After scoring the goal that knocked out Arsenal, the midfielder is relishing Saturday’s semi-final against his old club Manchester City
In the seconds after Southampton disposed of Arsenal to tee up an FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City, a camera operator scooted on to the St Mary’s pitch and got to work on locating the match-winner. As the crowd swayed to the sound of Doris Day’s Que Sera, Sera, another lasting image was born.
In between high-fiving and embracing teammates, Shea Charles tilted his head and turned towards the camera, raising his eyebrows a little with a playful ‘how-about-that-then?’ expression. It was a snapshot that snowballed into a viral meme, viewed by millions on social media, and a couple of days later Southampton asked their players to recreate the moment. “I just looked at the camera as if I was looking at my mates down the lens,” Charles says. “I’ve seen it’s gone all over.”
Dallas Stars (50-20-12, in the Central Division) vs. Minnesota Wild (46-24-12, in the Central Division)
Saint Paul, Minnesota; Saturday, 5:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Wild -135, Stars +114; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Stars lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Dallas Stars visit the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Wednesday for the eighth time this season. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime in the last matchup.
Minnesota has a 14-11-4 record in Central Division games and a 46-24-12 record overall. The Wild have a +33 scoring differential, with 268 total goals scored and 235 allowed.
Dallas has a 50-20-12 record overall and a 19-7-3 record in Central Division play. The Stars lead the Western Conference with 71 power-play goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Matthew Boldy has 42 goals and 43 assists for the Wild. Kirill Kaprizov has six goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
Jason Robertson has 45 goals and 51 assists for the Stars. Wyatt Johnston has scored seven goals and added four assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Wild: 5-4-1, averaging 3.6 goals, 5.8 assists, five penalties and 11.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
Stars: 8-2-0, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.4 assists, 5.3 penalties and 12 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.
INJURIES: Wild: Yakov Trenin: day to day (upper-body), Mats Zuccarello: day to day (upper-body).
Stars: Nathan Bastian: out (hand), Roope Hintz: out (lower body), Tyler Seguin: out for season (acl).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Ottawa Senators (44-27-11, in the Atlantic Division)
Ottawa, Ontario; Saturday, 3 p.m. EDT
LINE: Senators -111, Hurricanes -109; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Hurricanes lead series 3-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 3-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Thursday for the seventh time this season. The Hurricanes won 2-1 in the last matchup.
Ottawa has a 44-27-11 record overall and a 23-13-6 record on its home ice. The Senators have a 9-12-4 record in games they serve more penalty minutes than their opponents.
Carolina is 25-12-5 on the road and 53-22-7 overall. The Hurricanes are second in the league with 291 total goals (averaging 3.6 per game).
TOP PERFORMERS: Tim Stutzle has scored 34 goals with 48 assists for the Senators. Brady Tkachuk has two goals and five assists over the past 10 games.
Sebastian Aho has 27 goals and 53 assists for the Hurricanes. Logan Stankoven has scored seven goals and added five assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Senators: 5-3-2, averaging three goals, 4.6 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
Hurricanes: 8-1-1, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.1 assists, 3.6 penalties and 7.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
INJURIES: Senators: Jake Sanderson: day to day (undisclosed), Artem Zub: day to day (undisclosed), Nick Jensen: out for season (lower-body).
Hurricanes: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Pittsburgh Penguins (41-25-16, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12, in the Metropolitan Division)
Philadelphia; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Flyers -119, Penguins -101; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Flyers lead series 3-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 3-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Wednesday for the eighth time this season. The Flyers won the last matchup 5-2.
Philadelphia has a 43-27-12 record overall and a 15-9-5 record in Metropolitan Division play. The Flyers have committed 322 total penalties (3.9 per game) to rank seventh in NHL play.
Pittsburgh has gone 41-25-16 overall with a 13-7-9 record against the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins are 41-8-9 in games they score at least three goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Travis Konecny has 27 goals and 41 assists for the Flyers. Porter Martone has six goals and six assists over the last 10 games.
Sidney Crosby has 29 goals and 45 assists for the Penguins. Evgeni Malkin has scored six goals and added five assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Flyers: 9-1-0, averaging 3.8 goals, 5.9 assists, 4.8 penalties and 11.2 penalty minutes while giving up 1.8 goals per game.
Penguins: 3-7-0, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.6 assists, 4.7 penalties and 13.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.5 goals per game.
INJURIES: Flyers: Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body), Emil Andrae: day to day (upper-body).
Penguins: Filip Hallander: out (leg), Caleb Jones: out for season (shoulder).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
ATLANTA - Mikal Bridges has been a Knick for two years. So he understands what’s going to be said/written about him over the next two days.
“I’ve got to take it on the chin, handle it how I’m supposed to and be ready for the next one. You know, it’s going to suck. It is what it is. I’ve just got to be better to help my team out there.”
The Knick wing missed all three of his shot attempts and had four turnovers in Game 3. New York was outscored by 26 in Bridges’ 20 minutes on the floor. Bridges was benched for nearly all of the second half as Mike Brown replaced him with Miles McBride.
McBride delivered in all the ways Bridges fell short: he hit five threes, had two steals and helped stabilize the Knicks defense. It obviously wasn’t enough in the end. But McBride’s performance leaves Brown and the coaching staff with an interesting decision ahead of a must-win Game 4.
Should Brown shake up his starting lineup and replace Bridges with McBride?
The Knicks got off to a terrible start on Thursday, falling behind by as many as 13 in the first quarter. So maybe Brown and his staff believe McBride can help them avoid another start. Maybe they think Bridges can get going off the bench.
Whatever decision Brown comes to will be crucial.
The Knicks can’t afford to get off to another slow start in Game 4. A loss on Saturday would put the Knicks on the brink of a disaster.
As you know, this is a team that is supposed to reach the NBA Finals, not fall out in the first round.
A loss to the Hawks would almost certainly lead to major changes – whether they be to the roster, coaching staff or front office.
It would also lead to heavy criticism of the decisions to trade for Bridges and Towns and fire Tom Thibodeau.
The Knicks gave up five first-round picks to acquire Bridges. Team president Leon Rose & Co. saw him as the perfect complement to their core.
They certainly didn’t see him being a non-factor in a pivotal playoff game.
But that’s what happened on Thursday. If you go back to the second half of Game 2, Bridges is 0-for-7 with four turnovers and a -37 net rating against the Hawks.
He acknowledged that it was tough to be on the bench in the fourth quarter of a close game.
“But I’ve just gotta be better so I can be out there,” Bridges said.
In his news conference after Game 3, Brown said he believes Bridges will bounce back.
“I’m not concerned. Mikal is a pro. He’s been there,” Brown said. “He’s played hundreds of basketball games, so he’ll be fine.”
Maybe Brown is right. But the more important question is whether Bridges will be in the starting lineup on Saturday.
The answer to that may define the rest of this series – and the rest of this season – for the Knicks
In an attempt to remake a starting rotation expected to lose a two-time All-Star, the Astros traded two prospects from a barren farm system to acquire Mike Burrows from the Pittsburgh Pirates last December.
An 11th round pick by the Pirates in 2018, Burrows finally made his Major League debut in 2024 and put himself on the map by posting a 3.94 ERA with a 24.1 percent strikeout rate and a 7.7 percent walk rate, both better than league average. Burrows emerged as an above-average starting pitcher, and with five years of club control it’s the type of high-ceiling move smart clubs make.
So far, the trade has been a flop.
Burrows is 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA in his first five starts with the Astros. His walk rate has dipped slightly from last season, but his strikeout rate is down to 20.5 percent. He has finished the sixth inning just once and allowed three runs or more in all but one start.
Burrows arrived in Houston regarded as having one of baseball’s best changeups. While it hasn’t been quite as effective this season, opponents are batting just .188 with a 37.1% whiff rate against it. His biggest problem has been his fastball getting crushed.
Lefties are 8 for 16 with three home runs against Burrows’ four-seam fastball, while righties are 8 for 20 with a homer against his two-seam. Burrows didn’t throw the two-seam often with the Pirates, so it’s not surprising he’s experiencing some early growing pains with it, but the four-seam needs to be better. Left-handed hitters batted .270 with two homers against it in 2025.
But there are reasons for optimism.
For 14 batters against the Cardinals on Sunday, Burrows looked like the pitcher the Astros thought they were getting. He retired all 14, seven via strikeouts, before Masyn Winn singled through the left side of the infield. The next four batters also reached, and Burrows couldn’t finish the fifth inning despite starting the game 14 up, 14 down.
“I don’t want to take away from how well he pitched those first four innings,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “I think the fifth doesn’t speak for how well he threw the ball. He had his stuff working.”
There are two main reasons the Astros should be confident that Burrows can make the first 14 batters from his last start more the norm than the final five.
There is always an adjustment after changing teams. Aside from the obvious change of leaving the only organization you’ve ever known, your new team is going to ask you to tweak certain aspects of your game. The Astros have been no different with Burrows.
The Astros have overhauled Burrows’ pitch usage. His two-seam fastball, which has produced poor results, is now his primary pitch against right-handed hitters after being used less than 10 percent of the time last season. They’ve also lowered his arm slot from 48 degrees to 39.
Burrows has also been somewhat unlucky so far this season. His FIP is nearly two runs lower than his ERA, and his BABIP is almost 90 points higher than league average despite a lack of hard contact. Opponents have a 33.8 percent chase rate against him, more than six percentage points higher than a season ago.
Per Baseball Savant, no pitcher has been hurt more by his defense. Through Sunday’s start, the Astros are at -4 runs prevented with Burrows on the mound and -5 outs above average.
Burrows hasn’t lived up to the high expectations the Astros had for him when he was acquired last winter, but they didn’t make the trade for five starts. The Astros traded for Burrows because they thought he could help lead their rotation for the next five seasons, and there are still reasons to think that could still be the case.
New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (46-36, sixth in the Eastern Conference)
Atlanta; Saturday, 6 p.m. EDT
LINE: Knicks -1.5; over/under is 214.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Hawks lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Hawks host the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference first round with a 2-1 lead in the series. The Hawks won the last meeting 109-108 on Thursday, led by 24 points from Jalen Johnson. OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 29.
The Hawks have gone 27-25 against Eastern Conference teams. Atlanta has a 7-8 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Knicks are 35-17 in Eastern Conference play. New York ranks fifth in the NBA giving up only 110.1 points while holding opponents to 46.0% shooting.
The 118.5 points per game the Hawks score are 8.4 more points than the Knicks allow (110.1). The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field, 0.4% higher than the 47.4% the Hawks' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Johnson is averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 18.9 points over the last 10 games.
Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson is averaging 19.6 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 46.0% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 6-4, averaging 116.3 points, 44.1 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 8.7 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.2 points per game.
Knicks: 6-4, averaging 111.5 points, 43.5 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 8.3 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.0 points.
INJURIES: Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).
Knicks: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (45-37, eighth in the Eastern Conference)
Orlando, Florida; Saturday, 1 p.m. EDT
LINE: Pistons -2.5; over/under is 214.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Series tied 1-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Orlando Magic host the Detroit Pistons in game three of the Eastern Conference first round with the series tied 1-1. The Pistons defeated the Magic 98-83 in the last meeting on Wednesday. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 27 points, and Jalen Suggs led the Magic with 19.
The Magic are 26-26 in Eastern Conference games. Orlando has a 19-19 record in games decided by at least 10 points.
The Pistons are 39-13 against conference opponents. Detroit has a 10-6 record in games decided by less than 4 points.
The 115.7 points per game the Magic average are 6.1 more points than the Pistons give up (109.6). The Pistons average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.1 fewer made shots on average than the 12.1 per game the Magic allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Paolo Banchero is averaging 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists for the Magic. Desmond Bane is averaging 17.1 points over the last 10 games.
Cunningham is averaging 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.9 assists for the Pistons. Duncan Robinson is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 7-3, averaging 115.1 points, 45.0 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 10.2 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.8 points per game.
Pistons: 7-3, averaging 116.0 points, 44.7 rebounds, 30.0 assists, 10.0 steals and 7.2 blocks per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.1 points.
INJURIES: Magic: Jonathan Isaac: day to day (knee).
Pistons: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (45-37, seventh in the Western Conference)
Phoenix; Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Thunder -9.5; over/under is 214.5
WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Thunder lead series 2-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference first round with a 2-0 lead in the series. The Thunder won the last meeting 120-107 on Thursday, led by 37 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 30.
The Suns have gone 29-23 against Western Conference opponents. Phoenix has a 7-10 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Thunder are 41-11 in conference play. Oklahoma City leads the Western Conference giving up just 107.9 points per game while holding opponents to 43.7% shooting.
The Suns average 112.6 points per game, 4.7 more points than the 107.9 the Thunder allow. The Thunder score 7.9 more points per game (119.0) than the Suns allow their opponents to score (111.1).
TOP PERFORMERS: Collin Gillespie is averaging 12.7 points and 4.6 assists for the Suns. Devin Booker is averaging 23.5 points over the last 10 games.
Gilgeous-Alexander is scoring 31.1 points per game and averaging 4.3 rebounds for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 4-6, averaging 108.5 points, 43.0 rebounds, 22.6 assists, 7.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.6 points per game.
Thunder: 8-2, averaging 121.0 points, 44.3 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 11.0 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.7 points.
INJURIES: Suns: Mark Williams: day to day (foot), Jordan Goodwin: day to day (calf).
Thunder: Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Denver Nuggets (54-28, third in the Western Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33, sixth in the Western Conference)
Minneapolis; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Nuggets -1.5; over/under is 229.5
WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Timberwolves lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Timberwolves host the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference first round with a 2-1 lead in the series. The Timberwolves won the last meeting 113-96 on Friday, led by 25 points from Ayo Dosunmu. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 27.
The Timberwolves are 9-7 in division matchups. Minnesota is seventh in the league with 118.0 points and is shooting 48.1% from the field.
The Nuggets are 11-5 against the rest of their division. Denver is seventh in the Western Conference with 44.0 rebounds per game led by Jokic averaging 12.9.
The Timberwolves average 118.0 points per game, 1.1 more points than the 116.9 the Nuggets allow. The Nuggets are shooting 49.6% from the field, 3.4% higher than the 46.2% the Timberwolves' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Julius Randle is averaging 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and five assists for the Timberwolves. Dosunmu is averaging 13.7 points over the last 10 games.
Jamal Murray is averaging 25.4 points and 7.1 assists for the Nuggets. Jokic is averaging 22.8 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 5-5, averaging 116.8 points, 41.1 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 8.1 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.0 points per game.
Nuggets: 8-2, averaging 123.6 points, 47.1 rebounds, 28.8 assists, 7.2 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.7 points.
INJURIES: Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr.: out (illness), Jaylen Clark: out (illness).
Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: out (calf), Peyton Watson: out (hamstring).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 23: Anton Forsberg #31 of the Los Angeles Kings watches a shot in front of Artturi Lehkonen #62 of the Colorado Avalanche and Brian Dumoulin #2 during the first period of Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 23, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After taking care of business and earning a 2-0 series lead as the games shifted into Los Angeles, the Colorado Avalanche continued to roll right along as they secured a 4-2 win over the Kings, and a 3-0 series lead with the possibility to complete the sweep on Sunday afternoon.
Let’s take a look at the action from tonight!
First Period
It didn’t take long for Gabriel Landeskog to get the scoring started for the Avs on a really flukey goal. Landeskog shot the puck from the top of the offensive zone, and the puck bounced off the boards, off of Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg’s skate, and into the back of the net. With that score Colorado enjoyed a 1-0 first period lead which would carry into the first intermission.
Second Period
The Kings would tie the game at 1-1 early in the second period with a flukey goal of their own, as a shot deflected off of Trevor Moore, who was tied up with Josh Manson, and went into the back of the Avalanche net.
Los Angeles had hope in this game for about six minutes but then Cale Makar would give Colorado the lead once again, as a seeing-eye shot found its way past Forsberg, beating him cleanly and giving the Avs a 2-1 lead, which is how the second period would end.
Third Period
Early in the third period the Kings had another opportunity to tie the game with a power play but Artturi Lehkonen erased that possibility as he would make it 3-1 Colorado on a shorthanded goal, as he was able to beat Forsberg through the five-hole with Logan O’Connor streaking towards the net.
Los Angeles would get another power play opportunity late in the third period, and they would convert on the opportunity for the third time in the series by pulling the goaltender to go 6-on-4. Adrian Kempe would tip the puck past Scott Wedgewood off a shot from Artemi Panarin.
Still, it wasn’t enough to rattle the Avalanche as Brock Nelson would simply score an empty net goal for Colorado after that, putting them back up by two goals, securing a 4-2 win, and a commanding 3-0 series lead for the Avalanche
Takeaways
That game looked and felt more like Avalanche hockey. Finally, they were able to break through more on offense than they were able to do in the first couple of games despite getting outshot 26-23. I’m sure it’s been said before, but it wasn’t exactly a secret that the Kings wanted to play the defensive, muck-it-up game that they’ve been playing this series. That’s what they’re good at, and how they’re successful, so the first two games ending up the way they did weren’t all that surprising.
Instead, what has pleasantly surprised me is Colorado’s willingness, seemingly, to play this way with the Kings instead of the other way around, and being patient and playing with them has paid off so far, clearly. They’ve been the better team this series (minus the power play, which is officially 0/7 this series), and were rewarded for it more tonight, as they were finally able to beat Forsberg a few more times tonight than they were in the first two games. Now, they have the opportunity to close this series out on Sunday in LA.
Upcoming
Colorado takes on the Kings for Game 4 of this first-round series looking for the sweep on Sunday, April 26. Puck drop will be at 2:30 p.m. MT.
Missing Aaron Gordon wasn’t the only issue the Denver Nuggets had in Game 3.
The Minnesota Timberwolves completely handled Denver, 113-96, Thursday, April 23, taking a 2-1 series lead over the No. 3-seeded Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
Throughout the game, offense was the issue, with three starters — Cameron Johnson, Spencer Jones and Christian Braun — combining to score just 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
It was a team effort, but Minnesota’s anchor down low, center Rudy Gobert, had a special night.
Gobert was a force on defense, especially on Nuggets All-Star and Most Valuable Player finalist Nikola Jokić. This has come on the heels of Gobert publicly expressing his displeasure that he was not named a finalist for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award, which went to Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Jokić did end up with 27 points, but it came on an inefficient 7-of-26 (26.9%) shooting night, including a 2-of-10 showing from 3-point range.
Gobert was a big part of that. It also means that Jokić has now gone 15-of-46 (32.6%) over his last two games against Gobert and the Timberwolves. By comparison, Jokić shot the ball at a 56.9% clip this season.
Here’s a look at some of the defensive and offensive highlights of Gobert getting the best of Jokić Thursday night:
Carson Benge has had a bit of a rough start to his big league career.
The young slugger put together a much-needed big night at the plate on Thursday, though, helping the Mets pick up their second straight win over the Twins.
Benge opened his showing jumping on a first pitch Joe Ryan fastball up in the zone, ripping it 95 mph off the right-center fence for a one out double.
He came around to score a few batters later on a sacrifice fly.
The lefty did even more damage against Ryan his next time up, this time leading off the fourth by lifting a second-pitch splitter 388 feet over the right field fence.
This one left the bat at a whopping 105.7 mph.
Benge struck out in his next plate appearance, then Tommy Pham pinch-hit for him when a lefty was brought in to the game with two on in the bottom of the eighth.
Pham, of course, drew a walk and then Bo Bichette delivered his first big knock as a Met with a go-ahead bases-clearing double into the left-center gap.
The 23-year-old finished 2-for-3, with the knocks being his second double and second homer of the season.
“He was just getting the barrel though the hitting zone and hitting balls to the pull-side,” Carlos Mendoza said. “The first off the wall and then the homer, overall I think it’s just shorter and more direct to the ball.”
Benge is still hitting just .159 on the season, but it was encouraging to see him show off some of that pull-side pop.
It was another close game between the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche in Game 3, and it was shaping up to be another exciting finish. After that disappointing loss on Tuesday at Denver, where the Kings held a 1-0 lead for nearly a minute in the final frame before losing in overtime as a result of an Avs game-winner, this next game at Crypto.com Arena was their biggest of the season, as they looked to avoid going down 3-0.
But, just as the Kings tied up the game 1-1 midway through the second period, they failed to add on to their goal with several minutes of puck possession and a power play, giving the Avs multiple chances to retake the lead and never look back.
After a slow start for Colorado on offense, they eventually picked it up, scoring late in the second period and third period to hold onto a 4-2 victory to put the Kings in a 3-0 series hole.
Going down 3-0 is nearly impossible to overcome, especially against this Avs team, which is the best offensive team in the NHL, and only four teams have ever come back from it.
The Kings did have a solid start on offense to start this time, outshooting the Avalanche 12-7 in the opening period for the first time in this series after 20 minutes.
It was the most in-control Los Angeles has been to start this series, playing more aggressively on offense and getting more shots inside, yet they trailed 1-0 after the first period.
Colorado's only goal in the first period was a very lucky one: after a missed shot, the puck bounced off the end boards, slid back, and deflected off Anton Forsberg's right skate and in.
It wasn't enough just to be playing well if you're the Kings, given the opponent. With Los Angeles getting on the power play again, it was another missed opportunity for them, coming up short again.
Los Angeles is now 3/11 on the power play in the first three games of this series and has held Colorado to 0/9 in the three games, doing a great job at defending the best offense in the NHL, but can't capitalize on their troubles.
The Avs arguably played one of their worst periods of the game, but were still leading because of LA's inability to execute and capitalize on Colorado's missed shots.
To open the second period, off a Colorado turnover, Los Angeles converted on their first goal of the game to tie the scoreboard 1-1. Forward Trevor Moore continued his impressive play in the playoffs, scoring on the cross-ice feed from Quinton Byfield.
After the goal, Colorado received a penalty after committing a high stick on Moore just as he scored the goal, resulting in a double minor, giving Los Angeles its second power play of the night.
However, the Kings didn't score on the power play, leaving the door wide open for Colorado to score. Since scoring the goal, LA had control of the puck for nearly seven minutes, but couldn't score.
And the President Trophy winners did what they do when you leave the door open for them. At the 7:48 mark of the second period, Cale Makar, one of the best players at creating open lanes, fired the puck through traffic to give the Avs a one-goal lead again, scoring his first goal of the series.
This is what's troubled LA throughout this series so far: the games have been close, and the opportunities have been there for the Kings to score, but elite goaltending by Scott Wedgewood and the Avs defensive pressure make it tough.
For the rest of the period, the Kings generated good shots from Alex Laferriere and Joel Edmundson, with clean shots to potentially tie the game, but, as the story of this series has been so far, they couldn't find the puck in the net.
2-1 Colorado through 40 minutes.
No one closer than Alex Laferriere across these three games. Just can't buy one. Two good looks late, Wedgewood with a great right-pad save on the second.
At the 12:21 mark of the third period, after forward Artemi Panarin set up Adrian Kempe in the power play for a one-timer, Kempe turned the puck over, setting up for a 2-on-1 rush advantage for Colorado, and Artturi Lehkonen slid the puck past Forsberg to give the Avs a two-goal lead.
Kempe has been one of the Kings' most disappointing players to start the playoffs. After a hot stretch in the final stretch of the regular season, he has completely struggled and been frustrated in this series.
Colorado did a good job amping up its defensive intensity in the final period, forcing turnovers and suffocating the Kings in transition, making it tough for the home team to generate shots on goal.
Los Angeles converted on their first power play goal of the night, scoring their third straight power play goal in this series. Panarin hit Kempe with a shot-pass at the right crease, deflecting off Kempe to pull LA within one.
LAK Goal - PPanarin!
Three games in a row with a power-play goal for Panarin, or it might've been a Kempe deflection. Either way, 3-2 game with 4:03 on the clock.
However, the one-goal deficit didn't last long; Colorado forced a turnover, leading to an easy empty-net goal by center Brock Nelson to put the game away and take a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Key Stats
For most of the game, LA looked a lot better at home tonight than in its first two games in Denver, once again getting good looks but missing out on opportunities. The Kings also struggled on the power play again, finishing 1/4, and had a chance to build on their lead late in the second period with a power play, but failed to do so.
Forsberg had a solid game tonight, finishing with 19 saves on 22 shots, coming up with big saves again, but this time the Avs were much better on offense. Credit Wedgewood for making it so tough on the Kings' offense to get any easy goals or shots.
Kempe and Moore scored the lone goals for LA, keeping the game close with each of their goals coming late in the second and third period. But the others couldn't help on offense to make the game more interesting late in the game.
LA is now down 3-0 in this series, heading into Game 4, which could be their final game of the season, and also Anze Kopitar's final game in his career.
The Kings will play Game 4 on Sunday at 1:30 PM PT looking to avoid a sweep.
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