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St. Louis and Boston meet for non-conference matchup

Boston Bruins (9-3-1, in the Atlantic Division) vs. St. Louis Blues (5-6-1, in the Central Division)

St. Louis; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins hit the ice in a non-conference matchup.

St. Louis is 5-6-1 overall and 3-1-1 at home. The Blues have gone 2-1-0 in games their opponents serve more penalty minutes.

Boston is 4-1-1 on the road and 9-3-1 overall. The Bruins have scored 49 total goals (3.8 per game) to rank fifth in NHL play.

Thursday's game is the first time these teams match up this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jake Neighbours has scored three goals with three assists for the Blues. Jimmy Snuggerud has five goals and one assist over the last 10 games.

David Pastrnak has seven goals and 11 assists for the Bruins. Matthew Poitras has scored four goals and added three assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Blues: 4-5-1, averaging three goals, 5.3 assists, 2.7 penalties and six penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

Bruins: 7-2-1, averaging 4.1 goals, 6.7 assists, 5.2 penalties and 14.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.1 goals per game.

INJURIES: Blues: Adam Jecho: out (personal), Torey Krug: out (ankle), Ross Johnston: out (lower body), Tyler Tucker: out (knee), Dillon Dube: out (neck), Logan Mailloux: out (hand).

Bruins: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Flying Butterfly: 3 Observations as Golden Knights Snap Losing Streak With Gritty Win Against Senators

Las Vegas, N.V.– When a team is on a three-game losing streak, they often need a big moment to swing momentum and turn things around. It could be anything: a fight, a herculean individual effort that leads to a goal, or even a big blocked shot.

For the Vegas Golden Knights, it was when starting goaltender Adin Hill left the net to play the puck to prevent a shorthanded breakaway and bowled over Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig in the process. Twelve seconds later, Braeden Bowman finally broke through and scored the first goal of the game on the power play.

“It wasn’t the best power play for us,” said Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig following the 4-1 win. “[Hill’s play] probably gave us a little bit of juice. Our bench got going after the goal ended up going in, they were all pointing down at him. Those kinds of things can get you going. It was a real grind of a victory.”

The Golden Knights started well and recorded the first two shots of the game before the Senators tilted the ice. There was a stretch of nearly 10 minutes between their second and third shot. And halfway through the second, shots were 14-4 in favor of Ottawa.

Being outplayed and outshot by such a thorough margin usually isn’t a winning recipe. But tonight, the Golden Knights managed to make it work, and that was due in no small part to Adin Hill’s spectacular play in net.

“We had to stay with it and grind,” Ryan Craig said. “In the second half [of the game], we got better. Some things bounced our way, but Hilly’s play… was one of those things that energized us, for sure.”

“He was unreal,” added forward Raphael Lavoie. “You know he’s got a hit, too, tonight? Hillsy played amazing. It’s really nice to see.”

1. So… Who Gets the Puck?

Although the Golden Knights scored the game’s first goal, they didn’t have the lead for very long. The Senators responded with their own power-play goal just 34 seconds into the third, tying the game at one. A tying goal that early in the period could have deflated a team on a three-game losing streak. Instead, the Golden Knights did what they do best: they kept rolling four lines and trusted their depth.

That decision paid off at 8:01 in the third when the fourth line scored a big go-ahead goal. 

Marc Gatcomb started the play in the defensive zone with a big hit on Senators forward Andre Burakovsky, and Raphael Lavoie ended up with the puck. Lavoie carried it through center ice and dropped a pass for Nic Dowd, who slapped it ahead to Ville Heinola. Jonas Johansson made the save on Heinola’s wrister, but after Dowd crashed the net, the puck came loose, and Lavoie slammed it home.

That go-ahead goal was a milestone triple threat. It was Raphael Lavoie’s first NHL goal, Nic Dowd’s 200th NHL point, and Ville Heinola’s first point as a Golden Knight.

“It means a lot,” Lavoie smiled postgame. “It’s been a long time coming, I think, and it feels really good.”

2. Them’s The Breaks!

Here’s a fun fact: Raphael Lavoie, who scored his first NHL goal and recorded the game-winner tonight, wasn’t originally supposed to play. In this morning’s line rushes, Jonas Røndbjerg skated in Lavoie’s spot on the fourth line. 

However, Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart left morning skate early with an apparent injury, forcing the Golden Knights to recall a goaltender from AHL Henderson. In a corresponding transaction, they had to send Røndbjerg down to become cap compliant.

“I wasn’t thinking of playing tonight,” Lavoie said after the 4-1 win. “I wasn’t in the lineup, and then suddenly, just before I left the rink, they told me I was playing. That’s how it was supposed to happen, I guess.

“We’re always ready to play,” Lavoie finished. “I did a lot of extra work in the morning because I didn’t think I was playing, but I just had to nap a little longer.”

3. King of the Hill

Adin Hill made headlines tonight for his quick decision to play the puck, and it’s for good reason. That could’ve gone south very easily. It takes quite a bit of confidence for a goaltender to venture that far from their crease and brave that kind of contact.

“I think I’ve maybe been further from my net,” joked Hill following the 4-1 win, “But that’s the first flying butterfly I’ve done.”

However, the best part of Hill’s game tonight wasn’t the extreme “flying butterfly”; it was his steady play between the pipes. He kept the Golden Knights in a game that they had no business being in. He made 25 saves in total, none better than the one he made on Tim Stützle early in the second period.

“Kind of a little breakdown there,” Hill said postgame. “They had a mini 3-on-2. They made a double back-door play, and at that point, it’s just desperation to do whatever you can and try and keep the puck out of the net.”

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Lavoie’s First NHL Goal, Hill’s Big Night Lift Golden Knights Past Ottawa

LAS VEGAS — Raphael Lavoie arrived at the rink expecting to sit out. He left with his first NHL goal and a game-winner.

Lavoie broke a third-period tie, and Adin Hill stopped 25 shots as the Golden Knights defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-1 on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena, snapping a three-game losing streak.

“Just before I left the rink, they told me I was playing,” Lavoie said. “So yeah, guess that’s how it was supposed to happen, I guess.”

Braeden Bowman scored on the power play, while William Karlsson and Jack Eichel added empty-net goals for Vegas, which improved to 9-4-1. Shane Pinto scored Ottawa’s lone goal, and Jonas Johansson finished with 25 saves.

“We needed to kind of turn the corner there and come away with a win tonight,” Hill said. “So that was big for our guys. It’s a good hockey team over there, the Senators. So yeah, we found a way to get it done.”

Lavoie was projected as a healthy scratch before the Golden Knights adjusted their roster after Carter Hart’s morning-skate injury. Given his opportunity, he delivered the decisive finish at 8:01 of the third period, putting Vegas ahead 2-1.

It was his first goal in 27 NHL appearances and his 10th game this season.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Lavoie said.

Ville Heinola and Nic Dowd assisted, with Dowd reaching 200 career points. Heinola earned a point in his Golden Knights debut.

Coach Ryan Craig credited Marc Gatcomb’s defensive work at the start of the sequence and Heinola’s willingness to join the rush, helping create an opportunity that Lavoie finished around the net.

“Pretty much everybody on the ice touched the puck,” Lavoie said.

For Craig, Lavoie and Hill provided examples of players responding when circumstances changed.

“Sometimes it’s just a matter of taking advantage of your opportunity,” Craig said. “Those are two guys that did tonight.”

Hill supplied the foundation long before Lavoie’s breakthrough.

Ottawa held an 11-4 shot advantage in a scoreless first period. Early in the second, Hill denied Tim Stützle with a sprawling save, moving across the crease to stop a dangerous back-post opportunity.

“At that point it’s just desperation, doing everything you can to try and keep the puck out of the net,” Hill said.

His most consequential intervention came late in the middle period while Vegas was on the power play.

With Ridly Greig threatening on a shorthanded breakaway, Hill charged out toward the right faceoff circle and poked the puck away. The Golden Knights turned the play back toward Ottawa’s net, where Bowman finished a rebound from Ivan Barbashev’s shot with 11 seconds remaining.

Hill said the puck slowed more quickly than he expected on the worn ice, forcing him to adjust as he raced toward Greig.

“At the end of it, just did a butterfly, kind of aimed to make sure he didn’t get the puck through me,” Hill said. “And yeah, we had a little collision there.”

The sequence transformed a potential Ottawa lead into a 1-0 Vegas advantage entering the second intermission.

“I thought our bench got going after the goal ended up going in,” Craig said. “They’re all pointing down at him. So, you know, those kind of things can get you going.”

That lead lasted just 34 seconds into the third.

Drake Batherson found Pinto for a power-play goal that evened the score, extending Vegas’ streak of games allowing a power-play goal to six.

Vegas gradually improved its puck management and work away from the puck, two areas Craig identified as central to the turnaround after the opening period. The Knights generated more sustained offensive-zone time by playing off shots and recovering pucks.

“It was a grind of a victory,” Craig said. “Ottawa’s a very good team. You can see the skill they have, very structured. They do a good job. They can capitalize on opportunities. For us, we had to stay with it and grind, and in the second half we got better.”

Lavoie restored the lead, and Vegas protected it until Karlsson scored into an empty net with two minutes remaining. Eichel added another with seven seconds left.

Hart’s availability remained uncertain, leaving Hill focused on preparing for the next game.

“We don’t have an update on Carter at all yet,” Hill said. “So yeah, I mean, we’re on to the next game and just get ready, approach every game like I would normally.”

KEY MOMENT: The save

Hill’s aggressive challenge on Greig prevented a shorthanded chance from becoming a potential deficit. Bowman’s goal at the other end gave Vegas the lead seconds later and energized the bench.

KEY STAT: Hill's save percentage

Hill stopped 25 of 26 shots for a .962 save percentage, earning his fifth victory of the season.

“He looked solid back there,” Craig said. “He looked like he was prepared and ready to play, and good on him.”

WHAT A KNIGHT: Lavoie's first

Initially expecting to sit out, he scored his first NHL goal midway through the third period. It held up as the game-winner.

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights conclude their two-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils on Friday at 3 p.m. PT at T-Mobile Arena for Nevada Day.

PHOTO CAPTION

Vegas Golden Knights center Raphael Lavoie (36) scores his first NHL goal against the Ottawa Senators in the third period at T-Mobile Arena.

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Wednesday's Time Schedule

All Times EDT

Wednesday, Oct. 28

MLB - Playoffs

World Series - Game 5

Milwaukee at Tampa Bay, 8 p.m. (if necessary)

NBA

Charlotte at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Miami at Atlanta, 7 p.m.

Philadelphia at Indiana, 7 p.m.

Washington at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Orlando at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Denver at New Orleans, 8 p.m.

Golden State at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Houston at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.

New York at Chicago, 8 p.m.

San Antonio at Utah, 9 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Dallas, 9:30 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

NHL

Philadelphia at Washington, 7:30 p.m.

Calgary at Edmonton, 8:30 p.m.

New Jersey at Colorado, 9 p.m.

Toronto at Seattle, 10 p.m.

MLS

Atlanta at New York City FC, 7:30 p.m.

Cincinnati at Miami, 7:30 p.m.

DC United at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Montreal at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.

New York Red Bulls at New England, 7:30 p.m.

Columbus at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

Kansas City at Minnesota, 8:30 p.m.

Orlando at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Nashville, 8:30 p.m.

Portland at Saint Louis City SC, 8:30 p.m.

Real Salt Lake at Austin, 8:30 p.m.

Colorado at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

Houston at Seattle Sounders, 10:30 p.m.

San Diego at Vancouver, 10:30 p.m.

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Lakers suffer first loss of season at hands of Trail Blazers

Lakers forward Sandro Mamukelashvili scores between Portland's Sidy Cissoko and Donovan Clingan in the first half.
Lakers forward Sandro Mamukelashvili scores between Portland's Sidy Cissoko and Donovan Clingan in the first half. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

They are the top-scoring teams in the NBA and have dynamic backcourts to make it all work.

So, when the Lakers came to work with their superb guard duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and the Portland Trail Blazers came to work with their exciting guard combo of Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, it figured to be a high-scoring affair Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

It lived up to that billing, with the game going back and forth in the decisive fourth quarter, finally being settled after Lillard hit a big-time three-pointer off a pass from Deni Avdija for a six-point lead with 42.8 seconds left that the Lakers couldn’t overcome in a 136-129 loss.

Doncic, coming off a 52-point game at Utah on Sunday, had 41 points, nine assists and five rebounds and Reaves had 26 points, seven assists and four rebounds.

Morant and Avdija had 23 points for the Trail Blazers and Lillard had 21. Jrue Holliday scored 22.

Read more:Lakers newsletter: Why Collin Sexton's 'insanity' works

The Lakers dropped their first game of the season, falling to 3-1 after getting outscored 34-26 in the fourth quarter.

The Lakers entered the game averaging a league-best 128 points per game and the Trail Blazers were right behind them at 126 points per game.

Doncic (34.3 points per game) and Reaves (26.7) are the top scoring backcourt in the league.

Lillard, who sat out last season with a torn left Achilles tendon injury, and Morant, who played for the Memphis Grizzlies last season before being traded to the Trail Blazers, formed essentially for a new backcourt for Portland.

“You’re talking about a playoff team that essentially added [Damian] Lillard and Ja Morant so it’ll be a great test for us tonight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I think you know the biggest thing for us is being able to get back, set our defense, and try to get our first bumps outside the paint. They’re a heavy drive team, [with a] number of guys that can do it at a high level and Avdija obviously led the league last year in drives and got to be great with that tonight.”

Lakers center Walker Kessler gets hit in the head by Portland center Donovan Clingan (23) in the first half.
Lakers center Walker Kessler gets hit in the head by Portland center Donovan Clingan (23) in the first half. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The two teams went at it in the first half, with the Lakers taking a 73-68 lead at intermission after a three-pointer at the buzzer by Sandro Mamukelashvili to end the second quarter.

He pumped his chest a few times, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Lakers rookie guard Cameron Carr, who has been out with a right oblique strain, practiced with the Coachella Valley Lakers on Tuesday. Redick said Carr showed progress while at practice with their G-League team.

“We needed him to be able to get through a full practice,” Redick said. “So that’s probably a very important step. Obviously, he was able to do some level of conditioning because it was an upper body injury. But [we] want to make sure he’s able to take hits and able to be in shape.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Milwaukee Brewers were three outs from a title. Now they need to 'flush it'

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Cooper Pratt knew it was gone. Joey Ortiz did too.

Pratt led off the 12th inning of Game 4 on Tuesday night by driving Ian Seymour's pitch deep into the left-center field stands, putting the Brewers a half-inning away from the franchise’s first ever World Series title.

About 20 minutes later however, Pratt was consoling Ortiz in a quiet Brewers clubhouse.

The Tampa Bay Rays scored twice in the bottom of the 12th without making an out and won Game 4, 4-3. The rally started when Ortiz bounced the throw to first on Junior Caminero’s groundball.

Ortiz didn't hide from it.

"There's no excuse," Ortiz said. "Not one at all. I should make that play every (bleeping) time."

Pratt found him afterward. His advice was short and sweet.

"Flush it," Pratt said. "I've made about seven of them this postseason. So what? Next pitch.

“And next pitch is tomorrow.”

For the Brewers,  a team that had lost just once all October, they spent the early hours of Wednesday morning trying to treat this loss like any other. They did not want to talk about being three outs from celebrating a World Series title.

"It can be (difficult), but if you don't let it, then you can just come back ready to play tomorrow," Ortiz said. "It's a new game."

Pratt had his own play he wanted to flush. He was thrown out trying to steal second in the ninth after the Rays challenged the safe call and won.

"I didn't think he touched me," he said. "I saw the video. It looked like in the video that I was touched. I couldn't feel it. He probably did."

Then he moved on, which seemed to be the point.

"I think a loss is a loss," Pratt said. "Losing by 10 runs is the same as losing by one run in the 12th. It's over. It's done with."

Milwaukee still leads the series 3-1. And the Brewers didn't think they played badly so much as unluckily. They hit the ball hard all night. Much of it went right at Rays fielders. William Contreras, Christian Yelich, Jake Bauers and Brice Turang went a combined 0-for-21.

"We hit a ton of balls hard today that just went right to people," Pratt said. "Nobody said this was going to be easy. They're a really good team. They've proven that all year."

The Rays will be scratching together pitching on Wednesday after using Nick Martinez in relief Tuesday night. The Brewers have the luxury of sending out their ace.

Jacob Misiorowski will start Game 5 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. He won Game 1 and led the majors this season with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts.

And history is on the Brewers’ side.

Every team that has led a World Series 3-0 has gone on to win it. That's 25 for 25. The Brewers are just the fifth to let Game 4 get away.

They are confident they will flush it and get back on track.

“When you're achieving something like this, it's going to have its adversity. We had some things go our way yesterday. They had some things go their way today. That's the way it is,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.

“You just live with it, and if you're a competitor, you wake up tomorrow morning and come ready to play.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Milwaukee Brewers were three outs from a title. Now they need to 'flush it'

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Senators Suffer Yet Another Injury In Tight 4-1 Loss In Vegas

The Senators did a lot of things right to open their five-game Western road trip on Tuesday night, but like so many others before them, they're leaving Las Vegas empty-handed.

Raphael Lavoie scored his first career NHL goal midway through the third period to break a 1-1 tie, leading the Knights to a 4-1 victory over the Senators.

Shane Pinto scored the lone goal for the Sens, who now have to deal with yet another injury in a season that's already been full of them.

Travis Green looks ahead to Tuesday's game against Vegas after Saturday's win over the New York Rangers (Senators YouTube).

Warren Foegele went down on a knee-on-knee hit from Jeremy Lauzon. Foegele left the game with assistance, not putting any weight on his right leg.

The Senators were, by far, the better team in a scoreless opening period, outshooting Vegas 11-4 but failing to capitalize on several great chances.

Fabian Zetterlund and Dylan Cozens each provided a couple of elite scoring chances, but in both cases, they couldn't get their stick blade on the puck to punch it into a wide open net.

Despite the lack of scoring, you wouldn't describe the opening two periods a defensive struggle. Both goaltenders were busy, with dangerous chances at either end.

Tim Stutzle had another fantastic chance in the second, but Adin Hill made an amazing glove save on his one-timer, similar to the one that Yaroslav Askarov made on Drake Batherson in the game against San Jose last week.

Vegas pushed back hard in the second, outshooting the Sens 15-7 and finally broke through late in the second period following a wild sequence on a Knights power play.

After a sprint up ice, Ridly Greig dove for a loose puck, attempting to chip it past Hill but crashed hard into the Knights goaltender, leaving him caught up ice as Vegas quickly transitioned the other way.

As Greig headed to the Sens bench for a change, that gave Knights a brief two-man advantage and seconds later, after a shot trickled through Jonas Johansson, Braeden Bowman stuffed the puck into the open net to give Vegas a 1-0 lead.

The Senators responded early in the third period on the power play, thanks to some great work by Pinto. After making a strong defensive play, Pinto turned on the jets, outskated Mitch Marner, took a nice feed from Drake Batherson, and fired a shot past Hill to tie the game at 1.

But the Senators couldn't build on that.

Midway through the period, Lavoie pounced on a juicy rebound and buried it for his first NHL goal, putting Vegas back in front.

It was a memorable moment for him, but a frustrating turn of events for a Sens team that had generated more than enough chances to be leading at that point.

The Sens continued to push for the equalizer, but Vegas put the game away with a pair of empty-net goals.

William Karlsson scored the first before Jack Eichel added another, just minutes into his 30th birthday.

For the Senators, it was a tough to come away with no points to start to a lengthy road trip. They did plenty of things well, particularly in the opening period, but their inability to finish was their undoing.  

They'll try to get back on track on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

More Headlines at The Hockey News Ottawa:

- How Brady Tkachuk's In-Game Chirp Motivated The Senators Last Week
- Senators Assign Veteran Forward To Belleville After Recovering From Injury
- Michael Andlauer Provides Update On Senators' LeBreton Flats Arena Plans
- Burakovsky And Ersson Address Their Very Slow Starts In Ottawa

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With Brewers holding ace, Jacob Misiorowski must put Rays out of misery

It was a 12-inning bout that left both teams staggered, their best relievers drained for multiple innings, All-Stars hobbling off the field, utility infielders playing hero.

And by the end, this World Series looked a lot closer than it did when the night began.

Oh, the Milwaukee Brewers still hold a 3-1 Series lead even after the Tampa Bay Rays got on the board with a 4-3, extra-inning Game 4 triumph after the Brewers were just three outs from clinching their first championship in franchise history.

They’ve got three to win one, odds that any desperate celebrity shilling for a prediction market would surely take. But in a Series that would likely be defined by the performance of its relievers, significant bullpen resources were expended on both sides in a Game 4 that began Tuesday, Oct. 28 and bled into Wednesday.

The Brewers will have just one advantage heading into Game 5: Jacob Misiorowski.

And it’s safe to say they need The Miz more than ever.

He pitched solidly in Game 1, going five innings and striking out just three, a K-rate that might raise eyebrows for a guy who throws 103 mph. Yet five innings is a marathon in this postseason context. Misiorowski did great.

Now, the Brewers will ask him to get out of his comfort zone.

Misiorowski, who led the major leagues with 252 strikeouts, typically gets an extra day or two of rest, the better to conserve his otherworldly arm. He’s still just 24, his odometer is already in uncharted territory at 187 total innings and, since this is a one-time bullet, you want to fire it at an optimal moment.

Four solid innings would typically be fine. But when the Brewers fly back to Milwaukee, they don't want to play more baseball; they want the Commissioner’s Trophy strapped safely into a seat on the team charter.

And Miz is the only man who can prevent Game 5 from becoming a battle of attrition.

Consider the workloads of both teams’ high-leverage guys in Game 4:

Brewers October hero Aaron Ashby pitched 2 ⅓ innings. Dominant Abner Uribe tossed two innings. Lefty DL Hall went 1 ⅓ innings. And swingman Dustin May opened up with three innings. Closer Trevor Megill only got one out, so he’s good to go – yet it’s clear Ashby has supplanted him atop the Brewers’ relief trust tree.

The Rays are similarly diminished: Closer Bryan Baker pitched two innings for the first time since 2024. Game 1 starter Nick Martinez came back on three days’ rest to toss two innings. Set-up man Tyler Wells got five outs. Kevin Kelly pitched for the third time in this Series.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said the club will “huddle” to determine a pitching plan. Like the Brewers, they face a brutal decision involving an ace accustomed to extra race.

In Game 5, they’d be asking Drew Rasmussen to be starting on short rest. Absolutely not what you want – especially for a right-hander who’s endured three major arm surgeries.

But the options are thin.

“We're going to need everybody. We're going to need to be all hands on deck,” says Cash in his postgame press conference.

So imagine Freddy Peralta, on just a days’ rest, giving them an inning. Martinez on back-to-back nights? Might be a little crazy. You know Baker and Wells will be down for the cause, and lower-leverage lefties Steven Matz and Garrett Cleavinger will have to steal some outs.

Yeah, that’s the wounded animal the Brewers are facing. All the more reason the 6-7 Misiorowski must be a menace.

That hasn’t been the case every time out this October. He’s allowed 18 baserunners in 13 ⅓ innings and was chased after getting just 12 and 13 outs in his first two starts. World Series Game 1 Misiorowski will do.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy certainly hopes to see that guy.

“You can write it up and hope that they perform like the back of their baseball card, but that doesn't always happen. You go with what you believe is the deal,” says Murphy in naming Misiorowski his starter.

“I trust our guys. I trust them.”

And the task for The Miz is simple: End the Rays. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: With Brewers holding ace, Jacob Misiorowski must put Rays out of misery

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Sharks Shutout on Home Ice, Sabres Win 2-0

The San Jose Sharks hosted the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. Much like in their game against Edmonton, this game seemed like it should be a barn-burner on paper, but oddly we ended up with one of the most unexpected goaltending duels of the season.

Colten Ellis saved all 24 of the Sharks' shots in route to a 2-0 shutout victory. At the other end of the ice, Yaroslav Askarov saved 38 of 39 shots. He likely deserved a better result, but a lack of goal scoring, and a considerable number of shots missing the net, caused the Sharks to drop a game they could've won.

Recap:

In an odd turn of events, both teams opted to start their fourth line. Nothing really came of it, but Collin Graf and Olen Zellweger had a bit of a shoving match in the opening minute. Louis Crevier gave the Sharks their first power play chance of the night after taking a delay of game penalty, but Josh Norris earned a breakaway and forced Mason Marchment to take a penalty of his own just 11 seconds later.

Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini had back-to-back scoring chances in the ensuing 4-on-4, but bother were denied by Buffalo netminder Colten Ellis. Early on, the Sabres were getting the majority of the chances, but it felt like the few that San Jose got were of higher quality. The Sabres did force Yaroslav Askarov to make some big saves though as the period progressed.

The Sharks got another power play opportunity later in the first when Ty Dellandrea was run over by Crevier, who looked like a freight train on the play, but again, nothing came of it.

Just 50 seconds into the second period, former Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger was able to slot the puck past Askarov and into the net, giving the Sabres a 1-0 lead. 

Askarov was forced to make a couple more big saves near the middle of the period, keeping his team within a goal. 

The Sharks had a massive scramble in front of the net, but despite multiple attempts on the rush, they were unable to get it past the prone goaltender before Buffalo's defensemen piled into the crease. Less than a minute later, Ellis broke out the splits to make another massive save. 

Ty Dellandrea was called for high-sticking with 8:51 remaining in the middle frame, giving Buffalo their first full power play of the night. On the power play, Buffalo nearly scored and a review was initiated by the official to see if the puck crossed the line at one point, but there was no conclusive evidence to overturn the call on the ice. 

Luca Cagoni was taken down in the corner after taking a swinging high-stick to the face, but no penalty was called by the officials despite a clear dangerous play.

With just over 26 seconds remaining in the period though, Zach Benson was sent to the penalty box for holding, giving the Sharks an opportunity to tie things up.

The Sabres not only killed off that penalty, but earned a power play of their own shortly afterwards, as Adam Gaudette was called for holding Tage Thompson. 

Ellis once again robbed the Sharks, this time Kiefer Sherwood, with just over four minutes remaining in regulation.

Zach Benson then scored his first goal of the year with just under a minute left in the game, scoring on the empty net to double Buffalo's lead.

The Sharks will be back in action on Thursday night as they'll host the Vancouver Canucks.

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Hronek’s OT power-play goal caps the Canucks’ 6-5 comeback win over the Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Filip Hronek scored a power-play goal with 11 seconds to go in overtime to cap a run of four consecutive goals by the Vancouver Canucks, who snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 6-5 comeback win over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.

The Canucks, who won for just the third time all season, trailed 5-2 after Anaheim's A.J. Greer scored his second goal of the game with 7:37 to play in regulation.

But Jamie Oleksiak pulled Vancouver within 5-3 just 31 seconds later.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki then scored twice less than a minute apart — the second with 1:57 left in regulation — to send the game into overtime.

In addition to his winning goal, Hronek also had an assist. Liam Ohgren and Brock Boeser also had goals for Vancouver, while Elias Pettersson added a pair of assists. Leevi Merilainen made 18 saves.

The Ducks jumped to a 4-1 lead after two periods. Greer scored in the first period, then Jeff Malott, Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson added second-period goals. Sennecke's came on the power play.

Jackson LaCombe had three assists for the Ducks and Lukas Dostal made 27 saves.

Up next

Canucks: Visit the Sharks on Thursday night.

Ducks: Host the Sabres on Thursday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

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Knicks' Mike Brown credits Karl-Anthony Towns' mid-game 'shift in mindset' for win over Pistons

Through much of the first half of Tuesday night's contest against the Detroit Pistons, the Knicks found themselves still buried in the slump from the season's first three games: shoddy defense, missed baskets, and sluggish transitions. At one point in the first half, they fell 13 points behind.

Then came the third. New York outscored Detroit 60-47 in the final 24 minutes of play, holding its opponents to just 13 points in the third and eventually running away with a 111-97 lead by the time the clock wound down.

The effort was largely spearheaded by Karl-Anthony Towns. The 30-year-old center completely turned it around after the break, finishing with his fourth double-double in four games so far this season. His 57 percent shooting from the field was second on the team, only to Andre Drummond (5-for-7).

But it wasn't until a near-brawl with Pistons starting center Paul Reed midway through the third that Towns really stepped up; he finished the first half a minus-14.

Reed, who scored nearly one-third of Detroit's 50 first-half points (16) and finished with a team-leading 22 points and five offensive rebounds, got tangled with Towns as teammate Duncan Robinson cut New York's lead to 10 midway through the third quarter. The two instantly became heated, but the referees stepped in before things could escalate and dealt Reed a Flagrant 1.

Then came the shift. After making his two free throws from the flagrant — his only two free throws of the night — Towns exploded for 16 of his 27 total points and tacked on eight of his 20 rebounds, recording his fifth 20-20 as a Knick. 

After the game, head coach Mike Brown commended Towns for the way he rebounded and said he had a very frank conversation with the center at halftime.

"KAT's a grown man. He's obviously a perennial All-Star. I just told him the truth: 'KAT, the guy is killing us on the glass, and when he gets a rebound, he's putting it back. Anything he gets in the paint, he's putting it back. If he catches on the perimeter, guard him,'" Brown said. "And he did those things. I've got to take my hat off to KAT because I thought his shift in his mindset was really big for us in the second half."

The clash between Towns and Reed ignited a fire inside the entire Knicks roster, serving as a catalyst for a more aggressive effort on both ends of the court. 

It was just the boost New York needed to clinch their first win of the season after seemingly falling victim to a championship hangover.

"[Reed] played great in the first half. I think we were able to not let him loose on the offensive boards. He was really impacting the game," Jalen Brunson said after the game. "For [KAT] to step up as he did throughout the game was something that we needed."

Towns, however, credited the turnaround to the entire team. 

"I thought we did a better job picking up our intensity and our physicality, and we just executed at a high level," he said. "... We've just got to worry about the controllables, which is us playing our best, executing at a high level, and bringing that physicality to the game."

He added that with one win under its belt, the team has to shift all of its energy toward a second one rather than dwelling on Tuesday's success. 

"Gotta get the next one — that's the only thing on the mind," he said. "... All year, it's going to be us improving, going through the ups and downs of the season. We just got to stay steady, keep believing in each other, keep pushing each other to another level."

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Rays stun Brewers with 2-run rally in 12th inning and force World Series Game 5 with 4-3 win

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jonny DeLuca and pinch-hitter Ben Williamson singled home runs in a stunning 12th-inning rally, and the Tampa Bay Rays staved off World Series elimination with a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night that forced Game 5.

Cooper Pratt hit a tiebreaking home run off Ian Seymour in the top of the 12th for his fourth hit of the game as Milwaukee neared a sweep and its first World Series title.

But the Rays, also seeking their first championship, rallied in the bottom half after a throwing error by third baseman Joey Ortiz on Junior Caminero’s leadoff grounder against reliever Antonio Senzatela.

Liam Hicks singled off Shane Drohan, who relieved in his first appearance since Oct. 15, and DeLuca’s single to center drove in pinch-runner Cedric Mullins to tie the score at 3.

Chandler Simpson’s single loaded the bases and Milwaukee employed a five-man infield with the infield in.

Williamson, who had been 1 for 15 in the postseason, hit a chopper over first baseman Jake Bauers and into right field.

Game 5 will be Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay became just the fifth of 26 teams that fell behind 3-0 in the World Series to win Game 4. The previous four lost Game 5.

Of 43 teams to trail 3-0 in any best-of-seven postseason matchup, the only one that rebounded to win was the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series.

Tampa Bay ended an eight-game winning streak by the Brewers, who were bidding to become only the second team to sweep a League Championship Series and the World Series.

David Hamilton also homered for the Brewers. Jackson Chourio had a single and double, improving to 10 for 20 in the Series.

Pratt, a 22-year-old rookie whose go-ahead hit sparked the Brewers to a 5-4 win in Game 2, drove a slider into the left-field seats against Seymour. Pratt had tied the score at 1 with an RBI double in the second.

Milwaukee players bounded out of the dugout to greet Pratt, who debuted in June and became the first rookie to hit an extra-inning homer in the World Series.

Seymour had allowed Frelick’s tying homer in Game 2.

Milwaukee fans in the crowd of 40,514, many waving yellow towels and some wearing cheeseheads, brought a Badger State feel to Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay returned to its white home jerseys, a day after playing in Devil Rays throwbacks.

Simpson hit an RBI double off starter Dustin May in the second, but Milwaukee tied the score in the fourth against Griffin Jax when Frelick hit a two-out single and came around on Pratt’s double.

Caminero singled leading off the bottom half to chase May and advanced on a groundout. DeLuca hit a hard grounder to Hamilton and Caminero twisted toward the grass to avoid the third baseman’s tag, then came home when Hamilton bounced his throw past Bauers for an error.

Hamilton, Milwaukee’s No. 9 hitter, drove an 0-2 fastball at the letters from Jax into the right-field seats for his second home run of the postseason — half his regular-season total and just his second since June 6.

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Kurtley Beale earns shock recall to Wallabies squad five years after last Test

  • Veteran could add to 95 caps as he returns aged 37

  • Ramm and Thomas to also join Australia’s spring tour

Veteran playmaker Kurtley Beale has been summoned for the Wallabies’ spring tour of the UK in a massive development ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Beale on Wednesday answered an SOS call from coach Les Kiss to join the squad for next month’s three Tests against England, Scotland and Wales before the inaugural Nations Championship finals in the UK from 21-23 November.

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Instant Analysis: Blues Get Fowler-ed By Canadiens Goalie, Get Shut Out For Second Straight Game 2-0

ST. LOUIS -- Let's just call Tuesday night what it was: a goalie win for Jacob Fowler.

The Montreal Canadiens goalie was in the St. Louis Blues' kitchen the entire night, particularly the second- and third-periods of the Canadiens' 2-0 win at Enterprise Center.

Fowler made a career-high 46 saves, including 24 in the third period when the Blues (5-6-1) outshot the Canadiens (7-3-2) 24-3.

"There was definitely a lot of good looks and sometimes you've got to tip your cap to their goalie," Blues forward Robert Thomas said. 'He made a lot of good saves; we've go to find a way to bear down a little bit more and put those in the net. There's a lot of things to like about tonight."

That was a hard thing to do even on a night where the Blues had shot volume (80-49), plenty of net front traffic and tons of O-zone time.

But in the end, it's the second straight shutout loss after a 4-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, extending their shutout streak to 123:55.

"We had a lot of opportunities tonight, a lot of shots," Blues forward Dylan Holloway said. "... I thought we deserved a couple there, but credit to Fowler there in net. He was on fire tonight."

As a result, the Blues were shut out in consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 17-19, 2019 (4-0 in a loss to the San Jose Sharks and 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings) in what turned out to be Mike Yeo's final game as Blues coach before they hired Craig Berube in the Stanley Cup-winning season.

It's the second-most shots on goal in a shutout loss since Jan. 25, 1986 in a 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers:

As for the game ... 

* Lots of shots, lots of chances, lots of traffic ... too much Fowler -- As was mentioned, sometimes you have to tip the cap to the other guy tending the net.

Fowler was exceptional. 

I think if the Blues play this game 10 times, they win nine of them.

They did everything but score. Pucks were loose in the crease and they had several bodies there, they got to several rebounds and Fowler was there on every one.

Jake Neighbours hit the post from the slot in the opening period, and Cam Fowler (no relation) hit the post on a seeing-eye shot from the left point.

When things are going well, even good fortune can be your best friend.

But make no mistake, the Blues just got goalie-d, and those nights happen.

"Fowler was too hard to beat tonight,“ Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. "… Fowler, he was incredible tonight. Several spectacular second saves. I didn’t think we shot it in him. I thought he made the saves.

"We had plenty of both (volume and net front chances). Are we still a little too perimeter? Yeah, maybe at times, and that's something we can improve upon, but if we keep getting that many looks, there's going to be nights where you get seven, eight (goals)."

Fowler was simply masterful, and his team relied on him heavily, and I mean heavily in that third period. 

* Bolduc bites former mates -- Let's not forget Jordan Binnington, who didn't see the shot volume (20 shots) that Fowler did, but the Blues goalie also made some really good saves when the Canadiens had the jump in the early going, but in a 0-0 stalemate, there weren't going to be many opportunities to beat these goalies.

Former Blue Zack Bolduc did the honors three seconds after a Canadiens power play had expired with a rifle of a snipe from the bottom of the right circle, and it was going to take a shot like that to beat either one of these guys tonight:

I thought the call on Thomas for holding at the time was soft, and the Blues' kill, which technically was 3-for-3 in the game, suffered off it when Montreal was able to hold the zone and keep this play alive for the icebreaker at 8:37 of the second period.

Blues fans should know all too well about these types of shots from Bolduc having seen them in the past.

* Questionable second goal -- It came early in the third with Florian Xhekaj getting his first NHL goal on a tip, what appeared to be his second tip of a Mike Matheson wrister to the net.

It appeared Xhekaj directed the puck downward on the initial shot, it deflected off Binnington and behind him, and Xhekaj was able to poke it in for a 2-0 lead at 2:17 of the third period.

The play was reviewed and upheld, with the league's response being:

"It did look like it, but I don't know if he touched it there or not," Montgomery said. "But they get really good looks at it from Toronto. If they didn't think it was, we're not going to double down on it on a challenge. It's a hard thing to see but he does cross-check our defenseman down to the ice. If that doesn't happen, the defection never happens."

From there on, the Canadiens were able to sit back and defend and rely on their goalie, which they did, holding a two-goal advanatge despite the Blues throwing the kitchen sink at the Montreal goal.

* Puck movement was sloppy early -- The Blues were able to absorb the Canadiens' forecheck more times than not early, but their puck transition was not clean, and opportunities for odd-man rushes were thwarted because of it either with a bad puck touch or bad pass. 

A lot of it stemmed from puck movement through the neutral zone where things didn't look clean for this group.

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