Giroux splits the defense, Erik Karlsson has to hack at him. That causes Giroux to fall and crash into Silovs and the net, the puck goes in during the continuation of play. It takes a long review and it’s ruled a good goal for the puck over the line before the net was off.
That explanation isn’t good enough for Dan Muse, so he challenges the play for goalie interference. Questionable at best considering the contact was clearly initiated by Karlsson. Challenge denied and the Pens get a penalty and a goal against out of the deal anyways.
Pittsburgh kills off the punishment penalty, Silovs is pulled with over 2 minutes to go to get to 6v5 grind time. About halfway through the timeout is used to give the top players a breather. Doesn’t work, time runs out on the comeback effort.
Some thoughts
From the first period area, didn’t like the way the Penguins started this game. It was nice they scored first, the style was eye-catching. The players didn’t look as connected as they usually do to start breakouts in close support. They’re trying to stretch the ice more. It’s impossible to be sharp and have the details down every night, though I think we saw some of this against the Rangers too where some bad habits are starting to creep in. Once a team experiences success or gets on a winning streak it can be difficult to keep all those little details buttoned up. It’s a long stretch of hockey too, there’s no such thing as perfection but it can be alarming to see some of the finer points of their game erode away.
Then again, it still means something to take advantage of those mistakes. Ottawa made one in the first period when Nick Jensen played too wide and let Chinakhov get inside of him. Didn’t take long for the puck to get on and off his stick and in the net.
You can see why Ottawa is first in the league in 5v5 xGA and third best overall in fewest shots allowed per game. They hound opponents all over the ice, grinding them down and making everything earned then jump on turnovers and get right back on the attack. Not a lot of room out there against them.
Ryan Shea was all over the place tonight. At one point he even skated the puck aggressive while shorthanded when he realized it was a forward in Dylan Cozens back playing defense. Some good moments, some not so good.
Kinda crazy how the Pens just can’t draw a power play for the most part these days with just 19 power plays in the last eight games. They can’t complain too much, they barely had the puck enough and were chasing Ottawa around for most of the night, tough to get a call like that.
We’ve had some Dan Muse headscratchers when it comes to challenging very questionable goalie interference penalties, this was another one. There was no universe where the refs where going to rule Giroux interfered with Silovs. Did the Penguins want the play to be a penalty on Karlsson and no goal? I don’t even think that’s possible. Not sure if Muse is being fed bad information by the video team or just out of tune with how NHL referees are going to rule on these types of plays, he’s now 0-5 in goalie interference challenges. Muse has made several calls where the chance of getting the call to go his way was going to be an extreme longshot. This review being the most questionable of them all so far. These things can happen with a rookie coach, though at this point of the season almost four months and 55 games in it would be nice to see smarter coaching inputs happening there.
Bad game by the big guys, as it was for just about everyone besides Silovs. Malkin was turning pucks over, he did create a goal but his decision making was spotty all night. Crosby didn’t have so much as one shot attempt (let alone one on goal) and was forcing cross-ice passes in the last minute when it appeared he had a shooting lane — a telltale sign for the rare times that he is fighting things and mired a slump. Rakell wasn’t much more noticeable. Probably a good thing that Bryan Rust can play tomorrow back from his suspension, his presence will be needed.
Can’t win ‘em all, the Ottawa Senators have always been a tough matchup for the Pens, that continued again tonight. Pittsburgh was tied late but had difficulties all night in looking sharp and couldn’t find a way to win a seventh straight game. No shame in that, though they will need to put this one in the rearview mirror quickly with a matchup against the division-rival Islanders tomorrow night.
The Islanders failed to add to their lead and saw the Capitals take a 2-1 lead within a 31-second span in the second period.
First, it was Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary beating Rittich five-hole through a screen at 5:29 of the second before Beauvillier wrapped one past an out-of-position Rittich at the six-minute mark of the middle frame.
The Islanders, like we saw in the second period of their 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday, struggled to do everything. Despite their breakout issues and neutral zone play, they garnered chances.
Simon Holmstrom missed the net on a backhand semi-breakaway try before Horvat failed to score on his second breakway of the game, with Stevenson getting the shaft of his stick on a blocker-side try.
At 8:46 of the second, Nic Dowd's backdoor pass banked off Tony DeAngelo's skate and in to give the Capitals a 3-1 lead.
Roy pulled Rittich with 5:17 to go in the third, with John Carlson adding an empty-net tally at 17:35 for the 4-1 final.
UP NEXT: The Islanders battle the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night at 7:30 PM.
Brendan Donovan looks to make a play during the Cardinals' September 2025 game.
The Mariners are bringing Brendan Donovan to the Pacific Northwest as part of a trade that includes the Cardinals and Rays.
The Cardinals are getting right-hander Jurrangelo Cijntje, center fielder Tai Peete, outfielder Colton Ledbetter and two competitive-balance Round B picks, and the Rays will get third baseman Ben Williamson, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported.
Donovan hit .287 — a career best — last season while recording 10 home runs and 50 RBIs in 118 games.
Brendan Donovan looks to make a play during the Cardinals’ September 2025 game. Getty Images
He also had the team lead in doubles, with 32 and WAR, with a 2.7.
He has played four seasons in the big leagues, all of which have been with the Cardinals. Donovan was an All-Star for the first time in his career last season.
The Cardinals had been looking at signing Donovan to a long-term deal, but the sides never came close to a new contract, ESPN reported.
Donovan brings versatility to Seattle that will help as it looks to address questions at second and third base, both positions that Donovan has played.
In fact, Donovan had mostly spent time at second base last season and has more than 100 career innings at third base, shortstop, third base and right field under his belt.
Brendan Donovan swings during the Cardinals’ June 17 game. Getty Images
And in 2024, he could usually be found in left field.
It also gives the Mariners another player at the top of their order who has been an All-Star over the previous two seasons, a list that includes Josh Naylor, Cal Raleigh, Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodríguez.
The Mariners are coming off a season in which they just missed out on making it to the World Series.
Seattle took the Blue Jays to seven games in the ALCS before Toronto escaped to the Fall Classic.
The deal helps make the Mariners a team to watch once again going into 2026.
Feb 16, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Team LeBron forward Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers receives the Kobe Bryant MVP Award after the 2020 NBA All Star Game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-Imagn Images
On Sunday, the NBA announced the reserves for the 2026 All-Star Game, which takes place in less than two weeks at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, the new home of the LA Clippers. It goes without saying that there were no Warriors among the reserves … Steph Curry already made the team as a starter, and Jimmy Butler III’s ACL tear ended his slim chances of representing the Dubs in Inglewood.
It’s the season for snubbery, and a lot of fan bases are upset that one of their players didn’t make the cut for the mid-season festivities. So who do you think are the biggest snubs?
Here’s the full lineups as a refresher:
West starters: Steph Curry (Warriors) Luka Dončić (Lakers) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) Nikola Jokić (Nuggets) Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
East starters: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Warriors Bucks … for now) Jaylen Brown (Celtics) Jalen Brunson (Knicks) Cade Cunningham (Pistons) Tyrese Maxey (76ers)
West reserves: Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers) Devin Booker (Suns) Kevin Durant (Rockets) Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves) Chet Holmgren (Thunder) LeBron James (Lakers) Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
East reserves: Scottie Barnes (Raptors) Jalen Duren (Pistons) Jalen Johnson (Hawks) Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) Norman Powell (Heat) Pascal Siakam (Pacers) Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)
So who got snubbed? The clear answer in my eyes is Kawhi Leonard. Normally I’m of the mindset that most snubs aren’t worth getting upset over … that in any given year, there are 30 or so players worthy of being All-Stars and it’s hard to make a case that the “snub” actually deserves to make the roster over any of the players ahead of him. But I probably would have picked Leonard over every Western Conference reserve other than Edwards. He’s averaging 27.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, shooting 39.1% on threes with a 62.5% true-shooting percentage, and playing his usual defense. Add in the fact that his team is hosing the All-Star Game, and it’s truly staggering to me that he didn’t get selected.
There will be replacements announced between now and the February 15 game, and hopefully Leonard is on that list. But for now, he’s my biggest snub.
