What we learned as Flores, Lee deliver in Giants' win vs. Brewers

What we learned as Flores, Lee deliver in Giants' win vs. Brewers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — The reward for playing 10 games in three cities over 10 days and traveling from the East Coast to Anaheim without a day off, or even a 1 p.m. game on getaway day in Philadelphia? For the Giants, it was another night of baseball.

They returned to San Francisco on Monday night and began a seven-game homestand against two teams — the Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers — with postseason aspirations, and once again, they responded to the challenge. Wilmer Flores hit a go-ahead blast and Hayden Birdsong provided a huge boost to a tired bullpen as the Giants won 5-2 on their first night back at Oracle Park. They’re now 6-5 during this marathon stretch and 15-8 on the 2025 MLB season.

The Giants took the lead in the sixth when Flores crushed a middle-middle sinker from Grant Anderson. An inning later, their best player early on tacked on an insurance run. With Willy Adames on first, Jung Hoo Lee smoked a line drive into the gap in right-center and cruised into third for his second triple of the season.

The Giants trailed early but caught up in the fifth, with a little help from the Brewers. Tyler Fitzgerald reached on his second infield single and moved along to second on a walk of Mike Yastrzemski that ended Quinn Priester’s night. Right-hander Nick Mears entered to face Adames and got a potential double-play ball to third, but Adames beat out the throw to first, which clanked off Rhys Hoskins’ glove. That allowed Fitzgerald to walk home for the tying run.

With Ryan Walker unavailable after going back-to-back games in Anaheim, Giants manager Bob Melvin figured he would have to get creative if he had a lead late in the game. Birdsong ended up providing a relatively smooth path, throwing three dominant innings out of the bullpen to get the ball to Camilo Doval, who went 1-2-3 for his third save. 

Flo Show

It’s been an odd month for Flores. His photo is constantly on graphics representing the league leaders in home runs and RBI, but he entered Monday’s game with an fWAR of 0.0 and a wRC+ that put him 10 points below league-average as a hitter. Flores isn’t drawing walks, is one of the slowest players in baseball, and doesn’t play defense — but the Giants don’t care about the advanced metrics at all right now. 

From a more traditional standpoint, Flores is off to a huge start. The only player in the NL with more homers is Fernando Tatis Jr., and Aaron Judge and Spencer Torkelson are the only other big leaguers with at least seven homers and 20 RBI. With the go-ahead homer, Flores moved into a tie with Pete Alonso for the league lead in runs driven in. 

The Giants talked all spring of the importance of having more “RBI guys.” Nobody is doing it better than Flores right now, and that has made it pretty easy to push all the other numbers to the side. 

Establish It

Robbie Ray has had to grind through his starts this season, and this one was no exception. Ray was at 64 pitches through three innings and had only one clean inning on the night, but he allowed just two runs. They came on a pitch that was pretty predictable by that point of the second inning. 

Of Ray’s first 41 pitches, 37 were four-seamers, including an elevated fastball that No. 9 hitter Caleb Durbin smacked out to left for his first big league homer. Ray mixed in a lot more sliders and changeups the second and third times through the order, but he paid for being fastball-heavy in the first couple of innings. 

Ray ended up getting charged with two earned on five hits and three walks. After throwing four innings in each of his starts on the road trip, he went five on the first night back home. 

Old Friends

Nobody was busier before the game than Adames, who spent four seasons in Milwaukee before signing with the Giants in the offseason. Adames took about 30 minutes in the afternoon to catch up with Brewers reporters, and he made his rounds during BP to chat with old teammates, most notably right-hander Freddy Peralta, a close friend who will start Wednesday’s game. 

The Giants are still waiting for Adames to break out at the plate, and it didn’t come against his old friends. He struck out the first time up and then grounded out three straight times. The night dropped his average to .194. 

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Mets' David Stearns says 'difficult decisions are a good thing' with Francisco Alvarez, Jeff McNeil nearing return

The Mets, coming off a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, now welcome the rival Philadelphia Phillies to Citi Field for an NL East showdown in Queens.

Speaking during his typical once-a-homestand media availability, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns discussed a number of topics, including what happens to the roster when Jeff McNeiland Francisco Alvarez come back, the current frenzied atmosphere at the ballpark, and Pete Alonso's red-hot start.

Here are the key takeaways...

"Difficult decisions are a good thing"

McNeil and Alvarez will continue their rehab assignments over the next few days, but there's a chance both players could be back on the major league roster by the end of the week.

So will Alvarez instantly take over as the starting catcher?

"I think we have two catchers who we feel really good about," Stearns said. "Mendy’s going to decide who plays every day and who gives us the best chance to win, and we certainly think Alvy’s going to be a huge part of that."

Meanwhile, Stearns noted that both Luisangel Acuña and Brett Baty have “done a nice job,” noting it’s not easy to bounce back and forth between second and third base -- which Baty has done -- and saying Acuña has been doing what they expected of him.

"I think difficult decisions are a good thing," Stearns said. "When we have players that we want to keep here as we get healthier, these types of decisions are going to become more and more a part of our thought process. We’re going to continue to talk about it, and when Jeff is ready we’ll certainly make a decision to get him back on the roster.

"And I imagine Jeff’s going to do what he always does: he’s going to bounce around, he’s going to play some second, he’ll fill in for the corner outfielders when needed. We’ll see how the center field thing goes. I think he’s excited about that, so there are plenty of at-bats to go around here, and Jeff will certainly get his share."

Hey Siri, who plays center?

"I don’t think we know," Stearns said candidly on what the center field mix will look like until Jose Siri returns. "I think Tyrone [Taylor] is going to get a lot of it, clearly. He’s a very gifted centerfielder, he can impact the game in a number of different ways, and I think he’s starting to take better at-bats as well.

"Beyond that, we’ll see. Jeff could be a part of it. Brandon [Nimmo] could be a part of it. Luis could be a part of it. I think it’s who’s playing well, what pitchers we're facing, how we want to structure the lineup on any particular day. But we feel confident we have enough people to play there, to cover that position and cover it well."

Controlled chaos in Queens

"I think the fans in general have been outstanding this year," said Stearns. "It’s been fun coming to the ballpark. I get a sneak peek at some of the attendance numbers ahead of a homestand, and some of them I did double takes where it’s like, ‘Wow, that’s really good for April.’

"Not only have the numbers been good on paper, but it has felt like that in the ballpark, and so it’s exciting. Our players have talked about it, I think we all feel it when we’re here… I think we had a fun run last year, our fans believe in this team, and we’ve played pretty well out of the chute here, which probably helps."

"I think we have [a homefield advantage]," Stearns added. "It feels like we have it right now. Good players help as well, but certainly I think we have the ability and our fan base, historically, has shown the ability to make this an uncomfortable place for opposing players. When I was on the fan side of this, it’s fun to come to a ballpark that’s an uncomfortable place for opposing players.

"It’s a whole heck of a lot of fun for our players to see that when it happens. So I think we are getting to that point where our players really enjoy this atmosphere and can take their level of intensity to another notch. And on the flipside, it can get pretty loud and hostile for the opposition, and that’s not a bad thing."   

What's a Polar Bear doing being so hot?

"What Pete’s doing is as good a start as you can imagine for, I think, any human," Stearns said on Alonso's torrid start at the dish. "This is pretty impressive. He’s locked in. His zone control  is incredible right now. He’s hitting everything hard. I’ve been enormously impressed."

Mets Injury Notes: Francisco Alvarez, Jeff McNeil closer to return; Mark Vientos could be option off bench

The first-place Mets are inching closer to welcoming a pair of injured hitters back into their starting lineup.

Before their series opener against the rival Phillies on Monday, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that catcher Francisco Alvarez (hamate fracture) and veteran Jeff McNeil (oblique strain) will continue their rehab assignments with Triple-A Syracuse this week.

The plan is for both players to complete a full nine innings on Tuesday and Wednesday, and McNeil will receive work at second base and in center field.

"[They're] feeling good," Mendoza said. "I think at this point, it's just more building up volume for them. Getting used to playing the full games, back-to-back, and things like that."

Alvarez, who broke his hand early in spring training, served as the designated hitter for Double-A Binghampton on Sunday, going 1-for-5. As for McNeil, he found much more succcess in the same lineup on Sunday, finishing 4-for-4 with a home run and double. Alvarez has played eight rehab games thus far, while McNeil has played six.

Vientos feeling better

Mark Vientos was unavailable for Sunday's win against the Cardinals due to a groin injury suffered on Saturday, but the third baseman has a chance to see some game action again on Monday. Mendoza isn't ruling him out as a pinch-hitter.

"I saw him take ground balls earlier, he was doing some sprints. He's scheduled to take BP," Mendoza said. "If he comes through batting practice and all that, he could be an option off the bench today."

It's been an uninspiring April for Vientos, who's hitting a measly .167 through 20 games (72 at-bats). But he showed some signs of a turnaround against the Cardinals this past weekend, smacking a pair of solo homers. Brett Baty took over for Vientos at the hot corner on Sunday, and he's once again slated to start there on Monday, this time batting eighth.

Manaea keeps playing catch

Sean Manaea suffered a setback in his recovery from an oblique injury a few weeks ago, but Mendoza said on Monday that the veteran left-hander is doing light toss from 60 feet and expected to move to 75 feet in the coming days.

His return to the Mets' rotation is expected sometime in May, barring another complication. Mendoza noted that they're still "a few weeks away from that."

'A Little Nervous to Start:' Travis Green Reflects on Loss, Eyes Strong Game 2 Response

On Easter Monday, Ottawa Senators head coach Travis Green didn’t sugarcoat things: he thinks his team came out nervous in Game 1.

Apr 20, 2025; Senators head coach Travis Green on the bench during game one of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

“I thought we were a little nervous to start the game,” Green admitted to the media on Monday, a day after the Senators fell 6–2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs to open their first-round NHL Eastern Conference playoff series. “Our passing wasn’t quite where it needed to be, but I thought it got better as the game went on.”

For several Senators, Sunday night in Toronto marked their first taste of NHL playoff action, and it showed in several areas – primarily with their parade to the penalty box.

The game opened with high intensity, physicality and a boisterous crowd, but the Senators were still right there, down by just one goal. Early in the second period, they missed on some great scoring chances to tie it, but then the Senators started to take costly penalties.

"Yeah, it's a fine line, Green said. "Playoff hockey is emotional, competitive. I'd like to think we have a physical team, and yet there's a fine line between crossing the line and taking penalties."

Green was more terse with the media than usual on Monday and wouldn't reveal what his next-day message to the team was.

“I’m not going to talk about my main message to our group,” he said. “That’s between us and the team, but we’re going to have to play better than we did last night.”

One area where Green may find something to build on is the club's five-on-five play. In that area, the Senators were excellent, but too often, they found themselves in the penalty box, giving Toronto multiple opportunities to strike with the man advantage.

And did they ever. The Maple Leafs were 3 for 6 on Sunday night with their three goals being scored in the first 10 seconds of each power play.

When asked about the frustrating timing of Toronto's scoring, specifically, how Toronto seemed to score immediately after each Senator goal, Green didn't buy into that. “We only scored two,” he said. “We had our looks. We got it to 2–1 and had a couple of really good looks to tie the game.”

As for any potential changes ahead of Game 2, Green didn’t tip his hand.

“There’s potential for changes every game,” he noted.

Okay, so that leaves us to speculate. Veteran winger and shift disturber Nick Cousins would seem like a good candidate to play on Tuesday. Green opted to go with Matt Highmore over Cousins in Game 1.

Green abruptness continued when a reporter asked how captain Brady Tkachuk was feeling after his first playoff game, Green gave a quick reply: “Good. Fine. Yeah."

With Game 2 set for Tuesday night at 7:30 PM in Toronto, the Senators now turn their focus to finding their footing in a series that still has a long way to go. They may have started nervous — but if Game 1 was their wake-up call, their response now becomes the lead story.

If they hope to steal one in Toronto, improvements in poise, discipline, finish, defence, and goaltending will all need to be a part of that response.

Former No. 1 picks Mize and Torkelson are giving the AL-Central-leading Tigers a boost, finally

This is a sight the Tigers probably expected a lot more often by now: Casey Mize pitching seven strong innings, and Spencer Torkelson hitting a three-run homer to lead Detroit to a 3-1 victory.

There’s still time for both of them to make big contributions to the team that drafted them No. 1 overall.

When the Tigers returned to the postseason last year for the first time in a decade, they did it without great production from Mize and Torkelson, who were supposed to be cornerstones of their rebuild. Torkelson hit 31 home runs in 2023 but managed only 10 (with a .219 average) last season. Mize made only two starts total in 2022 and 2023 before going 2-6 with a 4.49 ERA a year ago.

Now both of them are starting to show why they were taken at the top of the draft — Mize in 2018 and Torkelson two years later. The 27-year-old Mize is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA this season. Torkelson, who is still just 25, already has seven home runs and a .288 average that is well above his career high of .233. On Saturday, Mize got the win and Torkelson accounted for all Detroit’s scoring in a victory over Kansas City.

After relying heavily on Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal in their run to a wild card last year, the Tigers are off to a more balanced start in 2025. Only two AL teams have scored more runs than Detroit, which leads the AL Central by a half-game over Cleveland. Only one AL team, the New York Yankees, has a better run differential than the Tigers.

Wild inning

The Chicago Cubs became the seventh team in the last 125 seasons to allow 10 runs in an inning and still win. Arizona scored 10 in the top of the eighth on Friday, only for Chicago to rally with six in the bottom half and win 13-11.

Remarkably, the Colorado Rockies nearly matched the Diamondbacks’ plight a day later. Colorado scored eight runs in the seventh Saturday but still lost 12-11 to Washington. Also Saturday, Miami scored six in the ninth but lost 11-10 to Philadelphia.

Other big innings from this past week included a nine-run third by Tampa Bay against Boston on Monday, a seven-run first by the Los Angeles Dodgers against Colorado on Wednesday, and a seven-run third by Cincinnati against Baltimore on Sunday. The Rays, Dodgers and Reds all won.

Trivia time

The Milwaukee Brewers broke a franchise record by stealing nine bases in their 14-1 win over the Athletics on Sunday. The Brewers stole eight bases against Toronto on Aug. 29, 1992.

Which Milwaukee player, who went on to win Rookie of the Year honors that year, stole three bases in that 1992 game?

Line of the week

Cincinnati’s Austin Wynns had six hits in the Reds’ 24-2 blowout of Baltimore on Sunday, although the last two of those came against position players pitching. Wynns also drove in six runs.

Wynns had seven hits and two RBIs all of last season for Cincinnati.

Comeback of the week

After entering the game with a four-run lead in the ninth Saturday, struggling Yankees closer Devin Williams managed to retire only one batter before Tampa Bay tied it. Williams allowed five straight hitters to reach, culminating in Brandon Lowe’s tying two-run single. Williams managed to induce a double play to end the inning, but Tampa Bay went on to win 10-8 on Jonathan Aranda’s 10th-inning two-run homer.

The Rays had a win probability of 0.6% in the ninth, according to Baseball Savant.

Williams hasn’t blown a save this season — Saturday’s game wasn’t a save situation — but he’s now allowed eight earned runs in eight innings.

Trivia answer

Pat Listach had three of Milwaukee’s eight steals in that game. He went on to finish the season with 54, second in the American League to Cleveland’s Kenny Lofton.

Matthew Tkachuk continues trending toward Game 1 return as Panthers travel to Tampa

Matthew Tkachuk takes part in a Florida Panthers practice at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale. (Florida Panthers)

The Florida Panthers took the ice in Fort Lauderdale on Monday for a final pre-Stanley Cup Playoff practice.

Afterward, the team made the short trip up Florida's west coast to Tampa, where they face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their opening round playoff series on Tuesday night.

As the Panthers prepare to defend their Stanley Cup title, the big question surround the team is regarding the health status of Matthew Tkachuk.

The All-Star forward has not played in an NHL game since before February's 4 Nations Face-Off, where he suffered an apparent groin injury while representing Team USA.

Tkachuk has been skating for several weeks, and on Saturday on Monday he took part in his first full team practices with the Panthers since before his injury.

By all accounts, Tkachuk looked normal, showing no signs of an injury while skating on a line with Sam Bennett and Mackie Samoskevich.

He also took regular reps on Florida's top power play unit, along with Sasha Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Samoskevich and Seth Jones.

As long as Tkachuk continues on his path of progress and doesn't suffer any setbacks, it sounds like the plan is for him to suit up for Game 1 against the Lightning.

“He’s got to get through the morning skate tomorrow,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice after Monday's practice. “We’re still monitoring the recovery off the practice. He was out early, before we went, went through a whole practice, stayed until the end, so we’ll see how he feels coming back in tomorrow. If he feels good, and he gets through that morning skate, and everybody gives a thumbs up, then he’ll go."

It's a tough balance for the Panthers, who will want to make sure that Tkachuk is at a point where he isn't at any risk of re-injuring himself before inserting him back into the lineup, but know how much value he provides at a time where wins are at an absolute premium.

"We’re close enough now that you also put yourself in that situation where you'd consider two more days if you felt you were right there," Maurice said. "So we’ll just let the doctors and Matthew tell us where he’s at, and then we’ll go from there.”

That's where the NHL may have done the Cats a favor in giving them the latest series start time of any in the opening round.

Every other playoff series will have started, and some will have played twice, when the puck drops on Game 1 between Florida and Tampa Bay.

For Tkachuk and the Panthers, that extra time may have been just what the doctor ordered to get Florida their start back for the series opener.

But if for some reason they decide to hold him back another couple days, the team will be prepared for that, too.

“If you go back and look at the last five games, at a different time, I was running versions of all of these lines with the idea that if Matthew doesn’t play, I know exactly who is going into that hole," Maurice said. "We’ve already run that before, and the lines that it changes beneath will look exactly like a line we ran in a game that we liked. We've got a flow chart for how we'll handle this.”

Florida will hold their morning skate Tuesday at Amalie Arena, after which Maurice will again be asked about Tkachuk's status for Game 1.

One more sleep!

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Patriots' Day Traffic? No thank you. Red Sox' Walker Buehler spends night at hotel for early start

BOSTON — Walker Buehler wasn’t taking any chances with the early start.

Instead of getting up and figuring out what roads may have been closed along the Boston Marathon route, he took his family to a nearby hotel to get ready for his Monday morning start.

“I stayed at a hotel last night, just so that I kind of didn’t have to worry too much about it,” he said after Boston’s 4-2 victory over the White Sox in its annual Patriots’ Day game.

“My wife and kids stayed with me and everything was kind of normal for us,” he said. “We’re all kind of used to sleeping in hotels, so we’re all good.”

Wearing a white home jersey with red letters spelled out “Boston” across the front — a jersey inspired after the city rallied in the Red Sox’s first game following the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013 — Buehler threw his first pitch at 11:11 a.m. on a chilly morning at Fenway Park.

“I had all my stuff done,” he said of the move from his nearby Newton home. “I took an iPad home and read it last night, where I typically do. I scouted their whole lineup and every guy on the bench.”

Buehler gave up a run in the first inning before going the next six scoreless, holding Chicago to four hits while striking out nine and walking three in his 100-pitch outing.

He said he set his alarm for 6:45 a.m. and got to the park at 7:15. It was the earliest game he’d pitched in since Double-A in 2017, he recalled, when he was in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system.

“Against Jack Flaherty, SpongeBob Squarepants Day, that we faced each other in,” he said, smiling. “I was thinking about that earlier.”

Mavs GM Nico Harrison says fans' love for Luka Doncic was deeper than he knew, but stands by trade

Mavs GM Nico Harrison says fans' love for Luka Doncic was deeper than he knew, but stands by trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison says he miscalculated the depth of love his club’s fans had for Luka Doncic before the trade that sent the young superstar to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.

Despite the persistent catcalls from fans for him to be fired in the 2 1/2 months since the deal, Harrison still believes it was the right move for building a championship contender in Dallas.

“I did know that Luka was important to the fan base,” Harrison said Monday during his season-ending news conference, six days after a session with a smaller group of reporters that the club called to try to move on from the exhaustively discussed Doncic trade. “I didn’t quite know it to what level.”

As he has said before, Harrison expected plenty of blowback from the trade, but thought it would have eased sooner if Davis had been able play with Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively II for most of the rest of the season.

Instead, those five haven’t played together yet, and the star combo of Davis and Irving shared less than three quarters together before Davis injured a groin in his Dallas debut. Irving tore the ACL in his left knee while Davis was out.

“We feel that’s a championship-caliber team and we would have been winning at a high level and that would have quieted some of the outrage,” Harrison said as part of the same answer about the fans’ love for Doncic. “And so unfortunately we weren’t able to do that, so it just continued to go on and on.”

The Mavericks almost didn’t have enough players to meet the NBA’s minimum requirement for several games while Davis was sidelined. Once he returned, the Mavs steadied themselves and qualified for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament at No. 10.

Dallas won at Sacramento for a shot at the eighth seed in the playoffs before losing at Memphis.

Harrison said he believed the Mavs would get a good player in the first round of the draft, where they are currently slated to pick 11th. He also didn’t rule out changes in free agency.

But when asked what Dallas needed to become a contender again, Harrison said, “Really, we just need to get healthy. I think the team we’re bringing back is a championship-caliber. We fully expect to have Kyrie back with us next year when he gets healed from his injury. And we believe we’ll be competing for a championship.”

After Harrison said repeatedly last week that “defense wins championships” while defending the trade, Doncic was asked by ESPN his reaction to the session, saying it was “sad” what Harrison was saying and he wanted to move on.

Harrison, who said last week he still hasn’t spoken to the five-time All-NBA player who led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season, was asked about that exchange and said, “I feel the same way he does. I’ve actually never spoken ill of Luka, and I’m just ready to move on with this team that we have.”

Mavs GM Nico Harrison says fans' love for Luka Doncic was deeper than he knew, but stands by trade

Mavs GM Nico Harrison says fans' love for Luka Doncic was deeper than he knew, but stands by trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison says he miscalculated the depth of love his club’s fans had for Luka Doncic before the trade that sent the young superstar to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.

Despite the persistent catcalls from fans for him to be fired in the 2 1/2 months since the deal, Harrison still believes it was the right move for building a championship contender in Dallas.

“I did know that Luka was important to the fan base,” Harrison said Monday during his season-ending news conference, six days after a session with a smaller group of reporters that the club called to try to move on from the exhaustively discussed Doncic trade. “I didn’t quite know it to what level.”

As he has said before, Harrison expected plenty of blowback from the trade, but thought it would have eased sooner if Davis had been able play with Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively II for most of the rest of the season.

Instead, those five haven’t played together yet, and the star combo of Davis and Irving shared less than three quarters together before Davis injured a groin in his Dallas debut. Irving tore the ACL in his left knee while Davis was out.

“We feel that’s a championship-caliber team and we would have been winning at a high level and that would have quieted some of the outrage,” Harrison said as part of the same answer about the fans’ love for Doncic. “And so unfortunately we weren’t able to do that, so it just continued to go on and on.”

The Mavericks almost didn’t have enough players to meet the NBA’s minimum requirement for several games while Davis was sidelined. Once he returned, the Mavs steadied themselves and qualified for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament at No. 10.

Dallas won at Sacramento for a shot at the eighth seed in the playoffs before losing at Memphis.

Harrison said he believed the Mavs would get a good player in the first round of the draft, where they are currently slated to pick 11th. He also didn’t rule out changes in free agency.

But when asked what Dallas needed to become a contender again, Harrison said, “Really, we just need to get healthy. I think the team we’re bringing back is a championship-caliber. We fully expect to have Kyrie back with us next year when he gets healed from his injury. And we believe we’ll be competing for a championship.”

After Harrison said repeatedly last week that “defense wins championships” while defending the trade, Doncic was asked by ESPN his reaction to the session, saying it was “sad” what Harrison was saying and he wanted to move on.

Harrison, who said last week he still hasn’t spoken to the five-time All-NBA player who led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season, was asked about that exchange and said, “I feel the same way he does. I’ve actually never spoken ill of Luka, and I’m just ready to move on with this team that we have.”

'We Have To Stick To A Very Concise Plan And Then Execute Our Butts Off': Dubas Clarifies Penguins' Summer Plans

Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas speaks to the Pittsburgh media in his season-concluding press conference at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. on Apr. 21. (Kelsey Surmacz - The Hockey News)

To close out the 2024-25 season, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas spoke with the Pittsburgh media on Monday.

And if fans weren't sure about the approach that the organization plans to take this summer and beyond, Dubas seemed to clear up a few things.

After their third consecutive season of missing the playoffs, the Penguins find themselves in the midst of a rebuild. During locker cleanout day on Friday, both players and head coach Mike Sullivan expressed confidence that this team may be able to get back to contention again in a relatively quick manner.

While "returning the team to contention again as quickly as possible" remains the goal by Dubas's own admission, he also wants to pump the brakes on labeling an exact timeline for that to happen. Instead, he invoked a reassurance that the team is going to remain invested in the process of not just returning the team to playoff contention, but to Stanley Cup contention.

'I Have No Doubt This Thing's Going To Be Turned Around Quickly': After Lost Season, Penguins Optimistic About Future'I Have No Doubt This Thing's Going To Be Turned Around Quickly': After Lost Season, Penguins Optimistic About FutureFor one final time this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins gathered at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. - this, time, for locker cleanout day.

“I think if you look at the history of these things, to go from where we’re at now all the way back to legitimate contention, I don’t equate just getting into the playoffs with being a contender," Dubas said.  "Various things happen, but I think if you look at some of the [playoff] games that have transpired already - and we’ll have the tale once the playoffs are done - that those two things are not the same."

He continued: "So, when I say ‘as urgently as possible,’ I try not to put a timeline on it because I don’t this to be a perpetual and evergreen conference where we come in and say, ‘Oh, we’re just a year or two or so away.' We’re pushing because I think that’s what the organization here is used to, what the fans want. We just have to stick to a very concise plan and then execute our butts off, that’s for sure.”

Even though he didn't want to put a timeline on anything, though, rest assured: It doesn't sound like Dubas is interested in doing a full-scale teardown, and he put it quite colorfully.

"I just think there are a number of teams in the leagues that, you know, there are two paths to go down," Dubas said. "You can go into the mass teardown rebuild and hope you get lucky with the lottery and hope that all this happens. "But you can hope in one hand and s--- in the other and see which one fills up first."

He pointed to the Washington Capitals' strategy of rebuilding and how they not only drafted well while contending, but how they also managed to keep veterans like Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, and John Carlson around and bridge that contention gap. Dubas believes that the Penguins need a few of those younger players - like Connor McMichael and Martin Fehervary - in order to execute something similar.

He stressed that the Penguins are "trying to rapidly get to that point," and that they will use their assets to try to get themselves to the point where they have all of those necessary pieces, as he believes that the Capitals are now the standard.

Mar 22, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals center Connor McMichael (24) looks on from the ice against the Florida Panthers during the first period at Capital One Arena. (Amber Searls-Imagn Images)

"They had to do one thing, we have to do two, which is fill that lack of the young 22, 23, 24, 25-year-old NHL players and also continue to build out our assets to use them to acquire and trade. Also, if you look at their team, they drafted extremely well... They're extraordinarily well-coached. I've known Spencer. We were together in Toronto.

"They're not going to go anywhere. So, we have to haul a-- and catch them because they're way ahead right now, as the standings show. But they weren't. They weren't two years ago. But they've done a great job in coaching, development, drafting. It's impressive."

In terms of what the plan is for this summer, Dubas gave a few hints as to what the organization's approach might be. He re-emphasized that the "execution" segment of their plan will kick into gear this summer, and given the assets and the cap space that the Penguins have, they may look to start setting the table for long-term contention with a few savvy moves.

Like Ovechkin's Capitals, Penguins Owe It To Crosby To Right The ShipLike Ovechkin's Capitals, Penguins Owe It To Crosby To Right The ShipOn Sunday, the hockey world got to witness Alexander Ovechkin - The Great “8” - surpass The Great “One” for the most goals in NHL history.

Those moves may not include big splashes in the unrestricted free agent market or the offer sheet market - Dubas stressed that the rising cap will make offer sheets easier to match for other teams - but that doesn't mean they won't look to restricted free agency.

"I think the areas that you probably would see us spend more would be acquisition by trade, and then signing players that other teams might not be able to fit," Dubas said. "I think the effect in free agency is probably going to be somewhat of a spike in salary, and so it’ll dry up the cap space rather quickly for us, and those players are mostly into that late 20-early 30 category.

"It could do two things. Number one, I think it's going to allow us to maybe trade for players that other teams can't afford that are restricted free agents, and then sign them longer range ourselves, using that cap space that way. You're signing a player that's 23-24 for seven or eight years versus going into free agency for someone who's 27 to 32 and getting them for seven years. So, I think that would be the more likely route... and the owners have been excellent there. There's no limitations on the player budget and spending. So, we need to use it in the right spot and not just say we were a cap team, but to use it towards getting us back to our goal."

Feb 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) moves the puck ahead of Philadelphia Flyers left wing Noah Cates (27) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

And, as Dubas has reiterated time and time again, that goal is getting the team back to legitimate contention. It remains to be seen whether players like Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell will figure into the longer-term. He did mention that one area they'd like to add to is their left defense, which has struggled mightily.

With the assets and the veterans that the Penguins have, they might just have to give up some high value in return for such a piece, being that executing in the trade market seems to be a large part of the plan. Unlike the defense corps, Dubas believes their forward and goaltending prospect pools are in a pretty good place.

If they can revamp the defensive corps and execute on some trades and draft picks to bring legitimate young players into the fold this summer, it could help expedite the process and make good on the plan to turn the team into a contender again. And Dubas knows the importance of doing that with urgency to someone like Sidney Crosby, who wasn't shy about expressing the toll that losing takes on him and the organization.

"Everything that we do is to try to get those young players around him," Dubas said. "If you have guys in the group that have won and have been a part of it, I think it can exponentially improve and expedite the team’s return to contending. I don’t know if it’s a proof of concept. I think, from my end, it’s trying to build something that can sustain itself for a long time.

"Getting those younger players who are going to be a part of that core around Sid - him helping them and them helping him - is really what the focus is. It’s really not just Sid, it goes back to the question of Bryan Rust, Karlsson, Kris Letang, Geno, Rickard Rakell, all those others that are there... they can play a role in that as well. I’m trying to do that for every one of them because I think they are high quality people. They are high-end players who can help return us to where we want to be."

‘We’ll Begin To Shift To The Execution’: With Assets Collected, Dubas Eyes The Next Phase For Penguins Hockey‘We’ll Begin To Shift To The Execution’: With Assets Collected, Dubas Eyes The Next Phase For Penguins HockeyPittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas knew that the decision to shift to the future a year ago with the Jake Guentzel trade to Carolina wasn’t going to be a popular one. 

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'A Really Good Chance To Be A Dominant Player In This Series': Wild's Matt Boldy Shines In Playoff Opener

Apr 20, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy (12) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of game one of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images.

Wild forward Matt Boldy has had consistently good seasons ever since he joined the NHL. He has been a very good top-six forward for Minnesota but so far in his playoff career, Boldy hasn't been the player the Wild hoped he'd be.

His first playoff series Boldy had one goal, four penalty minutes, three hits and was a minus-one in six games. His second playoff series, he had zero goals and was a minus-five. He had five hits in six games as well. 

The question coming into the Wild's playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights was what will you get out of Boldy in this series. 

Well, if Sunday was any indication of what we will see from Boldy in this series, watch out. 

Boldy, 24, scored the Wild's only two goals in their 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights. Not only did he score two but he had six hits. 

"I thought he was very good. Obviously he had the two goals, but I just thought he was a beast on the puck and he was moving his feet," Wild head coach John Hynes said. "He played the style of game that gives him a really good chance to be a dominant player in this series, and he did a good job of that."

What likely caused this was how Boldy played for Team USA during the Four Nations Face-Off during the middle of the season. 

The young forward was one of USA's better players and was very physical as well. He used his 6-foot-2 frame to drive to the net and power his way through guys in the tournament and the hope was that would translate to the playoffs this go around. 

The result is, it did. 

Hynes was asked if Boldy maybe changed his game for the playoffs since his six hits was much higher than his career 0.64 hits per game.

"I wouldn't necessarily say I saw his game change. I think that he's played that way throughout the season," Hynes said. "I think maybe more than his game change, I think the confidence level that he has to be able to go to the Four Nations and play in that style of tournament. He was a big factor for our team with the U.S. I thought as the tournament went on, he was better and better, and his role increased as it as it went on.

"So I think the confidence in his own game and understanding what makes him an elite player and a hard guy to be able to play against, and he's doing it regularly now. So, it's good."

The Wild as a team finished with 54 hits on Sunday which was the second-highest total in Stanley Cup Playoff play in franchise history. Boldy was a big part of that. 

As Hynes said, Boldy has a chance to be a dominant player in this series and that is exactly what the Wild need if they want to even up the series on Tuesday. 

NHL Sour Rankings: What Lies Ahead For Every Non-Playoff Team

Macklin Celebrini (Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images)

The NHL is so often focused, for good reason, on the races at the top of the standings, but the NHL Sour Rankings looks at the bottom. 

With the regular season complete, we now have the final standings and can examine their NHL draft lottery odds and what they might do moving forward. 

San Jose Sharks, 20-50-12

Lottery odds: 18.5 percent
First-overall odds: 25.5 percent

The Sharks finished last in the NHL for a second straight year, which means they have the best odds for first overall once again. They won the first-overall pick last year, taking likely Calder Trophy finalist Macklin Celebrini, giving them a top-line center for the next decade and more. 

The vibes were high this year despite their unfortunate results, and that can be attributed to the success of the rookies, the fun that the team had on and off the ice and an understanding that they weren’t expected to be great this year. 

If they get another top pick, blueliner Matthew Schaefer seems like the obvious choice for San Jose. He would give them a defender to build around and slot other prospects, such as Sam Dickinson and Luca Cagnoni, into spots that better fit their skill set.

NHL Rumor Roundup: Blackhawks To Target Mitch Marner? Sharks To Shop First-Overall Pick?NHL Rumor Roundup: Blackhawks To Target Mitch Marner? Sharks To Shop First-Overall Pick?This was a difficult season for the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. They improved marginally over their 2023-24 campaign amid concerns of growing frustration from franchise star Connor Bedard.

Chicago Blackhawks, 25-46-11

Lottery and first-overall odds: 13.5 percent

While the vibes were high in San Jose, the opposite was true for Chicago. 

Connor Bedard had 67 points this season, six more than his rookie year, but his points per game were down from 0.9 to 0.82. Frank Nazar looked good when he got into the lineup, and Artyom Levshunov had some bright moments when he got to the NHL. 

Chicago’s issue is it had so many injuries and plenty of underwhelming performances from the veterans. They just didn’t take the step they were expecting to take this year. You could see the frustration on the faces of players on a nightly basis, and the team was just down in the dumps from October to April. 

If they get the first-overall pick, pairing Michael Misa with Bedard would give them a one-two punch down the middle that opposing teams would envy, but they still need to surround them with steadying vets, something they were unable to do last summer. 

Nashville Predators, 30-44-8

Lottery and first-overall odds: 11.5 percent

No matter how many times we’ve checked in on the NHL Sour Rankings, seeing Nashville down here continues to be perplexing, at least until you watch the Predators play. They have a talented roster, and the lack of a full teardown at the deadline likely means the organization believes this season was a blip on the radar.

They won last off-season when they signed Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. They have a lot of talent with goalie Juuse Saros, left winger Filip Forsberg and defenseman Roman Josi, but getting everyone healthy and ready to go next season will be key. 

If they win the lottery, adding Misa or Schaefer would be a great addition, as they could start building the future while competing immediately next season. The Preds are a wild card going into the summer. 

Philadelphia Flyers, 33-39-10

Lottery and first-overall odds: 9.5 percent

After narrowly missing the playoffs last year, the Flyers finished last in the East this season. They did, however, bring in high-flying rookie Matvei Michkov, who lived up to expectations, reaching the 60-point plateau in his first season and delivering on the promise of a future star immediately. Management traded several former key pieces, and they have their eyes set on the future. 

They won’t have John Tortorella behind the bench because, despite the moderate success he had last season, he was outwardly frustrated with the team, which led to his firing. His rants and raves in the media were enough. 

The team is looking to usher in a new era centered around Michkov, and a top-five pick this summer would be a big piece in building toward a better future.

Pluses And Minuses: What The Flyers, Blackhawks And Bruins Must Consider With Their Interim CoachesPluses And Minuses: What The Flyers, Blackhawks And Bruins Must Consider With Their Interim CoachesThe Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks have more in common than their lackluster seasons.

Boston Bruins, 33-39-10

Lottery and first-overall odds: 8.5 percent  

As much as everyone outside of Boston seems to be enjoying the downfall of the once-strong Bruins, they moved on from the old guard and are focused on building around Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak. It also means the Bruins are slated to get a top-five pick and have a decent chance at first overall. 

If the Bruins were to draft Misa or Schaefer, they’d get a new top prospect who sets them up for another run at being a contender for a very long time. The Bruins have been a contender for over a decade, and this year was a true fall from grace, but with the players they sold and the young players coming, they shouldn’t be down here long. 

Seattle Kraken, 35-41-6

Lottery and first-overall odds: 7.5 percent  

The Kraken seem to understand where they are, and they did a good job this season of making the right moves at the deadline to help set themselves up for the future. 

They have some very solid young players, such as Matty Beniers and Shane Wright, and their prospect pool is solid, but they need a true difference-maker and a centerpiece to build around. Misa or Schaefer could be that player. The Kraken would benefit from a lottery win, but they're in a good spot to get another solid young player regardless. 

Buffalo Sabres, 36-39-7

Lottery and first-overall odds: 6.5 percent  

Why are you still here? That’s the question everyone, Sabres fan or not, has been asking this squad, which sits at the bottom of the standings once again. 

It’s tough to gauge what Buffalo needs. They have some solid forwards, some studs on the back end and a couple of good goalies. Obviously, adding Misa, Schaefer or any other top-end talent in this draft will be a good thing, but the Sabres need to figure out how to get out of the basement, period. 

Anaheim Ducks, 35-37-10

Lottery and first-overall odds: 6.0 percent  

The Ducks were an interesting team this year. They have a lot of young talent up and down the roster, with more on the way. They have some crafty veterans as well. Anaheim seems to be on the rise, and it had a better second half of the season as its young players continued to improve and get more comfortable at the NHL level. It’s going to be interesting to see what they add at the draft and how they rise next year.

Pittsburgh Penguins, 34-36-12

Lottery and first-overall odds: 5.0 percent  

The Penguins are in a downfall. We are seeing the final years of Sidney Crosby’s NHL career come on a team with very little chance of contention unless something drastic changes. 

If they wind up with the eighth-overall pick, they aren’t getting a player who can change their fortunes anytime soon. Even if they win the lottery and get their choice of player at the top, they can’t rely on a rookie to be the Robin to Crosby’s Batman and hope for success. They need to decide on what comes next for this team, with or without Sid. 

New York Islanders, 35-35-12

Lottery and first-overall odds: 3.5 percent  

The Islanders decided to move Brock Nelson, bringing in Calum Ritchie and proving they needed to retool some things at the very least. 

They need to add more speed and skill to the roster. They have needs all over the lineup. The Islanders are dangerously close to sitting in the mushy middle for years. A lottery win would be great for this team, but any added skill would help long-term. 

New York Rangers, 39-36-7

Lottery and first-overall odds: 3.0 percent  

Oh, how the mighty have fallen – and it was ugly. 

The Rangers’ season fell off the rails early. After an off-season in which they tried to trade captain Jacob Trouba, tensions were high coming into the year, and things just continued to go south from there. The team traded notable players during the season, including Trouba, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil, while bringing in J.T. Miller and Will Borgen, among other assets. 

It’s been a weird year. They are the last team that could move up into the first-overall selection with the lottery, but with the luck they’ve had this year, I wouldn’t count on it.

Larkin Expresses Frustration with Red Wings Trade Deadline ApproachLarkin Expresses Frustration with Red Wings Trade Deadline ApproachDylan Larkin is not just the Red Wings captain.  He is also the team's longest tenured player, the only one left with first hand experience of playoff hockey in Detroit, and he grew up 40 minutes northwest of Little Caesars Arena in Waterford.  When you put it all together, it's no surprise that Larkin wears his team's shortcomings and nine season playoff drought the hardest.  At Saturday's locker clean-out day, Larkin expressed one particular aspect of that frustration.

Detroit Red Wings, 39-35-8

Lottery odds: 2.5 percent (0 percent for first overall)

Forever the bridesmaid and never the bride. Is that comment about the playoffs or the draft lottery? No one knows, but it’s certainly true in both cases for the Red Wings.

The Wings were in a playoff spot for long stretches this season before falling out at the end, just as they did last year. They also weren’t bad enough to even be in the running for first overall as the first team outside of the range to move into the top pick. 

Detroit’s best players were its young, homegrown talent. Its worst were the guys it signed to insulate the younger players. Fix the surrounding roster, and the young guys will probably get them to the postseason. It feels that simple, but the Yzerplan is struggling to get it going. 

Columbus Blue Jackets, 40-33-9

Lottery odds: 2.0 percent (0 percent for first overall)

The Blue Jackets were the darlings of the season.

They were in the running for a playoff spot up until their last game, and they had so many good things happen to them on the ice. Adam Fantilli’s ascension was fantastic, reaching the 30-goal mark. The duo of Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov elevated their game even more this season. Zach Werenski is a Norris Trophy contender.

The Blue Jackets were legitimately fun this season after an off-season filled with tragedy. A lottery win wouldn’t get them into the top two, but it would help them add another promising young talent for a team on the rise. 

Utah Hockey Club, 38-31-13

Lottery odds: 1.5 percent (0 percent for first overall)

In their first season in Utah, the former Coyotes players looked like they were having fun again.

The team was finding some level of success on the ice and plenty more off of it. Utah still has some holes, and its young players are improving, but it could use a few more prospects entering the NHL and making an impact. Thankfully, the Hockey Club has a solid stable of players coming. This team is close to making a push for the playoffs, which could happen as soon as next season.

Vancouver Canucks, 38-30-14

Lottery odds: 0.5 percent (0 percent for first overall)

The Vancouver Canucks were essentially the Rangers-West, which made it all the more entertaining when the Canucks swapped Miller for Chytil and a pick just to flip the pick for more immediate help. 

The constant drama around the club, from the Elias Pettersson and Miller saga to the weird pending divorce with Brock Boeser, made the season a drag. This team has elite talent, such as Quinn Hughes, but they need a return to form for Pettersson and a lot of other things to fall into place, or they will become the epitome of the mediocre mushy middle.

Rick Tocchet Sounds Like He Has Unfinished Business With The Vancouver CanucksRick Tocchet Sounds Like He Has Unfinished Business With The Vancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are out of the playoffs and moving into summer mode, but 2024 Jack Adams Award winner Rick Tocchet will hold onto the title of NHL coach of the year for a few more weeks.

Calgary Flames, 41-27-14, (Montreal Owns Pick)

Lottery odds: 0.5 percent (0 percent for first overall)

Montreal owns Calgary’s first-round pick, but Calgary has New Jersey’s, so they shouldn’t be too upset with how this season went. They had star rookie Dustin Wolf assert himself as the guy in net, Jonathan Huberdeau quietly had a very good season, and the Flames almost made the playoffs despite many predicting them to sit near the bottom. 

Calgary needs to build on what they did this season, and finding a way to continue adding young talent will help ensure that it’s not just a one- or two-season playoff contention window.

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