Winnipeg Jets (35-32-12, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (37-26-17, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Monday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Winnipeg Jets after the Golden Knights defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in overtime.
Vegas has gone 18-12-9 at home and 37-26-17 overall. The Golden Knights are 35-6-11 in games they score at least three goals.
Winnipeg has a 16-17-6 record in road games and a 35-32-12 record overall. The Jets have allowed 239 goals while scoring 223 for a -16 scoring differential.
Monday's game is the third time these teams square off this season. The Jets won the previous meeting 4-1.
TOP PERFORMERS: Pavel Dorofeyev has 36 goals and 27 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has six goals and two assists over the last 10 games.
Mark Scheifele has 34 goals and 65 assists for the Jets. Kyle Connor has scored seven goals and added four assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 6-1-3, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.5 assists, 3.2 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
Jets: 7-3-0, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.9 assists, 3.2 penalties and 8.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body).
Jets: Gustav Nyquist: day to day (undisclosed), Morgan Barron: out (lower-body), Colin Miller: out (knee), Elias Salomonsson: out (concussion).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Buffalo Sabres (49-23-8, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (28-38-14, in the Central Division)
Chicago; Monday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres visit the Chicago Blackhawks after Josh Doan scored two goals in the Sabres' 5-0 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Chicago has a 13-18-8 record in home games and a 28-38-14 record overall. The Blackhawks have a 9-13-6 record in games they have more penalties than their opponent.
Buffalo is 49-23-8 overall and 23-13-4 in road games. The Sabres have a +39 scoring differential, with 275 total goals scored and 236 allowed.
The matchup Monday is the second time these teams play this season. The Sabres won 9-3 in the last meeting. Doan led the Sabres with two goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tyler Bertuzzi has 32 goals and 25 assists for the Blackhawks. Ilya Mikheyev has five goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
Tage Thompson has 38 goals and 41 assists for the Sabres. Jack Quinn has scored four goals with three assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Blackhawks: 2-7-1, averaging 2.4 goals, 4.1 assists, 2.4 penalties and 5.1 penalty minutes while giving up 4.1 goals per game.
Sabres: 5-3-2, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.4 assists, 4.5 penalties and 11.7 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game.
INJURIES: Blackhawks: Shea Weber: out for season (ankle), Frank Nazar: day to day (face), Ethan Del Mastro: day to day (undisclosed), Artyom Levshunov: out for season (hand), Oliver Moore: out (lower body), Matt Grzelcyk: out for season (upper-body).
Sabres: Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Sam Carrick: out (arm), Alex Lyon: out (lower body), Justin Danforth: out (lower body), Noah Ostlund: out (upper-body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Apr 11, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (3) celebrates with teammates after a game against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
The game looked lost for the Mariners early on Saturday. It was not.
The Astros were all over Luis Castillo from the jump. They lead 7-2 when they chased him in the fourth inning. Things felt final. But Cal Raleigh homered, Julio Rodríguez homered, and the Mariners offense roared back, with a J.P. Crawford walkoff single in the ninth to cap a six-run comeback.
“This is one of those feel-good wins,” Dan Wilson said after the game.
“I can’t say enough about the effort to come back. Being down five runs is a big deal, and these guys, they scratched and clawed their way back. … It’s a confidence builder. And again, the crowd, the ballpark, being here at home, all that plays into it, too. Just a great, great night at the ballpark.”
Things actually started pretty well for the Mariners. Castillo was sharp in the first. He got two quick outs before ending an eight-pitch battle against Isaac Paredes with a strikeout. His velocity was fine, his pitches looked sharp, and he was locating in the zone but away from the heart of the plate.
The Mariners’ lineup gave him quick support, too. Crawford drew a leadoff walk and Cal Raleigh yanked a first-pitch hanging curveball 364 feet to right for a 2-0 lead.
Julio Rodríguez followed with a rocket double just fair down the left field line, flashing a big smile after recording his first extra base hit of the season. It was just about the perfect start to a game.
But things quickly derailed. Josh Naylor popped out. And Randy Arozarena lined a 102-mph comebacker that just so happened to fly right into the glove of Lance McCullers Jr., who doubled-off Julio at second.
Castillo didn’t look as sharp when he came back out for the second inning. He loaded the bases with a single, a walk and another single — Julio prevented a run with a strong throw home that forced the runner to stay at third. Castillo initially looked like he might escape. He worked a full count to Yainer Diaz and then threw a called ball four, but a successful challenge from Cal turned the bases loaded walk into a strikeout.
With two outs, however, Castillo threw a first pitch fastball right down the middle and Taylor Trammell lasered a double off the wall in left center, clearing the bases and giving the Astros a 3-2 lead.
They would make it 4-2 on a Yordan Àlvarez home run to lead off the third. And they would make it 5-2 after stringing together three consecutive hits later in the inning. After three more singles and two more runs in the fourth, Dan Wilson turned to the bullpen down 7-2.
Again, this score felt pretty final there. The Astros’ lineup was scorching. They picked up 17 hits on the day, including six doubles and a homer, to go with four walks. The Mariners’ lineup, on the other hand, went nine-up and nine-down after the first inning, allowing McCullers to settle in. With the general malaise at the plate over the first few weeks of the season, it was hard to see them suddenly figuring it out.
Slowly but surely they did. Cole Young picked up a single in the bottom of the fifth. Dominic Canzone doubled him to third. Leo Rivas loaded the bases with a walk, bringing up Crawford, who plopped a two-run single into right center.
Cal followed with a sac fly, bringing Julio to the plate with two outs and a runner first, down 7-5. After falling behind 1-2, he got a hanging slider below the zone and scorched it out to straightaway center field at 108 mph — his first homer of the season to tie the game at 7-7.
The Astros threatened to take back the lead in each of the next three innings but couldn’t quite pick up the go-ahead knock.
In the seventh, Eduard Bazardo gave up a leadoff double to Carlos Correa. Joey Loperfido followed with a single to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Bazardo got Cam Smith to watch three strikes for the first out. Then he got Diaz to pop out. Then he froze Trammell with a front-door, 94-mph sinker at the top of the zone to escape the jam.
In the eighth, Matt Brash gave up a one-out double to Yordan Alvarez that bounced off the top of the wall in right field at 111.3 mph. Brash eventually escaped three batters later.
Andrés Muñoz loaded the bases with the game still tied in the ninth. He gave up a screaming double to Smith that went off (or maybe through?) Leo Rivas’ glove at third. Then he walked two consecutive batters to load the bases with two outs. Muñoz was struggling to find the strike zone and things looked dicey when he fell behind Alvarez 2-0. But he got Alvarez to a chase a slider below the zone and ended the inning with a pop out.
That brought the Mariners to the plate with a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth. Luke Raley struck out to leadoff. Then Bryan Abreu completely lost the zone, loading the bases with three straight walks to Young, Brendan Donovan (who started the game on the bench with an illness), and Rivas.
Crawford stepped in. He watched a fastball right down the middle for strike one. He just missed on another fastball right down the middle, fouling it back for strike two. Then he got a third-straight fastball right down the middle, and this time sliced a firm line drive the other way to walkoff the Astros 8-7.
Crawford was the ideal person to have at the plate in that moment. He entered the game with a career 196 wRC+ with the bases loaded (ninth best since tracking began in 2002) and a 145 wRC+ in high-leverage plate appearances for his career (tied for 10th best).
He said he’s been able to consistently come through in big spots because of he’s confident in his approach.
“Get the job done — do your job, handle business, don’t try to think so much, put a good swing on it, and find a hole,” he said on his mindset in the ninth. “I just go up there with the same game plan. He’s got bases loaded, less than two outs, so all the pressure’s on him. He has to make his pitches, and I knew he was going to be aggressive right there. So just trying to be on time for a fastball.”
Crawford’s season didn’t get off to a good start. He began the year on the injured list with a sore shoulder that bugged him throughout Spring Training. He was activated just days after the Mariners signed Colt Emerson, likely his future replacement at shortstop, to a historic extension for a prospect. After a sleepy second half in 2025, there was some question about what Crawford might be able to provide in 2026, and how soon the Mariners might seek change.
But after reaching base four times Sunday, Crawford has a 129 wRC+ in his first 31 plate appearances of the new season. If he keeps hitting, he’ll keep finding himself in big spots like Saturday’s. And is history is any indicator, he’ll keep coming through.
“It means everything. You know, it’s one of those moments you dream of as a kid in the batting cages, and honestly it’s a dream come true. You have a chance to be the hero. You gotta capitalize.
“It never gets old. Hearing the crowd chant my name is honestly a dream come true. There’s no better feeling than that.”
The San Jose Sharks hosted their final regular season home game on Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
The Sharks looked competitive right out of the gate, with some big hits and some quality scoring chances in the opening minutes. Macklin Celebrini had a breakaway attempt denied by Kevin Lankinen roughly seven minutes into the game. After Lankinen made the save, Vancouver launched an attack of their own and forced Yaroslav Askarov to make a save at the other end of the ice.
Askarov had a bit of an issue with one of his pads as it came completely off his leg following the save, causing a short delay in action.
Igor Chernyshov opened the scoring with 3:41 remaining in the first period after he beat Lankinen from close range to make it a 1-0 game. The Sharks carried that lead into the first intermission.
As time expired though, Chernyshov showed his value to the Sharks in another form. Celebrini was hit hard by Victor Mancini as the period came to an end.
Zack Ostapchuk drew the first penalty of the game just over three minutes into the second period, as Zeev Buium sat for hooking. Shortly after the penalty expired, the Canucks evened things up with a strange goal.
Askarov attempted to play the puck, and as he rushed back to his crease, he pulled the net along with him. Although he pulled the net to the ice, the puck crossed the goal line before he did so, making it a 1-1 game with the goal credited to Marco Rossi, his 11th of the season.
Chernyshov nearly restored the Sharks’ lead eight minutes into the middle frame, but his shot from point-blank range went wide of the goal. Tyler Toffoli would be the one to give the Sharks their next lead, breaking an 11-game goal drought in the process to make it 2-1.
Dmitry Orlov would take the Sharks’ first penalty of the night with just over four minutes left in the second period after he tripped up Drew O’Connor. Jake DeBrusk would even things up off a rebound right before the penalty expired.
The Sharks challenged the goal for goaltender interference, but the call stood. As a result, Will Smith went to the penalty box, and the Sharks were back on the penalty kill right after giving up a power play goal. San Jose killed off the penalty, and the game went into the third period tied at two goals apiece.
William Eklund nearly put the Sharks back in front early in the third period, but his shot deflected off the post and went behind Lankinen, then through the crease. Chernyshov had a chance on an open net just over five minutes into the period, but fanned on the shot. He got a follow-up shot off, but it was saved by Lankinen.
Chernyshov scored his third of the night with 7:16 left in regulation, giving the Sharks a 3-2 lead with limited time remaining.
Vincent Desharnais went to the penalty box with just under five minutes remaining for a hook on Nils Hoglander, giving the Canucks a key opportunity to tie things up. Teddy Blueger did just that, as he scored Vancouver’s third goal of the night with just one second remaining on the Desharnais penalty.
60 minutes wouldn't be enough to decide a winner, as the game went into overtime. Alex Wennberg drew a tripping penalty which saw DeBrusk heading to the penalty box with just 2:17 remaining in overtime.
Smith had the winner on his stick with just 40 seconds remaining and a wide-open net in front of him, but his shot deflected out of play.
Eklund was called for interference with 28 seconds remaining, as expected, the call was not well-received in the SAP Center. The Sharks were able to kill of the Canucks' very abbreviated power play though, sending the game to a shootout.
After a lengthy shootout, Linus Karlsson eventually won it for the Canucks.
In Kevin Lankinen’s return to the lineup, the Vancouver Canucks put together a strong 4–3 shootout win effort against the San Jose Sharks. Jake DeBrusk scored his 20th goal of the season, while Marco Rossi and Teddy Blueger also found the back of the net. While Linus Karlsson scored the shootout winner, it was Lankinen who showed up most by stopping 28 of 31 shots faced as well as five of six shootout attempts.
In his first game since April 1, having missed the past week due to an upper-body injury, Lankinen put together a strong outing. He faced a handful of high-danger chances for San Jose in the first period, standing tall on chances from both Sharks stars Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini. Lankinen continued his strong play throughout the game, stopping two massive chances in-tight from Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli in the third period.
Celebrini continued his dominance over his hometown team, first by putting in the extended effort to get the puck to Igor Chernyshov on the Sharks’ first goal. He also assisted on Chernyshov’s second goal of the game and scored in the shootout. The forward is now up to three goals and 10 assists in six games against his hometown team as well as a five-game point streak against the Canucks. Tonight also marked his fifth-career multi-point game against Vancouver.
Tonight’s game featured an unexpected play in net. Victor Mancini rimmed the puck along the boards in his own zone, though nobody was able to collect it before it slid behind San Jose’s net. Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov went out to play it, though the puck bounced off the boards and into the possession of Rossi. Making a quick decision knowing he wouldn’t be able to get back into the crease in time, Askarov pulled the net down to try and negate the goal, though Rossi shot the puck and appeared to have gotten it in the tipping net. Regardless, the goal counted for the centre.
Vancouver’s power play remained hot in tonight’s game, scoring on their first opportunity thanks to DeBrusk. While they did have some issues breaking in on their first man-advantage, once they were able to set up, the Canucks had an easier time connecting their passes and getting the shot on net for DeBrusk to tip-in. While they didn’t score on their second opportunity, Blueger’s goal on the third man-advantage tied things up for Vancouver late in the third period. The Canucks are now up to 11 power play goals in the past 10 games that they’ve had at least one power play in.
By far the Canucks’ hero past regulation was Lankinen, who ended up facing a 4-on-3 power play for the Sharks during overtime. During this sequence of chances for San Jose, Lankinen stopped a massive near open-net chance for Smith, helping send Vancouver to the shootout. While Lankinen managed to stop Chernyshov to extend his shootout save streak to 18, it was Celebrini who managed to find the back of the net. Tonight’s shootout went six rounds, with the results increasing Lankinen’s numbers to 22 saves on 23 shootout chances faced.
With the win, the Canucks have snapped a four-game losing streak and made a substantial dent in the Sharks’ playoff chances. They also very nearly avoided being swept by the Sharks in a season series for the first time since 2016–17, as Vancouver previously dropped their three other games against San Jose earlier this year.
Apr 11, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) defends against San Jose Sharks left wing Igor Chernyshov (92) during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
Jake DeBrusk becomes the second Canuck to score 20 goals this season
Vancouver records 40+ shots on goal for the second time in 2025–26
Teddy Blueger is now up to three goals and three assists in his past six games
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
16:19 - SJS: Igor Chernyshov (6) from Macklin Celebrini
2nd Period:
5:56 - VAN: Marco Rossi (11) from Victor Mancini
9:02 - SJS: Tyler Toffoli (19) from Sam Dickinson and Michael Misa
17:37 - VAN: Jake DeBrusk (20) from Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson (PPG)
3rd Period:
12:44 - SJS: Igor Chernyshov (7) from Macklin Celebrini and Dmitry Orlov
17:01 - VAN: Teddy Blueger (9) from Linus Karlsson (PPG)
Overtime:
No Scoring.
Shootout Winner:
VAN - Linus Karlsson
Up Next:
Vancouver is back at it right away with a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks tomorrow at 5:00 pm PT. This game will mark the end of their current road trip, with this being their last multi-game road trip of the 2025–26 season. The Canucks currently lead the season series 2–1, but dropped their most recent game by a score of 5–3 on March 24.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Apr 11, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner (18) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images
On a day when the University of Denver hockey team won their historic 11th National Championship, it felt like nothing could go wrong in the Colorado sports world. Alas, there was no more Mile High Magic to go around for the Colorado Rockies (or Colorado Avalanche) tonight.
Things got off to a promising start. Ryan Feltner looked sharp early and the offense came out swinging with some big bombs on Germán Márquez in his first start against the Rockies since signing with the San Diego Padres this offseason.
The start wouldn’t last, as the Padres would quickly get back in front and pull away in the middle innings.
Pioneering the way
What the Rockies possibly needed most in this game was a hot start against starter Germán Márquez. They got just that.
Márquez has been susceptible early and often this season. Across his two starts, he carried a 13.50 first-inning ERA into today’s game. He had also given up 14 hits over eight innings pitched.
The Rockies hope was to put runners on base and rattle him with some early runs. Edouard Julien started that with a leadoff single. Julien attempted to steal second, was called out, but a successful challenge kept him there.
That would prove vital as Mickey Moniak hammered a two-run homer to right for an early lead.
The Padres nearly responded in the bottom of the inning, reaching second and third. With those runners in prime position to score, Nick Castellanos boomed a deep drive to left. With a save that was reminiscent of DU goalie Johnny Hicks, Jordan Beck made an incredible leaping grab at the left field wall to rob Castellanos of a three-run homer and the lead to end the inning.
Julien would come back around and extend the early lead with a solo shot in the top of the third, right before Moniak would do the same with his second of the night, bringing the game to 4-0.
Trust the “proscess”
Following in the footsteps of DU hockey’s intentionally misspelled motto, the Rockies would trust in their gameplan and try to weather some storms.
The Friars got back into things with a strong three run third inning. With runners on first and third, Jackson Merrill would drive in a run on a grounder that was nearly a double play, bringing things to 4-1. With the next at-bat, Manny Machado blasted a two-run homer into left-center to make things a one-run game.
Márquez would settle things down, securing a 1-2-3 fourth inning. That, unfortunately, set the stage for the Padres to take the lead.
After striking out Gavin Sheets, Feltner gave up a double to Miguel Andujar and walked Freddy Fermin. Feltner nearly escaped, striking out Jake Cronenworth for the second out.
Ramón Laureano seized the opportunity with a three-run homer, giving San Diego a 6-4 lead heading into the fifth.
Similar start, different finish
Feltner and Márquez entered the matchup with eerily similar stat lines across their two starts.
In his two games, Feltner went 1-0 across 8.1 innings with a 4.32 ERA, one home run surrendered, and five strikeouts. Márquez was 1-1 across 8.0 innings with a 4.50 ERA, two home runs, and five strikeouts.
Despite a shakier start, Márquez would get the better of Feltner tonight.
After a scoreless first and second, Feltner gave up six runs on seven hits, including two home runs, with three walks, four strikeouts, and a 7.30 ERA for the night.
On the flipside, after giving up four runs in the first two innings, Márquez would rebound and post a 5.54 ERA after five innings of work, with just four hits, including three home runs, five strikeouts, and two walks.
An opportunity on thin ice
The Rockies chances quickly slipped away as the game went on.
Zach Agnos entered in relief of Feltner in the bottom of the fifth and didn’t fare much better. He made it through the fifth unscathed, but would lose control in the sixth. After Fermin reached base on an error, Agnos would walk the next three batters and walk in a run to put the game at 7-4.
Agnos finished his night with a 7.56 ERA on top of those three walks and three runs (two earned) surrendered.
There, things went from bad to worse. Brennan Bernardino came in and immediately gave up a double to Jackson Merrill pushing the score to 9-4. He intentionally walked Castellanos before striking out Gavin Sheets to limit the damage.
Take me home, country roads
The ol’ Fighting Rocks would not go quietly. The makings of a rally would come together in the eighth and ninth.
Ezequiel Tovar doubled in the top of the eighth. Moniak’s hot night continued with an RBI single to right field to bring Tovar home and make it 9-5. Moniak finished 3-for-4 with four RBI on two home runs.
Entering the ninth down four, Willi Castro struck out swinging and Brett Sullivan popped out for outs one and two. Just when it looked all but over, things got exciting.
TJ Rumfield, pinch-hititng for Kyle Karros, hit a line drive single to center. Tyler Freeman singled to right. Julien drew a walk on a wonderful at bat to load the bases. The situation forced a San Diego pitching change, bringing in Jason Adam to close things out. Tovar got behind in the count early and popped out to second for the final nail in the coffin.
A lot went well early and late tonight. It was nice to see the Rockies work with a decent lead early on. It felt promising that the big deficit led to an inspired rally. Ultimately, Warren Schaeffer highlighted the team’s seven walks, noting that you won’t win many games that way. The Rockies leave this one with some nice things to point to, but plenty left to clean up.
Up Next
The Rockies will ride three straight losses into the finale of this four game series out in Petco Park on Sunday afternoon.
Back at the top of the rotation, Kyle Freeland will take the mound against Nick Pivetta for a 2:10 p.m. MT first pitch.
The Rockies will look to escape the series with a win before shipping off to Texas for an early season rematch with the Houston Astros.
Going into the first game of their home-and-home series against the Washington Capitals on Saturday - and the final home game of the regular season - the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to be pretty shorthanded.
Having already clinched a playoff berth with a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, the Penguins had a plethora of players nursing some injuries that they decided to hold out of the lineup - despite the possibility that it could be Alex Ovechkin's final game in Pittsburgh.
Well, the Penguins looked like a team that was missing a whole lot of regulars from their lineup - and Washington's young guys delivered in a must-win game for the Capitals.
The Caps defeated the Pens, 6-3, With Ovechkin scoring the empty-net goal near the end of the contest to cap off the win. Ryan Leonard scored twice, each Protas brother - Aliaksei and Ilya - got on the board, and Tom Wilson registered his second-consecutive 30-goal season for the Caps en route to the win.
Penguins' netminder Arturs Silovs stopped 25 of 30 Washington shots on goal, while Pittsburgh only registered 12 shots of its own over the entire course of the game.
There was no score after the first period, where the Capitals outshot the Penguins, 10-1, but Silovs stood tall. But the second period got pretty crazy quickly. Aliaksei Protas opened the scoring just a minute and half into the middle frame, but Penguins' leading goal-scorer Anthony Mantha cashed in just 26 seconds later to knot the game up at 1-1 with his 32nd of the season.
However, the Caps answered four minutes later with consecutive goals by Leonard and Wilson to gain a two-goal lead. Noel Acciari put home his 13th for the Penguins a little past the midway point, but Leonard found the back of the net for his second of the game and 20th of the season to make it 4-2.
But immediately following a Penguins' penalty kill, Ryan Shea sprung Kevin Hayes from the box with a perfect neutral-zone pass, and Hayes came down the left side and put a perfect finish on it to bring the Penguins to within one.
The Caps didn't go away, though, and there were ultimately able to get goals from Ilya Protas and Ovechkin in the third - with Ovi's empty-net goal sealing the deal. Anthony Mantha was awarded a penalty shot in the third period, too, but he was unable to execute.
While the Penguins are unable to budge in the standings for the remainder of the regular season, the Capitals' win was huge for them, as they were able to stay within the conversation for a playoff spot. The New York Islanders fell earlier in the day, while the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets each won their respective games later, and the Metropolitan's third position is now the only pathway for any of those four teams to make the playoffs.
Washington trails Philadelphia - currently in that third spot - by three points.
The Capitals and Penguins will face off again on Sunday in Washington for the second half of a home-and-home, and it may be a similar lineup to the one the Penguins put out there on Saturday. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Ben Kindel, Bryan Rust, Erik Karlsson, Parker Wotherspoon, and Kris Letang are all considered day-to-day and did not play.
"I mean, obviously, they made a ton of changes to their lineup right before the game, and those games can be tough sometimes," Wilson said. "So, we knew we had to keep it simple and not give them anything. For the most part, we did a pretty good job. I think they got a couple good looks, but for the most part, we were dumping pucks, getting them back, forechecking, keeping it simple, using our legs.
"You don't want to get into a back-and-forth game on this type of night, so obviously, we've got one tomorrow, too."
Ovechkin got a nice ovation from the Pittsburgh faithful, too, in preparation for the fact that this could very well have been his last game in Pittsburgh, as both the Capitals' playoff hopes and his future are undecided at this point.
But Oveckhin appreciated the gesture from the crowd, and he said it's a sign of mutual respect between the two teams.
"Yeah, it was nice. It was a show of respect," Ovechkin said. "All that time that we spend on rivalries, playoffs, other good seasons... yeah. It shows respect."
And Penguins' players sure have a lot of respect for what Ovechkin has done over the years, too, and they are happy to have been a part of it for however long they've had the opportunity.
"Yeah, I mean, it's always special," Rickard Rakell said. "You've always got to be aware of where he's at on the ice because, I mean, he's... everybody knows about his shot. He's on for such a long time.
"I've had the pleasure to play against him for a long time, and you know when he's scoring on you. But, he's a fun player to watch."
Jan 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard John Konchar (46) and Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) pursue a loose ball during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Before we start, I want to thank everyone who has even read one of these this season. They’ve always been a fun way to talk about basketball and the Houston Rockets specifically. A huge round of appreciation for Xiane and Holly, who each grabbed a couple of previews back in January while I was abroad for my brother’s wedding.
As for tonight’s game, the Houston Rockets are resting everyone since they are locked into the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Their opponent will almost assuredly be the Denver Nuggets, who are resting everyone but Nikola Jokic against San Antonio. Jokic needs 20 minutes to reach his 65 games mark. Meanwhile, the Spurs have every incentive to win that game because it pushed Denver to OKC’s side of the bracket, meaning San Antonio might get a pathway of Phoenix and Minnesota on their way to the Western Conference Finals. Again, the Spurs are my pick to win it all this season. And next season. And the season after that one.
The Memphis Grizzlies would very much like to lose this game. As things stand, they are tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the sixth-best odds in the lottery. A win could move them into a tie for seventh, where they could lose the tiebreaker with Atlanta on a coin flip. So winning tonight could be the difference in several ping pong balls and their floor dropping from 10 to 12. They would be stupid to try to win.
Tonight is probably a Reed Sheppard night. It’s also a great chance for J.D. Davison and Isaiah Crawford to get some run.
A win tonight matches Houston’s record from last year, when they were the 2 seed. It also bears mentioning that Houston went 41-41 two seasons ago and were five games out of the play-in. That same record would put them in a fight for the 8 seed this season.
Of course, I’ll be back for the playoff game previews. That schedule hasn’t been released yet and won’t until sometimes this week. Houston will play on Saturday or Sunday, and more than likely every game will be the late game.
Tip-off
7:30pm CT
How To Watch
Space City Home Network
Injury Report
Rockets
Steven Adams: OUT
Fred VanVleet: OUT
Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr.: OUT
Apr 11, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) hits a home run against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
We aren’t even a month into the season and I am already out of words with this Guardians rookie class. Chase DeLauter continues to do Chase DeLauter things, Juan Brito gets called up and looks like a seasoned vet, and Parker Messick has his ERA down to 0.51 on the season after tossing 6.2 scoreless innings tonight.
It was also a huge game for José Ramírez, he went 2-4 with a solo HR and a walk. Despite the lackluster results, he had been hitting the ball hard and putting up good at bats for awhile now, it’s nice to see him finally get some good results. Angel Martinez continues to be the hottest hitter on the team, and one of the hottest hitters in the league. He went 2-5 tonight and he’s up to a .342 average with a .919 OPS. Daniel Schneemann had a huge hit in the 9th that scored two after coming in as a pinch hitter earlier in the game. Rocchio went 0-3 with a walk but had some awesome ABs. This feels like the best the Guardians offense has been in a long time. I can’t remember the last time it felt like we had this many players in the lineup contributing to winning, it has been so much fun.
I know I already mentioned Parker Messick earlier, but he deserves so much more praise. Since being called up to the MLB, his ERA is 2.04 and has 54 strikeouts to just 11 walks. The way he gets fired up after getting out of jams is so exciting to watch. Messick was phenomenal tonight, but so was the rest of the pitching staff. Erik Sabrowski continues to be the most underrated relievers in baseball, there are not many guys in the league that are as good as him right now.
The Guardians will take on the Braves again tomorrow at 7:20 pm ET on Peacock. The pitching matchup will be Tanner Bibee vs Chris Sale. Let’s go get 2/3.
Apr 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Brandon Nimmo (24) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Los Angeles Dodgers scored six runs.
Even after turning a corner last season, Jack Leiter remains a work in progress. Or, perhaps a better way to say it is he’ll likely always be prone to having nights like this as long as command is never his strong suit.
Leiter collected swinging strikeouts for each of the outs in the first inning. The only problem is he also allowed two home runs in that inning, including a leadoff homer by Shohei Ohtani and a two-out, three run blast off the bat of former Home Run Derby champion Teoscar Hernandez.
Texas was in a 4-1 hole like 15 minutes into this game which isn’t where you want to be against the best team money has bought.
Leiter also walked four in his wildest appearance of the season which lasted only 3 2/3 innings on 93 pitches. In addition to the fact that Leiter’s command regressed and he simply wasn’t good tonight, the lack of innings meant the bullpen was forced to absorb more frames and they’ve already faced heavy usage in the early going.
With eight more games without an off day on this road trip, the arms will be tested.
Player of the Game: Brandon Nimmo decided to make an attempt at singlehandedly beating the Dodgers himself as the Texas right fielder homered to lead off the game, doubled later, and then hit a two-run bomb to pull Texas to within a couple of runs.
Other than Nimmo’s feats, the Rangers lineup produced just one other hit with No. 9 hitter Josh Jung singling before Nimmo’s second home run.
The fact that Leiter was neither good nor long for this game, and the fact that facing this Dodgers squad with a big early lead felt like a death sentence, the game being reasonably close late was all thanks to Nimmo until Chris Martin entered like the grim reaper to kill this one with the Dodgers tacking on their final run in the 8th.
Up Next: The Rangers close out this series trying to get off the swept-sweep-swept roller coaster counting on RHP Jacob deGrom in the finale while facing RHP Roki Sasaki for Los Angeles.
The Sunday afternoon first pitch from Dodgers Stadium is scheduled for 3:10 pm CDT and you can view it on the Rangers Sports Network.
Apr 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) hits a three-run home run against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
LOS ANGELES — Emmet Sheehan had his best start of the early season, backed by early home runs in the Dodgers’ 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers wore their city connect uniforms for the first time in 2026, and connected right away off Rangers starter Jack Leiter. Shohei Ohtani homered to start the bottom of the first inning, extending his on-base streak to 45 games, the fifth-longest in modern Dodgers history.
With two on and two out in the first, Teoscar Hernández broke things open with a three-run home run, his first home run at Dodgers Stadium this season after hitting two during the six-game road trip.
The four-run first inning erased the very early deficit for Sheehan, who allowed a leadoff home run to Brandon Nimmo and then not much else at all to any other Rangers hitter.
Sheehan had an uneven spring training, interrupted for a bit by the flu, followed by struggles with his mechanics, affecting both his command and his fastball velocity. He needed 83 pitches to get through 3 1/3 innings in his first start of the year, then allowed three runs in the first inning of his second start before recovering to last 5 2/3 in Washington D.C.
Through it all, neither Sheehan nor the Dodgers expressed much concern, but rather were confident he’d turn things around. A slight rotation shuffle after Thursday’s off day saw Tyler Glasnow pitch the series opener, which pushed back Sheehan to Saturday, on seven full days of rest.
“I think what we’re looking for is just another step forward,” manager Dave Roberts said earlier Saturday. “He had a little extra time in between and the work he did in between, Emmet feels really good about it. The coaches feel good about the mechanics piece of it, so his entire pitch mix seems in a good spot.”
After the home run to Nimmo, Sheehan retired his next eight batters before Nimmo doubled with two outs in the third inning, but was stranded. He didn’t permit another run until the sixth inning, when Nimmo took him deep again, this time a two-run shot after a single by Josh Jung.
Nimmo had three extra-base hits and drove in all three Rangers runs off Sheehan. But the rest of the lineup had only one hit in 18 at-bats plus a walk, with six strikeouts. Sheehan got through six innings, his longest outing of the season, on just 77 pitches, and averaged 95.2 mph on his fastball after just 93.9 mph in his first two starts.
Jack Dreyer struck out all three batters he faced in the seventh, then Tanner Scott pitched a perfect eighth on just nine pitches, even retiring Nimmo.
Instead, Blake Treinen got the ball and saw two runners reach base, one by walk and one on an error by Max Muncy at third base. Facing the potential tying run at the plate, Treinen struck out Andrew McCutchen for the second out of the inning.
Rather than have Treinen face the left-handed Evan Carter, Roberts opted for left-hander Alex Vesia, who faced Rangers pinch-hitter Danny Jansen, a right-handed batter. Vesia ran the count full but struck out Jansen to earn the save on his 30th birthday.
The Dodgers go for the series sweep on Sunday afternoon (1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA), with Roki Sasaki on the mound at the start. Jacob deGrom starts for the Rangers.
Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar was trying to bank the puck off the boards during the third period of the April 11 game, but it went into the Avalanche bench and hit Bednar in the side of the head.
A trainer looked at the coach, who went to the dressing room with a towel being held to his head. Bednar had not returned by the end of the game.
The Avalanche said after the game that Bednar was hit in his right cheek and was fully alert and conscious but would be taken to a local hospital for a CT scan and further evaluation.
Avs head coach Jared Bednar took an attempted dump-in from Keegan Kolesar to the side of the head and has left the bench 🤕 pic.twitter.com/Qh0uQQSXgd
"It's certainly a little unnerving," assistant coach Nolan Pratt told reporters after the game. "It's scary when the pucks are flying in there. It happens all the time and unfortunate tonight."
The Golden Knights beat the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche 3-2 in overtime to clinch a playoff spot and move past the Edmonton Oilers into the Pacific Division lead.
Bednar wasn't the only member of the Avalanche to leave the game. Defenseman Josh Manson didn't return after suffering an upper-body injury. Pratt said the team would have a better update on his condition on Sunday, April 12.
Eleven days ago, the Vegas Golden Knights were fighting for their lives. They had fallen to third in the Pacific Division and were in serious danger of missing the postseason. Today, they officially clinched a playoff berth and moved into first in the Pacific with a 3-2 overtime win on Saturday over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
What a difference a week and change makes.
Right from puck drop, the Avalanche got to their game quickly and showed why they’re the Presidents’ Trophy winners. They outshot the Golden Knights 15-7 in the first period and generated nine high-danger scoring chances.
The Avalanche broke the ice at 9:17 in the first. Devon Toews fired a wrister from the point, and it rode up on Carter Hart’s chest protector and into the net.
Despite being outplayed in the first period, the Golden Knights entered intermission tied at one after scoring the equalizer on their second power play of the game.
The Golden Knights tied it up at 13:47 in the first. After Tomáš Hertl got a stick on Mitch Marner’s shot from the point, Mark Stone batted the puck out of midair. Parker in front of the net, Stone pulled to his backhand, and chipped it in over Mackenzie Wedgewood’s blocker.
Mark Stone with his third goal in his last two games. And what a beauty.
In the second period, the Avalanche boasted an 11-10 edge in shots. However, it was the Golden Knights with the lion’s share of scoring chances, generating 17 against Colorado’s nine.
The Golden Knights took their first lead of the night just 2:09 into the period. Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside Kaedan Korczak’s shot from the point, and the rebound kicked out to Ivan Barbadian behind the goal line. Barbashev protected the puck and set up Pavel Dorofeyev for a one-timed snipe from the left dot.
Pavel Dorofeyev with a perfectly placed shot from the left circle. That’s his 36th on the season and it’s a new career high!
The Avalanche responded at 10:56 in the second. Nick Blankenburg fired a shot from the point that hit off the post and bounced off of Carter Hart’s back and into the net.
What an odd bounce. Looks like Blankenburg’s shot went off the post, off Hart’s back, and into the net.
The teams played a scoreless, but eventful, third period. The Golden Knights outshot the Avalanche 10-6 and generated six high-danger scoring chances against Colorado’s three.
The Golden Knights scored the game-winner 1:19 into overtime. After the Avalanche missed the net on a 2-on-1, Jack Eichel took it back the other way and beat Mackenzie Blackwood below the blocker.
Jack Eichel wins it in overtime, and the Vegas Golden Knights are officially playoff bound.
1. The 2025-26 regular season officially comes to a close on Thursday. Despite the season ending in just five days, the Golden Knights have no clue who they’ll face in the playoffs. But tonight, they punched their ticket to the dance, and that is all that matters. Everything else is out of their hands.
2. Before tonight’s game, Pavel Dorofeyev and Jack Eichel had one goal in 12 games and one in 13, respectively. They both got over the hump tonight. Dorofeyev’s goal was his 36th of the season— a new career high.
3. The first goal that Carter Hart surrendered was exceptionally bad. However, he rebounded well and was named the second star of the night. Hart finished with 30 saves on 32 shots, including one against the Rocket Richard leader, Nathan Mackinnon, with 3:44 remaining in regulation.
The Florida Panthers wrapped up their final road trip of the season on a positive note.
Coming off four consecutive defeats since leaving South Florida, the Panthers pulled off a 6-3 win on Saturday night in Toronto despite putting up a mostly-AHL roster.
The Cats got off to a quick start at Scotiabank Arena thanks to a goal by Eetu Luostarinen on the game’s first shift.
Rushing into the zone with Mackie Samoskevich, Luostarinen picked up a rebound in the corner after a Samoskevich shot and sent a sharp angle shot toward the net that went off Joseph Woll and over the goal line just 23 seconds into the game.
Exactly five minutes and 10 seconds later, Cole Reinhardt came flying down the right side of the ice with the puck on his stick, driving to the Toronto net past Jake McCabe and putting the puck past Woll to give the Panthers an early 2-0 lead.
Tomas Nosek’s first goal of the season made it 3-0 Cats at the 92 second mark of the middle frame.
After rookie Marek Alscher came down from the point to cut off a Max Domi Exit attempt, he quickly found Nosek with the puck, and the veteran came barreling down the slot before beating Woll gloveside.
Toronto mounted a comeback attempt from that point, getting goals from William Nylander 2:21 apart to bring the Maple Leafs within one of the Panthers heading into the second intermission.
A goal by Mackie Samoskevich, his fifth in eight games, nipped that idea in the bud early in the third period, and then the Cats cemented the win on empty-net goals by A.J. Greer and Nosek.
While heading home with the two points probably has the players on the plane feeling good, it could ultimately be Toronto who gets the last laugh.
The Panthers and Maple Leafs were tied in the NHL Draft Lottery race heading into the game, but now Toronto holds a two-point ‘edge’ on the Cats with two games to go for each team.
As it stands, Florida has the seventh-worst record in the NHL while Toronto is fifth-worst.
On to the final two games of the season, starting Monday night against the New York Rangers.
Photo caption: Jan 6, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Easton Cowan (53) battles along the boards with Florida Panthers center Luke Kunin (71) during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)
Big news! Noah Schultz will be in Chicago on Tuesday, kicking off the homestand — and his major league career. | (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)
I was in Los Angeles for an MLB The Show tournament, eating dinner at my hotel with my eyes glued to the TV on the other side of the bar, when the Chicago White Sox drafted Noah Schultz, an 18-year-old left-handed reliever from Oswego East High School, for the 26th overall pick.
“That’s my rival high school! We drafted a hometown kid,” I exclaimed!
Like many other Sox fans, I have eagerly followed Noah’s journey and have been waiting for this day for just under four years.
The now 22-year-old is set to make his MLB Debut for the White Sox in Chicago against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, April 14 at 6:40 p.m. CT.
The White Sox are calling up top pitching prospect Noah Schultz to make his MLB debut on Tuesday, sources tell @JustBB_Media and @FutureSox.
The 22-year-old lefty has pitched to a 1.29 ERA with 19 K through 14 innings this season in Triple-A.
The South Side’s No. 2 overall prospect has been virtually lights-out in hist first three games with the Charlotte Knights this season, pitching to a tune of a 1.29 ERA across 14 innings with 19 punchouts. Not to mention, he’s induced a .129 BABIP and has only allowed two walks. Noah rocks a four-pitch repertoire: 4-seam fastball, slider, changeup and cutter. And most importantly, he’s healthy. After battling a knee injury that ultimately sidelined Schultz for much of the second half of the 2025 season, Noah is recovered and ready to impact the big league club.
Now, the question is, who’s next? Tanner McDougal and Hagen Smith can’t be too far behind when it comes to the rotation.
As Noah Schultz makes his way back to Chicago, I make my way back to South Side Sox.
