Mar 3, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) throws against Great Britain in the first inning at the American Family Fields. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Jacob Misiorowski is on the mound today as the Milwaukee Brewers take on a split-squad Colorado Rockies lineup this afternoon. Zach Agnos will start for the Rockies.
It’ll be just Misiorowski’s second outing in the Cactus League, following his March 8 outing against the Mariners in which he allowed one run on two hits and a walk while striking out six in 3 1/3 innings. Miz threw 59 pitches in that one, so expect to see an uptick there. With news that Quinn Priester will start the season on the injured list and questions about how ready Brandon Woodruff will be, Misiorowski could end up as the team’s de facto ace when the season starts.
It’s a fun day beyond Misiorowski for those interested in the Brewers’ pitching staff. Brandon Sproat will follow Miz, and while is spring has been rougher than Miz’s—he’s allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings across two outings—he remains an intriguing possibility for the early season pitching staff. After Sproat, we should also see Grant Anderson and Jared Koenig.
In the lineup, Joey Ortiz is back after Mexico was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday; it’ll be his first action with the Brewers since February 28. The rest of the lineup includes Sal Frelick, Christian Yelich, Jake Bauers, Gary Sánchez, Brandon Lockridge, David Hamilton, Blake Perkins, and Jett Williams, who was back in action on Thursday after a couple weeks off with a mild quad injury. He walked and hit a double on Thursday, raising his spring OPS to 1.214.
Today’s first pitch is at 3:10 p.m., and while there’s no TV, you can catch the game on ESPN Radio in Milwaukee.
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 10: Ukyo Shuto #20 of Team Japan celebrates with Kaito Kozono #3 at home plate after hitting a three-run home run in the eighth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game presented by dip between Team Czech Republic and Team Japan at Tokyo Dome on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
For a team that has spent much of the season overwhelming opponents with speed, skill, and offensive pressure, the Colorado Avalanche have one oddly persistent blemish on their résumé.
They keep giving up shorthanded goals.
The Avalanche have allowed 12 shorthanded goals through 64 games this season — the most in the NHL — a surprising statistic for one of the league’s top teams. On the surface, it sounds alarming, and to some degree, it is.
But history suggests it’s far from a fatal flaw.
Colorado has dominated large portions of the season despite operating with a power play that hasn’t always been among the league’s elite. The penalty kill, meanwhile, has remained one of the NHL’s most dependable units, consistently shutting down opposing power plays and keeping the Avalanche firmly in control of games.
While the Avalanche power play has started converting at a higher rate, the risk has grown on the other end of the ice. Colorado has surrendered eight shorthanded goals over its last 24 games — a spike that stands out for a team with legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations.
It’s not a crisis, but it is something the Avalanche would prefer to clean up as the calendar inches toward the playoffs.
A Problem Even Great Avalanche Teams Have Had
Oddly enough, shorthanded goals against have followed the Avalanche before — even during championship seasons.
When the franchise captured its first Stanley Cup after relocating to Denver in 1996, Colorado allowed an astonishing 22 shorthanded goals during the regular season. That total remains tied for the most in NHL history, alongside the 1984–85 Pittsburgh Penguins and the 1991–92 Minnesota North Stars.
Yet that didn’t stop the Avalanche from hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Credit: @RVR Photos. Mario Lemieux in 1996.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the other two teams. The Penguins — despite having Mario Lemieux, who debuted that season and scored on his very first NHL shot — finished with a 24-51-5 record. The North Stars weren’t much better, ending the season at 32-42-6.
The Avalanche were the clear anomaly, and it certainly didn’t hurt that they had one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history — Patrick Roy — anchoring the crease.
Even the legendary 2000–01 Avalanche, widely regarded as one of the most talented teams of the modern era, wasn’t immune to the issue. That team allowed 11 shorthanded goals during the regular season, which ranked ninth-most in the league.
Ray Bourque with the Stanley Cup on January 23 during the Avalanche's celebration of the 2001 Cup-winning team.
In other words, elite teams can survive this problem — and sometimes even win championships despite it.
The Current Pace
Still, the numbers are worth keeping an eye on.
Colorado’s 12 shorthanded goals allowed already lead the league, and there are still 18 regular-season games remaining.
At their current rate — 12 goals in 64 games — the Avalanche are on pace to allow about 15 shorthanded goals over an 82-game season. That would still be a notable number, but it remains comfortably below the all-time record.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s a manageable issue rather than a catastrophic one.
The Real Fix
At this stage of the season, sweeping changes are rarely the answer.
The Avalanche aren’t going to reinvent their power play system with the postseason looming — nor should they. What matters now are the small adjustments that separate good teams from championship teams.
Puck management becomes critical. So does anticipation.
Loose pucks at the blue line must be won. Risky cross-ice passes have to be timed properly. When a play breaks down — and eventually one will — the response has to be immediate.
That’s where championship habits take over.
Backchecking urgency. Defensive awareness. The instinct to recover rather than hesitate.
In the playoffs, every mistake is magnified. A single shorthanded goal can swing momentum, silence a crowd, or flip an entire series.
Credit: Jerome Miron. Martin Necas has been a bright spot on the power play for the Avalanche this season.
But if the Avalanche continue generating offense on the power play while tightening those defensive gaps, the equation becomes simple.
A dangerous power play paired with elite five-on-five play makes Colorado one of the toughest teams in the NHL to beat.
And if history has taught us anything, it’s this:
Even Avalanche teams with flaws have found a way to win it all.
The Islanders really need to not mess this up. The second-worst team in the league (even worse than the Rangers) is in town and the Isles need the points in the very tight Eastern Conference playoff race. David Rittich will get the start, so hopefully he and the skaters in front of him recapture their better forms.
The Flames are two games from finishing a long trip, having lost 4-0 at MSG but then winning 5-4 in Newark. Both teams have equally putrid power plays, clicking at 16% for a tie for 29th in the league.
With the Isles having played (and lost to) the Kings last night, lineup updates and injury statuses will come closer to game time.l
Takeaways: The Isles lament their pattern of slow starts. Flipping the top two lines back was a bid for a “spark” after they fell behind 3-0. [Isles]
The Skinny: Matthew Schaefer breaking more ice-time-at-18 records, and Anders Lee’s next goal will have him pass Clark Gillies and his next point will pass Bob Bourne. (At the other end, Brayden Schenn is in a 58-way tie for 444th on the Isles’ all-time points list. But he’s gunning for Carson Soucy, Travis Zajac and Aatu Raty, I just know it.) [Isles]
Gross: The Isles could use some more raucous nights and electricity at Belmont. [Newsday]
Max Shabanov spoke a bit (through a translator) about the adjustment from the KHL and getting, maybe, a little bit, more of a chance the last two games. [Post]
Part of the reason Roy is tinkering with lines is to learn what (re)combos he can turn to when playoff matchups cause problems. [THN]
Elsewhere
Only two games last night. In the other, the Blues rallied to top the Oilers in overtime.
Radko Gudas got five games for taking out Auston Matthews’ knee. [NHL] Matthews will miss the rest of the season with a Grade 3 MCL tear.
The next Global Series matchup will have the Senators and Blackhawks meet for two games that count in Dusseldorf, Germany. [NHL]
The jump that Thomas Haugh has made from last year cannot be overlooked. With the transfers of Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee to Florida the hopes of a back-to-back National Championship run were at an all-time high, and with the departures of Will Richard, Alijah Martin, and Walter Clayton Jr. to the NBA there was certainly a need for someone to step up into the roles that were left behind. I’m not sure that many people would have suspected that Thomas would be the guy after his season last year, but he proved us all wrong.
Tale of the Tape
Team: Florida Gators
Position: Forward
Height: 6’9”
Weight: 215 lbs
Counting Stats: 17 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2 APG, 1.1 Steals Per Game, 1 Block Per Game
Shooting Splits: 46.4 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 76.4 FT%
Hardware/Honors: First-Team All-SEC, Potential All-American Team Selection (?)
Triumphs
The jump from year to year should not be overlooked. Haugh had a perfectly respectable 2024-2025 campaign, but to be asked to carry so much more responsibility AND deliver should be praised. Last year during Florida’s NCAA Championship season he averaged nearly 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game on decent shooting splits. He didn’t have many opportunities (only shot 6 times per game on average) but when he did get a chance he made it count.
Now when you compare that to this year, it is almost night and day. He added seven points to his scoring average, nearly doubled his shot attempts, sacrificed very little in efficiency (at least for his standards), and was able to step up on the defensive end as well. Not everyone that gets a green light can stay close to their previous efficiency numbers but Thomas was able to do that.
The counting stats look great but what’s going to get him to the league and keep him there is his ability to play without the ball. When we usually see these kinds of scoring jumps it’s because the ball is constantly in their hands but that hasn’t been the case this year. Lee and Fland still command a lot of the touches so Haugh has been able to take this leap by doing more of what he did well last year: off-ball cutting and rim-running.
Haugh has never seen a 45 cut he hasn’t liked and he is constantly running with his guys in transition. When Florida is in the half court set he also does a great job of relocating. You’ll see a few times in the video above where a Florida player will get a post touch and before you know it their dumping the ball off to Haugh who was in completely different position than he was at the start of the play. Taking advantage of the defense like this and being deceptive would be a welcome addition to any team in the association. Shooting nearly 63% around the rim doesn’t hurt either.
Shortcomings
Truthfully, there aren’t many shortcomings for Thomas other than a very glaring one; his shooting touch. He’s a great off-ball cutter, a good downhill attacker, and the percentages show that: he’s shooting nearly 91% on his dunk attempts and 63% around the rim that we just mentioned. Everything outside of that range? Could use some work.
Just looking at the 46.4 FG% you could say to yourself “yeah, that’s not very efficient, but he can work on it.” It gets a little worse when you realize that he’s shooting 32.4% from 2-point range that isn’t at the rim. Midrange shots are difficult (believe me I’m on a horrific midrange run at my local park) but in today’s NBA it’s vital to be accurate in your shot attempts, especially if you aren’t going to be the 1A, 1B, or 1C kind of guy.
His three point shooting, again, looks respectable on paper. On 5 attempts a game 33% is decent, but these are WIDE open shots he’s taking. Like, lick your finger and check the wind type of open. There’s a very good chance that he will get these same kind of looks in the NBA during his first few years, but depending on where he gets drafted there’s a chance that his coach won’t allow him to shoot through his mistakes and slumps. There is a silver lining in all of this and it’s that his shooting mechanics seem really solid. I’m not sure that he’ll ever be a 40% guy from deep but I also don’t think he’ll ever be any worse than league average once he get’s his footing in the NBA.
Is He Worth The Pick?
At the end of the day I do think that Thomas Haugh is going to be a very serviceable role player in the NBA. Will he be an All-Star? I doubt it. Will he be an elite 3-and-D guy? Elite might be stretching it. I do think that he has the intangibles to have a long career, though. He’s already played with NBA caliber players in a role player capacity. He’s been able to taste a bit of that “star player” role this year for the Gators, and now that he has a chance to be a first round draft pick I think he’ll be able to fall back into that role player mold very well.
For the Jazz specifically, we are in the midst of finding our role players for the future. A lot can be said about the play of guys like Elijah Harkless, Blake Hinson, and Brice Sensabaugh. I still believe in all of their futures but I know that the fanbase is split. The real question is how does the front office feel about them?
The way our first round pick is protected this year is if it falls between 1-8 we get to keep it, and if it falls after 8 it goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder (of course it does). If our pick lands in the top 3 I think there is a very clear hierarchy we need to adhere by to find our next “Face of the Franchise.” If it falls between 4-8, I also think that there are better prospects we could select from because this draft class seems to be so deep. With that being said, I don’t think that it would be wise for us to take Thomas Haugh at 8 when we could have someone else with a bit more upside.
So much of your early career is dependent on where and who you get drafted to, and I think that Haugh would be best served to be drafted by a team that is ready to compete right now or in the near future: the San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors, and the Charlotte Hornets come to mind. If we had another first round pick this year around the 12-20 range I would LOVE it if we could snag him, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards for us unless our front office can make some magic happen after the season is over.
So is he worth the pick? I think so… just not for us. Just don’t be surprised when he’s an impact player for a Playoff team soon.
What kind of career do you think Thomas Haugh will have? Do you think Florida can repeat as NCAA Champions? Sound off in the comments!
ATLANTA (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't available for the Milwaukee Bucks' matchup with the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, marking the 31st game the two-time MVP has missed this season.
Although Milwaukee's injury report initially had listed Antetokounmpo as questionable due to injury management of his right calf, the team later ruled him out because of a left ankle sprain.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said at his pregame availability that the issue stemmed from the Bucks’ 112-105 loss to Miami on Thursday night.
The Bucks are playing on back-to-back days; they return home to face the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Antetokounmpo hasn’t played on consecutive days since returning on March 2 from a right calf strain.
This represents the highest total of games Antetokounmpo has missed in any season during his 13-year career.
LORIENT, France (AP) — Substitute striker Aiyegun Tosin scored the winner as second-placed Lens lost 2-1 at Lorient in the French league on Saturday, missing the chance to move back to the top of the standings.
With Paris Saint-Germain not playing this weekend, Lens had the chance to move two points clear with a win at mid-table Lorient.
But coach Pierre Sage's players struggled to get things going and were punished in the 18th minute when Bamba Dieng was left unmarked and scored from close range with a right-footed effort.
Following Odsonne Édouard's second-half equalizer, Tosin snatched three points for Lorient in the 65th minute, fluffing his initial attempt before rounding the Lens goalkeeper to score. Lorient goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo made five saves for the hosts.
PSG is off duty because Nantes agreed to postpone their scheduled game on Sunday in order to give PSG better preparation for the Champions League second leg against Chelsea next week. PSG is leading 5-2 from the last-16 first leg on Wednesday.
Balogun scores again
American forward Folarin Balogun continued his excellent run of form as Monaco posted a fifth consecutive win. He broke the deadlock from close range before Aleksandr Golovin made it 2-0 against Brest.
Monaco moved up to fifth place. Balogun has 14 goals overall this season.
Elsewhere, Nice won 2-0 at Angers with goals from defender Melvin Bard and Elye Wahi. The striker, a France youth international, joined the Riviera club on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt this winter until the end of the season.
Third-placed Marseille won 1-0 against struggler Auxerre on Friday. The result left Marseille in third place, three points clear of Lyon, which plays at Le Havre on Sunday. Marseille was seven points behind Lens and eight adrift of PSG.
FORMER CUBS IN ROCKIES CAMP: José Quintana, Keegan Thompson, Willi Castro and Nicky Lopez. Kris Bryant is on the 60-day injured list and there’s no word on whether — or if — he’ll play this year.
OPENING DAY: We stand just 12 days away from the regular season opener at Wrigley Field against the Washington Nationals.
Here are today’s particulars.
Cubs lineup, including Carson Kelly at 1B and the return of Jonathon Long to action:
Please visit our SB Nation Rockies site Purple Row. If you do go there to interact with Rockies fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 3:05 p.m. CT and 4:40 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 06: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of Team Japan reacts in the third inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between Japan and Chinese Taipei at Tokyo Dome on March 06, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The second day of the knockout stage is here. The United States and Dominican Republic—the latter of which did so in dominant fashion—claimed their spots in the semifinals. Today we find out who their opponents will be.
Game No. 1: Puerto Rico at Italy (Repubblica Italiana)
Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas, USA
A fun squad in their own right, the Puerto Ricans finished pool play as the second seed in Pool A with a 3-1 record (with their only loss being to Canada). Now Puerto Rico faces an uphill battle to get back to the finals like they did in 2013 and 2017.
The “Quarter-Rican” right-handed pitcher Seth Lugo of the Kansas City Royals will make the start. His previous outing against Colombia went well as he struck out three batters over four scoreless innings. Meanwhile, new Rockies infielder Willi Castro has been a major contributor with his glove and bat. Castro is 3-for-10 at the plate with four walks , two RBIs, and a stolen base.
The surprise darling of the tournament so far has been Team Italy, who finished the group stage as one of just three undefeated teams after an upset of Team USA and a sound drubbing of Team Mexico.
Italy has combined solid pitching with power in their bats to make it this far. They have the second most home runs in the tournament, leading to a motivated—and highly caffeinated—squad. Each home run hitter is greeted in the dugout with a shot of espresso for their efforts.
Making the start for the Italians is Los Angeles Angels lefty Sam Aldegheri. Aldegheri pitched a masterful 4 2/3 innings against Brazil during pool play, striking out eight batters while giving up just one hit and no earned runs.
First Pitch: 1:00 PM MDT
TV: FS1
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
RHP Seth Lugo vs LHP Sam Aldegheri
Game No. 2: Venezuela (República Bolivariana de Venezuela) vs Japan (日本)
Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA
The Venezuelans may be the underdogs against Samurai Japan, but they are a formidable squad that enjoyed an excellent group stage. They only had one loss because someone had to lose their match-up with powerhouse Dominican Republic.
Venezuela’s bullpen has been a strength alongside good performances at the plate by Luis Arraez, Ronald Acuña Jr, and Ezequiel Tovar. 2024 Philadelphia Phillies All-Star lefty Ranger Suárez—now with the Boston Red Sox—will be making his second start of the tournament. During the group stage he made one two inning start, giving up one earned run on three hits with a strikeout and a walk.
Undefeated in pool play, Samurai Japan dominated Pool C and are one of the favorites for total victory in this year’s tournament. Last year’s champions will be led on the mound by Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2025 World Series MVP pitched a hitless 2 2/3 innings of shutout baseball with two strikeouts against Chinese Taipei during the group stage.
BUFFALO — One day after the Toronto Maple Leafs learned they would be without their captain for the remainder of the season, players and staff reacted to the NHL’s Department of Player Safety’s decision to suspend Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas for five games following his knee-on-knee hit on Auston Matthews.
Not surprisingly, the consensus was that the suspension was insufficient.
“I think the league could have done a little bit more, seeing as our best player, our captain, is not going to be with us for the rest of the year,” Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies said, following his team’s morning skate at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. “That's a big loss for us. That decision is kind of out of my control, but I would have loved to see a little bit more.”
The Leafs announced late Friday that Matthews would miss the rest of the season with a Grade 3 tear of his MCL and a quad contusion. Shortly after the decision was handed down by the NHL Department of Player Safety, led by former NHL enforcer George Parros, Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver, released a statement to reporters ripping the league’s safety department for the discipline handed down to Gudas.
While the players did not use the same harsh language as the agent, there appeared to be a shared sense of resignation that the outcome would not change.
“I can sit here and say whatever, but it's not going to change it,” Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe said of the suspension. “I'm not George (Parros) sitting in the chair making the phone call and making those decisions. So it doesn't matter what the hell I say.”
The Maple Leafs snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 6-4 win against the Ducks on Thursday, though they were heavily criticized for their lack of an initial response to the Gudas hit. Eventually, they found more physicality in the third period and will look to carry that momentum into their game against the Atlantic Division-leading Sabres.
However, being without their captain certainly dampens the morale in the Toronto locker room, and many felt the league missed the mark.
“I feel like he was a repeat offender in situations like that,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said of Gudas, noting that the defenseman has been suspended five times previously. “I don't think it was enough is all I'll say about that.”
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 09: Pitching coach Mark Prior #99 (C) talks to pitcher Emmet Sheehan #80 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (L) during the first inning of a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Fields of Phoenix on March 09, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the second time this spring, the Dodgers have a split squad, and in each case both games are against the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs. The home game for the Dodgers on Sunday is against the Rangers, with the away game against the Cubs in Mesa.
River Ryan gets the start against the Rangers at home, while Emmet Sheehan is on the road to start against the Cubs.
Trey Supak starts for the Rangers, with Jameson Taillon on the mound for Chicago.
Sunday split-squad info
Game 1: Dodgers vs. Rangers, Camelback Ranch
Game 2: Dodgers at Cubs, Sloan Park
Time: 1:05 p.m. PT for both
TV: vs. Rangers on SportsNet LA, at Cubs on Marquee Sports Network
Burnley and Bournemouth played out a tepid goalless draw that does little to help either team’s Premier League ambitions. The Clarets managed just a fourth clean sheet in the league this season, but remain eight points adrift of safety with eight games left, while Bournemouth are now unbeaten in 10 matches but really needed three points to boost their European hopes.
Both teams hit the woodwork while Evanilson had a very early shot cleared off the line but neither did enough to merit victory.
Feb 23, 2026; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images
