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Continue reading...Depleted Mammoth Take Blues the Distance, Lose in a Eight Round Shootout
It took 65 minutes and an eight-round shootout to finally get a goal, but at 10 PM Mountain Standard Time, the game between the Utah Mammoth and the St. Louis Blues finally ended. Unfortunately for the home team, their losing streak extends to four games with a 1-0 shootout loss on Thursday.
It wasn’t for lack of trying. You definitely can’t blame the Mammoth’s efforts. There was so much going against them. The team just came back from Las Vegas the night before, after an intense game against the Vegas Golden Knights. A couple of minutes out from this one, it was announced that the Mammoth would be rolling without three of their top five forwards.
After Nick Schmaltz was injured off a hit in the game against the Golden Knights, it was speculated that he likely wouldn’t play on Thursday. That speculation ended up being correct, as he joined Dylan Guenther, John Marino, Nate Schmidt, and Logan Cooley on the injury row. Head coach André Tourigny confirmed that a majority of those players are still a long way away from returning.
One man's loss is another man's gain. Coming into the lineup to replace Schmaltz was Ben McCartney, who hadn’t played an NHL game in 1,832 games, despite multiple NHL call-ups over the past couple of years and some really strong American Hockey League campaigns with the Tucson Roadrunners. Tourigny and the coaching staff had spoken highly about McCartney on Wednesday before the game against the Golden Knights, saying his time was coming. Thursday, his time finally did come.
"There are a lot of emotions,” McCartney said. “It was a grind to get back here, but I'm just so happy to be here. I just want to try to help the team win in any way possible."
Rockin' the remix 🥶 pic.twitter.com/DbZCVOkkho
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) November 13, 2026
It was his first game since Nov. 6, 2021, with the Arizona Coyotes. Zac Jones also made his Mammoth debut against the Blues, appearing in his first game since April 17, 2025, with the New York Rangers. Another player who has had a very good season so far with the Roadrunners.
“It took a lot of hard work, a lot of belief in myself,” Jones said. “Being a guy who was the seventh defenseman in New York for my entire career, it was tough to make a name for myself. It was nothing against them; they were great there; it was just time to move on. I think last year in Rochester, getting to play all the time rebuilt my confidence again and proved to myself that I can be a pro hockey player.”
Mammoth fans were on edge early on. Mikhail Sergachev went down early on, limping off the ice and into the locker room. Jones got extra shifts, but the Russian defenseman eventually returned and played more than 28 minutes.
This was a defensive-minded game from the very beginning. Two teams desperate for points, trying to figure each other out. A lot of credit has to be given to the blueline. They weren’t that great against the Golden Knights, but they really did well against the Blues.
Outside of Artem Duda and Jones, the top four defensemen each played upwards of 20 minutes. Especially when you consider the five times the Mammoth found themselves shorthanded, the blueline was the strongest part of the Mammoth’s game against the Blues.
“The way we defend, 5-on-5 (or) PK, all the time, a lot of pride, a lot of aggression,” Tourigny said. “I’ve talked a lot about that in the past, about how great we are when we have that aggression defensively. Tonight, we were rock solid defensively. I need to talk about Sergachev. He was really, really good. Best player on the ice, in my opinion, for both teams. He’s a big factor in why we got the point. He was at 28 minutes, and yesterday he had a lot of minutes as well. Kudos to him.”
The penalty kill ended up killing all five penalties, as mentioned. Lawson Crouse was another big factor in that. He played a very reliable two-way game and was out for a lot of the biggest shorthanded moments.
Karel Vejmelka also has to be credited with a huge part of why the Mammoth ended up getting a point. The goaltending has been highly criticized all season long. Vejmelka in particular has received a lot of flak for his play. Yet, he walks away from this one with a shutout. 22 saves in the game isn’t too shabby.
Denied by Vejmelka! pic.twitter.com/NrdcDZDLGT
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) November 13, 2026
Again, it’s about finding consistency. This cannot be a one-and-done for Vejmelka. Both he and Sebastian Cossa need to find a way to perform well and win games repeatedly. Thursday’s game is a good start for the goaltender.
As mentioned, the Mammoth took this game all the way to the shootout. It is the first time in franchise history that the team went into a shootout tied at 0-0. Yet, they had some good opportunities to score throughout the match. They managed to outshoot the Blues 29-22. Not bad considering the Mammoth were missing three of their top five forwards.
“I think any team, throughout the course of a season, you're going to have injuries, and it's very important for the depth to step up and fill the role of whatever they're asked to do, and I thought everybody did that tonight,” Vincent Trocheck said.
In the shootout, the Mammoth were once again competitive. Both Trocheck and Barrett Hayton managed to force the competition all the way into the eighth round, where Connor McMichael eventually ended it. It's a sour way to end such a hard-fought battle, but at the very least, the Mammoth do get a point out of this one.
CONNOR MCMICHAEL WINS IT IN ROUND 8 OF THE SHOOTOUT FOR THE BLUES 🔥
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) November 13, 2026
Not a bad time for his FIRST NHL shootout tally 🤯 pic.twitter.com/aLjKisBC5H
Losing isn’t acceptable. Especially with losses in each of their four most recent games, points need to start flowing the Mammoth’s way, or they’re going to slip further and further out of the top three in the Central Division. Excuses shouldn’t be a go-to either, generally speaking.
However, you can’t fault the Mammoth for this one. They played and worked hard, which was impressive considering the number of injuries they have and the fact that they just got back from a road trip less than 24 hours ago. They also get a point, the first one they’ve picked up since their overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
“Losing the top guys that we have out, you can't really replace those guys,” Jones said. “But the guys that played, I thought, did a great job of just sticking to our roles, and honestly, we played a great game today. Credit to their goalie; he played well, and it's the way it goes sometimes.”
It is honestly the way it goes sometimes. Luckily, they do get some easier games coming up. The San Jose Sharks are a struggling team, while the Vancouver Canucks are in the middle of an all-out rebuild. They will also play the next four games at home, meaning the fatigue from traveling so much won’t be an excuse. Maybe just don't wear the Hometown Remix jerseys in those games. They are now 0-0-2 while wearing them.
Would a win be better than a shootout loss? Everyone will tell you yes. However, considering the circumstances, this is an outcome you can’t complain too much about.
“On the back-to-back, obviously we wanted the two points,” Tourigny said. “There are no moral victories in the NHL. But we lost in a shootout. We didn’t lose in a 3-on-3; we lost in a skills competition. We wanted the two points, I won’t lie, but I cannot be more proud of our guys.”
It’s a good way to look at it. The Mammoth lost in a skills competition, one they hadn't faced since April 2025. One that can be quite a gamble sometimes. There’s a lot to take and build on from this one, though. The only thing the Mammoth really can do is take those moral victories, move on, and win some of their upcoming games—something they desperately need to do.
The Mammoth will play the Sharks on Saturday. The Sharks are 8-11-2 this season and are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Clippers' Bradley Beal still sidelined, getting 'not good results' in ramp-up
While the Los Angeles Clippers seem to be seeing strides made by some of their other injured players, Bradley Beal doesn’t appear to be on the same trajectory.
Beal is exactly one year removed from having undergone season-ending surgery to repair his fractured hip. The three-time All-Star’s hip has been cleared, but Beal remains on the injury report with right knee inflammation.
Beal has continued to serve as “a veteran leader” who spends time talking with the young guys, but when he will be able to get back on the court remains undecided.
“Every time we get him on the court to do something three days in a row, then it's like, it's not good results,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters on Nov. 12.
Beal averaged just 8.2 points, 1.7 assists, and 0.8 rebounds in his six games played last season before his injury.
For his career, Beal has averaged 21.4 points, 4.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game through 14 seasons.
Beal re-signed with the Clippers as a free agent in August to a two-year deal worth $13.2 million. The deal has a player option for the second year.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Clippers' Bradley Beal still sidelined, getting 'not good results' in ramp-up
Schenn Records Three Points, Islanders Snap Four-Game Skid With 5-2 Win Over Kings
The New York Islanders (8-6-4) got Matias Maccelli and Ryan Pulock back in the lineup and returned to winning ways with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings (5-10-2) on Thursday night.
Brayden Schenn had a three-point night (one goal, two assists), while Victor Eklund scored for a fourth straight game to tie all Eastern Conference rookies with seven.
Matthew Schaefer recorded his sixth goal of the season in his 100th career game, with points in all 18 games this season (six goals, 12 assists). Bo Horvat joined him with his 18th point late in the game (eight goals, 10 assists).
Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves to snap his four-game slide, while Pulock recorded two assists in his return, and Maccelli earned an assist.
The Kings went 10-0-1 in their last 11 games against the Islanders, and the Islanders haven't had a regulation win in their last 12 meetings. It's their first win in that building in about eight years.
The Islanders were held to just 21 shots but were productive enough.
Here's how the game unfolded:
The Islanders took a 1-0 lead at 5:50 of the first period after Brayden Schenn buried a rebound to Darcy Kuemper's right, which was created after Mitchell Chaffee and Ryan Pulock's point shot:
4 game point streak for Schenn! pic.twitter.com/wtpgKzYBep
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 13, 2026
The Kings answered at 8:55 of the second period courtesy of a Trevor Moore slot tip on a Brandt Clarke point shot.
But at 12:56 of the first period, Matthew Schaefer scored on the power play to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead. Maccelli fed him at the point, and there was a ton of traffic in front as the shot went off the glove-side post:
That's a 4 game point streak for Schaef! pic.twitter.com/uxsMk8Zm9b
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 13, 2026
The Islanders and Kings traded goals in the second.
Eklund extended the Islanders' lead to 3-1 at 5:35 of the second after he buried a Schenn rebound at the top of the crease, high blocker side:
WHAT A PLAY. pic.twitter.com/bN183l4Ncr
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 13, 2026
Quinton Byfield buried an Artemi Panarin rebound at 7:52 of the third period to cut the Kings' deficit to 3-2.
But, the Islanders got insurance early in the third when Simon Holmstrom turned around with a snipe from the slot at the 39-second mark of the period to extend the Islanders' lead to 3-0:
HOMER MAKES IT 4-2. pic.twitter.com/XSCHNLraEb
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 13, 2026
Horvat added an empty-net goal at 17:!4 of the third period for the 5-2 final.
Wolves 133, Mavericks 94: You Like That?
Do you remember the last time the Minnesota Timberwolves played basketball?
Since the Wolves last played, the Minnesota football team got flat-out embarrassed on national television, then went through all five stages of grief before building a time machine that sent them back to the days of Kirk Cousins, and now, in one fell swoop, has gone from pumpkins to the NFL’s new belle of the ball.
And somewhere in the midst of all of this, Joan Beringer is officially no longer a teenager and is starting to go gray.
I’m not saying having no Wolves games is responsible for any of this, or that if we had played sooner, maybe Beringer wouldn’t have had to have a birthday (is that how that works?). I’m not saying that! But man, does it feel good to finally have this team back on the court and on our screens again.
In their first game back in eons, the Wolves laced up and faced off against a team in the Dallas Mavericks that seems to be fast-tracking a soft rebuild. On paper, both teams are pretty evenly matched in several categories, namely FG% (DAL #4, MIN #5), turnovers (DAL #10, MIN #11), and steals (DAL #14, MIN #15), so the Wolves needed to win the possession battle.
Certainly, the Mavericks would be up for the challenge, so it would stand to reason that this would be a challenging game for the Wolves. Right?
Right?
Wrong
To start the game, Jonathan Kuminga was on a torrid pace, muscling to the basket for a lay-up and cutting to the rim for a dunk off a beautiful find by LaMelo Ball, who proceeded to find Jaden McDaniels on a similar play a few possessions later.
The Mavericks settled in and muddied the game as the quarter went on. At the 5:16 mark, TJ Shannon subbed in, and PJ Washington proceeded to bully him to the rim for an and-one. This was a great quarter for Washington, as he finished with 10 points in the quarter.
Perhaps an accurate distillation of the rest of the game, though, is that those 10 points would be it for Washington, and the Mavs 24-19 lead would soon be relinquished and gone for good.
Ayo Dosunmu and the bench mob of Bones Hyland, Jaylen Clark, Trey Lyles, and Joan Beringer burst the Wolves out of the mud like the Snoats brothers in “Raising Arizona”, spurring an 11-0 run that got the crowd dancing on their feet. After a couple of free throws by Naji Marshall to stop the run, a Gobert offensive rebound off a missed Dosunmu corner three allowed the Wolves to close out the quarter with this Clark nuke.
The second quarter saw more of the same for the Wolves. After a sloppy turnover by Dosunmu led to a corner three by Zaccharie Risacher, the Wolves had given up 15 points off of six turnovers. Those numbers would balloon to 25 and 11 by the end of the first half, and it wouldn’t matter.
Because everything else was aces.
Dosunmu continues to truck along as Mr. Consistency, a perfect cog in the absence of Anthony Edwards. He finished the half with 12 points by doing what he does best: being an absolute bully out on the break.
As for Ball, he was unconscious from deep, and finding cutters left and right. Much has been said about his fit with Gobert, and there were still a couple of miscues on the Ball-Gobert feed tonight. Near the end of the half, though, Ball slipped into the paint as the ball guided him around. He faked once, and then floated the ball up for a Gobert slam.
It was a thing of beauty, and exactly why sticking to the process matters.
Going into this game, Ball’s assist-to-turnover ratio (1.62) wasn’t pretty to look at, but for the most part, I don’t mind it.
The way I see it is that they are mostly a statistical fallout of process-driven stuff that should temper with time. Some of the results might be an eyesore for box score perusers, but I love the process. I love that Ball is not afraid to continue to funnel the ball into Rudy, even if his individual numbers risk taking a hit. The box score won’t tell the whole story. It seldom does. But Ball’s commitment to the process should pay dividends as the season bears itself out.
The Wolves would go into halftime leading 67-52. And then…
It got fun. Real fun.
Ball continued his unconscious streak from long-range, followed by a Dosunmu transition trey. Dusty May would call a timeout not even two minutes into the second half to try to stop the bleeding. That worked just as well as trying to stop a Beringer nosebleed.
The Wolves were playing loose and fast. McDaniels was gliding down the court for barely contested lay-ins. Kuminga was hitting threes, and the lead would soar to 32 points midway through the third after McDaniels was blocked, got the ball back, and then threw down a vicious slam.
Right before the McDaniels sequence, Beringer re-entered the game with a clear mask (!). Before the mask change, Beringer had zero points and zero blocks. After the mask change: 13 points and three blocks. Need I say more? That new mask is magic.
Although there were times through the third where it looked more like a horse race at Canterbury, with players running around with their manes on fire, any and all sloppy play was a moot point, and the Mavericks would end up waving the white flag before the third quarter had even concluded.
The fourth quarter was mostly a non-event because of the score (Wolves 103 – Mavericks 69 at the end of the third), outside of a Gobert and-one off a Kuminga miss (where he converted on the free throw!) and a smooth jump hook by the magic-masked-man Beringer, but I wanted to shout out Isaiah Evans on his first official points in the NBA.
I know it was on a goal-tend, but still, a milestone is a milestone.
And a shout-out to Jon “Boog” Sciambi on the call tonight, his first Wolves game of the season. I know he is beloved in Wrigleyville as the play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Cubs. As a Twins fan, I hold no ill will towards the Cubs. It’s that other team on the South Side that I have problems with.
In the end, the Wolves were able to completely stifle Cooper Flagg for 12 points on just 5-12 shooting. Seeing the Wolves, he was probably having nightmares about his last game against them, when he went 5-19 for 12 points. I guess this game was an improvement? Baby steps, teenager. Baby steps.
The Wolves were also able to silence Kyrie Irving, who up until now had looked rejuvenated and was outperforming his career shooting splits across the board.
Caleb Martin just about doubled his scoring average (seven points tonight). He should be proud of that.
But this was perhaps the Wolves’ best all-around effort in this season’s infancy. Off a long break against a good team, Target Center was rocking, and from start to finish, it was just a rollicking good time.
79-3.
Quick! Say something nice about the Mavericks!
Right now, the Mavericks have 13 guys logging double-digit minutes. It’s clear that Dusty May and his coaching staff have spent the early part of this season seeing what works and what doesn’t. I’d expect the rotations to get tighter as the season wears on, as players fill out their roles and the overall numbers flesh out into something a bit more comprehensive. So far, though, May has struck a good balance of thinking big picture while still keeping his team competitive on a nightly basis.
In a fairly perforated coaching pipeline, May’s seamless transition from college to the NBA has been nothing short of impressive. I was late to the magic of May, only first hearing about him last year as the coach of the eventual national champion Michigan Wolverines. Chalk it up to object permanence on my part, but I know who he is now, and it’s almost as if he was built in a lab to know ball and coach ball.
Yesterday also marked the one-year anniversary of the Mavericks dumping disgraced GM and possible secret Los Angeles Lakers operative Nico Harrison. Going from Harrison to Masai Ujiri seems to have stabilized this organization. Finally, adults have returned to the table.
Enmities from the 2024 WCF aside, I’m happy for Mavericks fans.
Game Highlights
Up Next
The Timberwolves continue their eight-game homestand on Saturday, as Chicago O’Hare International Airport’s Bulls fly into Target Center. O’Hare ranks first as the busiest airfield in the world. Meanwhile, their team ranks first in a bunch of categories you’d rather not rank first in. Liftoff is at 7:00 PM CT on DAZN-MN and NBA League Pass.
Lakers' Luka Dončić 'feeling good' after injury scare, per report
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić had an injury scare against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Dončić suffered a right ankle injury with 4:25 left in the game after landing on Kyle Kuzma while attempting a shot. The point guard was awarded a foul and attempted his free throws before leaving for the locker room.
Coach JJ Redick stated after the game that Dončić had an ankle "tweak."
"I'm good," said Dončić, who finished with 32 points. "Obviously painful a little bit, but I'll be fine."
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Thursday that Dončić "actually woke up with no pain.
"He's feeling good. He will go through his normal treatment process," Charania said.
Dončić is expected to play against the Phoenix Suns in the Lakers' next game on Nov. 15.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers' Luka Dončić 'feeling good' after injury scare, per report
Devin Booker’s 30 points lift Suns past Hornets, 101-96
The Phoenix Suns led 48-31 halfway through the second quarter, and it looked like they were on their way to another stress-free win against a depleted Charlotte Hornets team. Without the franchise cornerstone players Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, and with a superb stretch from the Suns bench, the Hornets looked dead in the water, but ultimately fought back and made this game a slog for the final two and a half quarters for the Suns, who won 101-96.
Two things were apparent in this game: the Phoenix Suns could not rebound, and the Charlotte Hornets could not stop turning the basketball over. The Hornets outrebounded the Suns 64-to-43 and outscored the Suns 16-7 in second-chance points. The Suns forced 27 Hornets turnovers (each Hornets starter had at least four turnovers) while the Suns committed eight turnovers. So the rebounding numbers are skewed in favor of the Hornets because they had 13 fewer shots on goal than the Suns did. However, 22 Suns defensive rebounds compared to 15 Hornets offensive rebounds is not getting the job done at all for a Suns team that can be much better than they have been this season at rebounding.
Because the Suns could not rebound the ball and play as fast as they needed to get the offense going, the game became a half-court slog in the second half. The Suns shot 13-for-42 from the 3-point line, and a lot of the looks that went in on Tuesday did not fall for the Suns against the Hornets. Overall, the Suns were 41% from the field, and only one player had a field goal percentage higher than 50%. Devin Armani Booker scored 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting, 4-for-8 from the 3-point line, and had seven assists with just two turnovers. He made every big shot for Phoenix in clutch time, including a deep dagger 3 with 23 seconds left to give the Suns a decisive six-point lead.
All eyes were on Miles Bridges, Grayson Allen, and Royce O’Neale in this game because of the Bridges trade that happened this offseason. Bridges scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds, and had three assists, and was effective playing with the bench units, but continued to struggle to make an impact with the starting group. Allen scored 14 points, while O’Neale scored 7 points, all coming in the fourth quarter. The Hornets were led by Coby White, who scored 21 points but did not play in the fourth quarter due to what appeared to be a minutes restriction. That certainly helped the Suns win this game, because White was getting wherever he wanted against the Suns’ defense.
A win is a win, but the Suns’ starting unit continued to not find any type of consistency in this game. The best stretches of basketball continue to come from this team at the beginning of the second and fourth quarters when there are at least four bench players in. The Suns closed the game with a Booker-Luke Kennard-Jordan Goodwin-Dillon Brooks-Oso Ighodaro lineup, while Jalen Green played just 21 minutes and none in the final quarter.
Green’s continuing to show growth in the areas the Suns need him to grow in, but the fit with everyone else on the roster continues to be a problem, and the trust in him is obviously dwindling as he continues to not see minutes in fourth quarters. The Suns’ record is now 5-6, and sometime in the near future they are going to have to change the starting lineup if it continues to look this disconnected.
Game Flow
First Half
All eyes were on Miles Bridges, Grayson Allen, and Royce O’Neale to start this game, and it was Grayson Allen who got things going for the Hornets early, connecting on a pair of triples. The Suns’ defense lacked focus and gave up multiple wide-open layups and threes early, with Coby White hitting a wide-open 3 in semi-transition to go up 15-10. Jordan Ott called a timeout and subbed out Bridges for Ryan Dunn. The Suns’ energy immediately changed on that end of the floor, as they quickly jumped on the Hornets defensively, leading to a 7-0 run engineered by Jalen Green knocking down two free throws and a corner 3 off of Suns stops.
There were two big takeaways from the Suns’ first quarter: defense forced 10 turnovers and Devin Booker’s pull-up 3-point shooting. Booker was dialed in, scoring 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting from 3. His comfort level shooting from long range continues to grow, and it is opening up everything for the rest of his game. The Suns led by six to end the first quarter because the Hornets did just enough on the offensive glass to stay in it, down 28-22 after one.
The Suns bench took over in the second quarter because of their hustle and tenacity on both ends of the floor. Jordan Goodwin forced multiple turnovers, leading to a wide-open dunk for Bridges and free throws off of an excellent out-of-bounds play. Collin Gillespie got free for multiple long-range bombs that went in as the Suns pushed their six-point lead out to 15 four minutes into the second quarter, 46-31.
The Suns led by as much as 17 before putting the starters back in, but there was some slippage. The Hornets went on a 14-2 run to cut the Suns’ lead to 50-43. A couple of defensive breakdowns and Bridges fouling Grant Williams on a 3-point shot, leading to a 4-point play, were the catalysts for the Hornets getting back into the game. Williams scored 9 points in the second period, and another Allen 3 got the Hornets’ deficit down to five at halftime, 55-50.
Even though the Suns were out-rebounded 28-to-15, the Suns still won the possession battle because the Hornets had 15 turnovers compared to the Suns’ three total turnovers in the first half. The two worst stretches of the game came when the majority of the Suns’ starters were on the floor, as they continued to get in their own way of being a good team.
Second Half
The Suns’ sloppiness from the starters continued to start the second half. As the Hornets jumped out to a 12-to-4 run to start the third quarter, the Suns’ poor offensive flow led to easy shots and even more offensive rebounds for the Hornets, who led 62-59 with 8:22 left to play in the third. Since the Suns’ 17-point second-quarter lead, the Suns were outscored 31-to-11 across both halves, and Coby Whites 19 points up to that point were a big reason why.
For the rest of the quarter, the Suns started to play better once Dunn, Gillespie and Maluach checked in for Ighodaro, Bridges and Green. But the Hornets responded immediately after two tough Booker midrange buckets. Both teams finished the quarter cold from the field, but Christian Anderson’s solid play off the bench for the Hornets put the Hornets up 76-72 after three quarters. The Suns continued to look allergic to rebounding and playing consistent, mistake-free defense, and now a game that was once in cruise control completely slipped away from them. At no point should Jalen Green ever lead the Suns in rebounding with four total rebounds after three quarters.
It wasn’t the prettiest 11-3 run ever to start the fourth quarter, but the Suns bench just never relents on their pressure. It started with the Suns grabbing a defensive rebound and a Bridges dunk in transition. The Suns attacked the rim and glass early in the quarter, capped off by a Gillespie midrange pull-up after a travel from Reid. Next play, the Suns force a turnover, Gillespie misses another midrange shot, but Goodwin chases down the rebound and lobs it up to Ighodaro to give the Suns an 83-79 lead.
The Suns continued to string together good possessions for the most part but could not create much separation. Luke Kennard scored multiple midrange shots, and a Gillespie drive-and-dump off to Maluach should have ended in a dunk, but he mishandled it, and O’Neale sprayed in a triple on the other end.
Booker, Brooks, and Ighodaro checked and left Goodwin and Kennard in. After Williams got open for a layup, Booker found Goodwin for an open 3 that just rimmed out. Booker connected on a midrange jump shot to give the Suns a three-point lead. The Suns continued to get multiple stops, and finally a Brooks 3-point shot gave the Suns a 92-86 lead.
The Suns and Hornets traded multiple empty possessions until Reid broke the seal with a 3 of his own, but Booker responded with a tough floater in the lane to get the Suns back up five with one minute to play. A cutting Diabate layup on the other end got it right back to a one-possession game with the Suns up 94-91. Then it was Devin Booker time as he hit a deep, deep 3-point pull with 23 seconds left to give Phoenix a decisive six-point lead. That is, until Brooks fouled O’Neale on a 3-point shot, which, of course, went in for the four-point play.
The Suns inbounded the basketball to Booker. He quickly passed it back to Bridges, who was fouled by Allen, and he made both free throws. Then Booker poetically stole an Allen pass for the Hornets’ 27th turnover of the night, and sank both free throws as the Suns went on to win 101-96.
Up Next
The Phoenix Suns finish up their homestand with the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon.
Yankees news: Corey Seager in trade rumors
MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: The Yankees are seeking upgrades in several spots this offseason, and McDonald provides a useful overview of the latest rumblings of what they might do. Perhaps the most eye-catching name mentioned is Corey Seager, who Jon Heyman claims that the Yankees have talked to the Rangers about. Color me skeptical for a variety of reasons: Seager has full no-trade protection, and as an oft-injured middle infielder on the wrong side of 30, I’m not sure he’s worth taking on the remainder of his contract, or shelling out prospect capital to get the Rangers to eat some of it. Elsewhere, the Yankees have been connected to Luis Arraez and Brandon Lowe at second base, and Carson Kelly at catcher. Of course, the CBA negotiations cast a pall of uncertainty over everything, and it’s possible that the Yankees will stay put until a deal is within sight.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: The narrative around how Anthony Volpe turned his season around following his second minor-league stint in 2026 is a bit overblown – he had a 95 wRC+ from September 10 onwards, which is above his career average but still nothing to write home about – but it was nice to see him hit for a respectable average and regain his mojo defensively over the stretch run. Apparently, a talk with Scott Boras might have been the catalyst for Volpe’s bounceback. Volpe reportedly reached out to Boras sometime this year to collect feedback about his game. Although it’s not clear what advice was given, there’s reason to believe Boras knows what he’s talking about; before he became the game’s premier agent, Boras was a second baseman in the St. Louis Cardinals’ system. Evidently, Volpe must have appreciated the feedback, as he dropped his former agency, WME Sports, to sign with Boras Corp. just before the playoffs. One can only hope that Boras’ Volpe-whispering powers will lead to an even better 2027 campaign from the embattled infielder.
MLB.com | Jim Callis: Finally, another story from the AFL; after stalling as a catching prospect, 24-year-old Antonio Gomez is now trying to make it as a flamethrowing reliever. The Yankees signed Gomez out of Venezuela in 2018 based on his arm strength, but while his defense progressed throughout the minors, his bat couldn’t keep up. In 2025, the Yankees approached him about giving pitching a chance, and while the results haven’t quite been there yet, the raw stuff is impressive – triple digits on his heater, with a mid-90s cutter, an upper-90s sinker, and a mid-80s slider. I have a soft spot for prospects with unusual development paths, so I’ll be rooting for Gomez to harness his stuff.
Game Preview: Knicks at Pacers, November 13, 2026
There are sports movies, there are even some good sports movies. And then there is Hoosiers.
As a basketball romantic you are definitely not flipping the channel when old ball coach Norman Dale a.k.a. Gene Hackman drives his 1951 Chevy Styleline Deluxe through the backwoods of Indiana all the way to the little town of Hickory, where he hopes to find a new life, new love and redemption. You let yourself be mesmerized by Angelo Pizzo’s and David Anspaugh’s timeless fairytale, by the very essence of “Hoosier Hysteria,” the beautiful yet tragic tribulations of high school sports, the rough, simple charm of small town America. And you enjoy every second of it, despite a rather predictable underdog story unfolding in front of your eyes that Hollywood has repeated many times over.
The current Indiana Pacers would kill for some of that predictability, the kind they expected going into this season. After a surprising Finals berth in 2025, their following year was doomed by Tyrese Haliburton’s ruptured Achilles. They punted on the next campaign and thought, with their point guard’s return, everything would return normal; that the half-court offense would run smooth as a “picket fence;” and that the jumpers would automatically fall like the ones by Jimmy Chitwood. But Haliburton (unfortunately) isn’t as quiet nor as down to earth as Mr. Chitwood, nor is an NBA season comparable to a Hollywood movie. It’s a lot more complicated than that.
The Pacers are finding that out the hard way. It only took testy Tyrese a handful of games until he got injured again (it’s a hamstring now) and his team sorely misses the All Star as their 4-8 record puts them in the lower region of the Eastern Conference. On Friday against the New York Knicks, Haliburton will also be reduced to trolling from the sidelines, and he won’t be able to right the wrongs that have plagued his squad so far this season. It’s a huge advantage for Mike Brown’s men as Haliburton is the straw that stirs the Apple Cider for Indiana. Most of their strategy revolves around his talent, his scoring and his distribution.
But it’s not like the Pacers are just struggling out of the gate because Hali has only played four games. Even with him they lost to Milwaukee, barely got by New Orleans and were annihilated by Dallas. Indiana can’t shoot threes (just over 33 percent), despite a traditionally fast pace their offense isn’t even close to functioning well (20th in offensive rating), and their D is nothing to write home about either (15th in the league). The Pacers are an atrocious rebounding team (29th in rebounding percentage) and they struggle mightily to hit their free throws.
Do they do anything well? They do, in fact, take good care of the ball and have a one of the best assist-to-turnover-ratios in the entire Association. Individually Pascal Siakam is enjoying a strong start to the season (22.7 points) and Andrew Nembhard has come firing out of the gates as well (17.1 points, 42.9 percent from downtown). A lot of guys are still left from that Finals team two years ago, so in theory they should know what it takes. And Rick Carlisle is still a tremendously respected coach, at least when he isn’t whining like a five year old who didn’t get his wish at Toys-R-Us.
The skipper really has his work cut out for him early in the year. New center Ivica Zubac, a classic, plodding back-to-basket big man with considerable post skills, hasn’t really found his place in an adjusted Pacers system that once was predicated on playing five-out at all costs. Continuity has also been a big issue as Carlisle has already started 11 different players, at times making it seem like the Pacers are still on their tanking ways from last year. They obviously aren’t and it should be noted that slow starts are nothing new for Indiana under Carlisle. Consider yourself warned.
With Friday’s game being another Cup contest you can bet that the Pacers will be highly motivated and our beloved Knicks better be ready for a hostile environment. Keep calm if Haliburton tries some stupid sideline voodoo as he certainly will when he senses a camera being on him. Feed Karl-Anthony Towns in a favorable matchup for him, let Brunson do his thing against Indiana’s supposed Brunson stoppers who always seem to just limit him to 35. Make use of your more talented depth, outshoot the struggling shooting team and control the tempo. Just show that you are the better team – which the Knicks, even with their current ups and downs, are at this point in the season.
And please leave the Indiana underdog stories where they belong and where they are actually fun. Leave them to Hoosiers.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (6-5) at Indiana Pacers (4-8)
Date: Friday, November 13, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Place: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
TV: Prime Video
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
Hurricanes beat Kraken 4-1 in Helsinki as Sebastian Aho scores twice
HELSINKI (AP) — Sebastian Aho scored twice in front of the home crowd and the Carolina Hurricanes opened the NHL’s Global Series in the Finnish capital with a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.
Left winger Taylor Hall celebrated his 1,000th NHL game in the reigning Stanley Cup champions’ victorious return to Helsinki’s Veikkaus Arena after 16 years.
Carolina’s Brandon Bussi stopped 12 shots.
Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and an assist, and Aho’s fellow Finn, defenseman Juuso Välimäki, also scored for the Hurricanes (15-3-2) who have won seven of their last eight games.
Logan Stankoven had two assists to extend his point streak to six and Jackson Blake got one to improve his career-high point streak to 10.
The dominant Hurricanes jumped to a 2-0 with the goals coming just 1:06 apart in the opening period.
Ehlers put them 1-0 up with 8:16 remaining with a wrist shot from the blue line. Home crowd hero Aho doubled the advantage on a power play moments later after he was fed at the side of the net by Blake. He made it 4-0 on a one-timer from the slot in the final period.
The Finnish scoring leader for the Hurricanes has three goals and seven points in the last three games. With his 321st career goal, Aho tied Olli Jokinen for the fourth place among Finnish players in NHL history.
Frederick Gaudreau scored the lone goal for Seattle (9-7-1) and Philipp Grubauer finished with 26 saves.
LIGHTNING 3, BLUE JACKETS 1
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Brandon Hagel had two goals and an assist and Tampa Bay beat Columbus for its second victory in two nights and fifth in their last six games.
Jake Guentzel scored in his 700th NHL game and added an assist, and Nikita Kucherov had two assists a night after having a natural hat trick in an 8-3 victory in Buffalo.
Dennis Hildeby stopped 28 shots for Tampa Bay, and joined Sean Burke as the only goalies in Lightning history with at least one standings point in each of their first five starts with the team.
The Blue Jackets have lost three straight. Matthew Knies scored his first goal since opening night, ending a 15-game drought. Jet Greaves stopped 25 shots for Columbus.
Hagel gave Tampa Bay the lead at 2:57 of the first period. Kucherov’s assist was his 16th against Columbus since Feb. 10, 2024, and extended his points streak against the Blue Jackets to eight games.
DEVILS 5, CAPITALS 2
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Vladislav Kolyachonok scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves as New Jersey beat Washington in the first of a two-game set.
Kolyachonok’s shot trickled past Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson at 6:27. It was the first game in a Devils uniform for the 25-year-old defenseman, who signed in July as a free agent. He was in the lineup in place of the injured Johnathan Kovacevic.
Evan Rodrigues, Lenni Hameenaho, Stefan Noesen and Jack Hughes also scored for the Devils, who have won seven straight home games. Hellebuyck returned to the ice after the Devils held him out of Tuesday’s loss at Winnipeg, the team that traded him to New Jersey last month.
Hellebuyck was booed by Jets fans and said incidents involving his family had prompted his demand to be traded. He has won his first six starts with New Jersey.
The Devils are 12-3-0 in their last 15 games and 9-2-0 overall at Prudential Center.
WILD 5, MAPLE LEAFS 2
TORONTO (AP) — Matt Boldy completed his second hat trick of the season and the sixth of his career early in the third period and Minnesota sent Toronto to a fifth straight regulation home loss.
Boldy’s third goal of the night came after Maple Leafs winger William Nylander and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson got their wires crossed off the rush to open a clear lane for the Wild winger.
Michael McCarron and Danila Yurov, into an empty net, also scored for Minnesota (14-3-4), which got 26 saves from Jesper Wallstedt. Kirill Kaprizov had three assists, and Yurov added an assist for a two-point night.
The Maple Leafs (8-11-2) have lost the first of five contests of what has turned into a disastrous six-game homestand to move to 1-7-0 over their last eight.
The Wild improved to 8-0-2 over their last 10 since last losing in regulation to the Calgary Flames on Oct. 22.
CANADIENS 5, BRUINS 2
BOSTON (AP) — Josh Anderson and Jake Evans each had a goal and an assist as Montreal leapfrogged Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division standings with a win.
Now 9-0-3 in its past 12 games, Montreal came in trailing Boston by one point for the top spot in the division. Kirby Dach, Cole Caufield and Phillip Danault also scored for the Canadiens, who improved to 10–0–2 when leading after two periods. Jacob Fowler had 30 saves.
Boston’s seven-game winning streak on home ice was snapped. Jeremy Swayman was pulled after allowing four goals on 17 shots and was replaced by Michael DiPietro, who made 13 saves.
Casey Mittelstadt scored both of Boston’s goals and the Bruins outshot Montreal, 32-30.
PANTHERS 5, RED WINGS 4
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Anton Lundell scored his second goal of the night with 2:40 left to cap a rally from three goals down, and Florida pulled off its biggest comeback of the season to beat Detroit.
Detroit led 4-1 with less than 30 seconds left in the second period, but from there, it was all Florida. Lars Eller, Gustav Forsling and Sam Reinhart also scored for the Panthers, and Carter Verhaeghe had three assists.
Andreas Englund got his first goal in more than two years, Marco Kasper also had his first of the season, and Lucas Raymond and J.T. Compher also scored for Detroit. Moritz Seider had two assists, but the Red Wings lost their fifth straight.
Reinhart’s goal was 3:52 into the game — his 200th with the Panthers — and gave Florida a 1-0 lead, but Detroit scored the next four.
It was only the third instance of a 4-0 run in a game by Detroit this season, and it still wasn’t enough.
SENATORS 4, AVALANCHE 3, OT
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Shane Pinto celebrated his 26th birthday by scoring his second goal of the game 2:08 into overtime and Ottawa beat Colorado after the Avalanche lost superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar to injuries.
MacKinnon and Makar left in the second period because of lower-body injuries. MacKinnon left with just over eight minutes remaining after a check from Artem Zub in the hip area and was seen grabbing his right side. Makar was injured moments earlier.
Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson also scored for the Senators (12-6-2). Linus Ullmark returned to the lineup for the first time since Oct. 21 and made 26 saves.
Arturi Lehkonen, Parker Kelly and Gabriel Landeskog scored for the Avalanche (11-6-3). Scott Wedgewood stopped 22 shots.
The Senators tied it with 3:56 remaining in regulation when Batherson snagged a loose puck in the crease and buried his 10th of the season.
In OT, Pinto intercepted a pass in Colorado’s zone and fired in a wrist shot.
BLACKHAWKS 3, SABRES 2, OT
CHICAGO (AP) — Ryan Donato scored on a wrist shot from between the circles at 3:12 of overtime and Chicago beat Buffalo to end a six-game losing streak.
Donato scored after the Blackhawks failed to capitalize on a late power play that extended into overtime after Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin was sent off for hooking with 1:38 left.
Frank Nazar scored twice in regulation for struggling Chicago, connecting on a first-period power play and tying it on a tip at 8:22 of the third.
Spencer Knight stopped 21 shots to help Chicago rebound from a 9-2 loss at Carolina on Saturday night in its previous game.
Owen Power and Tage Thompson had first-period goals for Buffalo in the opener of a six-game trip. Alex Lyon stopped 22 shots in his first game of the season after injuring his left shoulder in the preseason.
The Sabres have lost three straight. On Wednesday night at home, they fell 8-3 to Tampa Bay.
JETS 8, STARS 3
DALLAS (AP) — Mark Scheifele had two goals and an assist, and Dawson Mercer had his second consecutive two-goal game as Winnipeg rode a five-goal second period and scored the final six goals to rally past Dallas.
Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi had a goal and two assists each, Dylan Samberg had a goal and an assist and Cole Koepke also scored as the Jets won their fifth consecutive game. Stuart Skinner made 30 saves.
Arttu Hyry, Roope Hintz and David Perron scored for the Stars. Jake Oettinger, who went in with the NHL’s fourth-best goals-against average at 1.99, allowed a season-high six goals on 27 shots and was pulled a minute into the third period. Casey DeSmith gave up two goals, within 15 seconds, on two shots.
The Stars allowed eight goals for the first time in a decade. The last time was an 8-2 loss at Winnipeg on Nov. 8, 2016.
Perron gave Dallas a 3-2 lead midway through the second period with his first goal since the 38-year-old was signed as a free agent on Oct. 15. A three-goal Jets surge closed the period, beginning with a goal at 13:55 by Mercer, acquired on Oct. 25 from New Jersey in the Connor Hellebuyck trade, and capped by Mercer’s score with 7.3 seconds left.
Scheifele has four goals and four assists in the last four games.
Frank Nazar Scores Twice, Ryan Donato Wins It For Blackhawks 3-2 Over Sabres In Overtime
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks were back at the United Center for Thursday night hockey against the Buffalo Sabres. After a lousy road trip made for a noisy week around the organization, they finally hit the ice for a game.
Buffalo was coming into this in a back-to-back situation, as they were beaten soundly (8-3) by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday. Of course, they had the attitude of a team that wanted to make it right, but there is also a disadvantage to playing the night prior with travel.
This was the first time that the Blackhawks played since the prior Saturday. After being blown out 9-2 by the Carolina Hurricanes, it became an eventful week for Chicago. In addition to lots of practice, there was a backup goalie change, a vote of confidence for the head coach, and the GM spoke at a press conference.
After all of that, there was pressure on the Blackhawks to play better. You can't always expect a win, but you can expect a good effort and not to be blown out.
The first period was not great for Chicago. For the entire first half of the period, they were hemmed in to their own zone, which has become a tradition for them when they are playing playoff-caliber teams.
It finally resulted in a goal for Buffalo at 9:00 in the opening frame. Owen Power gave his team a 1-0 lead with his 3rd of the season.
Shockingly (based on their play), this 1-0 lead didn't last long for the Sabres. At 12:22 of the first, Frank Nazar tied it when Connor Bedard made a great centering pass for him to score on the power play.
At 15:46, however, Tage Thompson gave the Sabres the lead back. Jack Quinn made a great play along the wall to find Thompson, who zipped one home.
That 2-1 score would not only hold through the first intermission, but the second as well. The Sabres completely dominated play for most of the middle frame, but they were unable to beat Spencer Knight.
In the third period, the Blackhawks looked like the team that was well rested, while the Sabres looked like the team that played in a difficult game the night prior. At 8:22 of the final frame, Sam Rinzel threw one on net, and Frank Nazar deflected it home to tie the game at 2.
Towards the end of the regulation, the Sabres did find a little bit of energy and started to control play more. That momentum was killed by a penalty drawn by Andrew Mangiapane with 1:38 remaining in regulation. The Blackhawks did not win it there, but some of that power play bled into overtime.
Although the Blackhawks were unable to win on the power play in overtime, they did once it returned to 3-on-3. Ryan Donato scored with a snipe, and his team skated off with a much-needed victory.
This was an important goal for Ryan Donato. He has scored a lot of great goals for the Blackhawks, but he's been a bit snakebitten recently. Now, he can build on the feeling of scoring this one. The same can be said for Frank Nazar. He hasn't been as lackluster as Donato, but he got the job done with two greasy goals, which is what it takes to win in the NHL.
Spencer Knight deserves credit for this win as well. He made 21 saves on 23 Sabres shots in the win. That isn't the most volume he's ever faced, but there was a lot of Sabres zone time and great-danger chances that he bailed his team out of. Without him, they wouldn't have stayed in the hockey game before Nazar tied it up.
The Blackhawks needed to have a good showing in this game. It wasn't perfect, or even close to perfect, but there were moments to build on, and they got the two points.
Watch Every Chicago Goal
CONNOR TO FRANK?!? ON CONDUCTOR GUY THURSDAY?!?! pic.twitter.com/M4AjEuSIc6
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 13, 2026
run it back 91 ‼️ pic.twitter.com/vVIVTtzpPk
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 13, 2026
DONATO OVERTIME WINNER!!! pic.twitter.com/ax98UEnYmy
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 13, 2026
What’s Next For The Blackhawks?
The Chicago Blackhawks will be back at the United Center for their next game on Saturday. They will face the Winnipeg Jets at home for the second time this season. This will be a day game, as the Blackhawks will play the Jets at 2:30 PM CT.
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Lenni Hämeenaho Is Proving He Can Be A Full-Time Devil
If Tuesday put the New Jersey Devils general manager’s decision-making in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, or raised questions, the Thursday moves were his redemption and a reminder of his eye for talent. He called up three players from the Utica Comets: Stefan Noesen, Lenni Hämeenaho, and Vladislav Kolyachonok. All three skaters scored in the 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals.
“It’s a Utica hat trick,” head coach Sheldon Keefe stated after the win. All three skaters were playing in the American Hockey League earlier in the week. While Noesen is a veteran, Hämeenaho is a prospect, and Kolyachonok is a “tweener,” they all made an impact and proved that the Devils have depth throughout the organization.
Hämeenaho is the call-up who has the most upside. He’s a prospect who is still developing, and he’s hoping that after a goal and a great game on Thursday, he can prove he belongs with the Devils.
What He Brings To The Lineup
Hämeenaho is a skilled forward, and it’s noticeable when he takes the ice. That burst of speed and puck-handling allow him to set up scoring chances. Plus, Hämeenaho has a scoring touch that translates to the NHL level.
It also helps that Hämeenaho has the build of an NHLer. At 195 pounds, he doesn’t get pushed around, and defensemen don’t remove him from the puck. It allows him to move into a fourth-line role, which the Devils asked him to do for the Thursday night game.
The Pressure Shifts To Hellebuyck For The Devils' Upcoming Capitals MatchupsConnor Hellebuyck didn’t play in Tuesday night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, and the pressure is on the star goaltenders to win the upcoming games and prove the team made the right call. Those are the skills that make him a standout prospect, but what most fans don’t notice is his hockey sense. “I think his smartness is a little underrated,” Noesen stated after the latest game. “He does a lot of good things, all the little things right.”
Hämeenaho will be in the right position and allow the game to come to him instead of chasing the game. It’s how he scored his goal in the win over the Capitals, as he deflected a Brenden Dillon shot from the point into the back of the net by playing the shooting lane.
It’s A Breakout Year In Utica That Can Turn Into A Breakthrough With The Devils
With the Comets, Hämeenaho was one of the best players on a talented team. The Comets are one of the best teams so far in the AHL, with a 10-2 record and a deep roster, especially in the forward unit, which mirrors the Devils' lineup.
Yet, Hämeenaho stood out. He had nine points in 11 games and was a driver in the Comets’ offense. He’s a skilled player who can make a difference, and that’s why he stood out with the Comets.
Now, he’s showing flashes with the Devils. It’s one game in 2026-27, yet he looks different compared to last season. “I love how he’s taken advantage of his time in Utica, but he’s played good hockey for us,” Keefe noted, about how it’s allowed him to take advantage of this call-up.
With Anthony Mantha Out, The Devils Search For Depth From WithinThe Devils placed the veteran forward on the long-term injured list, forcing them to solve the depth forward issues from within, at least for now. Hämeenaho is more confident in his role in the NHL and knows he can’t just skill his way into the lineup. He got the call because of injuries in the bottom six and must play that fourth-line role as a result.
It’s similar to Amadeus Lombardi, who didn’t play in the recent game but has been a constant fourth-liner this season. Lombardi was a skilled player in the AHL and has become one of the checking forwards on the Devils. Hämeenaho must learn that game as well, and it looks like he has.
What More Does He Need To Do?
“I need to bring my strengths every night and battle hard, keep developing my game, and just try to adjust to the role that I have,” Hämeenaho stated after the latest game. It’s that tough balance for an AHL player making the jump to the NHL: they want to lean into the strengths that got them this far and, at the same time, must pivot to a new role and adjust their game.
For Hämeenaho, the answer is leaning into his strengths and becoming versatile at the same time. It’s also about adding that extra step to his game. There’s that missing skill that can take him to another level, and he’s still searching for it.
The Devils' Underlying Issues Are Fixable With A Proactive Sheldon KeefeThe Devils are off to a strong start, but a few issues have remained since the start of the season, and they could come back to haunt them if they aren’t addressed. Even if he finds it, it’s not a given that he’ll stay with the Devils. With the roster changes and players returning from injuries, Hämeenaho might end up in the AHL, even if he does everything right. And that’s life sometimes, as frustrating as it is.
There’s a good chance Hämeenaho is sent down to the AHL at some point, whether it’s because of a slump or a healthier lineup. However, the key for the young winger is to make sure that it doesn’t affect his play. It’s easy to love confidence after being sent down, but if it happens to Hämeenaho, he must play like a prospect on a mission, in case he isn’t doing so already with the Devils.
Recap: MacKinnon, Makar suffer injuries in 4-3 overtime loss against Senators
Thursday night turned into a potentially disastrous evening for the Colorado Avalanche. In the span of just a few minutes, Colorado watched two of its biggest stars head to the locker room, with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both sustaining lower-body injuries during a 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators.
For an Avalanche team built around the brilliance of those two players, the sight of both leaving the same game is understandably alarming. The final score in Ottawa almost feels like an afterthought. Colorado’s immediate concern is whether it will be without its two most important players for any length of time.
MacKinnon’s departure came first. The superstar center’s final shift ended with 8:15 remaining in the second period after he attempted a reverse hit on Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub and the received a cross check in the lower back area. MacKinnon appeared to grab his right side following the collision, spending a few minutes on the bench before eventually disappearing down the tunnel.
Makar’s situation was equally concerning, especially given the circumstances surrounding his recent practice absence.
The defenseman initially left the ice after taking a shift lasting just four seconds at the 10:44 mark of the second period. He briefly returned for another appearance, skating for 23 seconds before heading off again with 5:20 remaining. Makar had also left Colorado’s Sunday practice for precautionary reasons. It should be noted that both players had been skipping practices and morning skate, including today’s. It’s very possible these issues were preexisting entering the game.
Neither player returned for the third period, and the Avalanche confirmed that both had suffered lower-body injuries.
There is no question how damaging an extended absence for either player could be. Having both sidelined would be an enormous challenge for a Colorado roster that relies heavily on their production and all-around impact.
MacKinnon entered Thursday’s matchup as the Avalanche’s leading scorer and fifth-highest point producer in the NHL. He has accumulated 30 points, including 10 goals and 20 assists, across 20 games. His combination of speed, physicality and offensive creativity makes him one of the most difficult players in hockey to replace.
Makar has been just as essential. The reigning superstar defenseman has recorded 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 19 games, ranking third on Colorado and third among NHL defensemen. His ability to dictate play from the blue line gives the Avalanche an offensive dimension few teams can match.
The potential loss of both would force Colorado to make significant adjustments on both ends of the ice.
Captain Gabriel Landeskog understands the importance of having MacKinnon and Makar available, but the Avalanche will have to find a way forward regardless of who is in the lineup.
“Obviously, they’re two of the best players in the world, so you like to have them, no doubt,” Landeskog said. “But I don’t think it’s any different, right? Like you just play with whoever you got, whoever’s ready to go, whoever’s healthy and up. They play. So, hope those guys will be just fine.”
Colorado certainly could have used its two stars during the closing stages against Ottawa.
The Game
The Avalanche found themselves trailing 2-0 after the opening period. Shane Pinto opened the scoring at 7:11, finishing a rush after blocking a Brent Burns shot in the defensive zone. Tim Stutzle doubled the advantage at 13:13 after Fabian Zetterlund capitalized on a Cale Makar turnover behind the Colorado net.
Artturi Lehkonen gave the Avalanche some life late in the second period, converting a setup from Nazem Kadri at 18:04 to make it 2-1. It was a power play goal which occurred after MacKinnon and Makar existed the game, which forced some new looks.
Scott Wedgewood and the Colorado defense were put under further pressure when Ottawa received a power play to open the third period but Parker Kelly scored a short-handed goal at 3:54 of the third. Gabe Landeskog also converted on a Brock Nelson pass on the power play at 10:03 to put Colorado ahead 3-2.
Ottawa had the final response in regulation. Drake Batherson tied the contest at 15:39 after Jordan Spence collected a loose puck in front of Wedgewood and set up the forward for a wrist shot.
Overtime lasted just 2:08 before Pinto delivered the winner. He intercepted a pass from Kelly in the Colorado zone and beat Wedgewood with a wrist shot, completing his two-goal performance and handing Ottawa a 4-3 victory.
Pinto’s heroics gave the Senators their third win in four games. Linus Ullmark finished with 25 saves, while Wedgewood stopped 22 shots for Colorado.
Takeaways
The Avalanche fell to 11-6-3 and remain third in the Central Division. They had entered the contest riding a two-game winning streak, but the defeat itself is hardly the biggest story coming out of Ottawa.
Colorado now heads to Montreal for a Saturday matchup against the Canadiens before wrapping up its four-game road trip against the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday.
Those games could look considerably different depending on the availability of MacKinnon and Makar. For Avalanche fans, the waiting game has begun, and there is little doubt that the next injury update from Colorado will carry far more weight than Thursday’s overtime result.
The Avalanche can survive a difficult night on the scoreboard. Finding a way to replace MacKinnon and Makar, should their injuries keep them out, would be a much bigger problem.
Upcoming
The trip continues east as the Avalanche are set to face the Montreal Canadiens at 5 p.m. MT on Saturday, November 14th.
Stats Rundown: 3 numbers to know from the Mavericks’ 133-94 embarrassment at Minnesota
The Dallas Mavericks (7-5) had no stomach for the fight on Thursday, dropping an embarrassing 133-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves (9-3) at Target Center. Bones Hyland led all scorers with 24 points off the Minnesota bench, while LaMelo Ball dropped 22 for the Wolves in just 25 minutes in the win.
Zaccharie Risacher led the Mavericks with 22 points off the bench in the loss.
Let’s not belabor the point. This was a straightforward ass-whipping. Here are some stats from the Mavericks’ no good, very bad day at the office.
15-2: Lightning-quick Timberwolves run to end first quarter
If you blinked late in the first quarter, you may have missed the moment the Mavericks went from firmly in control to flailing. PJ Washington drove for a contested layup, and Naji Marshall followed that, the next time down, with a pair of free throws to extend the Mavs’ early lead to 24-19 as Flagg took his normal rest stretch on the bench.
From there, Bones Hyland and Ayo Dosunmu keyed a 15-2 run over the last 2:48 of the first. Dosunmu hit his first bucket of the game, a 3-pointer from the right wing with 1:38 left in the opening frame, to swing the Wolves back in front, 26-24. Then, after Marshall stopped the bleeding with another 2-for-2 trip to the line, Jaylen Clark banged in a last-second 3-ball of his own to extend Minnesota’s lead to 34-26.
The Mavs did not connect on a field goal in the final 3:34 of the quarter after Flagg went to the bench a minute before that. Dallas finished the first 9-0f-25 (36%) from the floor, while the Timberwolves shot a much healthier 12-of-22 (54.5%) to open the game.
22: Early Mavericks points off turnovers
The Mavericks scored 22 of their first 42 points off Minnesota turnovers on Thursday. That’s a full 52.8% of the points the Mavs scored over the first 19 minutes of the game that came off the Timberwolves’ nine turnovers.
Dallas got out and ran early in the second to battle back from what eventually bloomed into a 10-point hole. Flagg got into a passing lane for his first steal of the contest with seven minutes left in the half, which led to a ferocious dunk from Zaccharie Risacher that cut the Timberwolves’ lead to 43-42.
But Minnesota embarked on another 12-3 run from that point, and guess what they didn’t do during that run? If you guessed “turn the ball over,” you would be correct. The Mavs weren’t able to manufacture a whole lot of offense in the halfcourt throughout the first half. Dallas’ defense was the only thing fueling the team’s offense. Meanwhile, on the other end, The Wolves were pouring it on.
Minny shot 27-of-44 (61.4%) from the field in the first half, while the Mavs shot just 20-of-48 (41.7%). That disparity led to the Timberwolves’ swolen 67-52 lead at the break.
36-17: Third-quarter beatdown
A vibrant, colorful and above all, ridiculous rapid-fire discussion erupted in the MavsMoneyball Slack channel in the third quarter on Thursday, partially debating whether it was the Mavericks’ offense that failed the defense or the defense that called it a night early and left the offense on an island. Whichever way you lean, neither of these things can happen when you’re facing a bona fide early-season juggernaut like the Anthony Edwards-less Timberwolves. The Wolves came into the game with the NBA’s best defensive rating (105.1).
Flagg did nothing on the defensive end. Marshall one-upped him by beating his head against a wall on both ends of the floor. Someone tried to make the argument that Martin was the best player on the floor for Dallas for long stretches of the first half. Risacher’s stat line ended up looking good in the loss, but that was influenced loudly by the fact that garbage time against the Wolves stretched into most of the second half. For the record, Risacher led the Mavs with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting (4-of-8 from 3-point range), to go along with six rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot in the loss.
After coming into the second half leading by 15, the Timberwolves outscored the Mavs 36-17 in the third to put Dallas to bed early. Just a piss poor effort on all fronts against a foe that will embarrass you if effort and execution elude you for 48 minutes. Which it did. So they did.
Canadiens snap Bruins’ seven-game winning streak on home ice with 5-2 win
Nov 12, 2026; Boston, MA, USA; Montreal Canadiens center Phillip Danault (24) celebrates a goal against goaltender Michael DiPietro (not pictured) with defenseman Alexandre Carrier (45) during the second period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Josh Anderson and Jake Evans each had a goal and an assist as the Montreal Canadiens leapfrogged the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division standings with a 5-2 win on Thursday night.
Now 9-0-3 in its past 12 games, Montreal came in trailing Boston by one point for the top spot in the division. Kirby Dach, Cole Caufield and Phillip Danault also scored for the Canadiens, who improved to 10–0–2 when leading after two periods. Jacob Fowler had 30 saves.
Boston’s seven-game winning streak on home ice was snapped. Jeremy Swayman was pulled after allowing four goals on 17 shots and was replaced by Michael DiPietro, who made 13 saves.
Casey Mittelstadt scored both of Boston’s goals and the Bruins outshot Montreal, 32-30.
Dach opened the scoring with a wraparound goal at 2:34 into the contest. He skated behind Swayman with a long reach enabling Dach to finish it himself for his second of the season.
Montreal took a 2-0 lead in the first period when Anderson planted himself in front of Swayman and deflected in a rebound for his eighth goal of the season.
The Canadiens extended their two-goal cushion when Evans went scored on a breakaway after taking a pass from Anderson. Montreal ended Swayman’s night at 11:46 of the second period when Caufield fired a shot from just outside the left circle into the top corner.
Swayman’s early exit and subsequent replacement by DiPietro marked the first time this season that Boston made an in-game change at goalie.
Boston got on the scoreboard after Danault scored on a long one-timer from the top of the right circle that made it 5-0. Mittelstadt made a backhand move for his first of two goals. His second goal came during the opening minute of the third period.
It was the first of four regular-season meetings between the Original Six franchises.
Up next
Canadiens: Host Colorado on Saturday.
Bruins: Continue four-game homestand against Minnesota on Saturday.