West Ham confirm Scott Parker as head coach after sacking Nuno Espírito Santo

  • Parker takes over team eighth in Championship

  • He has overseen three promotions to Premier League

Scott Parker has been confirmed as West Ham’s head coach, taking over from Nuno Espírito Santo, who was sacked on Tuesday. The club’s former midfielder arrives on a two-and-a-half year contract with the team eighth in the Championship and takes charge of his first game at Cardiff on Wednesday.

West Ham hope that Parker, a promotion specialist, can spark a revival after defeats in their past two matches. The 46-year-old has led Burnley, Bournemouth and Fulham into the top flight.

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Gauthier scores 2nd straight hat trick in Ducks’ 5-4 win over Canucks

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Cutter Gauthier scored a hat trick for the second game in a row and the Anaheim Ducks held on for a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.

Mikael Granlund added a goal and two assists for the Ducks, while Leo Carlsson put away a short-handed tally and Beckett Sennecke had four assists.

Laurent Brossoit stopped 19 shots in the Anaheim net.

The Ducks came into the game with the league’s second-best power play (34%) behind only the Utah Mammoth and went 3 for 3 with the man advantage. Two of Gauthier's goals came on the power play and Anaheim has 10 power-play goals on 12 chances over its last three games.

The Canucks got two goals from Jake DeBrusk, and one each from Liam Ohgren and Linus Karlsson. Elias Pettersson notched a pair of assists. Vancouver goalie Kevin Lankinen made 17 saves.

Granlund opened the scoring with a power-play tally just over four minutes into the first period. Vancouver replied on a man advantage two minutes later. Marco Rossi fed Ohgren just above the crease for the goal.

The Ducks took a 2-1 lead into the intermission when Gauthier fired a shot in on his team’s second power play of the night at the 17:07 mark of the first.

Gauthier also scored three in Anaheim’s 6-3 comeback victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, and is the first player in Ducks history with back-to-back three-goal games.

The 22-year-old American has eight goals in his last three games after going the previous nine without finding the net.

Gauthier was in the penalty box midway through the third when DeBrusk scored his fourth of the season to put the score at 5-3.

DeBrusk breathed new life into Rogers arena with just over 10 minutes left on the game clock, blasting a point shot in to cut Vancouver’s deficit to a single goal.

Up next

Ducks: At the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.

Canucks: At the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Samberg lifts Jets past Canadiens 5-4 with OT goal to complete comeback from 4-goal deficit

Winnipeg Jets v Montreal Canadiens

MONTREAL, CANADA - NOVEMBER 03: Dylan Samberg #54 of the Winnipeg Jets celebrates his overtime goal with teammate Adam Lowry #17 and Mark Scheifele #55 against the Montréal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on November 3, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Montréal Canadiens 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Getty Images

MONTREAL (AP) — Dylan Samberg scored in overtime as the Winnipeg Jets snapped a nine-game losing streak by storming back from a four-goal deficit to beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Montreal led 4-0 when Cole Caufield scored his second of the game and 10th of the season 46 seconds into the third period.

But Winnipeg scored four goals in 2 minutes, 8 seconds to tie the game with 32 seconds remaining in regulation on Kyle Connor’s power-play strike, his second goal of the game.

It was the latest four-goal comeback in NHL history.

Tyrel Bauer and Morgan Barron started the rally to break Montreal goalie Jacob Fowler’s shutout bid for the Jets, who were coming off a 7-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.

Stuart Skinner made 18 saves, while Mark Scheifele and Dylan Demelo had two assists each.

Owen Beck and Josh Anderson also scored for Montreal and Juraj Slafkovsky added two assists. Fowler stopped 42 shots. On Beck’s goal, Arber Xhekaj and Florian Xhekaj became the first brothers to record a point on the same Canadiens goal since Andrei Kostitsyn and Sergei Kostitsyn on Jan. 17, 2009.

Nick Suzuki missed his sixth consecutive game with a hand injury. The Canadiens captain had played 546 straight regular-season games to begin his NHL career. He appears close to returning after practising without any obvious limitations Monday and Tuesday morning.

Winnipeg reunited its prolific top line of Scheifele, Connor and Gabriel Vilardi in search of a spark. The Jets piled on the shots and eventually broke Fowler late in the game.

Up next

Jets: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

Canadiens: Host the Utah Mammoth on Thursday night.

Yankees news: Skubal linked to Yanks

MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 11: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after pitching in the first inning during Game One of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Sunday, October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

ESPN | Riley McDaniel: The Yankees are reportedly weighing making a play for Tarik Skubal, the top free agent on the market. Considering their depth at starting pitcher, the move would likely come with corresponding offloading of others at the position. The Dodgers and Mets are still considered the frontrunners for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, with the Angels, White Sox, and Padres looming as dark horses. In this roundup of free agency, former Yankees David Bednar, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Trent Grisham rank among the top 40 options as well.

ESPN: On the heels of his team’s championship, Brewers manager Pat Murphy has expressed regret for a Yankees gibe that has gained headlines. After the Game 5 clincher, Murphy invoked “that horses— Yankees team” where “you guys were all playing for yourself” to former Bomber and NLCS MVP Jake Bauers. “I called Brian Cashman right away when I heard [my comments] got out,” said Murphy, who added the remark was geared more towards big-market teams as a whole and less towards the 2026 Yankees in particular. The hot-mic moment struck a nerve for many as an echo of the Dodgers’ deriding of New York after toppling them in the 2024 Fall Classic.

New York Post | Christian Arnold: After the Yankees elected not to extend the qualifying offer to Chisholm Monday, his departure from New York appears a fait accompli. While the second baseman excelled in his first year and a half in pinstripes, he faltered this season, underperforming while drawing ire for playing with a lollipop in his mouth and making mental errors in the field. At 28, Chisholm is a fascinating free agency case who may draw interest for his talent despite a difficult walk year.

Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game preview

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MARCH 25: Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves passes against Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets in the first quarter at Target Center on March 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Last season, the three matchups between the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves ended in a combined score of 350-351. None of the three were blowouts, as the largest margin of victory was Houston’s lone win in the series (by 5 points).

The two losses were different levels of devastating, though. Both came towards the end of the season and basically tanked any chance Houston had of holding home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. It turned out that not having those first two games in Houston really hurt since the Los Angeles Lakers rode the crowd to 326 TS%* over those first two games (*all stats are approximate but seriously the Lakers couldn’t miss in Games 1 and 2).

The first loss was the one where Houston held a 13-point lead in overtime. It was easily one of the most impressive first two minutes of an overtime period I’ve ever seen. Then it was followed by the most devastating three-minute stretch in overtime, as Minny closed on a furious 15-0 run to win. It was yet another in a long list of late-game collapses for that Houston squad.

The T-Wolves come in without Anthony Edwards, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, but there was enough success early for proof-of-concept in the Ant-LaMelo Ball pairing. It definitely looks like they can work together, and the further ascension of Jaden McDaniels gives them enough cover for the two months waiting for Ant’s return.

The Wolves also have this generation’s Thaddeus Young in veteran Rockets killer Jonathan Kuminga. He’s playing well this season so I expect another career night out of him against a team he always shows up to play.

Tip-off

7:30pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Clint Capela: GTD

Steven Adams: OUT

Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards: OUT

Terrence Shannon Jr.: GTD

Donte DiVincenzo: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

HOU -9.5

Check here for updates

Schedule Advantage Counter

Rockets: 1

Opponents: 2

Looking ahead because we can

Saturday night in Phoenix against the Suns

Instant Analysis: Blues Search For Three-Game Winning Streak Bungled Again In 3-1 Loss To Rangers

Are you even surprised anymore?

You knew what was at stake, a chance at three straight wins. We all know how this script plays out.

And true to form for the St. Louis Blues, it played out just was predicted: a loss.

The Blues' 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in New York on Monday feels like another missed opportunity for a team looking for consistency.

Joel Hofer gave the Blues (7-7-1) a chance to win and kept them in it, but they were less than a minute from being shut out for the third time in five games before Pius Suter scored what amounted to be a consolation goal and ended a shutout bid by Dylan Garand, who like the Rangers (8-7-1) was on a four-game losing streak (allowed 15 goals). Garand was on waivers at the start of the season but has been thrust into a top role with Igor Shesterkin (knee) out for the season and backup Joonas Korpisalo (lower-body injury) also out.

Let's get into the game ... 

* Three in a row is like kryptonite -- The Blues are now 0-3-0 when trying to win three straight.

Sounds familiar? It should.

Last season, the Blues did put together winning streaks or more of three in a row three times from late February on, but as former general manager Doug Armstrong said, those came under "meaningless" games.

In their first five cracks at it last season, they lost every one and were outscored 29-9. 

And going back to the previous season, prior to their record-breaking 12-game winning streak they put together from March 15-April 5, 2025, they were 1-7-2 in attempts to win three in a row., and let's face it, without the record winning streak, they likely don't make the playoffs that season.

If they want to be a playoff team again, they better figure out to put winning runs together and put them together often. Right now, this core group simply doesn't get it done. 

* Good start to the game -- The Blues seemed to be on the front foot to start the game after the Rangers had to opening 30 seconds to a minute in the Blues zone, St. Louis pushed back and had some really good looks and sustained shifts -- and some lengthy ones -- in the O-zone.

What was missing though, were those areas of crashing the crease, getting bodies in and around the goalie and near the blue paint, burying good looks.

The power play (which we'll get into next) actually looked really good on the first opportunity when Scott Morrow was in the box for the Rangers for high-sticking at 7:44.

* Power play just wasn't good enough -- Look, I understand the Blues had been on a nice run with the man advantage going 8-for-24 and thrusting themselves into the top 10 (ninth) going into the game.

But in going 0-for-6 -- the last one was a meaningless 22 seconds remaining in the game -- in a game which scoring a goal (or more) with the man advantage could have made a huge difference, the Blues laid a big dud.

And the biggest problem was the breakouts and zone entries, which continue to be a problem spot. There's just not enough skill displayed for them to carry the puck in without losing the puck, getting it stripped or not doing so cleanly and it's right back down the ice and they spent the majority of their time simply trying to enter the zone outside of their first opportunity, which generated three of their eight shots.

And when they did have a good look or two the rest of the way, including Pavel Buchnevich's slot chance, retrievals were non-existent, they were one-and-done, and the Rangers, which came in with the third-ranked penalty kill on the season, so you have to give them credit for that, were able to get relatively easy clears.

And to top things off, the Blues were at times their own worst enemy making the ill-advised passes that were coming out of the zone and re-entries were problematic.

The penalty kill, which was good again going 3-for-3 despite the Rangers getting 11 of their 31 shots on goal, did its job, but the flip side of the special teams could have made a difference for the Blues in trying to secure that third straight win.

* Bad line change breaks ice -- The game was scoreless into the second period, so it was turning into one of those contests where mistakes need to be limited and when a scoring chance was available, someone needed to pounce.

The Blues had the offensive zone and puck possession when it suddenly changed hands, and whether Dalibor Dvorsky saw that or not, can't really speak for him, it was his ill-advised line change that enabled the Rangers to drive the the neutral zone with the puck, gain the D-zone of the Blues and find Adam Fox for the ice-breaker at 1:49 of the second period for a 1-0 Rangers lead:

* Turnover leads to clinching goal -- The Blues pulled off the third period comeback against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday and were in a one-shot game Tuesday, but a turnover led to what amounted to be the game-winner by Oliver Bjorkstrand and a 2-0 New York lead at 9:01 after Mason McTavish lost control of a wobbly puck and turned it over, leading to a mini 3-on-1 that Bjorkstrand buried from the slot:

* Tough night for Fowler-Jiricek pair -- Those two players were on the ice for the first two goals against, and it's only reflective in each being a minus-2.

I get there are a lot of fand right now down on Fowler, but he's had to be the one to nurture a couple young guys as his partner with the shuffling of defensemen and guys being out.

When Colton Parayko comes back, and that could be as early as Thursday, and also Logan Mailloux is ready to play, the Blues need to get him back with Brandon Carlo, someone he began camp with and played really well to start the season with.

Fowler can be more the guy that jumps into the offense, which is suited for his style, and Carlo is the safety net defenseman.

* What is going on with Connor McMichael? -- I can include a number of players in this category, but going into this, and some of the numbers -- or lack thereof -- that were coming from the McMichael stat lines, I really thought this would be the game perhaps the forward would break the schneid and score.

McMichael hasn't scored a goal now since the fourth game of the season (Oct. 8) against the San Jose Sharks and has just two in 15 games; he has eight points, which is OK (not great), but in the past 11 games, McMichael has four assists and just two in the past nine.

He was a minus-2 again Tuesday and just isn't shooting the puck.

In shutout losses to the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 24 and Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 27, McMichael had eight shots on goal, which is good. In nine games surrounding those two, he has a grand total of four shots. McMichael is also a minus-8 over his last nine games; his minus-8 on the season is a team worst.

But it's the line in general with McTavish and Jonatan Berggren, which started off the season so productive, has dried up considerably of late. It's gotten stale and perhaps needs a shakeup.

Berggren has just one assist in eight games since scoring Oct. 15 against the Minnesota Wild and McTavish has no points in five games and one goal in the past seven.

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Takeaways: Another Game Blown Late Calls For Changes As Penguins Fall To Vegas, 3-2

If this movie seems familiar, well, that's probably because something similar just happened three days ago. 

For the third consecutive game, the Pittsburgh Penguins controlled play late only to fall short, losing 3-2 in regulation to the Vegas Golden Knights when Tomas Hertl scored a power play goal with 32.8 seconds remaining on the clock. 

Hertl's power play goal - his second of the evening - came after the Penguins had a five-on-three power play opportunity for a minute and 22 seconds and failed to convert. They were 0-for-6 on the power play, while Vegas was 2-for-4. 

Special teams was the difference in this one. But just like they fell short to the Montreal Canadiens Saturday in a back-and-forth affair, and just like they blew a lead in the literal last second against the Utah Mammoth Thursday before losing in overtime, the late losses - however they're happening - are becoming a bit too much of a theme as of late for the Penguins.

"We've got to get the job done," head coach Dan Muse said. "Taking a penalty right after that power play, that's tough timing, but we've got to get the job done, whether it's situations like that, whether it's five-on-six, whether it's five-on-five. Those are big moments defensively where we have to find a way.

"Sometimes it's just getting the puck out, sometimes it's getting stops, sometimes it's getting the clears, sometimes it's getting a block. I don't think it's something [that's] the exact same thing every time. But, the bottom line is we have to be resilient in those situations. And, so far this year, it's been too many times where we haven't been."

Despite play being pretty even for the first 40 minutes, Hertil converted on a first-period power play opportunity to make the game 1-0, and the score remained that way until the third and final frame.

And, all things considered, the Penguins were the much better team for the final 20 minutes.

They came out flying to begin the period, and they were rewarded early on when they won an offensive zone faceoff - something that's been an issue for the Penguins as a whole - and Spencer Stastney dished it to his defensive partner, former Golden Knight Kaedan Korczak. Korczak threw the puck toward the net, it hit a skate, and Tommy Novak was there to pick up the loose change and tie the game at 1-1 for the Penguins. 

Pittsburgh continued to pressure in the minutes that followed, and they finally got the go-ahead goal when Novak passed the puck to Rickard Rakell, who was making his way across the net-front. He put a nice finish on his fifth tally of the season and fourth game in a row with a goal to give the Penguins a well-deserved lead.

The Penguins kept coming after the go-ahead goal, but as they have done time and time again, they blew their lead less than a minute and a half later. While pressuring in the offensive zone, Ben Kindel faked a shot and allowed a puck to squirt back to Kris Letang, who whiffed on a one-timer. The puck, as a result, went right to the tape of the speedy Trevor Connelly, who took it all the way back down the other way on a breakaway and beat Arturs Silovs in highlight-reel fashion to tie things back up at 2-2.

Still, the Penguins kept the pressure on, leading to a power play with a little more than four minutes remaining. During the kill for Vegas, defenseman Brayden McNabb got nabbed for high-sticking, which gave the Penguins the two-man advantage for nearly a minute and a half. 

And, well, the rest was history. The Penguins failed to convert, and Vegas did not when they were rewarded a late power play on a Novak tripping call. Again, special teams was the difference, but the Penguins know they need to lock down late in games to turn what are close losses into close wins. 

"I think, it's like... the game is there," said Silovs, who was solid again with 20 saves on 23 shots, none of which he could have stopped. "I think there’s a lot to like. The game can go either way, and it went the opposite way.

"But, I think we're really close to breaking through."

Takeaways: Spooky Defensive Zone Play Dooms Penguins In 5-4 Loss To CanadiensTakeaways: Spooky Defensive Zone Play Dooms Penguins In 5-4 Loss To CanadiensDespite a late push, Pittsburgh could not make up for some early-game errors as they dropped their sixth game in the last eight.

Here are a few takeaways after another tough loss:

- It's getting tough to keep beating the very dead horse, so to speak. But, once again, Declan Carlile was at the epicenter of blown defensive coverage that led to goals against. And, as was the case against Montreal on Saturday, that happened twice and led directly to goals against. 

On Vegas's second goal, Letang was already pinching, and understandably so. He was gearing up to take a one-timer that he, ultimately, whiffed on. But there should have been coverage at the top of the zone, right?

Nope.

Instead of remaining high in the zone with Letang pinching, Carlile chose to chase Connelly, who did a 180 the other way much faster than Carlile was able to get back and recover on. Boom, a goal against. 

On the power play goal at the end? Yes, it was a power play goal, but Carlile's man was Hertl at the net front, and he let him just walk behind him and get set up to redirect the puck into the back of the net uncontested. Boom, another goal against. 

Unfortunately, it's becoming a nightly occurrence at this point where Carlile's lapse in defensive coverage is leading to goals against. He is a team-worst minus-10, and it's a completely earned minus-10.

Left defenseman Jake Livanavage was just recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Tuesday, and the 22-year-old has done a pretty darn good job so far in the AHL and earned his opportunity to get a look. Quite frankly, he should absolutely be in the lineup when the puck drops against the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

Even if Livanavage isn't a defensive stalwart - he's alright in his own zone, but nothing special - the Penguins are at a point where it's probably better to watch a young guy with promise figure it out at the NHL level, even if there are a few blunders.

Their current blue line is costing them hockey games, and even though it's not all on one singular guy, he's been a little too largely responsible lately.  

Penguins Recall Young Defenseman After Hot AHL StartPenguins Recall Young Defenseman After Hot AHL StartDefensive prospect Jake Livanavage earned the call to the NHL club with his impressive start for the WBS Penguins

- Egor Chinakhov is getting chances. He's helping generate chances. He's playing a 200-foot game. He's covering high for defensemen. He's getting some looks.

But, at some point, he needs to start producing. 

Chinakhov has two goals and four points in 11 games this season. He just signed a three-year extension worth $6.25 million annually. Yet he has the same amount of points as Blake Lizotte and less points than Hendrix Lapierre, Nick Robertson, and Connor Dewar, all of whom have played mostly bottom-six roles this season. Carlile, Letang, Korczak, and Sam Girard all have more points than him, too. 

He's missing the net far too much on the shots he does take, and he's taking less shots than he did last season. It's not as if Chinakhov is playing poorly because he's not. 

But the Penguins paid him to score goals. If they're going to turn things around, it's not just the defense that has to step up. They need some of their regular producers to do their part, too. Rakell has found his game, so it's Chinakhov's turn to find the back of the net. 

- Speaking of Rakell, what a turnaround it has been for him in the last six games. 

He went from having no goals and two points in his first nine games to five goals and seven points in his last six games. And three of those goals have been game-tying goals, while the one Tuesday was the go-ahead goal.

It's safe to say he's found his form again, and he and Sidney Crosby seem to have found that long-lost chemistry that they were missing to start the year. Novak has begun to gel nicely on that line in the past couple of games, too.

It's big news that the first line is finally getting going. And Rakell has been, arguably, the biggest reason for that in recent games. And the crazy thing is that he's still missing the net with frequency, meaning he and Crosby could have even more points. 

It's good to see he's found his game again. If things don't turn around quickly for Pittsburgh, I suspect he'll be getting interest on the trade market.

'I'm Still Learning So Much': Rakell Continues Growth As Leader, Player Later In Career'I'm Still Learning So Much': Rakell Continues Growth As Leader, Player Later In CareerPittsburgh Penguins' forward Rickard Rakell hasn't always been the most vocal player in the room, but he's learned a great deal about leading by example during his time in Pittsburgh.

- Again, the Penguins play Boston Thursday, and this is a team that continues to surprise.

A year after they were expected, like the Penguins, to be a lottery team and made the playoffs instead. Now, they're leading the formidable Atlantic Division at 11-4-1 with 23 points. 

The Penguins are 5-8-2 with 12 points and are tied with the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets in the basement of the East. 

These teams are about as far apart as can be right now. A win Thursday could do wonders for team morale. 

If there is a such thing as a must-win game this early in the season, Thursday is it. The Penguins hit the road for another Western swing after that, so they need to go into that on a high note if they have any hopes of turning their season around.

- The Penguins wore their new Hometown Remix jerseys for the first time Tuesday.

I like them a lot. And they looked even better in action. 

Reactions: Penguins Reveal Hometown Remix JerseysReactions: Penguins Reveal Hometown Remix JerseysThe Pittsburgh Penguins, along with all 31 other NHL teams, revealed their unique Hometown Remix jerseys Monday.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

Offseason expectations for the Diamondbacks

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks fields a ball during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 27, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

What is the biggest offseason priority for the Diamondbacks?

James Attwood: Pitching. They are losing Soroka, Gallen, Ginkel, Puk, Loaisiga, and Thompson just to start with. Is Ryne Nelson going to stay healthy? How about Rodriguez and Kelly? Oh yeah, then there is whether or not Corbin Burnes will ever be an effective starter again. So the answer is pitching n general, but starting pitching in particular.

Spencer: Avoid a lockout.

1AZFan1: I see the three biggest priorities as filling in the bullpen, adding one more starting pitcher, and adding a lefty bat who could also play 1B. Of those, the biggest priority to me is finding one more starter. Right now, our starting rotation is Burnes, ERod, Pfaadt, Merrill and Ryne(?). Questions abound in that group and the MLB-ready depth behind them in case of injury or ineffectiveness is suspect.

At first base, worst case you can run Tim Tawa out there and I think you could get reasonable production from him. He had a 98 wRC+ from July 1st on (102 wRC+ against righties) which was better than Freddie Freeman, Josh Naylor, Christian Walker and Nathaniel Lowe among 1B over the same time period. Then the bullpen, while a glaring weakness considering all the arms who are moving on via free agency, was always going to be a throw-stuff-at-the-wall solution to see what sticks.

Makakilo: Perhaps the biggest priority is to develop the performance of the current players, who have exceptional potential.

Ben: It’s a tossup between the starting rotation and first base in my opinion. In 2026, those were two standout weaknesses for the team by wins above average (WAA), ranking 15th in the NL by WAA for first base and left field while ranking 11th for their starting pitching. That last number also includes shocking bounceback seasons from both Eduardo Rodriguez and Michael Soroka. I don’t think you can necessarily count on both of those pitchers re-creating those remarkable seasons two years in a row – assuming the team was able to re-sign Soroka.

Sam Bradfield: A serviceable first baseman/DH — whether that’s moving Arenado to first, or going out and getting someone else (Paul Goldschmidt reunion, perhaps?)

Who is your most optimistic, but still realistic, get for the Diamondbacks?

James Attwood: Michael Soroka. There is still the chance he appreciates the treatment he received in AZ and that he likes the atmosphere where he was given a mile of leash. He also took a massive hit to his free agent value when he went to the IL for more than just a game late in the season. Of the starting caliber players on the free agent market, he may actually be obtainable by Arizona, assuming no one else offers him a Merrill Kelly or better contract.

Spencer: The third baseman from Japan. Sato? He’s probably going to be out of the price range, but maybe.

1AZFan1: I think Michael Soroka fits the bill here. I’m not sold that he’ll be worth the money just because I’m worried that injuries will be a regular part of his career moving forward, but if we pay up for a starting pitcher it might as well be him.

Makakilo: Ty France, who would play at first base.

Ben: I think they could realistically target someone like Ty France. He was one of the most valuable defensive first basemen last year with 0.9 defensive WAR from Baseball Reference to go along with a 139 OPS+ in 2026. At 32 years old, he could be a good candidate for a medium-long contract to allow someone else to bubble up from the farm system like LuJames Groover. Spotrac estimates a 3 year/$49 million contract for him, but everything is up in the air given the potential labor unrest this offseason.

Sam Bradfield: If they decide to move Nolan Arenado to first, perhaps they could go after Ryan McMahon from the Yankees? He could be another former intra-division reclamation project, and he’d be a good left-handed platoon for when Nolan needs a day off from third.

Does Ketel Marte get traded? Should Ketel Marte get traded?

James Attwood: I honestly don’t think he’ll be traded, even though Arizona might be better off without his attitude in the clubhouse. Ketel Marte apparently loves it in Arizona, at least as far as living and for his family. It is also fairly common knowledge he dislikes Florida and Texas, which eliminate four teams off the bat. Add in teams like Colorado, Pittsburgh, and a handful of others, and there are maybe 8-10 teams in all of MLB that would be an eligible fit. Except, if Marte doesn’t want to go, he doesn’t have to go. If Arizona is going to trade him, it is almost a certainty that they will have to incentivize Marte to accept a trade. Those sort of incentives are usually monetary in nature, meaning that any money saved by moving Marte is probably eaten by the incentive.

Would Arizona be better off trading him? Should they trade him? If they can get a deal in the same tier as the trade offer put up by Boston last winter, they should probably ask Marte to accept the move. Boston isn’t even going to have a lick of interest though, so chalk off another potential trade target. Because of all the complications, and because the Snakes don’t have a real alternative available right now, it seems unlikely to me he gets traded.

Spencer: Yes. And no. There’s no iteration of this team that’s better without Ketel. But if he’s as big a clubhouse cancer as twitter would have us believe, the long term health of the franchise might depend on him being elsewhere for the rest of his career.

1AZFan1: Yes. I think ownership is done with Ketel and they will pressure Hazen to move on from him. I don’t think Ketel should be traded, at least not for what we will likely get back for him.

Makakilo: Early last season, two AZ Snake PIt articles discussed Ketel Marte’s batting. Despite concerns, the positives were improved squared up percentages for five pitch types, and the average exit velocity was better than 2025.

https://www.azsnakepit.com/arizona-diamondbacks-analysis/91216/can-marte-and-perdomo-bat-better

https://www.azsnakepit.com/arizona-diamondbacks-analysis/92038/whats-the-matter-with-ketel-marte

In October, the following AZ Snake Pit article discussed reasons that next season Marte’s performance could improve or dwindle.

https://www.azsnakepit.com/arizona-diamondbacks-analysis/98356/which-direction-marte
As far as predictors for next season, my take (perhaps a too-quick conclusion) from a FanGraphs article (link follows) was that exit velocity and hard-hit percentage are somewhat good predictors of next season’s performance. From that viewpoint, I’m optimistic about Marte’s performance because among qualified Diamondback batters, his 101.5 MPH EV50 tied for best, and although his 43.0% hard-hit percentage was third best, his 18.9% percent of hard-hit swings was the best. Data from Baseball Savant.

https://fantasy.fangraphs.com/reviewing-my-potential-2026-hr-fb-surgers-decliners-using-league-relative-statcast-power-metrics/

In conclusion, his performance will likely bounce back, and his hitting fundamentals are among the best players on the Diamondbacks, and therefore he should remain a Diamondback.

Ben: I don’t think Marte gets traded. It wouldn’t shock me if a team inquired and even put together an offer for him, but I would be surprised if he actually accepted waiving his 10-5 rights for such a trade to actually take place. Whether or not Ketel should get traded is a separate question I don’t quite know how to answer. His behavior clearly has been a distraction the past two seasons, but he’s also been the face of this current contention window and one of the emotional centers of the team. I’m not convinced his behavior can’t be improved and he can return to form.

Sam Bradfield: I don’t think he will be traded, but it all depends on what they’re able to get for him in return.

Does Ken Kendrick do his thing and blow the budget for one entirely unexpected player, and if so, who?

James Attwood: Almost certainly not. For one thing, outside of potentially Tarik Skubal, there isn’t anyone on the free agent market that is even remotely worth spending for, especially once ages are taken into consideration and the fact that 2027 if probably going to be abbreviated. Ken Kendrick in his wildest dreams is not in the running for Tarik Skubal, no matter how badly he might want him. There simply is no path forward for Arizona to even be allowed to sit at the negotiating table.

Spencer: Not this year. But Skubal if he does….. and it’ll be bad.

1AZFan1: I doubt it. He’s been burned each time he’s done it (I suppose we could give the Burnes signing an Incomplete, though). I really do think that he’s trying to trim the budget and given his track record in last minute splurges, he’ll exercise self control and let Hazen do his thing.

Makakilo: If I could predict the player, it would no longer be entirely unexpected.

Ben: Ian Happ feels like the kind of player that Ken would like to sign randomly. He’d be a relatively expensive (2 years/$40 million per Spotrac) addition who could be valuable as a veteran voice on the team. Of course, at 32, he’s a prime candidate for regression and the outfield is one area that has some excellent depth on the roster and in the farm system.

Sam Bradfield: I don’t think so — I think the lockout means a lot of owners will play things closer to the vest this year, unfortunately.

Thoughts on Ben Fritz joining the team?

James Attwood: Meh.

Spencer: Never heard of him. He sounds perfect

1AZFan1: Obvious caveat that I have no idea how impactful a bullpen coach is, but Fritz has overseen one of the best bullpens in baseball over the last several years. The thing I like most about the signing is that we’re taking a good coach away from one of our direct competitors in the NL West which hopefully doubles the impact of this move.

Makakilo: The best candidates get chosen early in the offseason. Check!
The best candidates are currently in a similar job. Check!
For the Diamondbacks, injury prevention is essential to prevent a repeat of last season. The following two quotes show that Ben Fritz has that skill. Check!

“He’s very good at reading body language. He knows when a guy needs a day or a second day. That’s kind of helped us keep most of these guys healthy.” — Craig Stammen, July 2026
https://www.si.com/mlb/padres/onsi/padres-lose-key-pitching-coach-nl-west-rival-diamondbacks

“He knows deliveries, he knows pitching, he knows analytics. He’s been a coordinator, he’s been a pitching coach, he’s been a rehab coordinator, and he’s been in the Major Leagues these past two years.” — Jayce Tingler, August 2021
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/sports/who-is-ben-fritz-get-to-know-the-padres-new-pitching-coach/2700294/

Ben: I mean, Fritz clearly did a good job handling an excellent San Diego bullpen so that gives me some optimism that he could re-create that somewhat here in Arizona. Of course, it helps that he was working with some of the best relievers in the sport. It’s the third pitching coach over the last five years with mixed results. What exactly will Fritz do to change that dynamic?

Sam Bradfield: I think he’s a good hire. The Padres’ bullpen was nails last year. Granted, they had some excellent arms with Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon, which I’m sure helped. But overall, I’m optimistic.

Place Your Bets, Offseason edition: What date does the season start?

James Attwood: At some point in 2028

Spencer: July 15

1AZFan1: May 1st. I think ownership caves once games start getting missed. I don’t think I’ll be satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations, either. Probably a salary floor gets introduced, but no meaningful salary cap will get through and the deep-pocketed teams will continue to soak up every small market’s favorite player, forcing the small markets to spend their money on locking up players super early or on mid-tier free agents to meet the minimum spend requirements.

Makakilo: How about 2 July because it would add to the celebration of the fourth of July?

Ben: May 30th. As worried as I am about missing the entire season, I’m optimistic there will be enough pressure from the inside and outside that after missing around six weeks of the regular season will be enough for the sides to compromise somehow.

Sam Bradfield: I’m predicting May — after both sides lose a month of salary, they’ll be ready to come back and get things going.

Red Wings Fight Back, But Fall Just Short Against Lightning In 4-2 Loss

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Playing their second game in just over 24 hours against a Sunshine State-based divisional rival, the Detroit Red Wings looked largely listless for the first portion of the contest before mounting a comeback effort.

Unfortunately, the comeback wasn't meant to be.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, mired in a controversy of their own after the shocking trade request of superstar forward Nikita Kucherov, held off the Red Wings with a 4-2 win at Benchmark International Arena. 

With the setback, the Red Wings fell to 7-6-3 through the first 16 games of the 2026-27 campaign. And making matters more complicated was the fact that goaltender John Gibson departed the contest after the first period; he did not return. 

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The aforementioned Kucherov picked up a pair of assist in the opening 20 minutes alone, both on goals from Brayden Point, giving the Lightning a two-goal cushion. That lead was increased to 3-0 after a tally from Anthony Cirelli near the midway point of the second period. 

At that point, the Red Wings began battling back. Forward Lucas Raymond stayed hot by scoring his sixth goal of the season just under two minutes later, followed by an early third period power play tally from J.T. Compher, cutting the deficit to a single goal. 

Pierre LeBrun Reports Dylan Larkin’s Camp Won’t Budge As Red Wings Stalemate Continues Pierre LeBrun Reports Dylan Larkin’s Camp Won’t Budge As Red Wings Stalemate Continues According to the latest information from NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, Dylan Larkin and his representation aren't backing down from the line they've drawn regarding his 10-team approved destination list.

While Daniil Tarasov on the bench for an extra attacker, Detroit pressed heavily for the equalizer, but fell just short; defenseman Ryan McDonaugh sealed the win with an empty net goal in the waning seconds of regulation.

Before departing, Gibson stopped 11 of the 13 shots he faced; in relief, Tarasov stopped 12 of 13 shots. Meanwhile, Andrei Vasilevskiy denied 19 of 21 attempts. 

The Red Wings return home to Little Caesars Arena to host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday evening. 

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Watch Winnipeg Jets stun Montreal Canadiens with historic NHL comeback

The Winnipeg Jets did the improbable Tuesday night, erasing a 4-0 deficit with just 2:31 to play before Dylan Samberg scored in overtime to give the Jets a 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

It was a record-breaking comeback. Per the NHL, it's the latest 4-0 comeback in league history.

Tyrel Bauer got the comeback started with a goal at 17:21 of the third period. Morgan Barron added a second at 18:03. U.S. Olympic gold medalist Kyle Connor scored with one minute to go and then added the equalizer with a power-play goal at the 19:27 mark.

The Jets' historic comeback officially began 57 minutes, 21 seconds into the game. The prior record was held by the Los Angeles Kings, who began to erase their four-goal deficit after 52 minutes, 46 seconds of play in a 2007 game against the Dallas Stars.

The Jets entered Tuesday night's game having lost nine in a row, including a 7-0 thumping in their last outing. The Canadiens had won five in a row entering Tuesday's game.

Watch Jets comeback vs. Canadiens

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch Winnipeg Jets stun Montreal Canadiens with historic NHL comeback

Lakers star Luka Dončić has second technical foul rescinded

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić has created a lot of attention this past week with his ability to score.

He’s managed to produce a fast start for the Lakers and has positioned himself as an early candidate for MVP.

Dončić produced a double-double in a 138-117 victory over the Miami Heat at Crypto.com Arena on Nov. 2. He finished with 42 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds.

The point guard did receive a technical foul with 1:12 left in the second quarter. He was initially called for the technical foul for clapping in the direction of an official as he was disputing a "no-call."

It would've been his second technical foul of the season, but it was officially rescinded by the NBA on Tuesday. He will not have to pay the $2,000 fine.

“This season,” Dončić told reporters on Oct. 21. “I’m trying to not get techs.”

Dončić had received his first technical foul of the season during a game against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 30.

If a player receives their 16th technical foul in a single season, they are automatically suspended for one game and fined $5,000.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers star Luka Dončić has second technical foul rescinded

Samberg lifts Jets past Canadiens 5-4 with OT goal to complete comeback from 4-goal deficit

MONTREAL (AP) — Dylan Samberg scored in overtime as the Winnipeg Jets snapped a nine-game losing streak by storming back from a four-goal deficit to beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Montreal led 4-0 when Cole Caufield scored his second of the game and 10th of the season 46 seconds into the third period.

But Winnipeg scored four goals in 2 minutes, 8 seconds to tie the game with 32 seconds remaining in regulation on Kyle Connor's power-play strike, his second goal of the game.

It was the latest four-goal comeback in NHL history.

Tyrel Bauer and Morgan Barron started the rally to break Montreal goalie Jacob Fowler's shutout bid for the Jets, who were coming off a 7-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.

Stuart Skinner made 18 saves, while Mark Scheifele and Dylan Demelo had two assists each.

Owen Beck and Josh Anderson also scored for Montreal and Juraj Slafkovsky added two assists. Fowler stopped 42 shots. On Beck's goal, Arber Xhekaj and Florian Xhekaj became the first brothers to record a point on the same Canadiens goal since Andrei Kostitsyn and Sergei Kostitsyn on Jan. 17, 2009.

Nick Suzuki missed his sixth consecutive game with a hand injury. The Canadiens captain had played 546 straight regular-season games to begin his NHL career. He appears close to returning after practising without any obvious limitations Monday and Tuesday morning.

Winnipeg reunited its prolific top line of Scheifele, Connor and Gabriel Vilardi in search of a spark. The Jets piled on the shots and eventually broke Fowler late in the game.

Jets: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

Canadiens: Host the Utah Mammoth on Thursday night.

___

See AP's full NHL coverage here

MLB insider shares new Angels ownership could be handcuffed during free agency

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Angels player bats during a game against the New York Yankees, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Angels players turn a double play during a game against the New York Yankees, Image 3 shows Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke wearing sunglasses and a suit at a game

The Los Angeles Angels find themselves in a new light in the MLB offseason, and that’s due to team owner Arte Moreno selling the team to Kroenke Sports & Entertainment last summer.

With a new owner who has a history of being ready to sign a blank check, the organization finds itself handcuffed as they enter free agency.

MLB Insider of The Athletic, Ken Rosenthal, made his per usual regular appearance on “Foul Territory” on Tuesday and spoke about the complications that linger in the Angels offseason.

“Ownership is not expected to be approved until at least December. So they can’t really act, even to hire a president of baseball operations, much less sign a Tarik Skubal,” Rosenthal said. “And will Skubal’s agent, Scott Boras, be willing to wait if, before the lockout starts on December 1. they can get the deal they want.”

When the Angels announced the sale, they added that they don’t expect it to be approved by MLB until the end of the first quarter of 2027.

Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke on the sideline at an NFL game. Getty Images

While landing the most highly coveted in free agency might be a pipe dream for the Angels, they will have a long way to go before they start signing free agents.

As Rosenthal mentioned, the priority for the Angels during November will be to find a new president of baseball operations. From there, they will have to sign a new general manager and manager.


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Los Angeles Angels slugger Mike Trout hitting a home run against the New York Yankees. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Los Angeles Angels middle infielders Zach Neto and Christian Moore during an MLB game. JASON SZENES/NY POST

On October, 21. the Angels announced that they would be relieving Kurt Suzuki of his duties as manager after they endured their first 100-loss season in franchise history.

Shortly after, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reported that interim manager John Mozeliak will not be retained as general manager.

Mozeliak was originally hired as baseball operations consultant while doing the roles as interim general manager after team president Molly Jolly fired Perry Minasian of his duties as general manager.

“I think it’s best that I just honor the role I signed up for and then ultimately turn that over to people that are going to be committed to this for the long term,” Mozeliak said to Fletcher.

No. 8 Tennessee beats Wofford 90-59 in season opener

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — DeWayne Brown II scored 17 points and had 17 rebounds, Terrence Hill Jr. also scored 17, and No. 8 Tennessee beat Wofford 90-59 on Tuesday night to open the season.

Tyler Lundblade scored 12, Troy Henderson finished with 10 points and the Vols (1-0) shot 52.3% from the field.

Wofford (0-1) was led by Cam Lowe with 14 points and as a team shot 31% from the field. Cutter Sisk and Cris Arias added 10 each.

Tennessee led by three at halftime but outscored Wofford 56-28 in the second half to pull away. The Vols used a 36-10 run across the first 14 minutes of the second half after a sluggish first half.

A 3-point play from Hill was all Tennessee got for an almost eight-minute stretch in the first half, leading to a 6-0 Wofford run. Wofford outrebounded the Vols going into halftime, but Tennessee led 34-31 at the break.

The Vols took a step forward after exhibition losses to Xavier and Duke, both of which were by double digits.

After three straight Elite Eight finishes, coach Rick Barnes retooled Tennessee’s lineup by adding eight transfers, the top seven of whom averaged a collective 15.3 points a game last season. However, what was missing in the exhibitions was defense, which has been a focal point in the days leading up to the start of the season.

Wofford is coming off a 19-13 season. The last time Wofford and Tennessee met was in the NCAA Tournament’s first round in 2025 in Lexington, Kentucky. The second-seeded Vols won 77-62.

NO. 9 VIRGINIA 89, DREXEL 60

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Thijs De Ridder had 24 points and had nine rebounds, Sam Lewis added 20 points, and Virginia beat Drexel.

Johann Grunloh added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Cavaliers, who went 10 for 29 from 3-point range. Lewis hit four of those 3-pointers. Virginia, which has early season tests against Arkansas (Sunday) and Maryland (Nov. 13) looming, went 15 for 19 at the free-throw line.

The Commodores committed 14 turnovers, including six by point guard Chance Mallory.

Latief Lorenzano-White and reserve Ladricus Pittman led Drexel with 11 points. Dillon Tingler scored 10 off the bench.

De Ridder scored 12 points in the first 2:22 of the game. Virginia jumped to a 25-4 lead and went to the locker room ahead 51-27 at the half.

But the damage had been done in the opening minutes of this game.

NO. 12 ARKANSAS 106, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 61

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Jeremiah Wilkinson scored 23 points and Arkansas routed Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Wilkinson, a Georgia transfer, scored nine points, all on 3-pointers, during Arkansas’ 25-0 run to start the game after UAPB made the first basket.

The Golden Lions had eight turnovers and just seven shot attempts during that drought that ended at the 11:28 mark.

Freshmen Jordan Smith Jr added 20 points, Abdou Toure had 12 and Miikka Muurinen scored 10 in their collegiate debuts.

Smith and Muurinen, the top two recruits in coach John Calipari’s eight-man signing class, both started. Smith had four rebounds and three steals to go with his 20 points. Of the 13 players who saw time for Arkansas, 12 scored, including all the freshmen who accounted for 65 of the team’s 106 points.

Jalen Tatum led UAPB with 16 points.

NO. 20 ALABAMA 96, SAM HOUSTON STATE 74

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — London Jemison and Drew Fielder scored 15 points apiece as Alabama beat Sam Houston in the season opener for both teams.

Alabama played without Aden Holloway, who is serving a five-game suspension following his March arrest on drug charges that were later dismissed.

Freshman Tarris Bouie scored 13 points in his college debut and Amari Allen added 12 for the Crimson Tide.

Jacobe Coleman scored 16 points for Sam Houston (0-1). Justin Begg scored 13, Zion Pipkin added 11 points and made 3 of 4 3-pointers for the Bearkats.

Alabama missed its first seven 3-point attempts, but found its offense through its defense, finishing with 17 steals and 10 blocks while forcing 23 turnovers.

Jemison made all four of his first-half shots, including two 3-pointers, as Alabama took a 40-29 lead into halftime. Coleman scored 10 points and Pipkin added eight to keep Sam Houston close.

The Crimson Tide opened the second half on a 9-2 run and stretched the lead to 30 points on Fielder’s layup with 12:40 remaining. Bouie scored six points during that stretch, converting a three-point play and hitting a contested 3-pointer late in the shot clock.

NO. 23 KENTUCKY 85, MANHATTA 57

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Milan Momcilovic scored 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting to lead Kentucky to a win over Manhattan.

The Iowa State transfer was 6 of 9 on 3-pointers in his debut for the Wildcats (1-0), who got 12 points from Zoom Diallo and 11 from Alex Wilkins.

Kentucky won its fifth consecutive season opener, including three straight under coach Mark Pope.

Novak Manojlovic and Kevin Kearney led Manhattan (0-1) with 11 points each.

Kentucky outscored the Jaspers 41-10 in the final 13 minutes of the first half to put the game out of reach and take a 48-22 halftime lead. The reserves sparked a 13-0 run that included three consecutive 3-pointers.

The Wildcats made seven 3-pointers during the decisive run, including three by Momcilovic, who led Kentucky with 11 points in the first half. The Wildcats were 12 of 31 from deep overall and shot 53% from the field.

Kentucky outrebounded the Jaspers 40-26, got 26 points from its bench and finished with 20 assists.

Schmaltz scores on the power play late in regulation to lift Mammoth past Maple Leafs 3

TORONTO (AP) — Nick Schmaltz scored the winner on a power play with 6:48 left in regulation and the Utah Mammoth beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Dylan Guenther and Andrew Peeke also scored for Utah. Sebastian Cossa made 27 saves. Clayton Keller added three assists and Mikail Sergachev had a pair.

Jack Roslovic scored twice for Toronto, which got 33 stops from Sergei Bobrovsky. Auston Matthews assisted on Roslovic’s goals.

Schmaltz snapped a 2-all tie when he buried a loose puck in the crease on the man advantage after Bobrovsky made a huge stop on Keller.

Down 2-1 in the third period, the Maple Leafs tied it at 9:05 when Rosolvic moved in alone on Cossa and scored his second of the night on a backhand shot.

A two-time Stanley Cup champion signed over the summer to a big-money deal in free agency for the next three seasons, Bobrovsky entered with a 3-5-2 record, .885 save percentage and a 3.29 goals-against average.

LIGHTNING 4, RED WINGS 2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brayden Point scored two goals, Anthony Cirelli got one and Tampa Bay beat Detroit for their seventh straight home win.

Reigning NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov had two assists in his first home game since asking the Lightning for a trade, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 19 shots.

Lucas Raymond and J.T. Compher scored Detroit’s goals. The Red Wings pulled their goalie for an extra shooter for the final three minutes and put plenty of pressure on Vasilevskiy but couldn’t get the tying goal. Ryan McDonagh slid an empty-netter down the ice with 1 second left.

RANGERS 3, BLUES 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Adam Fox had a goal and an assist, Dylan Garand made 32 saves, and New York snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over St. Louis.

Oliver Bjorkstrand also had a goal for the Rangers and Eeli Tolvanen scored an empty-netter and had an assist. J.T. Miller had a pair of assists.

Pius Suter scored with 59 seconds to play for the Blues to spoil Garand’s shutout bid. Joel Hofer had 28 saves for St. Louis.

The Blues went scoreless on the power play in six chances. The Rangers were 0 for 3 on the power play.

The Rangers are now 7-2 at home this season and have won seven games when leading after the first period. They allowed two or fewer goals in a game for the ninth time this season.

WILD 4, FLYERS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist, and Joel Eriksson Ek scored what proved to be the winner after a Flyers clearing attempt hit a referee as Minnesota beat Philadelphia.

The Wild scored two goals in 31 seconds in the first period. Boldy took a pass from Quinn Hughes and snapped it from the high slot past Flyers goalie Dan Vladar to open the scoring.

On the next shift, a pass from Blake Coleman hit off Porter Martone’s skate and caromed right to Michael McCarron, who wristed it past Vladar to make it 2-0.

The Flyers were unhappy with referee Kyle Rehman on the opening shift of the second period. A clearing pass from Jamie Drysdale hit Rehman and created a 2-on-1 for Minnesota. Boldy fed a pass to Erikisson-Ek for a wrister that beat Vladar to extend the lead to 3-0.

Philadelphia’s Trevor Zegras shouted at Rehman and was immediately assessed a 10-minute misconduct.

Jesper Wallstedt made 23 saves for the Wild, who extended their point streak to six games (5-0-1) and have won five straight on the road.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, PENGUINS 2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tomas Hertl’s second goal of the night with 32 seconds left in regulation lifted Vegas past Pittsburgh.

Vegas won in Pittsburgh for just the second time in franchise history when Hertl tipped a pass from Mark Stone past Pittsburgh goaltender Arturs Silovs. The winner came shortly after the Golden Knights killed a late 5-on-3 power play.

Pittsburgh forward Tommy Novak, who scored and added an assist during a third-period rally, was called for tripping shortly after the teams returned to even strength. Hertl’s second power-play goal of the night — and the second allowed by the Penguins’ penalty kill at home — sent Pittsburgh to a third straight loss.

Adin Hill stopped 23 shots for the Golden Knights, who found their legs late a night after a shootout loss in Boston.

STARS 6, CAPITALS 5

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jason Robertson scored the third-fastest natural hat trick in team history to help Dallas to a victory over Washington.

Robertson’s sixth, seventh and eighth goals of the season came in a stretch of 5 minutes, 20 seconds early in the second period. His last, a snap shot from the point through traffic to make it 4-0, chased Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson with 14:17 to go until the second intermission.

Mikko Rantanen scored later in the second period to tie Robertson for the team lead as Dallas picked up points for a fifth consecutive road game.

Roope Hintz scored and added an assist, and Joel Kirvanta struck first for Dallas midway through the first period. Jake Oettinger had 20 saves.

Jordan Kyrou scored a goal and had two assists for Washington, which eventually closed the deficit to 6-5 on Ryan Leonard’s goal on a six-on-five with 1:02 remaining.

BLUE JACKETS 7, AVALANCHE 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Mathieu Olivier scored 28 seconds into the game and Charlie Coyle had two goals and two assists as Columbus snapped a two-game skid with a victory over Colorado.

Coyle scored his first goal for the Blue Jackets with 7:57 remaining in the second period on a tip-in, assisted by Zach Werenski and Kent Johnson. He added a wrist shot with 8:39 left in the third, assisted by Cole Sillinger and Damon Severson.

Valeri Nichushkin, Sillinger, Ivan Provorov and Jacob Christiansen scored for the Blue Jackets.

Cale Makar and Nazem Kadri scored for the Avalanche, who had their three-game winning streak halted. Colorado was playing the second game of a back-to-back after beating the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 Monday night.

Cam Talbot made 27 saves in the win for the Blue Jackets. Scott Wedgewood had 12 saves for the Avalanche.

DEVILS 4, OILERS 3 (S0)

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes scored two goals and had an assist, Connor Hellebuyck made 19 saves to win his first home start of the season and the New Jersey Devils ended the Edmonton Oilers’ winning streak at three by winning 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday night.

Fans chanted “USA! USA!” after Hughes’ first goal, a nod to him scoring the winner in overtime to deliver gold for the U.S. at the Olympics against Canada in the final. Hellebuyck, who backstopped the Americans in Milan, was making his third start for the Devils since they traded for him.

Arseny Gritsyuk got the shootout winner and Connor Brown also scored in regulation against the Oilers, who he played with for two seasons and helped reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and ’25. The Devils have won two in a row and five of their past six.

Connor McDavid extended his NHL record season-opening assist streak to 16 games with his league-leading 31st. Evan Bouchard, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl scored for Edmonton, and Tristan Jarry had his shutout streak ended after more than seven periods without allowing a goal but finished with 31 saves.

Skating in his 1,038th regular season game, Nugent-Hopkins broke a tie with Hall of Famer Kevin Lowe for the most in Oilers franchise history. Players wore T-shirts with that number and a caricature of Nugent-Hopkins on it.

JETS 5, CANADIENS 4 (OT)

MONTREAL (AP) — Dylan Samberg scored in overtime as Winnipeg snapped a nine-game losing streak by storming back from a four-goal deficit to beat Montreal.

Montreal led 4-0 when Cole Caufield scored his second of the game and 10th of the season 46 seconds into the third period.

But Winnipeg scored four goals in 2 minutes, 8 seconds to tie the game with 32 seconds remaining in regulation on Kyle Connor’s power-play strike, his second goal of the game.

It was the latest four-goal comeback in NHL history.

Tyrel Bauer and Morgan Barron started the rally to break Montreal goalie Jacob Fowler’s shutout bid for the Jets, who were coming off a 7-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.

Stuart Skinner made 18 saves, while Mark Scheifele and Dylan Demelo had two assists each.

PREDATORS 4, HURRICANES 1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Roman Josi and Ross Colton each had a goal and an assist to lead Nashville to a victory over Carolina.

Nick Perbix scored his first goal of the season and Adam Edstrom added a goal. Filip Forsberg had two assists and Juuse Saros made 29 saves for the Predators, winners of two straight.

Jackson Blake scored and Pyotr Kochetkov made 16 saves for Carolina, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.

The loss was the first of the season for Kochetkov, who was just the third goaltender in NHL history to win each of his first 10 games in a season.

DUCKS 5, CANUCKS 4

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Cutter Gauthier scored a hat trick for the second game in a row and Anaheim held on for a victory over Vancouver.

Mikael Granlund added a goal and two assists for the Ducks, while Leo Carlsson put away a short-handed tally and Beckett Sennecke had four assists.

Laurent Brossoit stopped 19 shots in the Anaheim net.

The Ducks came into the game with the league’s second-best power play (34%) behind only the Utah Mammoth and went 3 for 3 with the man advantage. Two of Gauthier’s goals came on the power play and Anaheim has 10 power-play goals on 12 chances over its last three games.

The Canucks got two goals from Jake DeBrusk, and one each from Liam Ohgren and Linus Karlsson. Elias Pettersson notched a pair of assists. Vancouver goalie Kevin Lankinen made 17 saves.

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