Giallorossi manager has struggled to build and his relationship with Claudio Ranieri is beginning to fray
Right from the beginning of Gian Piero Gasperini’s time as Roma manager, there have been people who believed it would all end in tears. Despite a brilliant record with Atalanta, whom he made into consistent top four contenders, as well as winning the Europa League in 2024, a section of his new club’s support was opposed to his appointment. “Respect our history,” read one banner outside the Stadio Olimpico last May. “Don’t bring that shit Gasperini to [Roma’s training ground at] Trigoria.”
Such objections were born more from rivalry than doubts about the quality of his work. Unsurprisingly, given that the Giallorossi were in direct competition with Atalanta throughout most of Gasperini’s nine-year tenure there, he had made various comments that got under fans’ skin.
Three in the over for Barker! Charlie Allison, bowled by one that may have kept a bit low. Essex 16 for three...
Early wickets in sunny Brumbados, Keith Barker striking first ball from the Pavilion End as Dean Elgar is trapped lbw offering no shot. In comes Tall Paul to join Sam Cook, who spared him the hassle last night but has since squirted Barker’s third ball of the day to cover. That’s Barker’s 700th career wicket across formats. Essex 16 for two (need another 190) and an inauspicious start.
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - FEBRUARY 7: Former team members from the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats team Cameron Mills and Derek Anderson celebrate with head coach Mark Pope of the Kentucky Wildcats after the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena on February 7, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mark Pope has openly joked about the group chat he shares with his 1996 national championship teammates, claiming they keep him grounded. But according to former Kentucky star Derek Anderson, that chat is a lot more intense than Pope has let on.
During a recent appearance on KSR, Anderson pulled back the curtain on the ongoing conversations between the guys who helped Kentucky cut down the nets. He revealed that the chat is still going strong, but teammates frequently type out messages only to delete them because the critiques of Pope’s coaching job may be too “brutal.”
As someone who works closely with NBA players and top-100 high school recruits, Anderson didn’t hold back his thoughts on why Pope’s third year at Kentucky is facing so many structural hurdles that have resulted in too many big losses.
Mark Pope has a “rah-rah” problem
Anderson’s primary concern isn’t Pope’s character; he knows he is an awesome guy. It is not the message he is sending to recruits on visits; he believes he can connect with anyone. For Anderson, the key to fixing Mark Pope’s issues in Lexington resides in Pope’s temperament.
“He can relate to the guys because he’s a great guy,” Anderson explained. “When you’re at BYU, you get to kind of run and play, and it’s a different style when you’re in the SEC and Kentucky thing. We were coming for your throat, and that’s a different mentality. Is he teaching that mentality? Because he’s never been that rah-rah guy anyway.”
Anderson pointed out the stark contrast in how he and Pope differed when they were on the court together. “You saw when we played, I’m dancing when I dunk on you. He’s just like this, ‘Good play, DA. Go sit down.’ Like, that’s a great guy, but that’s not Kentucky. Like, I was taught to dominate players whenever I played, and that was a mentality.”
There has been a little bit of that killer instinct missing at times under Pope. And it could be that he values emotional balance so much that his guys never feel free to really go after it. That mentality all starts on the practice court for Anderson.
Flawed practice habits
That lack of edge apparently bleeds into how Pope constructs his practices and pregame speeches/routines. Anderson shared a specific anecdote about Pope’s free-throw drills that contrasts with where the two men stand.
Pope demands absolute silence in the gym when players are shooting free throws. Anderson strongly disagrees with the method.
“We wanted everybody loud,” Anderson said. “If I’m at the free throw line, I need to hear noise so I know it at the end of the game, when there’s crazy going on, I gotta concentrate… If you don’t teach that, and when it happens in a game, how am I prepared? I’m not.”
DA is totally right here. I love the Mark Pope moment of silence thing. I understand visualization is key. But I also believe you play the way you practice. And we need to see some more fire from these guys on gameday.
I really believe that is a huge part of why we see so many slow starts.
Anderson also sees a teaching issue.
A complete lack of basketball IQ
The most interesting critique from Anderson centered on the lack of teaching the basic fundamentals. He expressed shock at last year’s team’s inability to execute even the most basic basketball concepts. He believes that falls directly on Pope and the assistants, who have now mostly been replaced (Cody Fueger, Mark Fox, and Mikhail McLean are the holdovers, for now).
“We didn’t know how to play basketball. It was literally, we couldn’t throw a bounce pass,” Anderson said, referencing the recent struggles. He noted that players fail to use basic pump fakes against 2-3 zones, and criticized the assistant coaches for doing “nothing” and walking away while players shoot free throws instead of forcing them to hold their follow-throughs.
“It was not teaching,” Anderson stated firmly. “And I was always telling him, you’ve got to teach the IQ part and understanding of the game if you want players to be better. You can’t just let them go and say, well, they’ll figure it out.”
Again, DA is right on the money. I know Mark doesn’t want to spend a lot of practice time on teaching things guys should have learned in junior high, but the reality is the game has changed. Most of these kids play on AAU traveling teams that only care about 2 things: winning and money. No longer do they teach them drop steps; it is now the Euro step. No longer is it bounce pass drills; it’s all Steph Curry two-hand-two-ball drills.
You have to sometimes take a step back in order to take a step forward.
Can a coaching staff shakeup fix this?
Anderson’s comments shine a glaring spotlight on the current state of Kentucky’s bench. It is abundantly clear that Pope has significant work to do in terms of teaching the game, but he cannot do it alone.
So far this offseason, Kentucky has only hired Mo Williams to the staff. With Mark Fox operating on an expiring contract and an open coaching vacancy still waiting to be filled, Pope has a crucial opportunity to change the dynamic. If he is going to be the “nice guy” head coach, he desperately needs to hire assistants who are willing to teach the fundamentals, enforce the “throat-stepping” mentality, and demand accountability in practice.
I know he loves this place, and I think everyone wants him to succeed here, but if he fails to address what DA has brought up, I don’t see him staying past year 3.
Do you agree or disagree with Anderson’s take on Pope?
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: Wilber Dotel #66 of the Pittsburgh Pirates makes his MLB debut as he pitches in the ninth inning during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at PNC Park on April 19, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With a depleted group of relievers, the Pittsburgh Pirates promoted one of their top prospects ahead of their Sunday contest against the Tampa Bay Rays.
23-year-old Wilber Dotel got the call to pitch for Pittsburgh while on a road trip with Triple-A Indianapolis. Originally slated to start for the Indians on Saturday evening, Dotel instead found himself making his MLB debut with the Pirates, helping to close out their victory over the Rays.
The Dominican Republic native was called upon in the ninth inning, and said he was filled with emotion coming out of the bullpen.
“On my way to the mound, I wanted to get there as fast as possible just to get on the mound and start throwing my pitches,” Dotel said.
Dotel first faced Junior Caminero and gave up a homer, but remained poised during the rest of his outing. The next three batters were retired with no more hits or runs allowed, and Dotel had eight pitches registered at more than 98 mph. He would pick up his first big league strikeout against Jonathan Aranda.
Pirates’ manager Don Kelly was pleased with Dotel’s performance.
“That was impressive,” Kelly said, “Especially for a guy making his debut in the ninth inning with a lead and give up a homer and then come back with triple digits and stay in the zone. That was phenomenal.”
Dotel was signed by the Pirates in 2020 as an international free-agent at 18-years-old. Known for blazing fastballs, Dotel has quietly but effectively moved up the Minor League ranks, and has been a real fixture in the Pirates’ farm system since 2023. 2025 was Dotel’s best season to date. With Double-A Altoona the righty had a 7-9 record with a 4.15 ERA over 125.2 innings. His 131 strikeouts ranked third in the Eastern League, while he had a career low in walk rate (3.1 BB/9) and a career high for strikeout rate (9.4/9). Dotel made just three starts in Indianapolis before being promoted.
Despite not having played in relief in three seasons, it is the spot that Dotel is most valuable right now and figures to be where he is used at this season with Pittsburgh. He did pitch two innings out of the bullpen for the Buccos in Spring Training, so he’s optimistic that the transition will not be that difficult. Time will tell if Dotel is a full time reliever for the Pirates, but it is a group that could use some fresh blood as it has struggled in 2026.
Wilber Dotel is the Pirates’ 12th ranked prospect.
Mason Miller has been untouchable all season. And so have the San Diego Padres lately.
Miller's scoreless streak is now at 32 ⅔ innings, just one shy of the Padres' franchise record. And perhaps most impressively, the best closer in the game has struck out 27 of 38 batters faced this season, his 71.1% strikeout rate the highest by a pitcher in his first 11 appearances since 1900.
But it takes a good team to give a closer a chance to shine and the Padres are just about baseball's best right now. They've won 13 of 15 to close within a half-game of the Los Angeles Dodgers - and zoom seven spots to No. 2 in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.
At 15-7, the Padres have baseball's second-best record, thanks in large part to their closer with the wipeout fastball-slider combo that's proven untouchable. Or, as Fernando Tatis Jr. put it, "Game over."
Miller's next task? Preserving his scoreless streak through mile-high Coors Field and Phoenix this week.
A look at our updated rankings:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (-)
Nothing like Coors Field to humble a club on a 126-win pace.
2. San Diego Padres (+7)
Jackson Merrill has robbed three home runs - still impressive even if Jo Adell did that in one game.
LeBron James helped his team to victory over the Rockets on Saturday night. Photograph: Mark J Terrill/AP
LeBron James must be so sick of this. If he wanted to experience being the best player on an otherwise thin team, he could simply remember the Cleveland Cavaliers’ run to the NBA finals in 2007. Or the 2015 NBA finals when his best teammates, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, suffered injuries. Or the 2018 season, which convinced SNL to make a spoof of James’ support staff. “I’m 53 years old,” one of LeBron’s “teammates” says in the clip. “I have seven kids, and two of them are also on the Cavs.” It’s 2026, James is a Los Angeles Laker, his two best teammates are hurt, and one of his kids actually is on the team.
How on earth did we get here, again? James is 41. The story of his season was his labored yet successful pivot into the Lakers’ third option, behind Luka Dončić (who was having one of the best stretches of his career before tweaking his hamstring in a humiliating loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder) and Austin Reaves (who strained his oblique in the same game). Both men are in their primes. James, on the other hand, has been plagued with what some observers may call old guy injuries: he missed the start of the season due to sciatica; he’s sat out a couple games since thanks to arthritis in his left foot. So how – how – is it that Dončić and Reaves were the ones felled by injuries and James is the iron man? Aren’t the rules that athletes in their 20s get to enjoy energy and health, while those in their 40s have to retire and become mediocre pundits?
Surreal as James reprising his role from a decade ago is, there’s nobody more used to the gig. Asked recently what his team now needs from him, James said, “everything, so nothing changes for me. Just back to the old ways.” Dončić and Reaves are out indefinitely. If James can prolong the Lakers’ run, that pair may have time to come back and restore the team to its best possible form, but there are no guarantees.
James has at least one thing going for him, aside from the small matter of being arguably the greatest player of all time: the Lakers are playing the dysfunctional Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. This version of the Rockets, without vital contributors in Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams, are capable of blowing a 13-point lead in overtime. There’s simply no other group in the NBA who have it in them, even those teams who spent most of the season trying to lose. On top of that, Kevin Durant recently hurt his knee in practice, forcing him out of Saturday night’s series opener, which the Lakers won 107-98. The Rockets’ offense is poor at the best of times, but removing KD is like taking the bacon and bread off a BLT.
And look, James did not carry the Lakers in Saturday’s win, though the Rockets offered so little resistance that he never had to try. Luke Kennard had 27 points. James had 19, and so did Deandre Ayton. (Guess Ayton drank his crunk juice.) But it was the King who commanded the pace and flow of the game. James had 13 assists to what felt like every single one of his teammates, many of them leading to wide-open shots. He either created or assisted on 15 of the Lakers’ first 19 points. He hit a long three in the fourth quarter, then a ridiculous fadeaway over Amen Thompson, the Rockets’ best defender. He snagged an errant pass in the first quarter; while tumbling out of bounds, he managed to leap in the air and drill the ball off Thompson’s legs to maintain Lakers possession. James played 38 minutes. He finished with a +11 on-off rating, the best on either team.
Saturday was no anomaly. James’ on-court play has been notable this year not just in its continued quality (again: he is 41), but in its effort and intentionality. In December, he sacrificed his run of 1,297 consecutive regular season games in which he’d scored 10 or more points to dish the ball to Rui Hachimura for a game-winner. In the closing minutes of a March thriller against the Denver Nuggets, James dove for a loose ball as if he was a teenager again; the Lakers wound up winning in overtime. Before Dončić and Reaves went down, James had morphed into an uber-efficient role player, producing restrained masterpieces in a radically different style to his do-it-all finals heroics in the 2010s.
It’s been clear since before this season even started that the Lakers won’t win the title this season. Even if they get past the Rockets, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder will almost certainly grind them into a fine sand in the next round. James must know it.
But maybe he’s just not fazed by any of it, or having to play without Dončić and Reaves. “I’ve been in every situation you can ever imagine as a basketball player,” he said after Game 1. And he has. The bar for his career being set at “surpass Michael Jordan” when he was still in high school didn’t deter him. The venom aimed at him after the Decision, as if he’d committed a serious crime by cheesily announcing his move to the Miami Heat, didn’t do long-term damage. He responded as well as was possible to the disaster that was the 2011 finals. A meaningful portion of NBA fans’ aggressive certainty that basketball is actually an individual sport hasn’t bullied him into becoming a ball hog at the cost of team success. Maybe sharing a starting lineup with Kennard, Ayton, Hachimura, and Marcus Smart instead of taking part in a superteam hardly registers as a challenge at this point.
Perhaps, with time, playing on so many less-than-ideal teams may even end up benefiting James’s legacy – in some calmer world, when we can soberly agree that most of those finals losses weren’t on him alone. James would probably have won more rings on better teams (or if he got to play against worse teams in finals). We might also not have gotten to see the outer reaches of his skill. The way things turned out, he faced enough adversity that he had to show us every extraordinary version of himself.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 17: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees warms up before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB Trade Rumors | Charlie Wright: The Yankees made a minor trade on Sunday, trading infielder Braden Shewmake to the Astros for Wilmy Sanchez. Shewmake has appeared in the majors for the Braves and White Sox and was signed as a minor-league depth infielder. As for who the Yankees have picked up, Sanchez is a 22-year-old pitching prospect who started this season in Double-A and will indeed report to the Somerset Patriots.
NJ.com | Bob Klapisch: This season, the Yankees have began starting their early afternoon games at 1:35 pm ET, as opposed to 1:05 pm ET. That apparently came after a request from some of the veteran players, who believe the change has actually helped them in their game preparation.
New York Post | Joel Sherman: Cam Schlittler made a bit of a impression last October, not only for his performance against the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series, but also for his willingness to chirp at Boston fans, whom he grew up amongst. Well this week, he’s set to make his first career start back in Fenway Park, and that’s become a bit of an event. Schlittler has reported that he and family members have received death threats, and while the pitcher doesn’t believe there’s anything serious to them, that shows the nature of how he’s gotten in some fans’ heads since last October.
MLB.com: Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch weighed in alongside 29 other personalities at MLB.com to offer insight on early-season developments that the team they cover can believe in. Like many, Hoch’s been impressed by the hard-hitting Ben Rice thus far, calling him a future All-Star — and this was published before he homered in his fourth consecutive game. After going yard yesterday (lefty/lefty off Cole Ragans, too), he’s now hitting .338/.476/.800 with eight dingers and a 246 wRC+ in 84 PA. Modest.
Los Angeles Kings (35-27-20, in the Pacific Division) vs. Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11, in the Central Division)
Denver; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EDT
LINE: Avalanche -275, Kings +224; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Avalanche lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche host the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Sunday for the fifth time this season. The Avalanche won the previous meeting 2-1.
Colorado has a 27-9-6 record at home and a 55-16-11 record overall. The Avalanche have a +101 scoring differential, with 298 total goals scored and 197 allowed.
Los Angeles has gone 20-11-11 on the road and 35-27-20 overall. The Kings have given up 238 goals while scoring 220 for a -18 scoring differential.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nathan MacKinnon has scored 53 goals with 74 assists for the Avalanche. Martin Necas has three goals and five assists over the past 10 games.
Artemi Panarin has 28 goals and 56 assists for the Kings. Adrian Kempe has scored nine goals and added two assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Avalanche: 7-2-1, averaging 2.6 goals, 4.3 assists, 3.2 penalties and 6.4 penalty minutes while giving up 1.8 goals per game.
Kings: 6-2-2, averaging three goals, 4.5 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
INJURIES: Avalanche: None listed.
Kings: Kevin Fiala: out for season (leg).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Utah Mammoth (43-33-6, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Golden Knights -161, Mammoth +135; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Golden Knights lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Utah Mammoth in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Sunday for the fifth time this season. The Golden Knights won the previous matchup 4-2.
Vegas has a 39-26-17 record overall and a 21-12-9 record on its home ice. The Golden Knights have a 38-6-11 record when scoring three or more goals.
Utah is 43-33-6 overall and 21-18-3 on the road. The Mammoth have allowed 240 goals while scoring 268 for a +28 scoring differential.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mitchell Marner has 24 goals and 56 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has six goals and four assists over the last 10 games.
Nick Schmaltz has 33 goals and 40 assists for the Mammoth. Clayton Keller has four goals and 13 assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 8-0-2, averaging 4.1 goals, 6.7 assists, 3.1 penalties and 6.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.1 goals per game.
Mammoth: 6-4-0, averaging 4.1 goals, 7.1 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body).
Mammoth: Barrett Hayton: out (upper-body), Sean Durzi: day to day (upper-body), Jack McBain: out (lower-body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (50-26-6, in the Atlantic Division)
Tampa, Florida; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Lightning -191, Canadiens +158; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Canadiens lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens visit the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Sunday for the sixth time this season. The Canadiens won 4-3 in overtime in the last meeting. Juraj Slafkovsky led the Canadiens with three goals.
Tampa Bay is 16-9-2 against the Atlantic Division and 50-26-6 overall. The Lightning have scored 286 total goals (3.5 per game) to rank fourth in league play.
Montreal has gone 48-24-10 overall with a 17-9-1 record in Atlantic Division play. The Canadiens have a 44-8-9 record in games they score at least three goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jake Guentzel has 38 goals and 50 assists for the Lightning. Nikita Kucherov has four goals and seven assists over the past 10 games.
Cole Caufield has 51 goals and 37 assists for the Canadiens. Slafkovsky has five goals and seven assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lightning: 4-5-1, averaging 2.6 goals, 4.5 assists, 6.8 penalties and 17.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.
Canadiens: 7-3-0, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.6 assists, 5.6 penalties and 14.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
INJURIES: Lightning: Victor Hedman: out (personal), Pontus Holmberg: out (upper-body).
Canadiens: Patrik Laine: out (abdomen), Noah Dobson: out (thumb).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Boston Bruins (45-27-10, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division)
Buffalo, New York; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Sabres -170, Bruins +142; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Sabres lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres host the Boston Bruins in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Sunday for the sixth time this season. The Sabres won the last matchup 4-3. Tage Thompson scored two goals in the win.
Buffalo is 50-23-9 overall and 17-6-4 against the Atlantic Division. The Sabres are fifth in the league with 283 total goals (averaging 3.4 per game).
Boston has gone 45-27-10 overall with an 11-13-3 record in Atlantic Division play. The Bruins have a 38-10-7 record when scoring at least three goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Rasmus Dahlin has 19 goals and 55 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has five goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
Pavel Zacha has 30 goals and 35 assists for the Bruins. Morgan Geekie has six goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 7-2-1, averaging 3.5 goals, 5.7 assists, 4.4 penalties and 11.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
Bruins: 4-4-2, averaging 2.8 goals, five assists, 3.2 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
INJURIES: Sabres: Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Sam Carrick: out (arm), Justin Danforth: day to day (lower body), Noah Ostlund: day to day (upper-body).
Bruins: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Utah Mammoth’s first taste of playoff hockey delivered everything it promised—speed, chaos, physicality—and then ended in a gut punch.
The Vegas Golden Knights rallied from multiple deficits to defeat Utah 4–2 on Sunday night in Game 1 of their first-round series, flipping what felt like a tightly controlled debut into a third-period collapse for the visitors.
Vegas, now unbeaten in regulation in its recent stretch under head coach John Tortorella (8-0-1), once again leaned on relentless pressure and depth scoring to overwhelm Utah late. Colton Sissons led the charge with a goal and an assist, while Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev also found the back of the net. Carter Hart turned aside 32 shots, and Noah Hanifin chipped in two assists from the blue line.
For Utah, Logan Cooley and Kevin Stenlund provided the offense, and Karel Vejmelka stopped 27 shots in a game that featured momentum swings, heavy contact, and a simmering edge that boiled over several times—including a post-buzzer altercation.
A Playoff Introduction Built On Emotion And Momentum
Utah didn’t just show up—they struck first, and nearly carried that energy into intermission.
Former Golden Knight Nate Schmidt threaded a perfect cross-ice feed to Logan Cooley, who buried a one-timer from the right circle with just 11 seconds left in the opening period. It was the kind of moment that briefly quieted the building and hinted at a dream start for the league’s newest postseason entrant.
The second period, however, belonged to chaos.
Sissons tied the game at 3:44, jamming home a rebound off a Cole Smith feed. Utah responded quickly, reclaiming the lead when a strange sequence near the crease ended with the puck deflecting into the net off a Vegas miscue, officially credited to Kevin Stenlund.
But that edge was fragile.
Vegas Turns The Screw In The Third
The Golden Knights’ response came in waves—and with force.
Mark Stone evened things up on the power play, hammering home a rebound at 5:33 of the third period. From there, the tone of the game shifted entirely. Vegas tilted the ice, leaned on Utah’s defensive zone mistakes, and eventually broke through again when a turnover by MacKenzie Weegar led to a decisive go-ahead goal off a Noah Hanifin shot, finished by Sissons’ presence around the puck.
Ivan Barbashev sealed it with an empty-net goal, putting a punctuation mark on a night where Vegas simply refused to fade.
Utah, meanwhile, was left to absorb the reality of playoff margins—small mistakes, magnified instantly.
The series continues Tuesday night back in Las Vegas, where Utah will try to reset before the moment starts feeling even heavier.
LAS VEGAS -- Like it or not, Carter Hart is deservedly a playoff goaltender in the NHL for the Golden Knights.
The 27-year-old has been the league's best goaltender since the start of the month, and just turned in his first playoff win since Sept. 3, 2020, when he was with the Philadelphia Flyers, in Vegas' 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth on Sunday.
"We found a way to win a game, and I thought Carter Hart really gave us a chance," Vegas coach John Tortorella said.
Carter Hart in his first NHL playoff game since the 2020 COVID-19 bubble:
After opening his tenure with the Knights by going 5-3-3 with a .871 save percentage and allowing 36 goals in 12 appearances, he returned to the net on April 2 after an injury, went 6-0-0 with a .930 save percentage, and allowed 10 goals in six games.
There was no better goaltender in the NHL during the same stretch.
Sunday, he was the better netminder, as the Golden Knights continued their winning ways under coach John Tortorella, who took over the team March 29, after Bruce Cassidy was fired.
Ironically, in Cassidy's first season with the Knights, he led them to a Stanley Cup after keeping once-starter goalie Logan Thompson in the press box as a healthy scratch during the playoffs and needed to turn to Adin Hill after Laurent Brossoit got injured.
Now, Tortorella has given Hill's net to Hart. And not because Vegas' $6 million goaltender is hurt, but because Hart has outplayed him - and deserves the starting role.
Tortorella was the coach of the Flyers when Hart was stopping pucks in Philly, so there is familiarity. Perhaps that's provided added confidence for both of them.
One, the incoming coach who took over a very talented team that needed a swift kick in the hockey pads with eight games in the regular season.
And two, the young netminder who's been through a lot off the ice, and simply needed to know there is someone who believes in him genuinely.
Aside from Vegas' offense coming around, there's no doubt the goaltending has been the biggest difference.
In Hill's lone start under Tortorella, he took the L in a 4-3 shootout loss at Seattle.
Tortorella has acknowledged he has two quality goaltenders in the locker room, but it's Hart's growth and maturity that have given him the pipes at this point.
"I had him there for a couple of years in Philly, and I watched him grow from the first time I stepped into Philly, and then he had to step out of the league, but I watched how he was growing," Tortorella said. "The greatest compliment I can give to Carter is preparation. That goaltending position, the coaches stay out of it. He has a position coach in (Sean) Burkey, so we stay out of it.
"But I do watch how he prepares. He's one of the guys who leaves no stone unturned. He gets focused. And I think he's mature. I think he's matured mentally. Sometimes we always look at these young kids and you talk about their physical growth, it's more mental. And I think he's really matured that way, and has certainly ... after his injury, found his way to get some good minutes under his belt as we enter the series."
After turning in good minutes in Game 1, it's quite clear who deserves the net at this point.
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) makes a save as Utah Mammoth right wing Dylan Guenther (11) falls in the crease during the second period of game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena.
Apr 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) gestures after scoring against the Phoenix Suns in the second quarter during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The most elite defenders of the NBA’s 2025-26 season include San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson, and Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren.
The three finalists for the 2025-26 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award:
Holmgren is coming off an NBA All-Star appearance for the first time in his young career. He’s on the chase for a second-straight NBA championship, becoming the fourth Zag to win an NBA title last summer (Los Angeles Lakers’ Adam Morrison in 2009 and 2010, Miami Heat’s Ronny Turiaf in 2012, and San Antonio Spurs’ Austin Daye in 2014).
Through 69 starts for the Thunder, the 7-1 talent averaged 17.1 points on a shooting split of 55.7 percent from the field, 36.2 percent on three-pointers, and 79.2 percent at the charity stripe. His 8.9 rebounds per game rank tied for No. 11 in the NBA, while his 1.9 blocks per game are tied for No. 2. StatMuse lists a defensive rating of 104.1 for the world’s up-and-coming basketball star.
At the start of the first round of the 2o26 NBA Playoffs, No. 8-seeded Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks made it clear he was going to annoy No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City’s man in the middle during the entirety of the series. Holmgren got the last laugh in Game 1’s 119-84 victory, dropping 16 points on 5-10 shooting, seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.
Dillon Brooks wouldn’t let Chet Holmgren hold the ball before the game. 🤣
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a different animal. Players can go an entire 82-game regular season without throwing a single hit; in the postseason, that’s downright unthinkable. Playoff hockey is known for tight checking, high emotion, and intense physicality. The Vegas Golden Knights are no strangers to that atmosphere, and it showed in their 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth.
Despite having a roster with little playoff experience, the Mammoth got to their game quickly and outshot the Golden Knights 11-9 in the first period. However, the Golden Knights boasted the lion’s share of scoring chances, generating 11 while holding Utah to 5.
The Mammoth broke the ice with just 11 seconds remaining in the first. Nate Schmidt found Logan Cooley all alone at the left dot, and Cooley one-timed it home.
Pittsburgh’s own Logan Cooley with a ROCKET of a one-timer from the right circle. Old friend Nate Schmidt with the beautiful pass.
In the second period, the Mammoth continued their solid play. They outshot the Golden Knights 11-10 and generated four high-danger scoring chances while holding Vegas to three.
The Golden Knights found the equalizer at 3:44 in the second. Brayden McNabb’s shot didn’t reach the net, but Cole Smith ended up with the puck. He fed a backhand pass to Colton Sissons, who crashed the net and banged it in.
Nice little backhand feed from Cole Smith, and Colton Sissons crashes the net and stuffs it home.
The Mammoth regained the lead just 1:23 later. Carter Hart slid to the top of the crease to try to break up Kevin Stenlund’s pass for JJ Peterka in front. Instead, the puck took a hop into Kaedan Korczak, who mistakenly put it into his own net.
I’m not sure how to put into words what just happened there, but let’s give it a go:
Carter Hart gets aggressive and tries to break up a pass from Kevin Stenlund to JJ Peterka. Somehow, Kaedan Korczak put it into the net.
During the regular season, the Mammoth boasted a record of 29-2-2 when leading after two periods. But despite their regular-season record of 39-26-17, the Golden Knights were among the top teams in the league in time spent trailing, and tonight, that paid off. They played with composure and didn’t let the nature of Utah’s go-ahead goal rattle them.
“We didn't really pay attention to it,”said Ivan Barbashev postgame. “It's a tough bounce for our team and, of course, for our group. Our guys did a really good job of getting one back, on the power play, and especially the third goal by our fourth line. They've been outstanding today.”
Ivan Barbashev drew a penalty less than four minutes into the third period, and the Golden Knights scored on the ensuing power play.
Tomáš Hertl got a piece of Mitch Marner’s blast from the point, but Karel Vejmelka made the save. The puck kicked out to Mark Stone, who slammed the puck into the empty net.
Marner with the shot and Mark Stone scores the rebound.
The Golden Knights took their first lead of the night just 1:47 later. Nic Dowd picked off MacKenzie Weegar’s pass and played it to Colton Sissons, who cut around Nick Schmaltz and passed back to Noah Hanifin at the point. Dowd presented his stick as he cut down the middle of the ice, and Hanifin hit him with a shot-pass for the go-ahead goal.
Wardo! Nic Dowd presented his stick for the tip, and Noah Hanifin made it happen.
The Mammoth pushed back and outshot Vegas 10-6 in the remaining 12:40 of regulation. However, despite getting very little practice in the regular season, the Golden Knights knew how to play with a lead and limited them to just one high-danger chance.
The Mammoth tried to pull Karel Vejmelka for the extra attacker, but timed it poorly, and Ivan Barbashev hit the empty net with 1:39 remaining in regulation to give his team the 4-2 lead.
“I think our team is best when we play physical, and I think we showed that today,” said Ivan Barbashev following the 4-2 win. “It’s hard to play like that for 82 games. But when playoffs come, I think it matters, and I think it matters for our group.”
Three Takeaways of the Knight
1. Mark Stone’s franchise-leading 39th postseason goal changed everything for the Golden Knights. At the start of the third period, it looked like the Golden Knights were just trying to hold on for dear life. After Stone’s goal, however, it was all Vegas. They came in waves, and rode that momentum-high all the way to Nic Dowd’s game-winning goal.
2. Physicality ramps up in the playoffs, and very few players feed off of it quite like Ivan Barbashev. He was a wrecking ball tonight, recording eight hits and drawing the penalty that led to the game-tying goal.
“I think [Barbashev] is a good, honest player,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella following the 4-2 win. “That’s what I like about him. He’ll run you over, he’ll take a hit, he’ll make a play, he’ll score a goal… I think he’s an incredible pro.”
3. It doesn’t matter how many games this series goes— it’s going to be physically taxing on whoever emerges victorious. The Golden Knights won that war tonight, recording 52 hits against Utah’s 30. There were post-whistle scrums all game, but it all culminated in one big extracurricular after Ivan Barbashev’s empty net goal, and again after the final horn.
And just think— this was only Game 1. Typically, tempers grow as the series progresses. This is going to be a very nasty series.
