Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander apologized twice for pointing his middle finger during the broadcast of his team’s 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
First, he did it on his Instagram account via a story. He later addressed the issue with the media, speaking to reporters when he normally wouldn’t be available due to team policy for injured players.
During the scrum, he apologized again for the gesture, explaining he was frustrated over the injury that had kept him out for five games. He will also miss a sixth game this Tuesday when the club hosts the Buffalo Sabres.
Despite these apologies, the NHL Department of Player Safety decided to fine Nylander $5,000 for the act. “Nylander directed an inappropriate gesture at a television camera operator while the camera was directed at Mr. Nylander and his teammates in the press box," NHL Senior Vice President of Player Safety George Parros said in a statement. "This serves as a reminder that the code of conduct governing players extends throughout the arena at NHL games and in public game situations”.
Many were quick to point out that when Utah Hockey Club defenseman Mikhail Sergachev seemingly pointed his middle finger in front of a camera during a game last season, he escaped without a fine. This has prompted Leafs fans and conspiracy theorists to wonder if Parros is issuing the fine simply because the incident involved a Leaf.
On the surface, I don’t disagree with the fine. Is there an inconsistency in terms of how the NHL’s Department of Player Safety hands out discipline? Absolutely. While there is certainly outrage, it’s just a fine; Nylander is not missing any games because of it. Did he do something dumb? Yeah, I think so.
Toronto’s William Nylander has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for making an inappropriate gesture while in the press box during NHL Game #819.
He apologized twice, and that should have been enough to put things to an end. And yet, the NHL extended the issue by issuing a fine. The Leafs didn’t have to make Nylander available to speak on the matter, and they should be commended for doing so. Ultimately, the fine doesn’t accomplish anything other than inciting more debate. I suppose the NHL could have imposed a suspension had he not apologized, although that would have subjected the discipline department to even more scrutiny—something they clearly do not care about.
The San Antonio Spurs have three players on the 2026 NBA Rising Stars roster.
Reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle will represent the NBA Sophomores. He’ll play alongside Matas Buzelis (Bulls), Donovan Clingan (Trail Blazers), Kyshawn George (Wizards), Ajay Mitchell (Thunder), Alex Sarr (Wizards), Reed Sheppard (Rockets), Cam Spencer (Grizzlies), Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers), Kel’el Ware (Heat), and Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies).
Ajay Mitchell, Jaylen Wells, and Cam Spencer are all second round picks who have elevated their game over the last season and a half.
Spurs guard Dylan Harper has been named to the NBA Rookies with Cedric Coward (Grizzlies), Egor Demin (Nets), Tre Johnson (Wizards), VJ Edgecombe (76ers), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Jeremiah Fears (Pelicans), Collin Murray-Boyles (Raptors), Cooper Flagg (Mavericks), and Derik Queen (Pelicans). All players were lottery picks in the last draft.
Finally, Spurs two-way guard David Jones Garcia will represent the NBA G-League. He’ll be joined by Dylan’s brother Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics), Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars), Alijah Martin (Raptors 905), Tristan Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers), Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix), and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (San Diego Clippers).
This marks the first time in franchise history that the Spurs have multiple Rising Stars selections in the same season.
The Rising Star game will be played on February 13th at 9PM EST on Peacock.
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How do you weigh the cost of opportunity when it comes to a long-term build? When I talk to Cardinals personnel, the consistent theme remains “long-term focus.” What exactly does that mean for players who continue to accrue service time but are not quite to the point where they are rental assets? We know that Chaim Bloom said in his introductory press conference as President of Baseball Operations that they are long-term focused but arent willing to concede anything.
Bloom has been true to his word in that regard. This offseason, he has traded away veteran players Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado, committing to a long-term vision for the future of the franchise. He has also remained steadfast on his high price tag for All-Star Utility player Brendan Donovan, who still has 1 more season of control remaining beyond 2026, and has not conceded on his price tag, knowing the value of the player. As evidenced by other moves this offseason, the Cardinals will execute deals when a team meets their price tag. The fact that Donovan remains indicates a team has not met the Cardinals’ ask.
That being said, Bloom still has not indicated a timetable for when he expects the team to return to contention, and for obvious reasons, pending labor strife, a potential shift in the economic landscape, and uncertainty around revenue from RSN and/or Gate sales. There are quite a few question marks that need to be answered before he has a clear picture of how soon he might push in. This does, however, leave room for unintended consequences, such as when the right time might be to sell other controllable assets as they grow closer to their expiration as well?
SPAndre Pallante
Let’s start with Andre Pallante. Last season did not go particularly well for Andre, and he detailed for us at Winter Warm Up what happened last year. According to Pallante, after the 2024 season, he was experiencing a lot of fatigue and said he took a longer rest period than normal to allow his body to heal fully going into 2025. Because of that longer rest period, it took him longer to ramp up his velocity, which was a consistent talking point surrounding him in Spring Training, if you recall, which he didn’t reach until the start of the season. After which, his mechanics were not properly calibrated for the additional arm speed that was being generated, which led to his ineffectiveness with command. Pallante also touted that he’s been developing a “kick change” this offseason, which could allow for another weapon to neutralize hitters on a day he may not have a feel for release on one of his other offerings. In 2024, Pallante posted a 3.78 ERA and a 3.71 FIP in 121.1 IP, which are solid marks for any starter in the Major Leagues. Should Pallante bounce back and perform the way he did in 2024, given the depth of near MLB-ready arms the Cardinals now possess, perhaps the Cardinals look to sell high before he gets too expensive. Mid-rotation starters with control generally bring back a strong package of prospects, and for only 4 million dollars this season, the justification for the investment on the bounce back is more than digestible.
SPMatthew Liberatore
This one specifically, I know fans are going to have mixed opinions on. Not exactly comparable, but looking at what Mackenzie Gore was able to get the Nationals in return, teams will send high upside young talent for controllable lefty starters with upside. With 3 additional seasons of control remaining beyond 2026, it would take a hefty price tag to pry Liberatore away from St. Louis, but, given the theme of this article, the opportunity to acquire premium young talent that the team can continue to add to build around might be too good to pass up if the offers are there. Through July 1st of last season, Liberatore posted a 3.70 ERA and a 3.09 FIP in 92.1 IP in his first full season in the rotation. The key will be to see if he can repeat that success and perhaps put two full halves together. I wouldn’t necessarily expect Liberatore to be a deadline target, but going into the offseason, if he can put it all together, I can see the Cardinals getting a very strong return and one that could really kick the rebuild into a higher gear.
RPRiley O’Brien
This one is a little more unique as O’Brien is already 31 years old, and is, albeit a late bloomer, a guy with loud swing and miss stuff in his profile that could help a contender close down games in the hunt for October supremacy. As a pre-arb pitcher, the time to strike could be at the deadline when teams are notorious for overpaying for relievers as they push for the postseason. After the trade deadline in 2025, Riley O’Brien stepped into a prominent leverage role for the Cardinals down the stretch and posted a 2.57 ERA, 3.61 FIP, and recorded 6 saves in 21 IP. If he can carry that level of performance through the first half of the 2026 season or even a tick better, you can rest assured that half the league or more will come calling about O’Brien, and Chaim Bloom could be in a strong position to take advantage of a reliever-crazed market.
1BAlec Burleson
I have been steadfast since the end of the 2025 season. Alec Burleson positioned himself to be one of the players the Cardinals feel they have to build around. Oli Marmol and Chaim Bloom both have spoken publicly that he was one of the few players who truly took advantage of the “runway” (shutter) season. With that being said, as Burly enters his age 28 season and his physical prime, if he repeats or takes yet another step forward, can secure more hardware, or even an All-Star selection, it will make him hard to ignore as a potential trade chip. Slashing .290/.343/.459 ->.802 OPS with a .346 wOBA and a 124 wRC+, Burleson made himself one of the better hitters in baseball last season and, again, if he maintains or even takes a small step forward with one fewer season of control remaining, that will be a commodity teams will have interest in as he’d have the same amount of control remaining as Donovan does now, next offseason.
2B/3BNolan Gorman
2025 was a microcosm of the Nolan Gorman experience. High highs and extreme lows. Using the metric wRC+, where 100 is exactly league average, anything above is better, anything below is worse. By Month, Gorman’s wRC+ was: March/April – 76, May – 45, June – 142, July – 110, August – 105, September – 24! That is neither a reliable driver of offense nor a player who is already entering his salary arbitration years, someone you build around long-term. This situation feels like the Cardinals are banking on Gorman having one semi-breakout season so they can maximize a return. At this point, the volatility in Gorman’s profile, combined with 2 seasons of control remaining, could be something that Bloom looks to sell high on the soon-to-be 26-year-old former 1st rounder if he can eliminate some of the extreme lows in his profile in 2026.
C/DH Ivan Herrera
Let me be clear, I would hate this, but IF Herrera can successfully regain his status as an everyday catcher with all of the work he is putting in this offseason, and he can continue to hit at the rate he has, he would be a WILDLY valuable trade piece that could truly alter/expedite the rebuild in St. Louis. With the presence of Jimmy Crooks, Leonardo Bernal, and Rainiel Rodriguez, the Cardinals have some very impressive young catchers behind Herrera in their own right. Crooks – former Texas league MVP, Bernal – 2025 Minor league Gold Glove award winner at Catcher and switch hitter with 20+ HR potential, Rodriguez – posted an ISO of .249 in Single A, and loosely compares to Herrera, and is a near consensus top 50 prospect in baseball. If the Cardinals were hesitant to pay for the level of talent that that perspective profile would command, I could see the Cardinals willing to deal the soon to be 26 year old Herrera for a king’s ransom.
I debated adding RF Jordan Walker to this list, but with him being still only 23 years old and so much pedigree and prospect hype around him in the recent past that if he hits, he will be made a part of the core going forward more than the 6 other players listed above.
I’m not saying these players are overly likely to be moved, nor am I suggesting that the Cardinals are all that eager to move them. What I am suggesting, however, is that because we have no real timetable as to when the Cardinals expect to be in a competitive championship window, there is no clear answer on where the line is in terms of players with control and how far out that extends. If Chaim Bloom intends to be aggressive with how he attacks this build and doesn’t believe in patience in doing so, then the Cardinals do have a few chips they can play to try to expedite this process and try to have a majority of their players in the same age range/years of control.
We’re still very early in this process, and how things unfold over the next 18 months should give a clearer idea as to what the timetable may look like going forward. I understand this will likely aggravate a few fans, but that is not my goal or intention. I am not someone who swims in the “hot take” waters. For context, it is something that a few other writers in the community are starting to wonder about alongside me. Perhaps I should just hope that everyone stays healthy and has fun, who knows! (eye roll)
We’re just a couple of weeks away now from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training. As of now, that group of Orioles pitchers still does not include Framber Valdez. I will continue to update you as nothing occurs.
In the meantime, it’s prospect hype season, as publications continue to drop their top-100 rankings ahead of the 2026 season. Yesterday, The Athletic’s Keith Law unveiled his list, not long after Baseball America and MLB Pipeline did so, and the Orioles were well represented with five prospects among his top 100. Mark Brown has the details.
One notable thing about the lists released so far is that there’s a wide variety of O’s prospects who are highly regarded by at least one source, even if they’re not all in agreement. Only Samuel Basallo and Nate George are included in all three of BA, Pipeline, and Law’s lists, but there are six other prospects who are included on at least one. Dylan Beavers is a top-100 guy for both Baseball America and Pipeline. BA’s list also includes pitchers Trey Gibson and Luis De León, while Law counts Wehiwa Aloy, Ike Irish, and Enrique Bradfield Jr. among his top 100. That’s a lot of different Orioles prospects with a lot of different skills who are getting some measure of hype from the pundits. That seems like a good thing.
Will any of these prospects contribute to a winning Orioles team in 2026? We know that Basallo and Beavers will be on the roster, and if either one plays well enough to win AL Rookie of the Year, they’ll earn the Orioles an extra draft pick. Gibson and Bradfield will be one level away and could debut this season, but they both have things to work on at Triple-A first. It’ll be a longer wait for De León and the just-drafted Irish and Aloy.
The Orioles might no longer boast the best farm system in baseball as they did in the early years of the rebuild. But there’s no reason to think their talent pipeline is slowing down.
Pete Alonso seems to be exactly the kind of clubhouse leader the O’s were badly lacking in 2025. I like that about him. And also that he hits lots of dingers.
For those who were frustrated by Brandon Hyde’s slavish devotion to lefty-righty matchups, good news: Craig Albernaz appears a bit more willing to let young lefty hitters face lefty pitchers.
Ken Rosenthal takes a deep dive into the baseball mind of the former O’s fan-favorite outfielder and executive, who’s now the Angels’ hitting coach. Trey Mancini has particularly glowing things to say about how Brady revitalized his career as an Orioles prospect.
…and sure enough, Trey Mancini just signed with Brady’s team. I have a feeling that’s not a coincidence.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Four ex-Orioles were born on this day, including Orioles Hall of Famer John Lowenstein (79), who spent the final seven years of his career with the Birds from 1979-1985 and formed a potent platoon with Gary Roenicke. Other former Birds with Jan. 27 birthdays are right-hander Jonathan Heasley (29), infielder Tim Beckham (36), and catcher Ken Huckaby (55).
On this date in 2015, the Orioles acquired outfielder Travis Snider from the Pirates. The O’s hoped that the former first-round draft pick would be a capable right field replacement for Nick Markakis, who’d left in free agency, but he didn’t come close. Snider posted just a .659 OPS in 69 games before the O’s released him in August.
And on this day last year, the O’s signed Dylan Carlson to a minor league contract. He didn’t figure to get much playing time with the Orioles unless things went very wrong for the team…which, of course, they did. Carlson ended up getting 241 plate appearances for the O’s, batting .203 with a .614 OPS. He signed a minor league deal with the Cubs yesterday.
The upcoming Olympic break could potentially be coming at a good time for a few banged-up Penguins players.
The biggest concern likely involves Evgeni Malkin, who appeared to be in pain on the bench Sunday night following a seemingly light shoulder tap from Anthony Mantha.
When asked about that moment after the game, head coach Dan Muse said there was “no update” regarding Malkin.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski reported that Muse told reporters afterward when asked again about Malkin’s injury status: “No, there’s nothing there.”
There’s less reassuring than it might have been otherwise given that Muse described Malkin as “day-to-day” shortly before he was sidelined for a month with a shoulder injury in December.
Malkin said earlier this month he felt normal immediately after the Dec. 4 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in which he was initially injured, but woke up in pain the next morning. After a Feb. 5 game at the Ottawa Senators, the Penguins don’t play again until Feb. 26.
The upcoming schedule break could be a problem for the Penguins in terms of disrupting their momentum, but could also provide some respite if Malkin is dealing with any lingering issues.
Speaking of potentially injured players: Jack St. Ivany left Sunday’s win over the Vancouver Canucks with an upper-body injury. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe identified it as a left hand injury and said St. Ivany “is expected to miss sometime.”
That one could sting for the Penguins. After some struggles earlier this season, St. Ivany has been part of the reason for the blue line’s success while missing Erik Karlsson and/or Kris Letang during this recent stretch.
The Penguins didn’t provide any updates on either player’s status Monday, so it’ll be something to keep an eye out today. Injury updates will at least come before Thursday’s home game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Penguins will also be looking out for news regarding Bryan Rust. NHL Player Safety said he is scheduled to have a hearing for his hit on Canucks captain Brock Boeser this morning.
Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust will have a hearing tomorrow morning for an illegal check to the head against Vancouver’s Brock Boeser. https://t.co/K8cMz139Hz
The Penguins have five games remaining before the Olympic break, starting with a three-game homestand against the Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Senators and finishing out with a two-game road trip against the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres.
Potential updates today on Malkin, St. Ivany and Rust will determine if the Penguins are missing any starters for that stretch.
The Pens will especially hope to have as healthy a lineup as possible against the Islanders and Sabres, two teams who could possibly be in direct competition for a playoff spot down the stretch.
We may know the sport’s future is bright when trendsetters worldwide are wearing Fabien Galthié-style shades
On the surface it was business at usual at this year’s Six Nations launch in a chilly Edinburgh. Had the city’s most famous literary sleuth poked his nose into the venue at the top of the Royal Mile, Inspector Rebus would have clocked the usual suspects: head coaches trying not to divulge any secrets, captains quietly studying their opposite numbers and content creators seeking to “jazz up” their tournament previews.
This year’s booby prize went to the “influencer” who asked Caelan Doris, Ireland’s captain, whether or not he liked Fabien Galthié’s thick-rimmed glasses. It was almost on a par with the Breakdown’s all-time classic: the day someone asked Rob Baxter, Exeter’s director of rugby, to pick his favourite motorway service station. “Taunton Deane,” came the instant reply. “Because it means we’re almost home.” Brilliant.
All three are injured, and all three will be sidelined well beyond the Feb. 5 deadline. This complicates the overall market.
Each player is expected to make an eventual full return to health, though each – to varying degrees – has his own complicated injury history. The problem arises in the risk potential suitors may be feeling to trade for players who have combined to miss 63 games this season, as well as the real assets required to pry those stars away from their teams.
This all points to a potential drag in the trading market, possibly making this a sleepy deadline – especially when compared to last season’s that saw stars like Luka Dončić, Jimmy Butler, De’Aaron Fox and Brandon Ingram each shipped to new teams.
Complicating this further is that the entire market is in somewhat of a holding pattern, awaiting to see what happens with Antetokounmpo, the two-time Most Valuable Player and biggest chip on the board.
The Bucks are 18-26 and 10th in the Eastern Conference. This is quickly becoming a lost season, and the latest Antetokounmpo injury likely precludes them from being buyers ahead of the deadline. So the Bucks may reluctantly understand that a fresh start is best for everyone, particularly because Antetokounmpo has one more year on his deal with a player option for 2027-28 that he can decline.
Essentially, if Milwaukee senses that Antetokounmpo is considering walking during the 2027 offseason, the Bucks may want to at least recoup some assets for a rebuild. In that case, a trade makes perfect sense.
Yet, potential suitors will have far more financial flexibility and draft capital to deploy in an Antetokounmpo trade over the offseason, so the Bucks are probably best served to exercise patience.
Either way, we’re nearly 50 games into the season, Antetokounmpo is dealing with an injury that has nagged him, and he’s expected to be reevaluated in a month – at the earliest. That puts potential contenders who would be interested in him in a tricky spot.
Adding Antetokounmpo is a franchise-altering move that also impacts the day-to-day operation of a team. Regardless of who the suitors may be, a player like Antetokounmpo completely alters the way offenses are run, so there would be an adjustment period.
Not only are the mechanics of trading a player like Antetokounmpo during the season complicated (with a third team possibly needing to be involved), it also means these suitors would need to undergo a massive pivot, which is a risk this late in the year.
So, as the rest of the league awaits for resolution with Antetokounmpo, this could create a further lag in the trading market.
The Mavericks have also indicated they’re not necessarily in a rush to move Davis, who was the headliner returned in the infamous Dončić deal. Davis turns 33 in mid-March and is a constant injury concern, though he can be effective when he’s on the floor.
Dallas, though, is hanging around the play-in picture in the West and is also without Kyrie Irving. Eventually, the Mavericks may feel that they can make a late push for the playoffs.
And the Grizzlies have to contend with a depressed market as Morant’s value is as low as it has been throughout his career.
Granted, this could all change very quickly. If the Bucks decide they want to prioritize a head start on a rebuild, they could look to move Antetokounmpo sooner. If the Mavericks feel they can get good value for Davis, maybe they scoop up younger players more aligned with their timeline. Maybe the Grizzlies decide their relationship with Morant has run its course.
This trading deadline will certainly be active with role players like Jonathan Kuminga, Michael Porter Jr., Coby White and Domantas Sabonis likely to find new teams.
Don’t be surprised, however, if all this smoke about Antetokounmpo, Davis and Morant turns out to be just that.
As March Madness inches ever closer, we offer our latest attempt to project the men's basketball NCAA tournament field. While four different conferences are still represented on the No.-1 seed line, the upper quadrant of the bracket skews heavily toward the Big Ten.
For now the top regional seeds are unchanged from our previous installment of bracketology. Arizona has the strongest case for the top overall seed, with Michigan, Connecticut and Duke still projected to lead the regionals. The Wolverines head a group of five Big Ten squads among our projected top 12, despite preseason league favorite Purdue slipping to a No. 3 seed. Red-hot Illinois has moved up to a No. 2 along with still undefeated Nebraska, and perennial tournament contender Michigan State is also on the third line.
It might be a case of quantity over quality for the SEC, which is still well represented with 10 teams in the field but none seeded higher than Florida and Vanderbilt at No. 4 for the moment. The league’s automatic qualifier based on the current standings would be Texas A&M, though the Aggies likely will need to improve their profile should they require at-large consideration.
Seton Hall has toppled out of the field for now, leaving the Big East with just three tournament squads. The Mountain West also has three spots, though a couple of them are dangerously close to the bubble.
Bracketology: NCAA tournament field projection
March Madness Last four in
TCU, UCLA, New Mexico, Miami (Fla.).
March Madness First four out
Virginia Tech, Indiana, Missouri, Seton Hall.
NCAA tournament bids conference breakdown
Multi-bid leagues: Big Ten (10), SEC (10), Big 12 (8), ACC (8) Big East (3), Mountain West (3), West Coast (2).
Another offseason day down, another day closer to the beginning of spring. The hot stove has little left to offer us, though Monday did bring some news, with the Yankees officially announcing their signing of Cody Bellinger, as well as the Giants making a move, signing old friend Harrison Bader to a two-year deal. Had Bellinger defected this offseason, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see the Yankees pivot and try to target their former center fielder Bader, but things seem to have worked out in a beneficial way for all.
On the site today, Nolan continues his informative State of the System series with an analysis of the third base position in the Yankee organization. Also, Jeff writes up Fred Haimach as part of our Yankee Birthday series, and Sam remembers the signing of AJ Burnett, the third piece of the Yankees’ 2008-09 spending spree.
Questions/Prompts:
1. How many starts will Ryan Weathers make for the Yankees this year? Do you expect him to factor in more as a reliever or as a starter?
2. Which international sports tournament are you more psyched for this year, the WBC or the World Cup? The WBC surely won’t ever reach the World Cup’s level of significance, but do you think the WBC will continue its upward trajectory going forward?
As the city digs out from a major winter storm that dumped over a foot of snow on the region, the Pittsburgh Penguins were out west taking care of business to remain one of the hottest teams in hockey. Now they will return home and enjoy a few days off before starting a five-game stretch over the next week and half leading into the Olympic break. This stretch run into the break is highlighted by a three-game homestand and a special Stanley Cup reunion for the 2016 squad this weekend.
Pens Points…
Coming off a perfect 4-0 Western Conference road trip, the Penguins return home for a three-game homestand beginning on Thursday night. These will be their final three home games before the Olympic break and it’s another big opportunity to bank some points. [Pensburgh]
Not only did the Penguins sweep their western road trip, they did so in relatively dominating fashion. Besides a few late hiccups against the Canucks, the Penguins dominated play over the course of four games, showing us that this team might very well be for real. [PPG]
There is a chance the Penguins are without Bryan Rust when they return to game action on Thursday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. For once this is not an injury related situation with Rust, but he could potentially be suspended following a hit against the Cancucks. [Pensburgh]
With January wrapping up, it’s a good time to check in on some young prospects to see how they are faring in their development. Prospects are spread across several different leagues right now both in North American and even over in Europe. [Pensburgh]
It’s been a difficult in this native Sweden for Penguins prospect Melvin Fernstrom and the team is stepping in to help with his development. On Monday, the Penguins recalled Fernstrom from his SHL side Orebro and he heading to North America to continue the season. [Trib Live]
With the Penguins preparing to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their 2016 Stanley Cup triumph this weekend, the team website is doing a round-by-round lookback of that playoff run. On Monday, it was a flashback to a thrilling six game victory over the Washington Capitals. [Penguins]
Goalie masks have turned into their own art form over the years with many artists specializing in making masks for the NHL’s best. For Penguins goalies, they turn to a local artist for all their goalie mask needs, including the newest Penguins netminder, Stuart Skinner. [Trib Live]
Expectations were low when the Penguins acquired Stuart Skinner back in December, many viewing him as a placeholder for the rest of the season. With a strong run of play since Christmas, Skinner has suddenly shifted the conversation to perhaps a longer stay in Pittsburgh. [Daily Faceoff]
NHL News and Notes…
Nine points in three games set the pace for all players this week and it was done by Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov who was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week on Monday. Joining Kaprizov as weekly award winners were Nikita Kucherov and Lukas Dostal. [NHL]
With college football season over and the Super Bowl only two weeks away, many of the country’s sports fans will adopt what has become a familiar routine over the years — digging into men’s college basketball and counting down the days to the start of the NCAA tournament.
At least some of the excitement and joy from the madness of March comes from outside the sport’s biggest conferences, where smaller schools pull off the kinds of upsets that thrill fans and destroy brackets. It’s part of the beauty of NCAA tournament folk heroes, with previously little-known players, coaches, programs and schools become national darlings in an instant.
Those teams, though, can be enjoyed well before they become household names.
As March inches closer, USA TODAY Sports will do weekly rankings of the 10 best teams from outside of the five Power conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East and SEC), so while programs like Gonzaga or San Diego State — both of which have made the national title game in the past five years — are nobody’s idea of a mid-major, they fall into this category for the sake of this exercise.
Where do teams from outside the biggest conferences stand as February approaches?
College basketball mid-major power rankings
1. Gonzaga (21-1)
Mark Few has made the Bulldogs a model of consistent success for any program at any level of the sport and this season has been no exception. Since a loss to No. 2 Michigan in the Players Era Festival on Nov. 26, the Zags have rattled off 14 consecutive wins, a run that has included victories over Kentucky (by 35), UCLA, Oregon and Santa Clara. Graham Ike and Braden Huff form one of the best frontcourts in the country, with the forwards averaging a combined 35.9 points per game.
2. Saint Louis (19-1)
If it weren’t for a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in a 78-77 loss to Stanford on Nov. 28, the Billikens would be among the small handful of undefeated teams remaining in the sport. In its second season under coach Josh Schertz, Saint Louis has emerged as the class of the Atlantic 10, with a 7-0 conference record and only two of those games decided by single digits. College basketball folk hero Robbie Avila, who previously played for Schertz at Indiana State, is averaging a team-high 12.7 points and four assists per game.
3. Miami-Ohio (20-0)
The RedHawks are one of just three undefeated teams at the Division I level, with a 20-0 mark on the heels of a 25-win season in 2024-25. It marks the first time a Mid-American Conference team has ever won its first 20 games. Their nonconference schedule was the fourth-easiest among Division I squads, according to KenPom, but coach Travis Steele’s team has shown its mettle in pressurized situations, with overtime wins against Buffalo and Kent State, as well as a three-point victory over reigning MAC champion Akron.
4. Utah State (16-3)
The Aggies have become a launching pad for promising coaches to bigger, higher-paying jobs, with four coaches in the past six years. Through it all, though, they keep winning, with Vanderbilt transfer MJ Collins Jr. pacing this season’s team with 19.3 points per game on 42.4% shooting from 3. They’ve cooled off a bit lately, losing two of their past three after a 15-1 start, but they still look like the Mountain West favorite.
5. Saint Mary’s (19-3)
Like West Coast Conference rival Gonzaga, the Gaels win year after year and have continued it this season, with 10 wins in their past 11 games. Among the areas in which they’ve excelled? At the free-throw line, where they’re burying a Division I-best 81% of their attempts.
Under veteran coach Herb Sendek, the Broncos are on pace for their most wins in a season in a decade while collecting several impressive victories along the way — beating, among others, Saint Mary’s, Xavier, Minnesota, Nevada and McNeese.
7. San Diego State (14-5)
The Aztecs have found their footing after a 3-3 start, winning 11 of their past 13 games (with one of those losses coming to No. 1 Arizona). As always, they’ve been fierce on the defensive end, ranking 26th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
8. New Mexico (16-4)
After winning 30 games last season at UC San Diego, coach Eric Olen has kept things rolling in his first season with the Lobos, who are 13-2 since Nov. 21 and have picked up wins against Santa Clara, VCU, Mississippi State and Nevada.
9. George Mason (18-2)
Tony Skinn helped lead the Patriots to the 2006 Final Four as a player and has excelled since returning to the school as a coach, winning at least 20 games in his first two seasons. This squad might be his best yet. Like Miami (Ohio), George Mason feasted on a weak nonconference schedule, but it still has quality wins over VCU and George Washington.
10. Akron (16-4)
Three of the Zips’ four losses this season have come by five points or fewer, with only No. 12 Purdue beating them by a larger margin. Senior guard Tavari Johnson is one of the most dynamic scorers in the country, averaging 20.3 points per game and shooting 38.7% from 3.
Good morning, it’s Tuesday, January 27th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 28-20 and beat the Orlando Magic yesterday.
They host the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow. We hear a certain someone will be in town. You won’t want to miss it.
Today’s Game of the Day
Detroit Pistons at Denver Nuggets – 9 PM FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass
Still no Nikola Jokic, but the Nuggets (31-15) are still a team worth watching. That is, if Jamal Murray doesn’t miss this game as well. Murray is currently listed as questionable with a hamstring injury.
Nevertheless, this is a chance for Cavs fans to keep an eye on the Pistons (33-11). Detroit probably won’t relinquish control of the Eastern Conference’s top seed, but you can scout the best team in the East and get a sense for how the Cavs might stack up against them.
The Rest of the NBA Slate
Portland Trail Blazers at Washington Wizards – 7 PM
Sacramento Kings at New York Knicks – 7:30 PM
Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers – 8 PM
New Orleans Pelicans at Oklahoma City Thunder – 8 PM
Brooklyn Nets at Phoenix Suns – 9 PM
LA Clippers at Utah Jazz – 10 PM
Honorable mention to the Clippers and Jazz game. I don’t know why, but I feel like that could end up being an entertaining one.
BOSTON — Late in the fourth quarter of the Celtics 102-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Payton Pritchard crouched down in pain on the TD Garden parquet and clutched his left hand. Moments later, the Celtics guard headed into the locker room, his injury status seemingly up in the air.
But, much to the relief of the Celtics fans who braved the winter storm to watch Jrue Holiday and Rob Williams make their triumphant returns, Pritchard returned just a few minutes later and closed out the final 42 seconds of the ball game. The Celtics put away the Blazers, and improved to 29-17 on the season — the Eastern Conference’s second-best record.
Afterwards, Pritchard revealed that the injury was nothing too concerning; he simply re-injured a pinky finger that’s been bothering him for the past month.
Pritchard looked like he aggravated a left pinky/hand injury that he already had wrapped. Left the game with just under 3 minutes remaining. pic.twitter.com/asMuxx7cj4
“I’ve been dealing with it, jamming it back and forth, and then he just kind of hit it,” Pritchard said, explaining his finger turned sideways.
Pritchard said he thinks he first hurt his finger when the Celtics faced the Trail Blazers on December 28th. But it’s not something that’s put him on the injury report; he’s only missed one game in January, and that was due to listed ankle soreness.
“When you play basketball, you deal with finger injuries,” Pritchard said.
Payton Pritchard put together another strong showing vs the Blazers
On Monday, Pritchard beat both the end-of-first-quarter and halftime buzzers, while tallying 23 points on 8-16 FG, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
The finger injury doesn’t appear to have slowed down his production. This year, Pritchard is averaging 16.8 points while shooting 45.1% from the field and 34.7% from three-point range.
In January, his counting stats have slightly decreased, but his efficiency has improved; he’s averaging 15.9 points and shooting 46.6% from the field and 39.4% from three-point range. All season long, Pritchard has had one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the NBA; he’s averaging 5.3 assists and 1.1 turnovers per game.
After the win over the Blazers, Pritchard said the discussions around the Celtics taking a step back this season were motivating.
“People have been doubting me my whole life,” he said. “For me, it’s like show up, go to work, figure out how to win games — and prove people wrong. So, nothing changed for me in my mindset.”
BOSTON — Jrue Holiday ran into Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman, Celtics staffers and Jordan Walsh while doing mobility drills in the hallway on Monday afternoon. Walsh and Holiday, who mentored the rookie during his first NBA season, talked about shoes. Walsh inquired if Holiday had anything for him. Holiday quipped Walsh doesn’t wear his shoe size.
“Different on the other side now, but it feels good,” Holiday told reporters moments before Celtics-Blazers. “Glad to be back, see a lot of familiar faces and excited to play.”
Holiday again discussed the Celtics’ front office being upfront that he would likely be traded last offseason due to second apron penalties, and appreciated the heads-up Stevens gave before Boston executed a trade to send him to Portland. Holiday briefly landed with the Blazers in 2023 in the Damian Lillard trade before Portland flipped him to Boston in a trade that involved Robert Williams III. Williams III also made his first on-court return to the TD Garden since that trade on Monday after two injury-riddled seasons away from Boston.
Those relationships from that brief crossover helped Holiday land more softly with the Blazers this time around, who he’s led through their continued rebuild, Chauncey Billups’ arrest in October, Lillard’s recovery from Achilles surgery in his return to the Blazers and Tiago Splitter’s ascension to interim head coach. Holiday missed 27 games with a hamstring injury, sitting out the Blazers’ win over the Celtics in Portland late last month before returning to average 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 46.2% shooting through his first six games back. He hasn’t been surprised with the Celtics’ success since losing him and several contributors to the 2024 championship.
“I knew that they’d do well, knowing the type of determination that this coaching staff and organization has,” Holiday said. “Being with this team for a couple of years now and knowing the type of players that they are and how they prepare, I figured that they’d be good and obviously knowing Jaylen, I feel like he takes a lot of things personally, so he doesn’t accept a lot, especially when it comes to being bad.”
Holiday said Jaylen Brown took the postseason loss to the Knicks in May personally, and credited Joe Mazzulla’s communication and coaching methods for their success as well. He also mentioned Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Queta and the coaching staff’s defiance to being proven out as drivers of success this season.
Mazzulla, who usually doesn’t comment on opposing players, even family members and returning Celtics, made an exception for Holiday. He praised Holiday’s off-court contributions as much as what he brought to Boston on the court, which included an XChange business incubator program across several cities including Boston, that Holiday remains invested in alongside Brown.
“The biggest thing that stands out is who he is as a person,” Mazzulla said. “When you take a look at a guy who’s a champion and an All-Star and comes in and accepts a completely different role, and does it with a smile on his face and does it with a level of respect and professionalism and is willing to do what it takes to win every night … the love he had for his wife, taking a year off and being there for his family and his kids and the relationship that he and his wife have, all that stuff sticks out more than the basketball, so it was great having him for the time that we did and I love him to death.”
Maple Leafs' William Nylander Apologies For Middle Finger Gesture, Hopes To Return From Groin Injury During Upcoming Road TripNylander flipped the middle finger at a camera during the TSN broadcast of the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
