João Pedro stepping up for Rosenior, Arsenal frontmen show their teeth and stretched Liverpool are fighting on
João Pedro is enjoying life under Liam Rosenior. The versatile Brazil forward was excellent after coming on at half-time against West Ham. João Pedro, who has five goals in his last five games, helped Chelsea complete their comeback from 2-0 down by scoring his side’s first and then creating Enzo Fernandez’s stoppage-time winner. Chelsea chose well when they beat Newcastle to the signing of the 24-year-old from Brighton last summer. João Pedro was excellent at the Club World Cup, but despite dealing with fitness issues has still has 12 goals in all competitions this season. Capable of playing as either a No 9 or a No 10, the Brazilian was important for Enzo Maresca but has improved since the Italian’s departure. “I’ve had very, very good conversations with him already, probably four in my office,” Rosenior said last week. “I think he’s sick of my office, where I’ve said to him ‘If you play with intensity with your quality, the quality comes out’.” Jacob Steinberg
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 30: The Boston Bruins logo is seen behind a skeleton prior to the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning at Raymond James Stadium on January 30, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Oy.
1st Period
Things did not start well at all. Brandon Hagel ended up getting the opening goal within the first 11 seconds of the game after beating his defender clean on body position, and put the puck straight past Swayman for the Lightning to go up 1-0.
Mercifully, the Bruins managed to take advantage of their foes being a bit off-kilter, and Alex Steeves got a centering feed from Michael Eyssimont to tie the game up! 1-1 Everybody.
Not too long after this, a significant amount of nonsense occured. There were mass scrums, there was a goalie fight after Jeremy Swayman decided he needed to take out Brandon Hagel…
…and there were penalties. Oh man, were there penalties.
Those penalties came up big for the Lightning. Very big.
First, Oliver Bjorkstrand got a rebound out of a net-front scramble…
While there will be much discussion of the second period and the validity of the penalties called, the sad reality is that the Bruins had plenty of opportunity at even strength during this period to respond, and unfortunately the team that met the moment was the Lightning, and Nikita Kucherov in specific. No penalties, no man disadvantages, just a great pass and a good shot. 5-5 Everybody.
Your TOI Leader was Charlie McAvoy, who logged 30:19 tonight.
This was a winnable game that the Boston Bruins got suckered into giving away. The Bruins got up big thanks to good hard work and an early command of the unusual ice, which seemed to flummox the Lightning and seemingly caused Vasilevskiy to have trouble with tracking the puck. Things were looking really, really good, and then the Lightning started drawing some attention, and that attention turned into violence, which turned into a series of penalties that were either inexplicable to call or completely avoidable. Regardless of what you think of the Lightning, they are still full of extremely talented players, and those talented players made mincemeat of the B’s 5-on-3 PK, which allowed them a chance to get back into this one, and for all the hemming and hawwing we’ve done and will continue to do about those penalties, the game tying goal and the game-starting goal were even strength tallies made by forwards beating the backcheck in front of them fair and square and in extremely inconvenient times. OT wasn’t much better, and while Swayman did what he could in the shootout, Jake Guentzel was just too much. Boston falls to 4-2-0 in Outdoor games.
The refereeing in this game was, to put it nicely, complete and total buttcheeks. Granted, and given how unhappy we are right now I think we can admit some of the penalties that Boston got through the 2nd and 3rd period were genuine, reckless, and frankly idiotic to take, others were just bizarrely enforced or late whistled or just missed entirely. The Lightning went 3-for-8 tonight where Boston only went 1-for-3 on the power play, and Tampa was only short-handed during the 1st period. That should say everything.
I will stop short at calling this game rigged or something like that. Boston made a hard pivot towards a more conservative, defensive shell game after the nightmarish 2nd period and allowed the Lightning to slowly find cracks in their defense; not exactly hard to do given the talent on display. They might’ve been let back in after a major kerfuffle, but the refs are just bad at their jobs, and the Lightning are great at gaming bad refs. Sometimes this becomes enormously apparent like tonight. Right now, the Bruins aren’t good enough to overcome that. The longer term goal is getting to the point where you can. B’s
Jeremy Swayman faced almost 45 shots tonight; a vast majority of which happened in the second half of the second period. That’s as much an indictment on the defense in front of him as it is the fact he had a truncated version of that defense in front of him for most of the 2nd period. That .891 SV% does not even begin to tell the whole story; he made some heroic saves to keep this team in a truly frustratingly wonky game. He also fought Andrei Vasilevskiy tonight, which I’m sure he enjoyed. Maybe if you wanna goalie fight you should have a couple of practice rounds in your pads at Warrior. Just to get the form.
I had to watch the NHL in ASL broadcast and I highly recommend it; the ESPN broadcast was miserable as it usually is, and the ASL broadcast by comparison was nothing but crowd noise, basic information, and only occasionally some missed shots but that was a function of the main camera. I can’t vouch for the ASL commentators’ performance, but they both seemed pretty engaged with what was going on and updated the viewer frequently.
Tonight, the Bruins lost. They played out on dogs#!t ice, got up big, lost it all thanks to bad penalties and even worse refereeing, and still pulled a point off of the division leaders and are rapidly coming for Colorado’s hide in the race for the President’s Trophy. Last time, the B’s were the ones to come back and nearly make it an extra time game. They now know they can at least hang, at least for a little bit. Now they have to start thinking about whether or not they can survive a playoff series against this team; because if things hold as they are, the Bruins will face the Lightning again in April; both in the regular season and playoffs. Plenty of decisions to be made; pre-Olympic deadline is almost here, and the post-Olympic deadline isn’t that far off afterwards. Much to consider here, and let’s hope Don Sweeney is ready to make the best decision for the long-term health of this squad.
Still just two points at the beginning of February. The game was dramatic and stupid but you gotta get on the bus to Sunrise anyway.
The Bruins have their final game before the Olympic break on Wednesday, when they take on the Florida Panthers. That game drops the puck at 7pm EST. It’s a TNT/HBO game, so adjust your watching accordingly.
Following a five-game road trip, the Anaheim Ducks returned to Honda Center on Sunday to host the Vegas Golden Knights in a Pacific Division matchup, Anaheim’s penultimate game before the extended Olympic break.
The Ducks were hoping to return to the win column, as they’ve dropped out of a playoff spot entering Sunday and following back-to-back losses against the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers.
This game was Vegas’ second in as many days, and they came in with their top spot in the Pacific on the line, desperate for a win, having gone winless in their previous four games, and having only won one of their previous seven.
The Ducks saw the return of a pair of star forwards, as Troy Terry re-entered the lineup after missing 11 games with an upper-body injury, and Mason McTavish re-entered after missing five.
Leo Carlsson remains out with a thigh lesion and was placed on IR earlier on Sunday. Ryan Strome, Sam Colangelo, and Drew Helleson served as the Ducks' healthy scratches, and they lined up like this:
Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke
Kreider-Poehling-Terry
Viel-McTavish-Harkins
Johnston-Washe-Harkins
LaCombe-Trouba
Mintyukov-Moore
Zellweger-Gudas
Lukas Dostal got the start in the Ducks’ net and saved 28 of the 31 shots he faced. He was opposed by Adin Hill in the Knights’ crease, who stopped 19 of 22.
“Across the board, I thought we did a lot of good things, Dosty was solid in net, and we got that good start in the first period,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “Then you see some of the plays they (Vegas) can make. It’s a heck of a test and a good challenge for us, and we knew we had to be at our best. We played hard and eliminated some of their possession game. When you see what they can do at the end of the game, we’ll take it.”
Game Notes
Anaheim set the tempo early, controlling game flow and possession time, and generating quality chances off the rush and cycle. Vegas pushed back heavily in the second and even more heavily in the third, but the Ducks’ lead was too great, their defense stingy in the hard areas of the ice, and Dostal rose to whatever challenge he was presented with.
The last two periods didn’t favor the Ducks in any respect, as a combination of them sitting on their lead and Vegas’ push flipped possession numbers. It wasn’t likely a sustainable way to tally standings points, but a big two points went their way nonetheless.
Defensive Zone Coverage: With the return of two potent offensive players in Terry and McTavish, there was a question of whether the Ducks would or could continue to play the same brand of detailed, relatively conservative, defense-first hockey that they’d established and had success with without them.
Remarkably, against an offensive powerhouse, they were able to (for the most part) pressure along the perimeter without overcommitting. When they found themselves drifting too far from the middle of the ice and vulnerable, they tracked back through the middle and broke up several seam pass attempts.
Centers, especially, stayed low in coverage, reading when to support defensemen and wingers, allowing teammates to pressure, and covered to tie up opponents or pounce on rebounds around the crease.
Penalty Kill: An area of weakness on the penalty kill this season, until recently, had been the awareness of the weak side forward to cover the crashing flank toward the back post. Vegas attempted several backdoor, cross-crease passes on their two power plays, but that weak-side forward broke them up deftly.
Ryan Poehling: During the absence of Leo Carlsson, Poehling has been centering lines with more offensive talents than he’d been early in the season, when the roster was at full strength. It’s allowed him to have the puck on his stick more, and in this game with Terry and Kreider, he was afforded more time and space with it. He’s gained noticeable confidence, both on the rush and cycle, even driving play during several shifts. If this continues, the Ducks will have a rare luxury on their roster: a bottom-six center who can provide instant and consistent offense.
Chris Kreider: “Chris Kreider’s made a living being in front of the net,” Troy Terry said of his linemate after this game. Three of Anaheim’s four goals (two of which went to Kreider) came with him parked right in front of Adin Hill, taking away visibility, getting tips on perimeter shots, and crashing while on the rush. He’s more than just a body at the blue paint; he is a distinguished communicator, often directing linemates where to go or where to place pucks from his spot in front of the opposing goal.
The Ducks will play their last game before the extended Olympic break on Tuesday, when they’ll host the Seattle Kraken in yet another critical Pacific Division bout.
Feb 1, 2026; Tampa Bay, Florida, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) makes the save on Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) during overtime in the 2026 Stadium Series ice hockey game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
TAMPA, Fla. — Nikita Kucherov scored the tying goal in the third period, Jake Guentzel scored the only goal in the shootout, and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat the Boston Bruins 6-5 in front of 64,617 fans at an NHL Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium.
Kucherov finished with a goal and three assists, Brandon Hagel had a goal and two assists, while Oliver Bjorkstrand, Darren Raddysh and Nick Paul all scored power-play goals after Tampa Bay fell behind 5-1 in the second period.
Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 29 saves.
Tampa Bay’s four-goal comeback is the largest in NHL outdoor game history and the largest comeback victory in franchise history.
Morgan Geekie had a pair of goals and three points for the Bruins. Viktor Arvidsson, Alex Steeves and Matthew Poitras also scored for Boston, which improved to 10-1-2 in the past 13 games. Charlie McAvoy had a pair of assists while Jeremy Swayman finished with 41 saves.
Kucherov completed Tampa Bay’s comeback with a one-timer from the left circle with 8:10 left in the third period.
The game featured the first goalie fight in outdoor game history when Vasilevskiy and Swayman exchanged blows at center ice in the second period. The Lightning pointed to the goalie fight as a spark to their comeback when they were down 5-2.
“That was a game-changing moment for our team, and that’s what we needed,’’ Guentzel said. “That was definitely cool to watch.’’
With an opening puck drop temperature of 41.8 degrees Fahrenheit (5.44 Celsius), Hagel fired up the crowd with a goal just 11 seconds in — the fastest goal in NHL outdoor game history and tying a franchise history for fastest goal to start a game.
The Bruins scored the next five as Steeves, Geekie and Arvidsson all scored within a span of 7:39 to give Boston a 3-1 lead after the first. Poitras scored on a backhander at 2:22 of the second period while Geekie notched his second of the game at 8:18.
“We came out strong, obviously they scored right away but we got to our game right after,’’ Geekie said.
Bjorkstrand scored at 10:28 to make it 5-2.
The Lightning scored a pair of five-on-three power-play goals 23 seconds apart. Raddysh scored a goal for the fourth consecutive game to set a franchise record for a defenseman. Paul then tapped in a pass from Guentzel to make it 5-4.
“It was the game had everything,’’ Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “It had the weather in a state which doesn’t usually get weather like this. It was a phenomenal atmosphere, perfect ice hockey playing conditions. You had goalie fights, you had 11 goals, you had a shootout. It had everything. That one’s going to go in the memory bank. It was a special occasion.’’
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored the tying goal in the third period, Jake Guentzel scored the only goal in the shootout, and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat the Boston Bruins 6-5 in front of 64,617 fans at an NHL Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium.
Kucherov finished with a goal and three assists, Brandon Hagel had a goal and two assists, while Oliver Bjorkstrand, Darren Raddysh and Nick Paul all scored power-play goals after Tampa Bay fell behind 5-1 in the second period.
Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 29 saves.
Tampa Bay’s four-goal comeback is the largest in NHL outdoor game history and the largest comeback victory in franchise history.
Morgan Geekie had a pair of goals and three points for the Bruins. Viktor Arvidsson, Alex Steeves and Matthew Poitras also scored for Boston, which improved to 11-1-1 in the past 13 games. Charlie McAvoy had a pair of assists while Jeremy Swayman finished with 41 saves.
The game featured the first goalie fight in outdoor game history when Vasilevskiy and Swayman exchanged blows at center ice in the second period.
HURRICANES 3, KINGS 2, OT
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sebastian Aho scored early in overtime to lead Carolina to a win over Los Angeles.
Brandon Bussi made 11 saves to continue his dominant rookie season, while Jordan Staal and Alexander Nikishin also scored for the Hurricanes, who have earned at least a point in eight straight games (6-0-2).
Samuel Helenius and Quinton Byfield scored for the Kings and Anton Forsberg made 31 saves. The Kings wrapped up their road trip with a 3-1-1 record with one game (last Monday at Columbus) postponed due to severe winter weather.
A winter storm dumped snow all around North Carolina but Raleigh was mostly spared, which made it easier for about 14,000 fans to make it to the arena for the afternoon start.
A day after squandering a three-goal lead in a 4-3 overtime loss at Washington, Aho made sure the Hurricanes didn’t blow a 2-0 lead against the Kings. He beat Forsberg 1:25 into the overtime period after the Kings’ goalie had made two tough saves on Seth Jarvis.
DUCKS 4, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Kreider scored two goals, Lukas Dostal made 27 saves and Anaheim swept their three-game season series with Vegas.
Cutter Gauthier scored and Ryan Poehling added an empty-net goal for the Ducks. Anaheim earned its eighth victory in 10 games overall despite nearly blowing an early 3-0 lead during a third period dominated by Vegas.
Mitch Marner and Ivan Barbashev scored goals in their third straight games for the Golden Knights, who have lost five straight and seven of eight. Vegas has gone on two five-game skids since Christmas, with an 8-2-0 surge sandwiched between them.
Tomas Hertl scored with 6 seconds to play and Adin Hill stopped 19 shots for Vegas.
Kreider put Anaheim up 2-0 with his first multigoal game since Nov. 6 for the Ducks, who acquired him last June from the New York Rangers.
Everyone loves a goalie fight — and it might be even better outdoors.
In front of a packed Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Buccaneers, Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman and Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy dropped the gloves during Sunday night’s NHL Stadium Series game in Tampa.
Andrei Vasilevskiyof the Tampa Bay Lightning fights against goalie Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins during the second period during the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium on February 1, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. NHLI via Getty Images
The fight began with 8:59 left in the second period, after Brandon Hagel took one too many pokes at the puck after the whistle — leading to a pair of Bruins players giving him a shove and then Swayman trying to rough him up a bit.
After the refs attempted to cool things down, Swayman noticed Vasilevskiy making his way from the Lightning net toward the action at the other end of the ice, and the two goaltenders squared up.
The fight didn’t last long as Swayman never got his skates under him and Vasilevskiy quickly got the upper hand in the fight, landing a few punches on the Bruins goaltender.
According to HockeyFights.com, a site that tracks hockey players’ fight records, Sunday’s tilt was the first time either Swayman or Vasilevskiy had gotten into a fight.
Neither seemed to hold a grudge as the two smiled and laughed as they shook hands after the game.
The scrap was the first goalie fight in an outdoor NHL game.
The Lightning defeated the Bruins 6-5 in the shootout after erasing a 5-1 hole that Tampa found itself in midway through the second period.
At the time of the fight, the Lightning had trailed 5-2 and a little more than four minutes later, defenseman Darren Raddysh scored to cut the Boston lead to two.
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) and Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) exchange punches as officials Kyle Flemington and Julien Fournier look on during the second period in the 2026 Stadium Series ice hockey game. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn ImagesAndrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning fights against goalie Jeremy Swayman #1 of the Boston Bruins during the second period during the NHL Stadium Series game NHLI via Getty Images
Nick Paul and Nikita Kucherov scored to eventually even the score, and Jake Guentzel scored the only goal in the shootout for the win.
A crowd of more than 64,000 fans was in attendance and they witnessed the largest comeback in an outdoor NHL game; the four-goal rally was the biggest in Lightning franchise history.
Swayman and Vasilevskiy’s fight was the second goalie fight in the NHL in less than a month after another
Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic fought in a game between the two teams back on Jan. 19.
Joe Espada has been upfront about wanting to start the season with a six-man rotation. Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Mike Burrows and Tatsuya Imai appear to have four of those spots locked up, but what about the other two?
Here’s a list of contenders to watch with the start of spring training just a week away.
Spencer Arrighetti
Arrighetti was limited to just seven starts and 35.1 innings last season. He missed four months after suffering a fractured thumb when he was struck by an errant ball during batting practice. He made five starts in August, but was shut down in September due to elbow inflammation.
The good news is that Arrighetti didn’t need elbow surgery, and told reporters at FanFest on Saturday that he’s thrown seven bullpens, which would seem to mean he’s on track to hit the ground running when spring training begins.
The 26-year old has an 87 ERA+ through his first two Major League seasons, but the Astros would be over the moon if he could find a way to come close to replicating the 3.18 ERA he posted in the second half of 2024 with a 29 percent strikeout rate and a 7.9 percent walk rate.
Lance McCullers Jr
It’s now or never for McCullers, who is in the final year of the five-year, $85 million extension he signed before the 2021 season. McCullers returned after missing more than two seasons due to flexor tendon surgery and posted a 6.51 ERA over 55.1 innings in between three separate IL stints, though none were arm-related.
If you’re looking for signs of optimism for the 32-year old in 2026, you can point to a few starts early in his return. He struck out 12 while allowing three runs over six innings against the A’s on May 28, tossed six shutout innings against the Pirates six days later, and limited the Dodgers to one run over six innings on July 4, but compiled an 8.10 ERA over his final seven games.
Despite the IL time, McCullers was healthy when the season ended, which should’ve given him a normal offseason ramp-up for the first time in a long time, but it’s hard to think he recaptures the form that earned him a top-10 Cy Young finish, the season before his extension kicked in.
Jason Alexander
Claimed off waivers from the A’s in May, Alexander saved an Astros rotation ravaged by injuries. The 32-year old journeyman put up a 3.66 ERA and the Astros won 10 of his first 11 before losing his last two.
Whether or not Alexander can repeat that success remains to be determined. His FIP with the Astros was a run higher than his ERA, and there is a lot of blue in his Baseball Savant profile, and a good portion of that blue is dark. His 22 percent chase rate was in the bottom 1 percent in all of baseball. That’s a tough way to make a living.
Ryan Weiss
The Astros thought enough of Weiss that they gave him $2.6 million after compiling a 2.87 ERA with a 28.6 percent strikeout rate in 178.2 innings last season in the KBO. Last season marked a major improvement for the former fourth-round pick, who posted a 3.77 ERA in the second half of 2024 after beginning the year in the Atlantic League.
Weiss shows average fastball velocity, though Astros GM Dana Brown said he was able to touch 97 mph in Korea, and his command and control, which were strengths for him during his first stateside stint, improved in the KBO.
Whether or not Weiss’ improvements last season carry over is still to be determined. He pitched parts of three seasons in Triple-A for the Diamondbacks and Royals, posting a 6.72 ERA over 89.2 innings, and his numbers in Double-A were not much better.
AJ Blubaugh
Blubaugh made his Major League debut April 30, allowing two runs over four innings against the Tigers, and did not return to the big leagues until August, when he pitched well every time Joe Espada gave him the ball. Blubaugh finished last season with a 1.69 ERA over 32 innings, mostly working out of the bullpen as a long reliever.
The 26-year old showed average fastball velocity and relied on a sweeper against right-handers, but opponents went 0-for-29 against his changeup, which he could throw effectively to both lefties and righties. While the sample size was small, Blubaugh’s FIP was almost three runs higher than his ERA, indicating some good fortune, though his strikeout numbers suggest his low ERA wasn’t entirely a mirage.
Possibly the biggest question moving forward is whether the Astros view Blubaugh as a starter. He made only three starts, and he was never asked to turn a lineup over twice, topping out at 19 batters faced in his first two Major League outings.
Colton Gordon
Gordon compiled a 5.34 ERA over 86 innings in his first taste of Major League action last season. The 27-year old had one of baseball’s lowest walk rates, but he did not miss bats and allowed too much hard contact. Opponents batted .298 against his four-seam fastball with a .645 slugging percentage. That pitch posted a -10 run value, per Baseball Savant, and his sweeper—against which opponents slugged .515—carried a -7 run value.
Unless he improves his fastball velocity, which is well below average, or develops another weapon, it’s hard to see Gordon surviving as a Major League starter.
Nate Pearson
The Astros signed Pearson to a one-year, $1.35 million contract in October, a month after he was released by the Cubs. Once one of baseball’s top prospects, the 29-year old has a 5.17 ERA in 123 major league games, almost entirely out of the bullpen, but represents an intriguing reclamation project for a team with a strong track record of fixing pitchers.
While major league success has eluded Pearson, elite velocity has not. The right-hander’s four-seam fastball averaged 97.6 mph last season, and he has a slider that generated a 37.5 percent whiff rate in 2024. He probably profiles more as a reliever, but a starter with elite velocity is a hot commodity, and Pearson reunites with Brown, who was part of the Blue Jays’ front office when he was drafted in the first round nine years ago.
Miguel Ullola
Rated as the Astros’ best pitching prospect by MLB.com, Ullola finished 2025 with a 3.88 ERA while appearing in 28 games (23 starts) and logging 113.2 innings for Triple-A Sugar Land. He posted a 26.6% strikeout rate, but also walked nearly 16% of the hitters he faced. It’s hard to see him finding consistent success at the major league level if he doesn’t throw more strikes.
The good news is that his ERA dropped to 3.00 in Sugar Land, where conditions more closely resemble big league parks, but that did nothing to rein in his walk rate, which actually ticked up slightly.
10 May 2001: Trevor Hoffman #51 of the San Diego Padres winds back to pitch the ball during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The Padres defeated the Braves 6-5.Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Trevor Hoffman is one of the most beloved players to ever wear a San Diego Padres uniform and that fact is highlighted with the results of this week’s Padres Reacts Survey. Gaslamp Ball asked readers which of the 2026 bobbleheads would get them to Petco Park to take in a game and the top choice was the Hall of Fame closer. The Hoffman bobblehead will be given out to the first 40,000 fans on Wednesday, July 8, when the Padres host the Arizona Diamondbacks at 7:10 p.m.
Hoffman started his tenure in San Diego at the end of the 1993 season, and he remained with the Padres through the 2008 season. Hoffman accumulated 552 of his 601 saves in San Diego, which included his career best 53 save season in 1998, helping the Padres reach the World Series. It is fitting the Hoffman bobblehead is donning the navy-blue hat and jersey with white pants that was the uniform during that magical season.
Not surprisingly, the Don & Mud theme game bobblehead, with Don Orsillo in his mini-yacht towing Mark “Mud” Grant sitting in a life ring, was the second choice. The broadcast team is routinely voted one of the best booths in MLB and Padres fans often make signs for the duo whether at home or on the road. The Don & Mud bobblehead will be given out Friday, July 31, when the Padres host the San Francisco Giants at 6:40 p.m. Fans must purchase a theme game ticket to receive one of these bobbleheads.
New Padres closer Mason Miller was also a top choice of fans joining Hoffman and Don & Mud as the only bobbleheads of the nine listed to receive 20 percent or more of the vote. The Miller bobblehead will be given out to the first 40,000 fans on Thursday, May 7, when the Padres host the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:10 p.m.
It has been a slow offseason for the Padres and their general manager A.J. Preller, but many fans and baseball reports still believe a major move is coming. Will that be as a trade or a free agent signing no one sees coming, only time will tell. The team, with stars like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts in the lineup is enough to get fans to the stadium, but the added bonus of a promotional giveaway in the form of a bobblehead adds a little extra motivation to see the game in person.
FORT WORTH, TX - JULY 14: A general view of the stage is seen after Ben Hess was selected by the New York Yankees in the first round during the 2024 MLB Draft presented by Nike at Cowtown Coliseum on Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Joe Trezza: This time of year is one where you’ll see a lot of prospect rankings released by the various outlets that track and profile the future stars of the sport. According to MLB.com, the Yankees ended up with four players in the Top 100 prospects across baseball, led by George Lombard Jr. at #32. However, here’s a look at some of the prospects who could crack future Top 100 lists with a good year or two, including former first round draft pick Ben Hess.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: One of the earliest moves of the Yankees’ offseason was outfielder Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer to remain with the Yankees in 2026. While the $22+ million that the qualifying offer was worth felt like a big number when he accepted, GM Brian Cashman believes the price may end up a bargain considering how the free agent market has played out since.
MassLive | Christopher Smith: The Red Sox made a deal on Sunday, trading pitcher Jordan Hicks to the White Sox. In return, they got pitching prospect Gage Ziehl, which is a name that might sound somewhat familiar. If it does, that’s because Ziehl is a former Yankees’ prospect that they sent to Chicago as part as the Austin Slater trade last summer.
After missing the entire 2025-26 season up to this point, a Pittsburgh Penguins' prospect finally made his professional debut on Sunday.
Left wing Tanner Howe - selected 46th overall by the Penguins in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft - made his debut in professional hockey for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins of the AHL Sunday against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He registered his first professional point - a secondary assist on a third-period goal by Owen Pickering - en route to a 6-2 for the WBS Penguins.
He played on the second line with Aaron Huglen and Avery Hayes.
Went 1-on-1 w/ Tanner Howe post-game & the boys were sure to give Howe the rookie treatment in his first interview of the year
Joel Blomqvist reached with a water bottle from an exercise bike.
Howe, 20, sustained an ACL tear late last season that caused him to miss the remainder of his WHL season with the Calgary Hitmen as well as all of the 2025-26 season up to this point. In 47 WHL games between the Regina Pats and Hitmen last season - he was traded midseason - Howe registered 18 goals and 46 points.
He also had the opportunity to share the ice with Ben Kindel last season, the Penguins' 11th overall pick in 2025 who is making an impact at the NHL level this season at the age of 18. Howe is a physical winger who is known for being a menace on the forecheck and excels at playmaking in tight spaces, and he also plays a pretty responsible two-way game.
The 5-foot-11, 183-pound forward will likely spend the rest of the season with Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate, barring performance.
It's been less than a full calendar year since the Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
They finished the 2024-25 season with a 34-36-12 record and sold off some of their players before the 2025 trade deadline closed, including Michael Bunting, Cody Glass, Anthony Beauvillier, Drew O'Connor, and Marcus Pettersson.
It was a necessary step for Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas, as he continued to stockpile more future assets for the next few years.
He was tasked with replacing those players over the offseason, and part of his plan was signing some players to short-term contracts when free agency opened on July 1. Anthony Mantha, Justin Brazeau, and Parker Wotherspoon were three of the players he signed when free agency opened.
Mantha felt like the Beauvillier replacement after Dubas got a second-rounder back for the latter at the deadline. Going into this season, I figured Mantha would score double-digit goals before being flipped to a contender, since I didn't think this would be a playoff team.
Well, the Penguins are on pace to make the playoffs this season, and Mantha's play is a big reason why. He's been an incredible signing by Dubas and already has 19 goals and 40 points in 53 games. He has five goals and eight points in his last four games, and two of those goals came on Saturday against the New York Rangers.
He's done a great job going to the net for some greasy goals, but has also shown off some silky moves with the puck on his stick. He started the season on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Brazeau, and those three were humming together before Malkin hurt his shoulder in December and missed a full month.
Lately, Mantha has been skating on the third line with Brazeau and Ben Kindel since Malkin has found some great chemistry with Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov, and has fit like a glove. Mantha and Brazeau read each other well, and when you combine that with Kindel's hockey sense and strong playmaking ability, you get a pretty good third line. I don't see any way Dubas moves Mantha unless the Penguins completely collapse before this year's trade deadline.
Jan 31, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Justin Brazeau (16) handles the puck against New York Rangers defenseman Matthew Robertson (29) during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Brazeau was brought in after splitting last season with the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild. I had him penciled in for a bottom-six role, but that changed quickly when he scored four goals in four games to open the season on the second line.
He even scored the Penguins' first goal of the 2025-26 season, showcasing some soft hands in front of the net to bury a puck past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. He also added an empty-net goal later in the game to help seal the win for the Penguins.
He showed off another move in front of the net two days later against New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin for the game-winning goal.
Brazeau has already set a career-high in goals (14) and points (25) this season. He's a threat to score from anywhere in the offensive zone, and I think he'll score more clutch goals for the Penguins as the games get bigger down the stretch.
Jan 29, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Oliver Moore (11) moves the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (28) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Wotherspoon was by far the best defenseman the Penguins had on the left side heading into the season and was paired with Erik Karlsson right away. The two have been inseparable ever since and have been a great pair for the Penguins this year.
Wotherspoon and Karlsson have played 689 minutes at 5v5 this season and have been on the ice for 54.5% of the shot attempts, 53.2% of the expected goals, 55.1% of the scoring chances, and 56% of the high-danger chances. They carry play every time they're on the ice.
The best part about Wotherspoon is how steady he is. He's a rock in his own end and has allowed Karlsson to do his thing in the offensive zone. He's good at skating the puck out of trouble and has an active stick in the neutral zone. He also brings a physical element to the blue line, something the Penguins have severely lacked over the last few seasons.
He was a great find by Dubas after posting some really good underlying numbers for the Bruins in a more reduced role last year.
As my colleague Kelsey Surmacz wrote in January, you can make a very strong case for Dubas to win the General Manager of the Year award right now, and his odds will improve even more if the Penguins reach the postseason. If he wins the award, these three signings will be a big reason why.
PORTLAND, OREGON - FEBRUARY 01: Jarrett Allen #31 is doused with water by teammate Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers after the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on February 01, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers are back in the win column. They knocked down the Portland Trail Blazers behind a monster game from Jarrett Allen.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
14 points, 9 assists, 0 rebounds, 2 steals
You rarely see a game flow away from the team’s best player. But Portland clearly didn’t want Mitchell to break free—and Mitchell had no interest in pressing the issue. He drew a crowd and let his teammates do the rest all night.
Grade: B+
Jarrett Allen
40 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks
This was the best game of Allen’s career. Even before he set a new career-high with 40 points, Allen was doing everything you could dream of. Rolling hard to the rim, catching and pirouetting for layups. Dream shaking his defenders out of their shoes. And all the while, cleaning the glass and blocking shots.
This is the type of performance that gets you a pass for the foreseeable future. Allen has to play a few stinkers before anyone can say anything bad about him again.
Oh, by the way, did I mention this stat line has never been recorded in under 30 minutes before?
Grade: A+++
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It would have been easy to miss Tyson tonight. A few of his teammates stole the show. But even though it was quiet, 18 points on 4-4 three-point shooting is the type of stuff I don’t want to take for granted.
Grade: A+
Sam Merrill
22 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Merrill did his thing. His barrage of three-pointers gave Cleveland its biggest lead of the night, and he was great at using the space created by Mitchell to punish Portland’s defense.
Another solid showing from Cleveland’s third-string big. Nothing crazy, but a reliable presence.
Grade: B-
Dean Wade
6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
Wade was a team-high plus-32 tonight. Being a good defender who can hit a pair of triples goes a long way.
Grade: A-
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
12 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal
I appreciate that Tomlin has never backed away from a scuffle. Sometimes we can overstate the value of mental toughness. At the same time, being fearless is part of the job. It’s something you can’t fake. Tomlin has this in spades.
Grade: B–
Lonzo Ball
3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Ball hit a three-pointer tonight. He was also a minus-10 in a game the Cavs won by 19 points.
Porter might record a 5×5 one day. That’s crazy for an undrafted 6’1” guard.
That said, he probably won’t get many opportunities once Darius Garland, Max Strus, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis are available. So let’s give Craig his flowers now.
I’ve really enjoyed watching Porter dish the ball this season. He has serious limitations as a non-shooter, but man, can he get downhill and sling the rock.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JANUARY 30: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the second half of an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on January 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Portland Trail Blazers behind the best game of Jarrett Allen’s career.
WINNER – Jarrett Allen
Last game, I gave Allen a WINNER for his dominant first half—a first half that never translated to anything in the second as the Cavs let the Suns pull away from them. I’m glad to say I can give him a proper WINNER for a complete performance this time.
Allen was dominant start to finish. Portland had no reprieve as he ran the floor and finished every opportunity in sight. He was too fast for Donovan Clingan—and too big for anyone else on the court. Allen had 25 points and 10 rebounds at halftime and felt little resistance for the rest of the game.
It wasn’t just transition dunks or dump-off layups. Allen put on a show with his spin moves and crafty finishes. He even unleashed a textbook dream shake in the third quarter
Allen finished with a career-high 40 points to go with 17 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. That’s a statline that’s never been done before in under 30 minutes.
Jarrett Allen with 40 points, 16 boards, 5 assists and 4 blocks. And he's the ONLY GUY IN NBA HISTORY to do it in less than 30 minutes.
Log off the trade machine. I'm placing you all on a 24-hour embargo.
— Fear the 'Fro: A Cleveland Cavs Podcast (@FeartheFroPod) February 2, 2026
WINNER – Jarrett Allen (again)
Yeah, that’s right. We’re making history with the first-ever double WINNER.
While Allen’s performance tonight was special, I wanted to take an extra second to appreciate what goes into a game like this. Because the Cavs roster construction isn’t built in a way that benefits someone like Allen. At least, not traditionally.
NBA teams typically build around one rim-running big, not two. Being paired with Mobley could have been a deal breaker for Allen. Or a major hindrance to his production. But it hasn’t been. Allen has consistently shown up to do his job (save for a playoff series in 2023) and has always stepped up when Mobley is out. Tonight is another example of this.
For as much as we talk about Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley, it remains great that the Cavs have an option like Allen, who can deliver performances like this throughout the season.
Most teams aren’t able to lean on their fourth-best player in the way Cleveland can. And, most players of Allen’s caliber aren’t willing to be the fourth rung on the ladder. Yet he’s never once complained, made excuses, or succumbed to the rampant online criticism. Allen has always been unapologetically himself, and that’s worthy of my respect.
WINNER – Craig Porter Jr. and Sam Merrill
Let’s just lump these two together.
Porter dished out 12 assists in 27 minutes tonight. He’s provided a huge boost of playmaking off the bench with Darius Garland on the sidelines. He’ll never be a volume scorer, but Porter has found a way to stuff the stat sheet and flirt with a 5×5 multiple times this season. He had 3 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks to go with his 12 assists. Truly a unique player in today’s NBA.
As for Merrill, this is the type of game that has become familiar. Merrill hit on 6-of-8 three-point attempts, pouring in 22 points in 29 minutes. He was Cleveland’s second leading scorer and helped blow this game open in the third quarter.
The Cavs need players to step up during this road trip. Big-time performances from Craig and Sam go a long way to stacking wins.
Feb 1, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) dunks the basketball during the first half against Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Allen was simply the best player on the court in what was the most impressive game of his entire career. Portland had absolutely no hope of stopping him inside, as he continually found creative ways to get to the basket. Poor Donovan Clingan didn’t have a chance of slowing Allen. He put up as much resistance as possible, which honestly wasn’t much at the end of the day.
This all led to a career-high 40 points on 16-23 shooting to go along with five assists.
Allen wasn’t just the best offensive player, he was also the best on the other end as well. Allen controlled the paint defensively as he came down with 17 rebounds, registered four blocks, and even threw in two steals for good measure.
It was a completely dominant performance from Allen.
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Aside from Allen’s impressive showing, it was an overall weird game. The Cavs were without Evan Mobley (calf) and Darius Garland (foot) while the Blazers had to play without Deni Avdija (back), Scoot Henderson (hamstring), and Jrue Holiday (personal). Combine that with the fact that both teams just made trades and are in a position to make more, and it’s easy to see how you could get an odd showing.
This led to a somewhat disjointed first half for both teams, with the Cavs taking a nine-point advantage into the break thanks to Allen’s 25 first-half points.
The Cavs then broke things open in the third quarter. They won that frame 41-30 largely due to going 6-11 from three. Sam Merrill contributed two of those triples on a night he had it going from the outside.
The Trail Blazers fought back from what was a 24-point fourth-quarter deficit at one point. They cut the lead down to 10, forcing Cleveland to keep their starters in for most of the evening, but weren’t able to really make things interesting down the stretch.
Merrill seemingly couldn’t miss from beyond the arc. He went 6-8 from three en route to a 22-point performance.
Jaylon Tyson had another solid showing, despite the four turnovers. He went 7-12 from the field with 18 points on 4-4 shooting from deep to go along with six assists.
Donovan Mitchell didn’t have it going as a scorer, but he did a good job of setting up his teammates. He provided nine assists. Mitchell finished with 14 points on 6-15 shooting.
Craig Porter Jr. supplied a game-high 12 assists in the victory.
The Blazers were led by 21 points from Caleb Love. Shaedon Sharpe provided 20 points in the loss.
The Cavs have now won six of their last seven, nine of their last 12, and 13 of their last 18 games.
Cleveland’s Western Conference road trip will continue as they take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. Tip-off is at 10:30 PM.
The Knicks will have two All-Stars playing in Los Angeles in two weeks, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
That's not who led them to a win on Sunday — the Knicks depth was on full display. It was OG Anunoby scoring 25 to lead the New York in scoring, all while playing lockdown defense.
OG Anunoby flies in for the rebound and SLAMS it home.
It was Landry Shamet coming off the bench to knock down six 3-pointers and score 23. It was Josh Hart scoring 20 on 8-of-11 shooting.
It was the Knicks pulling away in the fourth to secure a 112-100 win over the Lakers in a highly anticipated game in Madison Square Garden. That makes it five straight wins for the Knicks, who have given up less than a point per possession in that streak and have the best defense in the NBA for those five games. Coach Mike Brown said postgame that they had recently simplified some things for their perimeter defenders — so they know better where the help is coming from — and it has worked. . The Knicks' All-Stars, Towns and Brunson, combined for 22 points on 9-of-26 shooting (34.6%), although Brunson did dish out 13 assists.
This could be LeBron's final game in Madison Square Garden, and at age 41 he still put on s a show scoring 22, including this emphatic alley-oop.
The Lakers stars showed up. Luka Doncic had a cold-blooded 30 points to go with 15 rebounds and eight assists on the night, and he was having fun early.
Luka spins and hits the deep 3 and lets Spike Lee know about it.
The Lakers' biggest challenge — on this night and too many others — was the opposite of what the Knicks faced. The Lakers are not a great defensive team (25th in the league). The trio of Marcus Smart, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia are the Lakers' best perimeter defenders, yet they combined to shoot 2-of-13 (15.4%) from 3-point range. Their depth does not help Los Angeles nightly. It's something the Lakers are hoping to at least improve on at the trade deadline, but the kind of wing players the Lakers need are in high demand across the league.
Deandre Ayton had a strong first half for the Lakers with 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting but had just one bucket in the second half.
