Game 84.
Game Thread: One game to decide a season as the Suns host the Warriors in the Play-In finale
Steve Kerr, Steph Curry, Draymond Green face unknown as Warriors' season ends
Steve Kerr, Steph Curry, Draymond Green face unknown as Warriors' season ends originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
PHOENIX – Steph Curry sat at the podium in a tiny room Friday night at Mortgage Matchup Center 45 minutes after the Warriors’ 2025-26 NBA season ended at the hands of the Phoenix Suns from a 111-96 loss in their second game of the play-in tournament. He wore a backwards Trophy Hunting Warriors hat, a white t-shirt and a red jacket that Draymond Green complimented with a laugh when it was his turn to hand over the microphone.
Curry also wore a look of confusion here and there.
“Was he in here going crazy? Y’all are giving me some lines,” Curry said, interrupting a question about Steve Kerr’s coaching future with the Warriors, eight minutes into his press conference.
The tone after the Warriors’ season ended completely turned to the great unknown. The unknown of how long Curry wants to keep playing and what it will take to get his right knee as healthy as possible this offseason after playing 43 regular-season games but still showing his superpowers two nights prior, extending his season for one more game. Draymond Green addressed his future, too, after such an up-and-down season that had his name in rumors ahead of the trade deadline. The spotlight shone most on their coach.
That’s the last thing Kerr ever wants, always crediting his players, especially Curry and Green. They’ve spent 12 years together, winning four championships and making the NBA Finals six times. They’ve gone through everything players can with one coach, packing their bags to climb the mountain top over and over again, and feeling every experience along the way.
From start to finish, Kerr expressed he’d revisit his future after the season. The day has come, and Kerr understandably and deservedly needs some time. He came into the season without a contract extension, and now even he can’t say what’s next.
He plans to use some time away to gather his thoughts, but not too long. Kerr says he’ll take a week or two and eventually sit down with Warrior owner Joe Lacob and general manager to see where they are and express where he’s at with his life and his feelings on the future of the franchise.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Kerr said. “I still love coaching, but I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date. There’s a run that happens and when the run ends sometimes it’s new blood and new ideas and all that. If that’s the case, then I will be nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise in front of our fans in the Bay.
“To coach Steph Curry and to coach [Draymond Green], the whole group. It may still go on. It may not. I don’t know at this point. But we all need to step away a little bit and reconvene.”
The same question anybody would ask themselves is one Kerr will have to face: Who could ever walk away from Curry, even with him now being 38 years old?
Kerr can’t. He won’t, as long as the rest of the equation is right.
“I don’t want to walk away from Steph,” Kerr said. “I’m definitely not going and coaching somewhere else next year in the NBA. I would never walk away from Steph. But all this stuff has to be aligned and right.”
Curry’s first five years in the NBA were spent being coached by Don Nelson, Keith Smart and Mark Jackson. Then came Kerr, turning a good team into a great one. Without having to say the words out loud again, Curry has made his feelings clear: he wants Kerr to remain his coach.
He also cares much more about Steve the person than Coach Kerr being on the Warriors’ sidelines.
“I want coach to be happy,” Curry said. “I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe he’s the right guy for the job. I want him to have an opportunity to enjoy what he does, whatever that means for him. Everybody’s plan is their own. I’m not going to try to tell anybody what to do.
“He knows how I feel about him. That shouldn’t even need to be said.”
For the first two years of Green’s career, Jackson was at the helm. Now 12 years later, Green can’t imagine playing for any other coach aside from Kerr.
“No, I couldn’t,” Green said. “… I’m not really someone who likes things to change. I like pretty vanilla, status quo, keep things the same. So to have the situation I’ve had has been incredible for me, because I just don’t deal with change well. I don’t love it.
“I don’t want to think about that. I hope that’s not the case, but we’ll see.”
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, an uncertain Kerr was certain he had something to say to his two longest tenured players. A message of love and appreciation before diving into the great unknown, knowing an answer sooner than later must be made.
The three of them stood in a circle with Kerr’s right hand on Green’s left shoulder and his left hand placed on Curry’s right shoulder. He spoke with emotion, sure of the meaning behind the few words that needed to be said.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen next,” Kerr began, “but I love you guys to death. Thank you.”
Those words startled Curry. Still, a smirk cracked across his face as the special moment was remembered and asked about.
“He left the door open,” Curry said.
His coach has earned the right to swing it wide open or shut it completely. Change is inevitable in sports and even more so in life. Change is a fact not a feeling.
And if Kerr’s overriding feelings are that he wants to keep coaching, Lacob needs to listen. So does Dunleavy.
Change is coming. How much is the bigger question. If this was it, let the memories win. They’ll be there forever, long after Kerr is the Warriors’ coach.
Cubs expect Cade Horton to miss up to 16 months after elbow surgery and place Daniel Palencia on IL
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs expect right-hander Cade Horton to miss 15 to 16 months following season-ending surgery on his pitching elbow, manager Craig Counsell said on Friday.
They will also have to get by without reliever Daniel Palencia for the next few weeks after placing him on the 15-day injured list because of a strained left oblique.
The 24-year-old Horton underwent an ulnar collateral ligament revision on Thursday, his second reconstructive surgery on the elbow. He had Tommy John surgery as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2021.
“Cade talked about just kind of worrying about today and make today the best you can and just keep doing that, and that’s how you somehow speed this process along a little bit,” Counsell said. “But if you get too far ahead of yourself, it’s certainly a long recovery and that doesn’t help.”
Horton walked off the mound in Cleveland on April 3 after just 17 pitches. His velocity had dropped from 96 mph in the first inning to 93.8 mph on his final pitch before he waved toward the dugout. He beat Washington a week earlier in his season debut, holding the Nationals to two runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Horton finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting last year. He was 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA in 118 innings last season.
Palencia is 1-0 with a save and has not allowed a run in five appearances. He had 22 saves last season.
Tracy McGrady tells The Post what Knicks must lock in on to reach NBA Finals
Tracy McGrady sits down with The Post’s Steve Serby for some Q&A ahead of the Knicks-Hawks playoff series:
Q: What is the key for the Knicks to reach the NBA Finals?
A: It starts on the defensive end. When they’re locked in and talking, they’re a different team. I’ve seen them have stretches where they look like a top five defense in the league, and that’s what it’s going to take. Good defense turns into better offense for this team. Offensively, they’ve got enough. It’s really just about balance. When Mikal [Bridges] gets going, it opens everything up because now you’ve got a few guys that can give you 20 any night. I like when they’ve got size on the floor too. [Karl-Anthony] Towns can space it, Mitch [Robinson] handles the paint, that’s tough to deal with.
Q: What would give you the most concern about the Knicks?
A: Consistency. Can the core five earn their minutes? You can’t come out slow in the playoffs. You get down early, now you’re chasing the game, and good teams don’t let you climb back. And defensively, teams are going to test you — they’re going to go at you and see where you’re vulnerable. If you’re not locked in, that’s where you can get exposed.
Q: What do the Knicks need from KAT to reach the Finals?
A: They need discipline and presence from him in every possession. He’s too skilled to fade in and out of games. I want to see him be aggressive, not just shooting 3s, but putting pressure on the rim, making defenses react. And defensively, just be solid. Contest, rebound, and don’t put your team in tough spots with fouls.
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Q: What would your advice to him be? Where is his confidence at?
A: For me, it’s about composure. The playoffs test your focus more than anything. Don’t force the game, don’t get caught up in emotions. Just stay locked in possession by possession. If he does that, his talent is going to show.
Q: What did you think of Mike Brown replacing Tom Thibodeau and Brown’s coaching influence this season on the Knicks?
A: It’s tough replacing a coach like Thibs, he’s established, and players respect him. I think Mike has done a solid job. He’s defensive-minded, and I like that he wasn’t afraid to use his bench and find pieces during the season. But the real evaluation is now. In the playoffs, it’s about adjustments, rotations, and how your team responds when things get tough. This is the real test.
Q: Who can be an X Factor for the Knicks?
A: Mitchell Robinson stands out. When he’s healthy and active, he impacts the game in ways you can’t teach: rim protection, offensive boards, extra possessions. But I also look at OG [Anunoby] and Bridges. OG can guard anybody on the floor, and if he’s making shots, he can get dangerous. Mikal, same thing, when he’s aggressive, he raises their ceiling.
Q: What do the Knicks need from Jalen Brunson to get to the finals?
A: They need him to control the game and be their leader. He’s proven he can deliver in big moments. Late in games, there’s going to be possessions where it’s on him to go get a bucket. But what takes them to another level is his playmaking. If he’s scoring AND getting others involved, now you’re dealing with a complete offense. If Brunson is dictating tempo and making the right reads, they’ve got a real shot.
Gerrit Cole shows some rust as he hits ‘big milestone’ in his first Yankees rehab start
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — Gerrit Cole took a significant step in his long journey back to The Bronx on Friday night via TD Bank Ballpark, making his first rehab start (Double-A Somerset) since undergoing Tommy John surgery more than 13 months ago.
The Yankees ace displayed strong command, along with some rust, in his 4 ¹/₃-inning outing, allowing three runs (one home run), three hits and one walk, while throwing 44 pitches (36 strikes) and recording three strikeouts.
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Try it freeThe 2023 AL Cy Young winner, who isn’t expected to rejoin the Yankees until late May or early June, hadn’t pitched in an official game since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.
“I have a lot of confidence, but tonight was probably not the exact same guy,” Cole said. “Hopefully, it’s on its way.”
Cole took the mound to a standing ovation, giving the minor league crowd a rare chance to see a potential Hall of Famer at the 6,100-seat ballpark. Even rarer was the sight of a six-time All-Star eager to step onto such a stage, making his long-awaited return.
“I felt good,” said Cole, who threw 2 ²/₃ innings in two outings during spring training. “It was fun to get back out there, game situations, a little extra adrenaline with the crowd.”
In a perfect first inning, Cole nearly surrendered a home run to right to Reading’s second batter, Carson DeMartini, but the ball drifted foul, allowing the right-hander to recover with a swing-and-miss breaking ball for a strikeout.
Before the second inning, Cole was thrown a curveball when his temporary teammates batted around in a five-run frame. Following the 20-plus-minute wait, Cole issued a one-out walk, then surrendered a two-out, run-scoring double, followed by an opposite-field, two-run homer.
“I didn’t come out quite so sharp that inning so that was a good challenge,” Cole said. “That was really the only time the command was a little shaky. The walk was a bad walk.”
In a four-pitch third inning, Cole found frustration — and a reminder of the lowest moment of his career — when he didn’t immediately break for first base on a grounder to the right side, though Somerset first baseman Coby Morales stepped on the bag in time.
“I got there late,” Cole said. “That was not good.”
The 35-year-old, whose fastball consistently reached the mid-90s, needed just four pitches to complete the fourth inning. He returned for one more at-bat and finished by fielding his position, leaving to his loudest applause of the night.
“Probably the only thing I didn’t accomplish was really moving the four-seam [fastball] as well as I know I can,” Cole said. “I was pleased with the changeup. I misexecuted one. The curveball was very sharp. I didn’t make any mistakes with that pitch. The slider was good. I hung one slider. … The fastball was good overall. Good pressure at the top and a lot of strikes, but I know I can move it better.”
Cole isn’t the only nine-figure starter the Yankees expect back in the near future.
Carlos Rodón — who underwent surgery on his left elbow in October — is scheduled to throw live batting practice Saturday at Somerset after throwing 50 pitches in a simulated setting Monday at Yankee Stadium. Rodón, 33, had been on the verge of making a rehab start, but suffered a setback two weeks ago when he felt tightness in his hamstring.
“We’re very excited to get those guys back,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday. “We know how good they are their entire careers. We know what they’re capable of. But it’s a process, too, of getting them back. They’re still a little ways off. The biggest thing right now is making sure they’re checking all the boxes and getting built up properly and then hopefully, when they enter back into the rotation, we get the impact we hope and expect.”
Mark Williams OUT for tonight’s win-or-go-home matchup
Phoenix Suns starting center is out for tonight’s elimination game against the Golden State Warriors with left foot soreness, Phoenix Suns Insider Duane Rankin reports. According to Rankin, Williams’ left foot “flared up” in the second half of Tuesday’s 114-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and contributed to why he didn’t play in the fourth quarter.
Williams missed nearly a month this season, dealing with a left foot injury after remaining mostly healthy throughout the year, averaging 12 points, eight rebounds on 64% shooting from the field. Expect Oso Ighodaro to start in his place tonight at the five, as the Suns face elimination with a loss. Grayson Allen is also listed as questionable. The guard and forward missed Tuesday’s game with a left hamstring strain.
If the Suns win, they’ll be the Western Conference’s eighth seed and face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs with game one on Sunday. Tonight’s game tips off at 7:00 local time and will be the fifth time the two teams play each other this season. Golden State won three of the four matchups.
Dodgers on Deck: Saturday, April 18 at Rockies
The Dodgers continue their weekend series against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night in Denver, with Emmet Sheehan coming off his best start of the season.
Sheehan struck out six in six innings against the Texas Rangers last Saturday at home, allowing three runs. The right-hander has started three times at Coors Field and won all three games, with a 4.76 ERA in 17 innings, with 22 strikeouts against only two walks.
Right-hander Ryan Feltner starts for the Rockies. He’s allowed 10 runs in 12 1/3 innings in his three starts this season, with nine strikeouts and six walks.
Saturday game info
- Teams: Dodgers at Rockies
- Ballpark: Coors Field, Denver
- Time: 5:10 p.m. PT
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
Game 20 Game Day Thread – Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners
Friday, April 17, 2026, 8:40 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
T-Mobile Park
RHP Jacob deGrom vs. RHP Logan Gilbert
Go Rangers!
Game # 20, Athletics vs. White Sox Game Thread
The Athletics are back at it this evening at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento as they begin a three-game series against the American League Central rivals, the Chicago White Sox. The 6-13 White Sox are currently sitting in last place in the AL Central while the A’s are 10-9 and are tied for first place with the Texas Rangers
Aaron Civale, the 30-year-old righty will get the start for the A’s tonight. He’s currently 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his first season with the Athletics. He’ll go up against 29-year-old righty Davis Martin for the White Sox. Martin is 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts for Chicago, while tossing 15 strikeouts in 18 innings of work.
Martin will go up against this lineup for the homestanding Athletics:
Civale will look to remain undefeated against this batting order for rookie manager Will Venable and his club:
Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA
Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast
Yankees' Gerrit Cole throws 4.1 innings for Double‑A Somerset in first rehab start since Tommy John surgery
Gerrit Cole completed his first rehab start in Friday's Double-A game between the Yankees' Somerset Patriots and the Philadelphia Phillies' Reading Fightin Phils.
New York's ace RHP threw 44 pitches (36 strikes), allowed three runs on as many hits (one home run) while striking out three and walking one in 4.1 IP.
Still working with an overhead windup, Cole (Tommy John surgery recovery) delivered a perfect first inning with a strikeout sandwiched between two groundouts.
A perfect first inning for Gerrit Cole in Somerset!
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 17, 2026
(via @MILB) pic.twitter.com/Q74I52wPkU
The Patriots' five-run first inning gave Cole a lead to pitch with in the second.
The inning, however, saw Cole work into trouble after Raylin Heredia's one-out walk and, two batters later, Dylan Campbell's two-out double.
Bryson Ware's two-run homer followed before Cole struck out Cade Fergus to end the frame.
Gerrit Cole gave up 2 hits, a walk and 3 runs in the 2nd inning, but struck out a pair pic.twitter.com/9HpokQT5J1
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 17, 2026
Cole rebounded in the third inning with a perfect frame, throwing four pitches and getting three groundouts.
The fourth saw Cole allow a one-out single to Heredia before Alex Binelas' 3-6-3 double play to end the inning.
After Campbell's leadoff groundout, RHP Andrew Landry replaced Cole with one out in the fifth inning.
A ground ball hit to Gerrit Cole to finish out his night as he departs to a standing ovation in Somerset
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 18, 2026
Final line: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 44 pitches pic.twitter.com/NjcR0TwtEr
Cole's plan is to "just recover the next couple days and see when the next turn is," he said.
"Early, it was just fastballs for strikes," Cole said of his approach. "As many, heart of the plate -- as many as we can go, just start repping that out. The second inning, I tried to kind of move it a little more. But I paid the price for that, just not being sharp. And then after that, my fastball location was really high. So, I came through the lineup a second time and tried some off-speed and had a good run of lefties so work some changeups, get some curveballs for Strike 1, curveball for Strike 1 to a right-hander. So, probably the only thing I didn't really accomplish was really kind of moving the four-seam as well as I know I can. But it looked really good from a metrics standpoint, and we were in the zone a lot, which was probably the main goal."
In spring training, Cole made two starts, totaling 2.2 IP, but this was different, he said.
"No, no nerves," Cole said of his first rehab start. "But even in the spring training games, you know can get rolled. So, if you need to get two innings, they'll figure out a way to make you get two innings. And that's not the case when you do this. ... At some point, you've got to collect outs. It's nice to go out there and throw a bunch of fastballs and fill the zone up. But if it doesn't go your way, you've got to figure out how to keep going. So, that is just a little extra level compared to spring training. And that not only presses you in terms of your pitches but in terms of all your other defensive aspects, whether it be picks or backing up or covering, etcetera."
Cole's last non-spring start for the Yankees was Game 5 of the 2024 World Series against the Los Angles Dodgers, but he has not thought about his rehab's finish line.
"It's exciting, yeah, it's exciting," Cole said. "But I'm not looking farther than really what I've got to do the next couple days. Looking too far ahead and thinking about that would kind of take me out what I need to do right now, which is focus on one day at a time -- which, when you're in the thick of it in the big leagues, is what you've got to do. So, in that sense, I'm just trying to get back in the swing of things and do that process and not really focus on where I am in terms of the rehab or how close it is to the end."
Game 19: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Angels
San Diego Padres (13-6) at Los Angeles Angels (10-10), April 17, 2026, 6:38 p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: Angel Stadium – Anaheim, Calif.
Listen: 97.3 The Fan
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Dodgers vs. Rockies game I chat
The Dodgers (14-4) open a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies (7-12) starting Friday night at in Denver.
Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.00 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) makes his first career start at Coors Field in the series opener. Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 2.16 ERA, 0.78 WHIP) will counter for Colorado.
Lineups
Friday game info
- Teams: Dodgers at Rockies
- Ballpark: Coors Field, Denver
- Time: 5:40 p.m. PT
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
Steve Kerr addresses plan for decision on Warriors future as contract expires
Steve Kerr addresses plan for decision on Warriors future as contract expires originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
With their season-ending loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night at Mortgage Matchup Center, the Warriors now shift their focus to an offseason full of questions.
Perhaps the biggest of them is the potential return of coach Steve Kerr, whose contract has now expired.
Kerr, who has won four titles as Golden State’s coach, has offered little insight into whether or not he would like to remain in his current role.
His postgame comments Friday didn’t provide much more of a hint, but it appears a decision should come fairly soon.
“My plan is to take a little time, I don’t know,” Kerr told reporters. “Take a week or two and eventually sit down and talk with [owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy]. We’ve always had a great partnership and collaboration and just see where they are and I’ll tell them where I am, and we’ll talk about what’s next for the Warriors, what the plan is this offseason. And we will come to a collaborative decision on what’s next.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. I still love coaching, but I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date. There’s a run that happens. When the run ends, it’s sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas and all that. If that’s the case, then I will be just nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise, in front of our fans in the Bay and to coach Steph Curry and coach [Draymond Green] and the whole group. So, it may still go on. It may not. I don’t know at this point. But we all need to step away a little bit and reconvene.”
It sounds as though it will be a collaborative decision as to whether or not Kerr returns, based on his words. Kerr, who will be 61 by the start of the 2026-27 NBA season, has been Golden State’s coach since 2014.
He did rule out one thing, though, when asked about walking away from Curry: coaching another NBA team.
“That’s part of the equation, right? I mean, I don’t want to walk away from Steph,” Kerr said. “I’m definitely not going and coaching somewhere else next year in the NBA. I would never walk away from Steph, but all the stuff has to be aligned and right. So, those are all discussions that we’ll have.
“That’s what I said from the beginning of the season. I felt great coming into this year. I thought we had a real chance. With Jimmy [Butler] and Moses [Moody] going down, obviously it took us off track. But we have to account for all that stuff. This is just a pheromonal organization, and Joe is a great owner, and Mike is a wonderful GM, and I’m lucky to work with them. Like I said, we’ll all put our heads together in the next couple weeks.”
Near the end of Friday’s loss in the play-in tournament, Kerr shared an emotional moment with Curry and Green, when he stated he’s unsure “what’s going to happen next.” It was a vivid image that indicated Warriors fans already might have seen the last of that historic trio together in action.
And now, it seems as though Dub Nation only can wait and see as a resolution to this saga is determined.
Pistons' J.B. Bickerstaff honored by fellow coaches as Coach of the Year
J.B. Bickerstaff, who orchestrated a dramatic turnaround in Detroit from a 14-win team a couple of seasons ago to the No. 1 seed in the East this past season, has been voted Coach of the Year by his peers.
Bickerstaff won the Michael H. Goldberg Coach of the Year for 2025-26 from the National Basketball Coaches Association.
"I'm extremely honored to receive this recognition from my coaching peers," Bickerstaff said in a statement accepting the awards. "None of this is possible without the many people I've been blessed with along my journey, beginning with my dad, who has always been my inspiration for wanting to get into this profession, and my family for their love and support. I also owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to all the coaches I've worked with and learned from throughout my career."
Detroit went 60-22 this season to grab the No. 1 seed in the East, despite Cade Cunningham missing 11 games late in the season with a collapsed lung. The Pistons got there thanks to the second-best defense in the league this season.
It should be noted that this award is different than the NBA's official Coach of the Year award (voted on by select members of the media), but because this one comes from other coaches, it is maybe more meaningful for the winners. This coach's award is also a bellwether for the NBA's official award, with seven of the last nine winners picking up both COY honors.
Flyers Coach Rick Tocchet Has Rave Reviews for Porter Martone
After a short adjustment period, Porter Martone was one of the best players for the Philadelphia Flyers during their playoff push, and head coach Rick Tocchet quickly took notice.
Martone, 19, scored only one point--an assist--in his first three NHL games, though he did fire off 15 shots on goal. The 2025 No. 6 overall pick was due for positive offensive scoring regression, and it was all up from there.
The prized Flyers prospect scored all four of his first NHL goals and added another five assists in the final six games of the season, and during that six-game point streak, the Flyers went 5-1-0, securing their first playoff berth since 2020.
Suffice to say, Martone has impressed Tocchet early on.
"He's just a hockey player, right? Yeah, he's got some things to improve on or whatever, and he's really worked on his skating. You can tell he's improved over the year. He knocks pucks down, he goes to the dirty areas, he's got a hell of a shot. He's got a hell of a hockey IQ," Tocchet said of Martone on the NHL Network's "NHL Now" segment.
Flyers' Porter Martone Explains Viral Hat PhotoBy now, you may have seen the photo, now effectively a meme, of <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> rookie Porter Martone rocking a suit and large fedora. According to Martone, there is a story behind it all.
"We were playing Carolina the other night. Their PK's really good. It's a pressure PK where they just fly out everywhere. We practiced it in the morning, we talked about 'Hey, you gotta be ready'. If you look at the tying goal, he knew. He beat pressure, he knew where [Trevor Zegras] was, he threw it, great pass, and we end up getting the goal.
"That's his hockey IQ. Him taking the information that day and applying it in a pressure situation. So, for a 19-year-old, gotta give him a lot of credit."
The stakes were high for Martone, Tocchet, and the Flyers on Monday night; it was a win-and-in situation against a Carolina Hurricanes team resting several of their top players.
Of course, it wasn't an easy game, and the Flyers went down 2-0 early, but Matvei Michkov started the comeback, and then Martone and Trevor Zegras combined to tie the game.
A pivotal moment, too, as the Flyers required a shootout to seal the deal and reach the postseason.
Now, just imagine the next level Martone can hit for the Flyers once he gains more NHL experience and comes into a season fresh.