A WA batter has defied a hamstring injury to prove the hero in an epic finish to seal a thrilling comeback; while South Australia started their Sheffield Shield title defence in brutal fashion.
Williams, Ramírez lead Guardians over White Sox 2-0 to cap comeback in five-game AL Division Series
CLEVELAND — Gavin Williams had 12 of a record 21 strikeouts by Cleveland pitchers, José Ramírez hit a go-ahead home run on a pitch just above home plate and the Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 Saturday night to complete a comeback from an 0-2 deficit in their best-of-five AL Division Series.
Cleveland opens the AL Championship Series at Tampa Bay on Monday night, seeking its first World Series trip since 2016. The Guardians/Indians franchise hasn’t won the title since 1948, the longest drought among MLB teams.
Guardians pitchers set a record for strikeouts in a nine-inning postseason game and the most in any regular or postseason game since at least 1900. The White Sox got just three hits, put only nine balls in play and finished the series with 75 strikeouts and a .185 batting average.
“It was less about chase and more about being attacked in the zone and swing and miss in the zone,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Just didn’t have what it would have took to move some balls forward there.”
Cleveland became just the 11th team to win a best-of-five series among the 96 that fell behind 0-2, the first since the 2017 New York Yankees against the Indians and only the fourth to achieve the feat after losing the first two games at home.
Two days after saving Game 4, Williams became just the third pitcher in postseason history to get the last out of a game and start the following game when his team faced elimination in both.
He didn’t allow a hit until Kyle Teel looped a knuckle-curve into right field with two outs in the sixth, two innings after Ramírez homered for the second straight game, a two-run drive off Sean Burke.
After a walk loaded the bases, Erik Sabrowski relieved and struck out Munetaka Murakami on a foul tip, the pitcher letting out a yell.
Williams’ 12 strikeouts tied Cleveland’s record for a postseason game. He got 22 swings and misses, and his 24 strikeouts over three games were one shy of the mark for best-of-five postseason series.
“That was big-boy stuff today,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We’ve seen other performances like that in the postseason, but to do it in this stage and these types of games facing three straight elimination and you have one of your starters say I will pitch whenever you need me to, super impressive.”
Hunter Gaddis followed Sabrowski and got four outs, and Cade Smith finished for his first career five-out save, striking out the side in the ninth. He blew a fastball by Tristan Peters for the final out, setting off a celebration at Progressive Field.
Chicago, the first team to reach the playoffs after three straight 100-loss seasons, has not won the World Series since 2005.
Ramírez homered on a knuckle-curve 0.74 feet above ground, the lowest pitch hit for a postseason home run since tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast, and the lowest hit by Ramirez in his 14-year big league career.
Steven Kwan had singled leading off the fourth ahead of Ramírez’s sixth postseason homer, which went just over the wall near the right-field line.
Murakami and Andrew Benintendi struck out four times each, and Teel and Chase Meidroth three times apiece.
Up next
Tampa Bay went 5-1 against the Guardians, including three shutouts. It will be the third postseason meeting of the teams following the Rays’ win in the 2013 wild card game and the Guardians’ sweep in the 2022 Wild Card Series.
Marvin Harrison Jr. wasn't present for Cardinals team meetings on Saturday night
It's not clear where receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will be playing as of next week. It's becoming more and more clear he won't be playing for the Cardinals.
Via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN, Harrison was not present for team meetings on Saturday night.
Harrison reportedly has been told he won't be active for Sunday's game against the Lions, as a trade is finalized.
Some in league circles believe he'll be traded to the Texans. Some think the Raiders could be lurking. Sunday's games could shake things up, based on injuries that could happen in the various games.
Regardless, it's hard to imagine Harrison staying with the Cardinals given these developments. At this point, it's just a matter of the Cardinals getting the best return they can for the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft.
Golden Knights, Kings Tied After Two On A Night Celebrating Vegas’ Beginnings
LAS VEGAS — On a night celebrating the players who helped introduce NHL hockey to Las Vegas, a rookie scored the Golden Knights' first goal.
Trevor Connelly scored on the power play early in the second period, but Artemi Panarin answered with a power-play goal of his own, leaving Vegas and the Los Angeles Kings tied 1-1 through two periods Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
Vegas led 23-13 in shots through 40 minutes. Darcy Kuemper made 22 saves for Los Angeles, while Carter Hart stopped 12 shots for the Golden Knights.
The evening began with members of the Original Misfits taking part in Fan Fest before joining former coach Gerard Gallant on The Fortress. Fan favorite Ryan Reaves cranked the siren as Vegas celebrated the ninth anniversary of its first home game during the franchise’s 10th season.
Once the puck dropped, Hart and Kuemper delivered early highlights, making big saves to keep the first period scoreless. Vegas also navigated overlapping penalties from Brayden McNabb and Nic Dowd, giving Los Angeles an extended two-man advantage.
Connelly broke through at 2:37 of the second period after Mitch Marner moved the puck down to Mark Stone, who tapped it across the crease for the rookie to punch home for his second goal of the season.
Vegas entered the night 5-for-20 on the power play against the NHL’s second-worst penalty kill. Connelly’s goal left Los Angeles with six power-play goals allowed on eight road opportunities.
The SoCal kid scores on the SoCal hockey team 🦅 pic.twitter.com/4GSAew3w1c
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 11, 2026
Connelly became the third Golden Knight to score on the man advantage this season, joining Tomas Hertl and Victor Olofsson.
Stone’s assist extended his point streak to four games, giving the captain points in five of Vegas’ first six contests. He now has 35 points in 36 career games against Los Angeles.
Panarin tied the game at 6:21 of the second with Jeremy Lauzon serving a tripping penalty. Adrian Kempe and Brandt Clarke assisted on Panarin’s third goal of the season, which extended his point streak against Vegas to six games.
Connelly and Marc Gatcomb each had five shots through two periods to lead Vegas. Panarin paced Los Angeles with four.
The Kings also marked two milestones. Drew Doughty played in his 1,283rd NHL game, tying Ken Daneyko for 24th among defensemen. Peter Laviolette coached his 1,598th game, matching Ken Hitchcock for eighth all-time.
This is a developing story and will be updated following the game with the final result and postgame reaction.
PHOTO CAPTION
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) battle for the puck in the first period at T-Mobile Arena.
Takeaways: Penguins Deliver Complete Effort In 2-1 Shootout Win Over Dallas Stars To Snap Three-Game Skid
The Pittsburgh Penguins knew they needed to notch a win Saturday against the Dallas Stars in the second game of a back-to-back.
They had three straight losses, and they weren't just losses, they were ugly ones. Nothing was going right for them, there was no cohesion, and they were fresh off a 3-2 shootout loss Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets that left a sour taste in their mouths.
And they put together the exact kind of response game they needed.
The Penguins defeated the Stars, 2-1, in a shootout effort that saw three Penguins put the puck in the back of the net. Arturs Silovs, the goaltender of record for the Penguins, made some huge saves late in the game and on the penalty kill, stopping 24 of 25 Dallas shots and delivering a nice follow-up to a 43-save performance by Sergei Murashov Friday.
The game was very low-event. But, given, how things had gone recently, that was probably the best thing for this team.
"The game last night was a little tough on everybody," defenseman Sam Girard said. "Playing in your zone, it's not fun and makes us a little more tired as well. But, it's the past, and I feel like we played our game tonight. And we still have some stuff to build from the game tonight."
The first 40 minutes came and went with no score, and both teams - aside from a defensive miscue that turned into a breakaway opportunity by Wyatt Johnston right at the beginnning of the game - were up to the task defensively.
But, in the back half of the second period, the Penguins started to get some offensive momentum. They began the third period with a 50-29 advantage in shot attempts, and two minutes in, they finally broke through on the scoresheet.
Pittsburgh's fourth line was breaking into the offensive zone, and Connor Dewar was the mail carrier. He opted to carry the puck across the slot, and he snuck a backhand that somehow went top-shelf and found its way over Stars' netminder Jake Oettinger to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
DEW YOU SEE WHAT I SEE⁉️ pic.twitter.com/ZP6rtpcAwG
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 11, 2026
The Penguins had the better of the play for the majority of the rest of the game, but with Oettinger pulled and with just 30 seconds left in regulation, Tyler Seguin deflected a Jason Robertson shot from the left point to tie the game. Pittsburgh controlled the puck for almost the entire overtime period, too, but they couldn't convert, and it forced a shootout.
Ben Kindel kicked things off and beat Oettinger for his third shootout goal in four career attempts. Robertson missed for Dallas, then Sidney Crosby - who was left out of the shootout lineup Friday - netted one to give Pittsburgh the two-point advantage.
However, two consecutive tallies by Seguin and Johnston - and a post by Egor Chinakhov - knotted it up. Pittsburgh's fourth shooter, Rickard Rakell, put one top-shelf to best Oettinger, and Silovs made a save on Mikko Rantanen to end it and send the Penguins home with the win.
🚨 Full shootout recap 🚨 pic.twitter.com/wMaXlJ9Sgq
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 11, 2026
After a disastrous game against the Blue Jackets, it sure felt good for them to put together the all-around effort they did Saturday against a top team in the league.
"We knew we needed to respond," head coach Dan Muse said. "It’s an emotional game, and so, it is a quick turnaround. In one sense, you're excited that you get to be playing again the next night, especially coming off a game that you know there's a lot we knew we could be better at. But it's a credit to them. It's not always the case.
"It shows where this group is that we can come together and find a way to just dig in and play a better brand of hockey, which is what I thought we did today."
Takeaways: Murashov Bright Spot Against Blue Jackets In Penguins' Third-Straight LossThe Pittsburgh Penguins brought their worst in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday. but their rookie goaltender almost singlehandedly earned them a point.Here are some thoughts from this one:
- I'll start with the one glaring negative from this game since there was far more positive and much more to talk about on that end.
I don't know what is going on with Rakell right now, but whatever it is, it isn't good. In fact, it's borderline unplayable. He's mishandling passes, he's passing pucks right to opposing players, he can't get his shot off properly, and it's plain to see he's overthinking just about every decision he's making out there.
Rakell has always been a slow starter, so this is nothing new. And he tends to stick out like a sore thumb when he isn't playing well. Honestly, I thought he was the only Penguins' player who was still noticeably off his game against Dallas.
If this continues, I don't think dropping him in the lineup to take some of the pressure off would be the worst thing. Nick Robertson can easily bump up, and he could have the opportunity to slot alongside Ben Kindel, who has been excellent and probably would benefit from having a true goal-scorer on his line.
"It comes down to business and trying to play a good game."
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) October 10, 2026
Nick Robertson with @KatieFlorio before "The Robertson Bowl", pt. 9 ⚔️
In 8 prior head-to-head clases, Nick leads Jason with 5 wins to Jason's 3 👀 pic.twitter.com/D5yrMEbcwF
- Speaking of, what an effort this was from Pittsburgh's fourth line of Dewar, Blake Lizotte, and Robertson.
I still believe that Robertson should probably be playing higher in the lineup, but there's no denying that he complements that line well and brings a more offensive element to it, especially in terms of puck skills. And that, combined with Dewar and Lizotte's tenacity as well as his own, made for a dominant recipe.
Despite taking no offensive zone draws in comparison to six in the defensive zone and two in the neutral zone, that line outchanced Dallas 14-to-7 when it was on the ice.
And that speaks to what they bring as a unit. When asked what Robertson specifically brings to that line, Muse's answer was simple.
"I think basically the same thing the other two guys do," he smiled. "Just relentless work ethic, detailed defensively. They make it really hard on whoever they're playing against, and they just don't quit. Like, they don't quit on like plays, they don't quit on anything. As soon as a puck does turn over, they're right above it all the time. They just play the game with detail and tenacity. The line was awesome tonight. They were really good."
He also addressed how impressive their work was despite the defensive zone starts.
"It is a lot of D-zone starts, and sometimes if it's an O-zone faceoff, I'm taking them off the ice, and that's tough," Muse said. "They worked hard to get us there, but that also just shows these guys are selfless, and I think they take a lot of pride in what they do.
"So, for them to have that impact on the defensive side, and then also contribute offensively, which they had a number of chances – these guys, they're skilled players as well. It was great to see them get rewarded. I thought that line was awesome tonight."
That they were. They were the Penguins' best line Saturday.
Penguins Waive Big Defenseman As New Blueliner Joins Team In ColumbusThe Penguins sent Ilya Solovyov to the waiver wire in anticipation of some roster moves Friday.- Elmer Soderblom slotted in for Ville Koivunen in this game, and I thought he made a difference. He's very good with the puck and excels along the walls, which is something the Penguins have been missing on their forecheck.
I think he earned a stay in the lineup with his play. I'd probably put Koivunen back in for Hendrix Lapierre when the Penguins play the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday to kick off a four-game Western road swing - as I think Koivunen has earned playing time - but Soderblom should remain.
He's literally such a large human that he can just overpower guys in puck battles and around the net. I think the Penguins could use more of that.
- The penalty kill continues to be excellent for the Penguins. They have allowed just one goal on 17 opportunities so far this season, which is good for a 94.1 percent rate and second in the league.
Special teams was a strength for the Penguins last season, and the power play still needs to catch up to the PK in terms of efficiency. But, right now, they're gelling as a unit.
"I feel like everybody's on the same page, everybody's ready to sacrifice their body to block some shots and be in the lanes," Girard said. "A lot of games are decided on the power play or on the PK in the NHL, so we're going to have to keep going like we've been doing and make sure we're blocking some shots, we're in the lane and we get the puck out."
'I Feel Pretty Good Right Now': Penguins' Koivunen Building Confidence In Season's EarlygoingPittsburgh Penguins' forward Ville Koivunen signed an unexpected eight-year, $32 million contract this summer and has looked good early this season.- Defenseman Spencer Stastney, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday for forward Filip Hallander, suited up for the first time with Pittsburgh in place of veteran Trevor van Riemsdyk.
And, honestly, it was a good first showing for him. He can certainly move out there, and he seems to have pretty good instincts on both sides of the puck. He also paired well with Kris Letang.
Stastney, 26, was in and out of the lineup and up and down between the NHL and AHL in Edmonton. He's just happy to get a chance to play in Pittsburgh, and for a first showing, it was largely good things.
“It’s always a matter of fighting to stay in and try to do my best," Stastney said. "So, no matter what, I’m just going to keep a smile on my face and keep working. I’m just happy to be in."
I'm curious to see how the Penguins handle their defensive rotation moving forward. They are paying van Riemsdyk $4 million for each of the next two years, so I imagine he'll still play in a good chunk of games, at least to start.
Penguins Acquire Spencer Stastney From Edmonton Oilers for Filip HallanderThe Pittsburgh Penguins cleared up their forward logjam Wednesday by sending Filip Hallander to the Edmonton Oilers- Good on Silovs for following up Murashov's performance from Friday.
There is a lot of talk, already, about Murashov being the real deal. And, by the looks of things, he just might be. But Silovs tends to put together games like these when he knows there's a target on his back, and he earned himself more starts with his performance against the Stars, just like Murashov did.
We'll see how this rotation shakes out over the long-term. For now, I won't be surprised to see Muse go exactly 50/50 until one of them truly separates himself over a larger sample size.
Welcome to the Arty Party 🎉 pic.twitter.com/CPdmrGc2i8
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 11, 2026
- Finally, I want to shout out Evgeni Malkin. Because, man, was he shot out of a cannon Saturday.
In the past couple of seasons, Malkin has had his legs early. That's been the case again so far this season. His line outchanced Dallas 11-to-5 and skated circles around the offensive zone on a few occasions. They're also so dangerous on the rush, and Egor Chinakhov had himself a nice performance, too, despite not showing up on the scoresheet.
But Malkin's defensive play so far this season - and dating back to last season - is truly something else. And, I mean that literally, because it's not something we saw much from him earlier on in his career.
There was a play in the third period around the eight-minute mark when Dallas appeared to have an odd-man break. Roope Hintz saw Jamie Benn breaking down the right side all alone, and he attempted a pass. Malkin came out of nowhere on the backcheck to disrupt the pass with his stick, thwarting a golden opportunity for Benn.
The 40-year-old who far too many in the 412 area code didn't want back has been one of their best players so far this season, as he is the team's co-leader in goals (3) and points (5). And I've never seen Malkin give so much effort in all three zones.
This guy is out there to prove something, and he's proving that he still very much belongs on this team and playing the game of hockey for a 21st NHL season. Shifting to the wing has done wonders for his game.
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Recap: Blackwood & Avs struggle in 6-3 loss to Toronto
The Colorado Avalanche returned to Ball Arena in downtown Denver, CO, to face the Toronto Maple Leafs. Colorado came in riding the high of a 7-3 thumping of the Calgary Flames. The Leafs blew a three-goal lead and fell to the Vegas Golden Knights last time out.
Early magic from Nathan MacKinnon and a solid shot share had Avalanche fans feeling another high-scoring win was on the table.
Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and the Toronto Maple Leafs had other plans.
First Period
Remember Nick Blankenburg? He reminded the Avalanche early in the first when Nylander drew a delayed penalty, letting Blankenburg crash the net. A well-placed cross-ice pass found Nick, who fired it past MacKenzie Blackwood on Toronto’s first shot. Not an ideal start for Colorado, they fell behind 1-0 just three minutes in.
Colorado responded well with some chances that culminated in Nathan MacKinnon single-handedly willing the puck into the net through Sergie Bobrovsky’s five-hole. MacKinnon’s explosiveness was on full display as he blew past four Leafs and stuffed the puck between Bobrovsky’s legs before the goalie could react, tying the game 1-1 at 10:46.
MacKinnon wasn’t done with his first-period showcase, as he potted another on a tremendous solo effort and shot. He hit the brakes, spun away from the boards, created space in the high slot, and fired it home, giving the Avalanche a 2-1 lead at 15:14.
Second Period
The second frame is where things really began to slip for the Avalanche, starting with a William Nylander power-play goal. Somehow, the Avalanche left Nylander wide open at the doorstep, giving him space for his forehand-backhand move. Blackwood was completely down and out after the move, giving up two goals on 9 shots on goal at 6:53 in the second period. Things were tied at two-a-side.
Brock Nelson should be proud of the goal that restored Colorado’s one-goal lead, as his repeated attempts to gather and fire the puck in front paid off on his third shot. At 12:35 in the second, Nelson won the puck in the corner and shot; it was jarred loose. He gathered a rebound and shot again, and on the third attempt, it went into the top corner. The Avalanche took a 3-2 Lead on the bounceback.
Willy got loose on the Avalanche again at 16:47 in the second when Brett Kulak’s clearing attempt was kept in, leading to a Nylander shot from the high slot that went right through a sprawling MacKinnon and MacKenzie Blackwood. Toronto regained the 3-2 lead on their 11th framed shot of the evening.
Toronto’s 12th shot on goal went in as well, with Easton Cowan firing a one-timer into the net on a feed from Auston Matthews at 17:33. That’s right, just 46 seconds after Nylander’s goal, Auston Matthews’ second assist and Nylander’s 4th point of the night gave Toronto the 4-3 lead in Colorado.
Third Period
Toronto led the rest of the way, with Matthews adding two goals to his two assists, first on the power play. Wouldn’t you know it, Willy Nylander got a 5th point at 12:02 in the third, with a secondary assist from Kirill Marchenko. The Leafs took a commanding 5-3 third-period lead.
Matthews’ second goal of the final period was an empty-net, unassisted goal as the Avalanche fell to the Leafs 6-3 on home ice.
Takeaways
Listen, it’s just game five and only their second loss of the season, but I’m a little concerned about Colorado’s style of play. It feels like the Avalanche have been too unsettled defensively. I was hoping we’d see a commitment to defensive hockey this season, and Colorado’s defensive lapses (though few) typically lead to high-danger chances. I do think they limited the shots and could have gotten a better performance in net to support their efforts.
People will likely talk about it over the weekend and heading into Colorado’s Tuesday game with the rival Dallas Stars, but MacKenzie Blackwood wasn’t statistically good this evening. I hope I did a good enough job explaining Toronto’s goals, because Blackwood’s numbers deserve some context. Many of Toronto’s goals came on wide-open looks for one reason or another, including defensive lapses. Unfortunately, the numbers are bad enough that context likely won’t do much to ease fans’ or Blackwood’s minds.
Nathan MacKinnon is on a mission and, in my opinion, has been Colorado’s best player every game so far. Not saying others haven’t been good, but what we are watching Nathan MacKinnon do right now is very impressive.
Up Next
As previously mentioned, the Colorado Avalanche will meet the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX.
Fraser Minten has a goal and two assists as Bruins roll past winless Flyers
BOSTON (AP) — Fraser Minten had a goal and two assists, Pavel Zacha scored his first goal of the season and the Boston Bruins beat the struggling Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 on Saturday.
Mason Lohrei, Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt also scored for Boston (4-2), which won its second straight game.
Starting for the fifth time in the Bruins’ first six games, Jeremy Swayman faced just three shots in the opening 30 minutes and finished with 14 saves. His bid for his second shutout of the season was spoiled when Porter Martone had a power-play goal 6:32 into the final period. Swayman won his 136th game, tying Andy Moog for eighth on Boston’s all-time list.
Dan Vladar made 27 saves for the Flyers (0-4-2), who are the Eastern Conference’s only winless team.
DEVILS 4, CANUCKS 1
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Nico Hischier scored two goals and added an assist while Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist in New Jersey’ win over Vancouver.
Jack Hughes contributed two assists and Jake Allen, playing in his 500th career game, made 20 saves.
Linus Karlsson scored for Vancouver, who have lost three straight games while getting outscored 14-5. Leevi Merilainen made 31 saves.
Hischier’s first goal was his 200th for New Jersey in 613 games, becoming the fifth Swiss player to reach that mark and the second fastest among that group. His linemate, Timo Meier, scored 200 goals in 569 games.
Bratt and Hischier each scored power-play goals in the second period to put the Devils ahead 4-1.
OILERS 3, SHARKS 1
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Connor McDavid recorded his 13th point of the season and 10th assist as Edmonton beat San Jose for their fourth straight win.
Vasily Podkolzin scored his fifth goal while Mattias Ekholm and Alex Formenton also scored for Edmonton. Tristan Jarry stopped 19 shots.
Macklin Celebrini returned to the lineup for San Jose after missing two games with a lower-body injury. The Sharks captain scored his first goal of the season midway through the third period.
Ekholm opened the scoring at 12:37 of the first period. Podkolzin extended Edmonton’s lead 3:13 into the third, with McDavid recording the assist. He moved ahead of Jack Eichel for the league lead in points and assists.
Formenton made it 3-0 on a backhand shot about two minutes later.
Celebrini got San Jose on the board midway through the third period, but the Sharks could not complete the comeback.
Yaroslav Askarov made 17 saves for San Jose.
WILD 4, PANTHERS 1
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov had three goals and an assist, Matt Boldy scored his first goal of the season in the game’s first minute, and Minnesota spoiled Florida’s home opener by beating the Panthers.
Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt continued his hot start, stopping 29 shots. Wallstedt has been in net for all five of Minnesota’s games so far, going 3-1-1 with a .936 save percentage and a stingy goals-against average of just 1.78.
Boldy gave the Wild the lead 53 seconds into the game. Kaprizov made it 2-0 with 13:42 left in the opening period, added his second 5 minutes into the middle frame, and finished his hat trick on an empty-netter with 1:04 left.
MAMMOTH 4, SABRES 1
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — John Marino, Anders Lee and Kailer Yamamoto each had a goal and an assist to help Utah beat Buffalo.
Nick Schmaltz also scored, and Barrett Hayton had two assists.
Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves as the Mammoth bounced back from a 6-1 loss in Boston on Thursday night to win for the third time on a five-game trip.
Tage Thompson had a goal for the Sabres in their second straight loss at home. Colten Ellis stopped 26 shots.
Schmaltz and Lee scored 2:01 apart late in the second period to give the Mammoth a two-goal lead.
Thompson’s goal at 8:00 into the game was Buffalo’s first on the power play this season.
Yamamoto, making his season debut, tied it just past the midway point of the first period. Yamamoto entered the lineup in place of forward Michael Carcone, who is listed as week to week with an upper-body injury.
CANADIENS 1, RED WINGS 0, OT
MONTREAL (AP) — Zachary Bolduc scored in the sixth round of a shootout, Jacob Fowler made 30 saves and Montreal beat Detroit.
After Bolduc beat Daniil Tarasov through the pads for the first score in the tiebreaker, Fowler stopped Nate Danielson.
Montreal ended a three-game losing streak to improve to 2-2-1. It won for first time on home ice in three outings this season.
Fowler had his second career shutout for the Canadiens. The 21-year-old was making his second straight start for Montreal after being recalled from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
Tarasov made 30 saves in his first start for the Red Wings.
SENATORS 3, PREDATORS 2, OT
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Shane Pinto scored the shootout winner to give the Ottawa a victory over Nashville.
Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson — who tied it with 2:23 left in the third period — scored for the Senators (4-1-0). Linus Ullmark turned away 16 shots.
Jonathan Marchessault and Ross Colton scored for Nashville (2-1-2), while Matt Murray made 18 stops.
The Predators took a delay-of-game penalty for a puck over glass with 13 seconds remaining in regulation providing the Senators the perfect opportunity, but a stagnant power play was unable to capitalize. Ottawa went 1 for 6 with the man advantage.
PENGUINS 2, STARS 1, SO
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rickard Rakell scored the deciding goal in the shootout and Pittsburgh beat Dallas.
Arturs Silovs stopped Mikko Rantanen in the shootout to help Pittsburgh snap a three-game losing streak. Sidney Crosby and Ben Kindel also scored in the shootout for the Penguins, who lost in a shootout at Columbus on Friday.
Connor Dewar scored in regulation for Pittsburgh and Silovs stopped 24 shots.
Jake Oettinger stopped 20 shots for the Stars.
Oettinger, coming off back-to-back shutouts against San Jose and Buffalo, set the longest shutout streak of his career at 188:52. It’s the third-longest shutout streak in franchise history.
HURRICANES 5, BLACKHAWKS 2
CHICAGO (AP) — Jackson Blake and Jordan Martinook had a goal and an assist each and Carolina beat Chicago.
Mark Jankowski, Sebastian Aho and Taylor Hall also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champions who won their fourth in a row and outplayed the Blackhawks, outshooting them 39-26 and winning the majority of the faceoffs.
Beginning with Jankowski’s breakaway score in the final minute of the first period, Carolina scored three goals in a span of 4:25. A short-handed goal by Aho and an even-strength goal by Blake within 1:19 of each other early in the second period gave Carolina a 3-0 lead.
Chicago’s Roman Kantserov scored his first NHL goal 4:40 into the second period, briefly drawing the Blackhawks within two goals. Hall’s goal 1:25 later gave Carolina a 4-1 lead. Martinook beat Spencer Knight on a slot backhand five minutes into the third period.
Oliver Moore scored Chicago’s second goal with 5:46 to play.
BLUES 5, BLUE JACKETS 3
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice and Dylan Holloway had three assists as St. Louis beat Columbus.
Making his second start of the season, Jordan Binnington stopped 20 shots. In his first game, Binnington allowed six goals in a loss at Colorado.
St. Louis (2-2-1) snapped a three-game losing streak. The Blues had lost their previous six games against the Blue Jackets (2-2-0).
Jet Graeves recorded 24 saves for Columbus.
On a delayed penalty, Jonatan Berggren scored the go-ahead goal at 9:33 in the third period. Greaves stopped a Mason McTavish shot but Berggren was there to put back the rebound.
Pavel Buchnevich added an empty-net goal at 19:17.
MAPLE LEAFS 6, AVALANCHE 3
DENVER (AP) — William Nylander and Easton Cowan scored 46 seconds apart late in the second period and Toronto beat Colorado.
Nylander finished with two goals and had a career-high three assists to finish with five points, also tying a career high. Auston Matthews had two goals and two assists for Toronto, which has alternated wins and losses to start the season.
Nathan MacKinnon scored twice for Colorado, which suffered its first loss in three home games. Brock Nelson also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood had 16 saves in his first setback of the season. The Avs finished 0 of 5 on the power play, which included eight seconds of a 5 on 3 early in the second period.
After Nick Blankenburg gave the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead 3:03 into the game, MacKinnon’s bull-rush through the Toronto defense tied it midway through the first. He gave Colorado the lead with his second of the night at 15:14.
Nylander tied it 19 seconds after Jaden Schwartz took high-sticking minor early in the second, the first power-play goal the Avs allowed this season. Brock Nelson scored off his own rebound later in the period to give Colorado a 3-2 lead before the Maple Leafs grabbed control in the second.
LIGHTNING 5, ISLANDERS 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored two goals with less than two minutes to play to complete his hat trick and Tampa Bay extended their winning streak to four games with a victory over New York.
Hagel, who also had an assist, scored the go-ahead goal with 1:44 remaining and an empty-net goal 21 seconds later.
Jake Guentzel scored twice for Tampa Bay, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves and the Lightning won the first half of their brief two-game New York road trip.
Tony DeAngelo, Matthew Schaefer and Brayden Schenn scored for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin finished with 21 saves.
_____
Guardians complete comeback vs White Sox; advance to ALCS
Nah nah nah nah
Nah nah nah nah
Hey hey hey
GOOD BYEEEE…
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
ITS ALL OVER
GO HOME NOW
AND CRYYYYY
Alright- got that out of my system.
Well it was a thrilling night down at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario (thrilling? That’s what you call when your heart is beating out your butt?). After 2 games it looked like we probably wouldn’t get another home crowd until next season, but the Road Guardians were able to come alive thanks to some Heroics from several of our guys. A new brand new life appeared in their eyes when Jose started to turn his series around, and after two 9 run outbursts, the Guardians and their fans were believing again. The teams would be given about 44 hours to rest up and get to Cleveland before we do this one last time, the 18th between the two teams this year. Would the White Sox continue their dream season? Would the Guardians finish off the comeback? Would Jake stress eat half a rotisserie chicken through it all? Let’s see!
Through 2 innings both pitchers looked SHARP. Gavin was up to his typical routine of gassing 99 past hitters and locating in the zone. He had 4 strikeouts through 2 innings allowing only a Walk to reach. It was only 24 pitches but he looked in command early, and the crowd was loving it…. But not to be outdone, Sean Burke was matching Gavin stride for stride, getting 5 easy outs and ending the 2nd with his 1st K on Travis Bazzana. And then, the worst thing a Cleveland fan can hear when facing Chicago in the Playoffs… Rain.
The rain picked up at the end of the 2nd and you could feel the crowd lighten up, knowing the history here. Fortunately Gavin didn’t seem to mind, adding another 2 quick strikeouts and getting a groundout to make it 3 complete innings, a first for any Cleveland pitcher since Game 2.
And UNfortuantely, Sean Burke continued to match Gavin out there. He wouldn’t rack up the K’s, but he was extremely efficient. He would retire the first 7 batters in just 20 pitches. Petey Halpin, making his first start of the postseason (in for the struggling Angel Martinez) was the first to make Burke work, getting a 7 pitch groundout and making Burke cover the bag as well. Even just making him run for 5 seconds felt like a Win, as Burke would get Rocchio to check swing Strikeout, finishing the 3rd inning on 34 pitches and putting the Guardians on Perfect Game Watch.
0-0 thru 3.
Back out there for the 4th and Gavin was absolutely dialed in. With the heart of the White Sox order (Teel/Vargas/Murakami), Gavin would throw a 13 pitch masterpiece, striking out the side, reaching 101 and using that 2 seamer to perfection. Thru 4 innings Gavin was everything you could ever want in a Game 5 Starter, striking out 9 allowing just one base runner to reach.
In the bottom half of the inning, Kwan would record the first hit of the game, a single to CF, and we would finally get to see how Sean Burke would react out of the stretch.
Perfect timing.
The GOAT doing GOAT things. Outside of a few inconsequential solo homers in the regular season, Sean Burke was the one pitcher we haven’t been able to figure out. So leave it to Jose to golf one out that was an inch off the plate. A Homer that only he could hit, sending the crowd into a brief frenzy before they chanted his name.
Jo-seeee
Jose Jose Joseee
Jo-seeee
Jooo-se
Add in a hustle infield single, and Burke’s pitch count started to climb and Venable’s leash on him begun to shorten. Sean Newcomb would start to warm in the bullpen as we headed to the 5th inning, the Guardians holding a small 2-0 lead.
But all series long, and honestly, all season long, the White Sox had this innate ability to answer right away. And coming to the plate were some very familiar faces, one who drove Gavin out of a gem with an 18 pitch at bat just a month ago (a detail the announcers just couldn’t keep out of their mouths). But the Big Rig was more like an unstoppable train tonight, and that continued in the 5th with a strikeout, a rare groundout and another swinging strikeout. His masterpiece would continue for at least one more inning- with a line of 5IP, 1 BB, 11 K on 72 pitches. A long way to go but just an incredible line through 5 innings of an elimination game.
To the bottom of the 5th and we got some fireworks again- but not the good kind. With 1 out Greedy Petey Halpin lined one into the RF corner and seeing it slow down, Petey decided to try for 3. Well, he ain’t Greedy Petey for nothin, and was thrown out taking 3rd. In the moment, I didn’t hate it. He’s probably the fastest guy on the team and was daring the White Sox to make 3 great throws. If they don’t, he’s a Sac Fly from Rocchtober away from expanding the lead. But they did make two great throws, and our first runner in scoring position was out before we could even get a bat. After thinking about it more, and who was coming up, I don’t love the aggressiveness there. Trust one of Rocchio or Kwan to get a hit, or at least a walk to get Jose up. Gotta know who is behind you and the situation here. Don’t hate it, don’t love it, it is what it is and we are still 2-0 headed to the 6th inning.
To start the 6th DOES ANYONE GET HBP AS MUCH AS THESE GUYS? I’m sure they aren’t even that high up there, but man it feels like we’ve hit far too many of them this series. Well, from cruise control to alarms blaring in every Cleveland fan’s heart, the Sox get their leadoff man on with the top of the lineup incoming. On an 0-2 pitch nonetheless. Woof!
So Gav. You’ve thrown a gem. You have a 2 run lead. But the tying run is at the plate, how do you respond?… Quick strikeout, flyout, but then a 2 out single (the first hit for the White Sox all game) and we ask again Gav, this time in the voice of Carl Willis coming out for a meeting on the mound… You’ve thrown a gem, you’ve got the tying run on base, and the most dangerous batter Chicago has is at the plate. How, do you, respond?
He would walk Vargas on 5 non-competitive pitches, loading the bases for Munetaki Murakami and ending his day at 5.2 IP.
As I type this, I know his line isn’t final. There’s a chance that 5.2 IP has 3 ER attached to it. Hopefully Sabrowski does his job and there are no runs attached to it. But all I gotta say is Gavin spun an absolute gem. So no matter what happens, that needs to be the AND SRIK SABROWSKI STRIKES OUT MUNETAKI MURAKAMI!!! KICKSTART MY HEART AND LET OUT THAT PRIMAL ROAR YOU BEAUTIFUL CANADIAN HOSER!!!!! (I do assume Hoser is a term of endearment in Canada? Or at the very least a regular of fun name-calling banter. I apologize if it is a slur or offensive in anyway).
Whoa BABY that 6th was a ride! Now can we please add some insurance here? Because I’m counting the outs we have left and I would REALLY like a 3rd and 4th run here.
Oh no that wouldn’t happen here. Sean Newcomb put his big boy pants on tonight and would strikeout Kwany and Jose before Chase “handsomest man in the world” DeLauter squeaked one by Chase “most White Sox looking White Sox ever even more than Aaron Rowand/Paul Konerko/Joe Crede” Meidroth, but Jo Adell could not play hero and we go to the 7th, still 2-0.
Vogt would surprisingly pull Sabrowski after the one batter, putting Hunter Gaddis directly into the fire against the White Sox for what might have actually been the 18th time this season (I think it’s actually 12 which is insane anyway). Interesting decision, knowing you likely don’t want to go 2 Cade innings again, AND, it’s Hunter Gaddis…
But the Big Hairy Georgian was AWESOME, striking out 3 while allowing just one flare off the end of the bat. Another great call by Vogt, and we are 6 outs away from the ALCS. Big question now becomes, do you stuck with Gaddis for Doyle? Herrin for Antonacci/Teel/Vargas? Does Shawn Armstrong come into play? How many outs are we asking of Cade? All nerve wracking questions that would matter a whole lot less if you could just ADD A DAMN INSURANCE RUN!!!
Nope. Again, why would we do that? What’s the fun in winning easy? Why not enter every inning with a solid chance at colossal heart break? What’s the saying? It’s better to have loved and lost rather than to win by 5 or 6? Something like that?
Onto the 8th inning, and Hunter Gaddis comes back out after a 14 pitch, BEAUTIFUL 7th, ready to throw pitch 15 and possibly more for the 9th hitter and beyond. Randall Grichuk, he of Guardian faithful Free Agency dreams (and then again of the Waiver Wire), would pinch-strikeout for Doyle before the lineup would turn over. Gaddis stayed on; so of course Antonacci would get the Sox 3rd hit of the night (all were flares off the end of the bat), which would be all that Vogt needed to go to the ‘pen, hopefully one last time (in a good way), where he’d be calling on Cade Smith to get 5 outs.
Look, I trust Cade Smith more than any pitcher we’ve maybe ever had. But Thursday’s appearance, as well as the fact that he’s thrown in every game this series, has me more nervous than I’ve ever been with him taking the mound. Usually, I’m as steady as a rock. Tonight, I’m a shaky wet puddle on the floor.
Oh Jaker, ye of little faith. Cade would scare me for two pitches way out of the zone before coming back to strike out Teel and then getting Vargas to pop up to Bailey. Cade Smith. K’d. The Cade Crusader. Gettin the job done like he has 200 times before.
3 outs away
So please, one final time, can I get an insurance run???
Well, we’d get our chance. Halpin would lead the inning off with a double off the top of the wall, but Grant Taylor would come in and somehow get the job done by getting Rocchio to ground out, walking Kwan and then Jose (intentionally), then two sharp groundouts from Chase and Jo. 0-3 with RISP on the night. Would it bite us one final time in a year where it seemingly did once every series? Would 2 runs be enough for the extremely overused Cade Smith?
1.
2.
3.
BALLGAME.
Unbelievable. The Cleveland Guardians come back from down 2 games to none to advance to the American League Championship Series for the 2nd time in 3 seasons under Steven Vogt! Incredible pitching to set strikeout records in both game 4 with 19 in 9 innings and then again in game 5 with 21 strikeouts.
Gavin Williams. Jose Ramirez. Cade Smith. THAT IS GUARDSBALL BABY.
——
Let me just say, major shout out to the Chicago White Sox. What they overcame this year was remarkable. I mean, this was their second best season in the last 100 years, and they almost beat us! It was close. Now, we might take our seasons for granted here, ya know, we just wake up and win the division so the ALCS is way more in our wheelhouse. But in Chicago it’s basically a pipe dream. So for them to come so close to it, is truly remarkable. They deserve a lot of credit for putting together such an incredible Wild Card round Win for one of their greatest moments in franchise history. And they almost won the division too. Great stuff guys really!
No, no trolling. In all seriousness the White Sox and Guardians were neck and neck all year and it made plenty of sense that this came down to a Winner-Take-All Game 5. They were a formidable opponent that I would’ve hated to lose to because, well, I just don’t like them. But damn it did I respect their game all season long. They got the better of us just as often as we did them (literally, the regular and post season series came out to 9-9).
What a year, and we ain’t done. ALCS starts Monday night in Tampa. I have no idea who’s pitching and I do not care. Let’s enjoy this ride Cleveland! See you Monday!!!
MLB playoff bracket 2026: Printable bracket for ALCS, NLCS
The matchups are now set for the American and National League Championship Series.
It's a battle of NL heavyweights as a pair of 100-win teams stage a rematch of last year's NLCS with the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers looking to avenge their loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers will have to break through on the road once again if they hope to make it three titles in a row.
Meanwhile, the AL matchup offers the complete opposite, with the top-seeded Rays looking to get back to the World Series for the first time since the COVID-shortened 2020 season – and hoping to win it for the first time in franchise history.
They'll be heavy favorites over the Cleveland Guardians, who had to survive a grueling five-game division series just to get here.
Printable MLB playoff bracket: 2026 League Championship Series update
MLB playoff bracket, schedule
* - if necessary
ALCS: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians/Chicago White Sox
All times Eastern
- Game 1: Monday, Oct. 12. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
- Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 13. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
- Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 15. Rays at Guardians/White Sox 6 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
- Game 4: Friday, Oct. 16. Rays at Guardians/White Sox 6 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
- *Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 17. Rays at Guardians/White Sox 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
- *Game 6: Monday, Oct. 19. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 5 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
- *Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 20. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
NLCS: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
All times Eastern
- Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 11. Dodgers at Brewers, 5 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
- Game 2: Monday, Oct. 12. Dodgers at Brewers, 5 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
- Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 14. Brewers at Dodgers, 8 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
- Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 15. Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
- *Game 5: Friday, Oct. 16. Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
- *Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 18. Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
- *Game 7: Monday, Oct. 19. Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
2026 World Series
- Game 1: Friday, Oct. 23
- Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 24
- Game 3: Monday, Oct. 26
- Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 27
- *Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 28
- *Game 6: Friday, Oct. 30
- *Game 7: Saturday, Oct. 31
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB playoff bracket 2026: Printable bracket for ALCS, NLCS
WE ARE GOING TO THE ALCS!!!
LETS GOOOOOOOOOO!!! YOUR CLEVELAND GUARDIANS ARE GOING TO THE ALCS!!! WHAT A GAME!!! WHAT A SERIES!!!
Where do we start? That was one of the most enjoyable games I’ve ever watched. Gavin Williams, after closing Game 4 out less than 48 hours ago, had maybe the best start of his career in the most important game of his career. THAT is what an ace does.
How about our goat??? After one of his toughest seasons(due to injury), Jose Ramirez had maybe his best playoff series ever. He absolutely put the offense on his back in every win.
Gavin Williams was unbelievable tonight, but this entire pitching staff deserves their flowers. They were all incredible tonight after some not so great performances earlier in this series. Erik Sabrowski, NAILS, and Hunter Gaddis, for all of his playoff mishaps, was absolutely crucial in this game. They don’t win this game without his 5 out performance. And then of course, the best reliever in all of baseball did what the best reliever in all of baseball does. DOMINANCE.
I know it’s just the ALDS, but this was a series and specifically a game that I will never forget. Seeing all of our stars deliver at the highest level and in the most high leverage situations is truly what being a baseball fan is all about. You can not ask for anything more than what the Guardians gave us tonight. Emjoy it y’all, we’re on to the Rays.
MLB playoff predictions for Dodgers-Brewers and Guardians-Rays LCS
Major League Baseball is officially on to its semifinals with the matchups set for the best-of-seven American and National League Championship Series that begin on Sunday, Oct 11.
In the AL, the Tampa Bay Rays have home-field advantage against the Cleveland Guardians, with Tampa looking to get over the hump to the World Series for the third time in franchise history (2008 and 2020).
The NLCS features a Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewersrematch from a year ago, with the Dodgers sweeping aside the Brewers – who like this season, were the NL's top seed. But this Milwaukee team won 103 games and features one of the game's best pitching staffs, led by likely NL Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski.
The Brewers and Rays are among the five MLB teams that have never won a World Series title, joined by the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies. The World Series is scheduled to begin on Friday, Oct. 23 in Milwaukee or Los Angeles, as both NL finalists have better records than their AL counterparts.
Rays vs Guardians prediction
- Bob Nightengale: Rays in 5
- Gabe Lacques: Rays in 5
- Jesse Yomtov: Rays in 6
Dodgers vs Brewers prediction
- Bob Nightengale: Brewers in 7
- Gabe Lacques: Brewers in 6
- Jesse Yomtov: Dodgers in 5
When does the World Series start?
The 2026 World Series begins on Friday, Oct. 23 featuring the winners of the AL and NL Championship Series.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB playoff predictions for Dodgers-Brewers and Guardians-Rays LCS
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This Hour Has 22 Minutes (Without A Shot), But Senators Still Rally To Beat Nashville In A Shootout
The Senators went more than 22 minutes without a shot on goal on Saturday night, but somehow managed to find a way to pull out a 3-2 shootout victory over the Nashville Predators at Canadian Tire Centre.
Drake Batherson played the hero in regulation, scoring with just 1:23 remaining with Linus Ullmark on the bench for an extra attacker. Tim Stützle, who had already scored the Sens' first goal of the night, picked up an assist on the equalizer before adding a goal in the shootout.
He's off a fabulous start with 8 points in five games, good for ninth in the league, as of this writing.
Shane Pinto eventually delivered the shootout winner as the Senators improved to 4-1 on the young season.
It certainly wasn't a Rembrandt, especially through the first half of the game, when the Senators struggled to generate much of anything.
Nashville opened the scoring at 8:50 of the first period when Ross Colton beat Ullmark for his first goal of the season. It was a fortunate bounce off a skate that skipped right on to Colton's tape. Ullmark couldn't get over to his left in time to stop the wrist shot that went over his head.
The Predators doubled their lead at 13:10 when Jonathan Marchessault scored his first of the year on the power play. He beat Ullmark from a bad angle between the legs, but coverage-wise, he had way more room to operate than he should have.
The Sens managed just four shots on goal in the opening period and went through an incredible stretch of more than 22 minutes without a single shot.
But the Senators finally broke through at 9:29 of the second when Stützle scored his fourth goal of the season on the power play on a perfect feed from Dylan Cozens, cutting Nashville's lead to 2-1.
Despite their struggles, the Senators were still within striking distance in the third, but with things looking bleak late, they made their final push count.
With Ullmark on the bench for an extra attacker, Batherson scored his third goal of the season at 18:37 of the third period, tying the game at 2. At the right point, Stützle had no shooting lane, but he did have Shane Pinto in the slot.
He ripped a hard pass at him and Pinto redirected it. It would have gone wide, but Batherson was standing at the left post and it went in off his leg.
It was a fine rescue for a Sens team that had spent much of the night struggling to create anything.
Overtime gave the Sens a fantastic opportunity to complete the comeback on a four-on-three power play. But the best OT scoring opportunity came immediately after the Nashville penalty expired.
Roman Josi stepped out of the box and found himself on a breakaway, but Ullmark came up with a huge save, turning aside a wrist shot to keep the Sens alive.
That set the stage for the shootout, where Ryan O'Reilly scored for Nashville to give them a 1-0 lead.
Stützle answered for the Senators to tie it, Pinto gave them the lead, and Ullmark stopped Steven Stamkos on the Preds last gasp to secure the win.
Ullmark finished with 16 saves on 18 shots, while Nashville goaltender Matt Murray (not that Matt Murray) stopped 18 of the Sens' 20 shots.
Both teams finished 1-for-6 on the power play, a sluggish 16.7 percent success rate.
This was the kind of close game in the past that the Senators would oftenlet get away from them. But they managed to turn what was shaping up to be a frustrating evening into their fourth victory in five games.
It definitely wasn't pretty, but as they say, there's no room for description on the scoresheet.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
Daniil Tarasov Shines, But Red Wings Shut Out 1-0 In Marathon Shootout Loss To Habs
Despite another strong performance, including an impressive debut from goaltender Daniil Tarasov, the Detroit Red Wings couldn't find the back of the net Saturday night.
The Montreal Canadiens escaped with a 1-0 shootout victory at Bell Centre after Zachary Bolduc scored the only goal in the sixth round.
Final in the shootout. pic.twitter.com/Z77yo0VF6k
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 11, 2026
Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler stopped all 30 shots he faced through regulation and overtime before denying all six Red Wings attempts in the shootout, turning aside Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, Viktor Arvidsson, Dylan Larkin, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Nate Danielson.
Tarasov, making his first start with the Red Wings, was equally impressive, stopping 30 shots in regulation and overtime.
The Red Wings, playing their first game away from Little Caesars Arena this season and their second in 24 hours, were once again heavily shorthanded up front because of the absences of Marco Kasper, J.T. Compher, and Mason Appleton.
Additionally, defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Detroit received a trio of breaks during the contest, as three would-be goals by the Canadiens would be overturned, including a snipe from Bolduc in overtime that was called back for offside.
Todd McLellan: Brandsegg-Nygård's Playing Style A Good Example For Others Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan noted that the playing style of Michael Brandsegg-Nygård is what several other players on the roster could be emulating. Unfortunately for the Red Wings, it's the second time that they've been shut out through the first five games of the 2026-27 campaign.
The Red Wings will return home for another trio of games in downtown Detroit, starting Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils.
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Bolduc scores in shootout as the Canadiens outlast the Red Wings 1-0
MONTREAL (AP) — Zachary Bolduc scored in the sixth round of a shootout, Jacob Fowler made 30 saves and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 on Saturday night.
After Bolduc beat Daniil Tarasov through the pads for the first score in the tiebreaker, Fowler stopped Nate Danielson.
Montreal ended a three-game losing streak to improve to 2-2-1. It won for first time on home ice in three outings this season.
Fowler had his second career shutout for the Canadiens. The 21-year-old was making his second straight start for Montreal after being recalled from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
Tarasov made 30 saves in his first start for the Red Wings.
Detroit (1-3-1), playing in its first road game of the season, dropped its second game in two nights after falling 6-3 to the Seattle Kraken on Friday night.
Cole Caufield’s shot 1:16 into the game was deemed not to have crossed the goal line, while Bolduc’s second-period goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference by Jake Evans on Tarasov. A third apparent Montreal goal, this one courtesy of Alexandre Texier, was called back for offside midway through overtime.
In addition to cheering on the home team, Canadiens fans spent much of the game showing their appreciation for Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin. The crowd repeatedly broke into chants of “We want Larkin! We want Larkin!” in a bid to persuade the American to make Montreal his next destination. The former Red Wings captain requested a trade out of Detroit this past offseason.
Up next
Red Wings: Host New Jersey on Tuesday night.
Canadiens: Host Buffalo on Tuesday night.
___
Dodgers confident Shohei Ohtani will break out of his slump against Brewers
Shohei Ohtani blistered a ball into the second deck in right-center field. Then he launched another, this time a little closer to the imposing video board looming over American Family Field that bore the massive “2026 NLCS” logo.
“Good day of work for him,” hitting coach Aaron Bates said after the Dodgers’ workout Saturday. “Him and Bookie [Mookie Betts] had been talking hitting the last few days. His idea to hit on the field. New field, new backdrop, that sort of thing.”
Ohtani has only hit in batting practice on a field a handful of times this season. But ahead of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, he had an extended session off the machine.
Read more:By not overextending itself vs. Braves, Dodgers' rotation primed for success vs. Brewers
“Just trying not to flip the barrel so soon,” Bates said of what Ohtani has focused on mechanically. “Get comfortable in the setup so he feels like he’s in a good position to swing the bat, but mostly just not have his top hand roll over too soon. Then just sticking his finish, and that helps him reverse engineer, keeps the effort level low and obviously just on the ball longer.”
Ohtani went two for 13 in the NLDS, recording two singles in the first two games. The four-time MVP will try to overcome his recent struggles when he faces Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1.
Misiorowski raised his own bar in his second major-league season. But Ohtani’s struggles bumped him down to the No. 5 and 4 spots in the Dodgers’ lineup for games 3 and 4, respectively, against the Atlanta Braves.
Ohtani’s recent slump, however, isn’t going to change how Misiorowski pitches to him.
“It’s still October,” the Brewers ace said. “You’ve got to still pitch like he’s the best in the world and trust your stuff and go beat him at his game, and do your job.”
That track record is what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is leaning on, too, as he continues to predict that Ohtani will bust out of his funk.
“There’s nothing right now I’m going to hang my hat on outside of, I just believe in the person and the talent,” Roberts said in a conference call Friday. “I do think that getting a couple days out of a game environment to kind of work on his swing, rest the body, rest the mind is a benefit. I’m just never going to count Shohei out.”
Ohtani’s biggest contribution in the NLDS didn’t involve a swing. In his first at-bat of Game 4, he took advantage of Tyler Mahle taking a careful approach with him, drawing a five-pitch walk. Then he stole second base and capitalized on a pair of Braves errors to score.
“Outside of [Chris] Sale, I thought he did a good job of controlling the zone,” Roberts said. “I saw some better swings.”
But the Dodgers also expressed optimism while Ohtani was on the injured list, and again after he had the bye week to work on his swing.
“It feels really good overall,” Ohtani said last Oct. 2, the last time he addressed the media. “I do feel like my swing is in a better place, feels smooth, and just a little tweak here and there, and I’ll be ready.”
Ohtani didn’t will a hot streak into existence then. But the Dodgers keep preaching optimism.
“If he’s in the batter’s box, he’s still a threat,” Roberts said Saturday. “He swung the bat well against these guys last postseason. Their memories — those pitchers, their memories are long. Now it’s just up to Shohei to understand that and control the strike zone. They’re just not going to give in to him regardless of how he might be swinging the bat over the last couple months, in my opinion.”
Read more:Shaikin: Here's why the Dodgers-Brewers NLCS might have been decided in August
Roster decision
Roberts said he expects infielder Miguel Rojas to be on the Dodgers’ NLCS roster despite sustaining a back injury in Game 3 of the NLDS.
The Dodgers also plan to add a pitcher and remove a position player, to balance the roster at 13 pitchers and 13 position players.
“Length, having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching,” Roberts said when asked what the Dodgers would prioritize. “As far as handedness, they’re pretty balanced. So that really doesn’t come into play. I think for us, it’s more of, who can take down a couple innings if something in a medium- to lower-leverage situation?”
Right-hander Emmet Sheehan and left-hander Justin Wrobleski could fit that description.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.