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The 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament continues today with two more matchups; first up, the Orlando Magic head to Philadelphia to face off with the 76ers.
Both teams finished the season with identical 45-37 records, but Philadelphia finished ahead of Orlando and captured home court advantage in today’s game by winning two out of three meetings against Orlando this season.
The last time the Magic and 76ers shared the court was back in January and ended in a 103-91 Sixers victory.
Magic vs. 76ers: what to know
What: NBA Play-In Tournament
When: April 15, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Streaming: Prime Video (try it free)
The winner of tonight’s game will advance directly into the playoff bracket as the No. 7 seed, while the loser will have another shot at the No. 8 seed against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.
Magic vs. 76ers start time:
Tonight’s (April 15) Magic vs. 76ers game tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET, but pregame coverage on Prime Video will begin at 7 p.m.
How to watch Magic vs. 76ers for free:
The entire NBA Play-In Tournament, including Magic vs. 76ers, is streaming exclusively on Prime Video, so you’ll need an Amazon Prime subscription to watch the game.
If you aren’t a Prime Video subscriber yet, you can get started with a 30-day Amazon Prime free trial, including Prime perks like the Prime Video streaming service, free two-day shipping, exclusive deals, and more. After the free trial, Amazon Prime costs $14.99/month or $139/year.
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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 14: Emilio Pagán #15 of the Cincinnati Reds throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Great American Ball Park on April 14, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds closer Emilio Pagán picked up his 5th save of the 2026 season on Tuesday night, coaxing a deep fly-out off the bat of San Francisco Giants pinch hitter Daniel Susac to help wrap up a closely fought 2-1 victory.
That was obviously the good news. The bad news – or potentially bad news, at least – was that he clearly seemed to grimace while delivering the pitch. Since it coincided with the end of the game, coverage of said grimace was a bit scant, and we were instead left waiting to find out just exactly what happened.
Was it a knee? Was it something innocuous?
According to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, it’s a hamstring issue for Pagán, one that comes with a bit of optimism about the recovery time needed.
Sheldon later clarified that it’s his left hamstring, not right.
The Reds have already announced a starting lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Giants, and they’ve made no roster moves in concurrence with said lineup. So, it’s safe to say that Pagán isn’t going to need a trip to the IL to get this right – at least, not yet.
My best guess is that they’ll slow-play this and hope it improves significantly with a day or two of rest, and that he’ll be unavailable to pitch while that’s going on. That would open up potential save opportunities elsewhere in the bullpen, something both Connor Phillips and Brock Burke have taken advantage of already in the early portions of this season.
If things don’t improve quickly, though, we could see a backdated move to the IL for Pagán. The problem there, though, is that there isn’t a clear replacement for his services in AAA. Zach Maxwell has a save and is on the roster, but he’s struggled mightily in his first 7 games of the year. Both Tejay Antone and Lyon Richardson have ample experience and are pitching well, but neither currently holds a spot on the 40-man roster. Luis Mey would probably end up getting the call, as he’s allowed just 2 ER in 6.0 IP with an 8/2 K/BB, though he has also yielded 3 unearned runs to date.
For now, we’ll hedge that Pagán truly did ‘dodge a bullet’ and that this will be a non-story in short order. Of course, it would be nice if the Reds offense would actually score enough runs to make ‘needing a closer in 1-run games every single day’ less of an importance for a change, too.
So far this homestand, the Los Angeles Dodgers have quietly handled the New York Mets, with the pitching staff allowing only one run in 18 innings. The run was a leadoff shot from Francisco Lindor off of Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Tuesday’s game, and otherwise no Met has crossed the plate in L.A.
Wednesday the Dodgers look to finish the sweep by sending Shohei Ohtani to the mound. Ohtani still is in possession of both longest active on-base streak at 48 games, and longest active streak of consecutive innings pitched without an earned run, at 28 2/3. The on-base streak almost ended Tuesday night, but the Mets decided to intentionally walk him in the eighth inning, even though he was 0-3 for the evening.
In each of his last two outings, Ohtani has gone exactly 6.0 innings, allowing a total of five hits and issuing four walks. There was an unearned run in the outing against the Toronto Blue Jays, dropping his longest active pitching streak from scoreless to unearned runs.
This will mark the first time that Ohtani will face the Mets as a pitcher, leaving the Chicago Cubs as the only team he will not have yet faced. As a hitter, his lifetime slash line against them is .294/.417/.603 with five homers and 13 RBI.
The Mets will send right-hander Clay Holmes to the mound, who is 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA. In his last outing, Holmes left the mound in the sixth inning with the team trainer. He was dealing with left hamstring tightness but is still slated to make the start Wednesday evening.
On the offense side, the Mets have only scored 10 runs in their last five games, with the bulk of those coming in a loss to the Athletics in which they scored six runs. They were shutout in three of those games. Tuesday night marked the seventh loss in a row.
Bo Bichette in particular will be looking to continue to assert some dominance over Ohtani. His last plate appearance against Ohtani came in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series produced a three-run homer, which most of Toronto thought would be the death nell for the Dodgers.
As always, both teams will wear number 42 on their uniforms, in honor of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in 1947.
Wednesday night’s game will be available exclusively on ESPN, the first one of the season for ESPN. Orel Hershiser will join Ron Darling as the respective teams’ color analysts, with Joe Buck the play-by-play guy.
The Los Angeles Lakers are set to begin the playoffs on Saturday night against the Houston Rockets, but an early-April injury to Luka Doncic has the superstar point guard expected to miss the entire first round.
I break down the latest Luka Doncic odds and how the injury subsequently affects the Lakers’ NBA odds, which have taken a tumble as a result.
How we got here
Despite the Los Angeles Lakers catching fire following the All-Star break — including a 16-2 run in February and March — things came to a crashing halt on April 2, as Luka Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in the third quarter of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Prior to the injury, Doncic was absolutely stuffing the stat sheet, leading the league with 33.5 points per game while averaging 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per contest.
Treatment plan
Doncic returned from Spain on Tuesday after undergoing regenerative therapy, which reportedly included stem cell injections.
Still, cutting a potential return timeline from 4–6 weeks down to 3–4 weeks would still sideline Doncic for the entire round against Houston, as even if the series went the distance, a potential Game 7 would fall well before that timeframe.
LA, we have a problem
Lakers head coach J.J. Redick addressed the media on Monday, giving the latest update on the injuries to both Doncic and star guard Austin Reaves.
“They’re out indefinitely. I’m not going to have an update for you this week. They’re out indefinitely” - JJ Redick on the injury statuses of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves pic.twitter.com/h9awcSTLcP
Despite having home-court advantage for Round 1, the Lakers are listed at +450 to win the series against Houston at bet365, and they have fallen all the way to +15000 to win the NBA Finals.
The Luka-less Lakers are currently listed as 5.5-point underdogs ahead of Saturday's Game 1 against Houston.
Dylan Garand will start in the New York Rangers’ 2025-26 season finale on Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Garand was recalled by the Rangers from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League on March 20, as he finally got his first taste of NHL action in Jonathan Quick’s absence due to an upper-body injury.
The 23-year-old goaltender has started in two games since being called up, posting a 1-0-1 record, 1.44 goals against average, and .954 save percentage.
However, Garand hasn’t started a game since notching his first NHL win on March 27 against the Chicago Blackhawks, but the Rangers have still opted to keep him around despite Quick returning to the lineup.
Ahead of the Rangers’ Monday night game against the Florida Panthers, Quick announced that he would officially be retiring at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
This development opens up the door for Garand to take over the Blueshirts’ backup goaltending role next season behind Igor Shesterkin.
“We have talked for a few weeks on what we were trying to accomplish with our goalies, and there were multiple objectives involved,” Mike Sullivan said. “Obviously, Shesty is our No. 1 guy, and he's a priority for us. I think how we handled Quickie down the stretch, he is deserving of, and we've spoken at length about that. And Dylan is a guy that's played well in the starts that he's had, and we're excited about where potentially he goes moving forward.
“So there were multiple objectives involved, and we had a big-picture game plan in mind, and this was part of it. As I always tell you guys, it's always subject to change based on circumstances. You guys know that. But obviously we're trying to accomplish multiple things at the same time, and that was part of it.”
With the Rangers eliminated from playoff contention and without much to play for heading into their season finale, Garand will get another opportunity to further showcase his skills at the NHL level.
The NBA's Play-In Tournament might be underway, but the regular season is not a wrap. The end-of-season awards have yet to be handed out, and still there are major questions surrounding more than a few of them.
Does Victor Wembanyama deserve MVP after leading his team to an unexpected No. 2 seed in the Western Conference while playing some of the greatest defense fans have ever seen? Or should that distinction go to the reigning MVP who put together another incredible performance as one of the league's top scorers and clutch performers? Is Nickeil Alexander-Walker a shoo-in for most improved player, or can dark horses such as Deni Avdija or Jalen Duren make a push? Does Chet Holmgren have any shot at defensive player of the year?
These are the questions fans want answered, and we'll get them soon. For now, though, all we can do is look at the odds to try to figure out what will happen. Here are the odds for each of the NBA's major awards. (All odds via BetMGM.)
NBA MVP odds
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (-5000)
Victor Wembanayama, Spurs (+2000)
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (+6600)
NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (-10000)
Chet Holmgren, Thunder (+1200)
NBA Most Improved Player odds
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Hawks (-1250)
Jalen Duren, Pistons (+800)
Deni Avdija, Trail Blazers (+6600)
Jalen Johnson, Hawks (+15000)
NBA Sixth Man of the Year odds
Keldon Johnson, Spurs (-833)
Jaime Jaquez Jr., Heat (+500)
Naz Reid, Timberwolves (+10000)
Reed Sheppard, Rockets (+10000)
Tim Hardaway Jr., Nuggets (+10000)
Ajay Mitchell, Thunder (+10000)
Isaiah Stewart, Pistons (+25000)
NBA Coach of the Year odds
Joe Mazzulla, Celtics (-150)
J.B. Bickerstaff, Pistons (+115)
Mitch Johnson, Spurs (+4000)
Charles Lee, Hornets (+25000)
Quin Snyder, Hawks (+50000)
When will NBA awards be announced?
The official timeline for the NBA's end-of-season awards has yet to be announced but should be coming soon. Last year, the first major award was announced April 21, with sixth man of the year going to Boston's Payton Pritchard. The final major award was announced more than a month later (May 22) when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took home the MVP.
The announcements for this year's awards are likely to follow a similar schedule with multiple awards being announced as the playoffs progress.
LOS ANGELES — Major League Baseball will honor Jackie Robinson when every player, coach and umpire will wear his No. 42 to mark the 79th anniversary of the infielder breaking the sport’s color barrier.
Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. He went on to win Rookie of the Year honors, become a six-time All-Star and the 1949 National League MVP. He played in six World Series, and won his only championship in 1955 with the Dodgers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets will hold a joint reflection ceremony at the centerfield statue of Robinson at Dodger Stadium.
“A special day, especially for me as a Latino. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t because of him,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Talk about dealing with pressure at this level, imagine what he dealt with back in the day.”
Two of Robinson’s granddaughters will join the teams at Dodger Stadium, not far from Robinson’s adopted hometown of Pasadena. He was a four-sport star at Pasadena Junior College before going on to UCLA, where the Georgia native was better known for football than baseball.
Also on hand in Los Angeles will be recipients of scholarships from the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
For the first time in at least two decades, the percentage of Black players on opening day rosters increased this season. Major League Baseball says 6.8% of players on opening day rosters, injured lists and the restricted list were Black, up from 6.2% at the start of the 2025 season and 6.0% at the start of 2024.
An uncomfortable, awkward, nervy night ended in a goalless draw and Arsenal progressing to the semi-finals
1 min: Peeeeeep! Luis Suarez gets the ball rolling.
The captains exchange pennants. Sporting’s looks rubbish. Not even embroidered. It’s like they forgot their proper pennant and had to buy one from a dodgy bloke outside the ground. It’s less a pennant than an insult.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 8: Jared Oliva #56, Harrison Bader #9 and Jung Hoo Lee #51 of the San Francisco Giants walk off the field after the inning during a game between Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on April 8, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants have had the worst outfield in the Major Leagues this year, and now it’s getting a shakeup. However, it’s not the performance that is causing that shakeup, but rather injuries.
On Wednesday, ahead of their game against the Cincinnati Reds, the Giants announced that starting center fielder Harrison Bader and fourth outfielder Jared Oliva had both been placed on the 10-Day IL. Bader, whose IL stint is retroactive to April 12, has a left hamstring strain, which appears to be a lingering issue from a Spring Training injury. Oliva is headed to the IL with a left wrist hamate fracture, though it’s unclear when that injury was sustained (he did have what appeared to be a very minor collision with the wall in yesterday’s loss).
Taking their places on the roster are outfielders Drew Gilbert and Will Brennan, who have been recalled from AAA Sacramento.
It could be a blessing in disguise for the Giants. Their outfield has been miserable, but it seemed unlikely that they would bench Bader, Jung Hoo Lee, or Heliot Ramos anytime soon. You don’t ever wish for an injury, but it does open the door for some new players to get some playing time, and potentially run with it. Both Brennan and Gilbert have been playing well — not great, but well — in Sacramento this year. Brennan is hitting .392/.389/.549 with one home run and a 149 wRC+, while Gilbert is slashing .289/.389/.400, with one home run and a 122 wRC+. Both players have regularly been playing all three outfield spots in AAA.
As for the injured players, Bader’s first year with the Giants has been a disaster thus far, as he’s hit just .115/.145/.192 with one home run, a -7 wRC+, and a team-worst -0.6 fWAR. Oliva has hit 1-7 while playing almost exclusively as a pinch-runner prior to filling in for Bader. It’s a tough break for Oliva, who beat the odds to make the Opening Day roster, and will now likely be shelved for quite a while.
It will be interesting to see how Tony Vitello and the front office allocate playing time for the new outfield arrangement, especially since Gilbert and Brennan are both left-handed hitters replacing right-handed hitters (on a team woefully lacking in lefties). Gilbert is an exciting prospect who is wholly unproven at the MLB level, while Brennan is a known entity but has been a comfortably below-average hitter in 866 career plate appearances in the pros. We also don’t know how the Giants view the center field defensive situation with Bader sidelined: Gilbert has looked good there in limited action, Brennan has been serviceable with a fair amount of experience there, and Lee spent all of last year as the center fielder, and slid over to fill in for Bader on Sunday.
These are the first transactions that the Giants have made on the hitting front this year, despite being at or near the bottom in virtually every offensive category. That’s been doubly true for the team’s outfielders who, as a unit, rank 29th in batting average (.189), 30th in on-base percentage (.221), 29th in slugging percentage (.264), 30th in walk rate (4.2%), 30th in wRC+ (36), and 30th in fWAR (-1.6).
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Mitch Johnson can finally start drawing up game plans.
Following the Portland Trail Blazers’ messy 114-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns in the Play-In, Victor Wembanyama and the No. 2-seeded San Antonio Spurs are now officially set to meet Deni Avdija’s No. 8-ranked club in the Divisional Round of the NBA Playoffs.
Home games at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center are scheduled to take place:
If you’d like to be there to see the Spurs in the postseason for the first time since 2019 during the Greg Popovich era (!), tickets are available for all four hypothetical showdowns in the Lone Star State.
At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats for any one Frost Bank Center contest was $114 including fees on StubHub.
Fans hoping to catch a game at Portland’s Moda Center can snag seats for as low as $112 including fees.
Prior to this high-stakes series, the Spurs and Blazers met on April 8 in San Antonio. Although Wemby and Stephon Castle sat due to injuries, De’Aaron Fox led the charge with 25 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Keldon Johnson chipped in 20 on 8-of-15 shooting.
“We did a good job with some responses throughout a game against a very competitive team that really pushed the envelope pressuring on one end and trying to drive you on the other end,” Johnson said in a postgame press conference.
Given their lopsided records — San Antonio finished the year 62-20 to Portland’s 42-20 — and the Spurs’ taking two of three from the Blazers in the season series, oddsmakers list Wemby, Castle and Fox as “massive -2000 favorite(s) to advance, with the Trail Blazers coming in at a very long +1000.”
Still, there’s no reason for fans to rest on their laurels.
The squad can certainly use all the help they can from Spurs Jackals to ensure they advance to the Western Conference Semifinals to take on the winner of the Nuggets-Timberwolves series.
For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers 2026 Western Conference Divisional Playoff Series below.
San Antonio Spurs playoff home game tickets
A complete calendar including all announced Spurs home game dates at the Frost Bank Center and the best prices on tickets can be found here:
San Antonio Spurs home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Game One Sunday, April 19 8 p.m.
$142(including fees)
Game Two Tuesday, April 21 7 p.m.
$114(including fees)
Game Five Tuesday, April 28TBD
$159(including fees)
Game Seven Saturday, May 2 TBD
$438(including fees)
Portland Trail Blazers playoff home game tickets
All Blazers playoff home game dates at the Moda Center and the cheapest tickets available can be found below.
Portland Trail Blazers home game dates
StubHub prices start at
Game Three Friday, April 24 7:30 p.m.
$116(including fees)
Game Four Sunday, April 26 12:30 p.m.
$112(including fees)
Game Six Thursday, April 30 TBD
$147(including fees)
How to watch the Spurs and Blazers on TV
Fans hoping to catch Johnson’s club on the tube can watch all first-round playoff games on ABC, ESPN, TNT, Prime Video, NBC and NBA TV.
Just make sure to review your local listings before tuning in.
If you don’t have cable, your best bet may be DIRECTV.
About Spurs-Blazers
In 2025-26, the San Antonio Spurs went head-to-head with the Portland Trail Blazers three times.
Their first matchup went down Nov. 26, 2025 as part of the NBA Cup. San Antonio won that showdown 115-102 without Castle and Wemby once again. De’Aaron Fox went off and dropped 37 while Devin Vassell added 23.
A little over a month later, the Blazers squeaked past the Spurs 115-110 on Jan. 3. And, yes, Wemby rode the pine. No, he did not play against Portland once this season. Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan all scored over 20 to secure the win.
With a healthy Wembanyama in tow, Tiago Splitter’s squad will have to find a way to guard the 7’4″ big man. To that, we say good luck Donovan Clingan and Jerami Grant. They’ll need it.
2026 NBA playoff schedule
Been meaning to see where the playoffs are at right now?
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The New York Mets try to snap a seven-game skid as they face the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight.
L.A. will have two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on the mound, and my Mets vs. Dodgers predictions are betting on him to shut down New York's ice-cold offense.
Here are my best free MLB picks for this NL clash on Wednesday, April 15.
Who will win Mets vs Dodgers today: Los Angeles RL -1.5 (+105)
Shohei Ohtani has allowed just five hits and one run (none earned) through 12 innings this year.
Ohtani also anchors a Los Angeles Dodgers offense that leads the majors in OPS (.838), with that surging to .912 over the last week. They'll get to New York Mets righty Clay Holmes, who has a 4.08 FIP in 34 starts since last year.
The Mets are 28th in the majors in OPS (.625), with that dropping to .473 over the last seven days, as Juan Soto remains sidelined. They simply don't have the bats to keep up with the Dodgers' firepower.
COVERS INTEL: Since the start of 2025, opponents have slugged just .240 against Shohei Ohtani's four-seamer, while the Mets are slugging .342 against four-seam fastballs this year.
Mets vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 8 (-115)
I'm expecting regression for Holmes against L.A.'s elite offense. However, he's still been solid since making the move to the rotation and has a 3.59 xERA this year.
Both teams also have strong bullpens. Mets relievers rank sixth in ERA (2.94) and eighth in WHIP (1.20), while Dodgers relievers are ninth in ERA (3.25) and sixth in WHIP (1.19).
The main reason to bet the Under is how bad New York's offense has been without Soto. The offseason departure of Pete Alonso was a huge blow, and Francisco Lindor (.194 BA) and Marcus Semien (.243 OBP) have been awful.
Rohit Ponnaiya's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 4-5, -1.68 units
Over/Under bets: 5-1, +3.75 units
Mets vs Dodgers odds
Moneyline: Mets +165 | Dodgers -200
Run line: Mets +1.5 (-125) | Dodgers -1.5 (+105)
Over/Under: Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115)
Mets vs Dodgers trend
The Mets are 0-7 in their previous seven games, while the Dodgers are 9-2 in their last 11. Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Dodgers.
How to watch Mets vs Dodgers and game info
Location
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
First pitch
10:10 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Mets starting pitcher
Clay Holmes (2-1, 1.50 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcher
Shohei Ohtani (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Mets vs Dodgers latest injuries
Mets vs Dodgers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Penguins jumped out to 3-0 and 4-1 leads before letting the Blues come all the way back to win it. Normally, this would be considered an "unacceptable" loss, but it was basically a preseason game since the Penguins had already clinched a playoff spot and were sitting out numerous players, including Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson.
Rutger McGroarty got things started for the Penguins in the first period with a goal right off a draw. Avery Hayes and Anthony Mantha eventually scored to make it 3-0 before the Blues made it 3-1 at the end of the first period, thanks to Jimmy Snuggerud.
Elmer Soderblom scored a gorgeous goal at the beginning of the second period to make it a 4-1 lead before everything went south for the Penguins.
"That's like a Clydesdale horse" 🐎😂
6'8" Elmer Söderblom showing off his size as he scores the Pens' fourth goal of the night 💪 pic.twitter.com/I5gR5U5JbO
The Penguins allowed five unanswered goals by the Blues, making it a 6-4 game before Avery Hayes scored his second goal to make it 6-5 in the third period. The Penguins tried to get a 6-on-5 goal, but it wasn't meant to be, as Dylan Holloway iced the game with an empty-net goal.
Here are some takeaways from this one:
- I know some people will look at the goals allowed by both Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silivs and get nervous, but there wasn't much they could do on a lot of the goals against. The Penguins were atrocious in their own zone for most of the evening, which shouldn't come as a surprise since they were playing without four of their top six defensemen.
Even when everyone's in the lineup, they've still been a little leaky as of late, but I expect this to get cleaned up by the time this weekend rolls around.
- Jake Livanavage made his NHL debut for the Penguins and logged 25:14 in a top-four role. I liked a lot of what I saw, especially on the power play. He was methodical with the puck, and his skating was smooth. It's only one game, but it's still something to build off going into next season.
- Elmer Soderblom continues to make a great case to be in the playoff lineup, even with everyone healthy. We still have to see if Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte will be ready to go for Game 1, but Soderblom has been awesome since he was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings.
The goal he scored to make it 4-1 was something else. The way that he cut to the net and did the little toe before scoring the goal was awesome. He compiled five goals and 10 points in 20 games with the Penguins after they traded for him.
- Avery Hayes finished the regular season with five goals in 16 games and should be a full-time NHL player as soon as next season. He used a burst of speed to score the first goal, made no mistake with his release, and never gave up on the play to score his second. He's got what it takes to be a good bottom-six player in the NHL, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he keeps developing.
- Next up for the Penguins? Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They'll take on the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round for the first time since the 2017-18 season. The rivalry has been dormant for the last several years, but all it takes is a great playoff series to change that. I expect this one to be full of fireworks.
The final night of a regular season can seem meaningless for a team that already clinched their playoff position the night before. A sizable chunk of the regular roster is rested, meaning that younger players and AHL call-ups are brought in to take their place.
It is usually a transition—part reflection, part anticipation, rarely definitive in what it reveals. But for the Philadelphia Flyers, a 4–2 win over the Montreal Canadiens felt different.
A team that has spent months constructing an identity closed its season not by coasting into the postseason, but by reinforcing exactly who it is, even when the roster looks remarkably different from how it usually does.
The Flyers will finish 43–27–12 (98 points), third in the Metropolitan Division. Next comes the Pittsburgh Penguins for the eighth playoff meeting between the bitter interstate rivals.
But before that, this game offered something valuable: a snapshot of both present and future, converging at exactly the right time.
1. A Complete Season Ends With a Complete Performance
There is something significant about how the Flyers handled this final game. They didn’t treat it as a formality, but as legitimate preparation.
The Canadiens played most of their top guys—the likes of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraf Slafkovsky were all in the lineup—and the Flyers' young guys were able to keep them under control.
The win completed a 3–0 season sweep of Montreal, the first time the Flyers have swept the Canadiens since 2017–18. But more importantly, it reinforced habits that have defined their late-season surge: structure, depth scoring, and composure.
There was no overextension, no chasing offense for the sake of it. The Flyers handled the game in layers—defensively sound, opportunistic offensively, and consistent in their approach. That matters heading into the playoffs, especially when the organization is keeping a close eye on who could feature in the postseason should the Flyers need to call in a replacement.
2. The Youth Movement Isn’t Coming—It’s Here
If there was a defining theme of the night, it was this: the Flyers’ future is here.
Oliver Bonk delivered a remarkable NHL debut, recording a goal and an assist—all in the first period. According to NHL stats, he became just the 10th defenseman in league history to record multiple points in his first NHL period, joining a list that spans over a century.
OLIVER BONK WASTES NO TIME!!! 🤩
He's got his first assist and goal, all in the first period of his NHL debut! pic.twitter.com/rSZ5UyH7q4
Hunter McDonald also made his NHL debut, contributing an assist and plenty of physical assertiveness to keep the Habs in check.
Speaking about his debut, McDonald said postgame, “It was just awesome. I don’t have words, honestly. It was pretty cool… It was just great that I played with them down there. It’s a big family from Lehigh to here, everyone in this organization is classy. It was awesome.”
There is a connective thread running through this organization—from Lehigh Valley to Philadelphia—and nights like this make it visible.
Head coach Rick Tocchet acknowledged the difficulty of the moment for these players, and their admirable response to it.
“I was really impressed," he said. "It’s a tough turnaround getting called up today and the travel… There’s a lot of moving parts for them. I give them a lot of credit.”
3. Porter Martone Is Operating in Rare Air
If Bonk’s debut represented the future arriving, Porter Martone continues to define the present.
With another goal and assist, Martone recorded his third multi-point game and extended his point streak to six games (4G, 5A). That ties him with Sean Couturier, Mike Ricci, and Peter Zezel for the second-longest point streak by a Flyers teenager—trailing only Eric Lindros.
Numbers like that place Martone’s production not just in the category of “impressive rookie performance,” but literally in the lineage of franchise history.
4. Matvei Michkov Is Peaking at the Perfect Time
Timing matters, and Matvei Michkov has chosen his moment well.
A goal and two assists in this game gave him his third three-point performance of the season and pushed him to 51 points (20G, 31A). More telling, however, is his recent form: 11 points in his last seven games.
In a sophomore season that admittedly left something to be desired after a standout rookie campaign, Michkov has found his legs, and recently, has not just been producing, but accelerating.
As the Flyers transition into playoff hockey, they will need players capable of creating offense in tighter, more structured environments. Michkov’s ability to generate in space, to read pressure, and to execute quickly positions him as a central figure in what comes next. He simultaneously is finishing the season strong, and entering the postseason as a difference-maker.
Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov (39). (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
5. Depth, Identity, and Joy Are All Aligned
The Flyers’ fourth goal—scored by Alex Bump, his fifth of the season—was emblematic of something deeper.
It was about who was on the ice.
“I think my line was under 22 [years old], so we’re just happy to be here,” Bump said postgame. “We’re trying to do the best we can and contribute in any way and have fun while we’re doing it.”
That blend—youth, contribution, and enjoyment—is not always present in teams heading into the playoffs. But for the Flyers, it is a crucial part of their identity.
Tocchet made it clear that performances like this are not just appreciated—they are being evaluated with purpose.
“Yeah, I mean, if you go far into the playoffs, you can go 28 deep on the roster. So, yeah, you’re looking, for sure," he said. "One of those guys—it’s not out of the question that they can play in the Penguins series. You definitely look for that stuff. That’s why it’s big.”
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - NOVEMBER 12: Jaxson Hayes #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers grabs the rebound during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 12, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The good news for the Lakers is that they won the regular-season series against Houston 2-1. The obvious bad news is that they’ll have to play without Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić, who are out indefinitely.
This provides the Lakers’ head coach, JJ Redick, with the difficult challenge of trying to win a playoff series without his two best players. After Lakers practice on Tuesday, he established two keys to winning the series: rebounding and turnovers.
“Again, taking care of the basketball and boxing out,” Redick said. “That’s the series. Schemes, personnel, obviously important. But if we don’t take care of the ball, we don’t box out, we’re not going to win the series. They were No. 4 in scoring opportunities, we were No. 23. We don’t have the luxury with Luka and AR out of getting killed in scoring opportunities every single game. We have to box out.
“We’re going to place an emphasis on every drill and practice. We started practice with boxing out today. You got to put it in their mind and that was literally the only thing we said about Houston today. Today was about us and having a practice and getting sharp with our stuff. Tomorrow, we’ll introduce personnel. Thursday, we’ll do our scout like we would. Friday will be a reinforcement of that scout. Saturday, we’ll be good to go. The only thing we did today was box out and take care of the ball.”
Across their three regular-season contests, the Rockets outrebounded the Lakers 130-91. In fact, the Lakers lost the rebounding battle in every single game against Houston.
That didn’t stop them from winning more than they lost, but it’s a clear weakness they’d like to fix. Especially, as Redick has mentioned, now that Dončić and Reaves are out. This makes the Lakers even smaller and takes out two players who average 12.4 rebounds per game combined.
In many ways, rebounding is a team sport. It requires focus and a collective effort to box out, so regardless of who grabs the board, it’s someone on your side. Every Laker will have to be a better rebounder, especially players like Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura, who can fluctuate from having great rebounding games to poor ones.
Beyond the rebounding, turnovers will be a key. The Lakers, being shorthanded, will have to play as close to perfect basketball as possible. LA only lost the turnover battle once in their three games against Houston, so hopefully that continues now that LeBron James and Luke Kennard will be the main ball handlers for LA.
After Tuesday’s practice, Marcus Smart discussed another x-factor that’s hard to quantify, but is still a very real part of each playoff series.
“Willpower,” Marcus Smart said. “We’re competitors. We’ve been doing this for a while. We’ve been doing it at the highest level. They’re going to try to come in and punk us and if you’re willing to allow it, you will be punked. I don’t think we have any guys that’s willing to be punked on this team. We might not be the most athletic or strongest, but we got to have heart.”
They’ll need all that heart and more to come out on top, as the Lakers are clear underdogs in this series.
Mar 18, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Angel Chivilli (57) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the ninth inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Yankees’ bullpen started the year on fire, protecting leads left and right and enjoying a few breakout performances from unexpected pitchers — or at least that’s what it looked like. Now, a few weeks into the season, the unit has looked leaky and inconsistent in recent games.
This has caused the Yanks to make some roster decisions after returning Cade Winquest to the St. Louis Cardinals to make room for Luis Gil in the rotation last week. One such move came after Monday’s rollercoaster win, when they demoted Jake Bird. Then, in search of another fresh arm after Tuesday’s 7-1 loss, they optioned Bird’s replacement, Yerry De los Santos, to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barres after pitching two innings.
To replace De los Santos on the active roster, New York has decided to bring up Angel Chivilli, whom they acquired in a late-January trade with the Colorado Rockies, sending T.J. Rumfield in return.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees recalled RHP Angel Chivilli (#57) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Chivilli, a Brian Cashman project not dissimilar from Bird, posted a 7.06 ERA in 58.2 innings last year in Colorado, with a 6.03 FIP and a much more decent 4.86 xFIP. He surrendered 1.9 home runs per nine.
The stuff is what intrigues New York more than the numbers. The 23-year-old has a fastball that averaged 97.1 mph last year, good enough to rank in the 88th percentile. It doesn’t have an impressive movement profile, though. Chivilli’s two breaking balls—a slider and a changeup—are far more promising and actually yielded excellent results last year, with a 45.4 percent and a 42.6 percent whiff rate, respectively.
The Yankees had high hopes for Chivilli, but a 12.38 ERA in spring training cost him a spot on the Opening Day roster. Instead, the organization sent him to Triple-A, where he has thrived with 8.1 dominant innings of a perfect 0.00 ERA, two walks, and nine punchouts.
Chivilli will get his first true chance in prinstripes, hoping to become a trusted reliever in a bullpen that needs sure things.
COVERS INTEL: Since the start of 2025, opponents have slugged just .240 against Shohei Ohtani's four-seamer, while the Mets are slugging .342 against four-seam fastballs this year.
