PERTH, Australia (AP) — Sam Kerr broke a second half deadlock and Australia edged defending champion China 2-1 for a spot in the Women’s Asian Cup final on Tuesday.
The veteran Chelsea forward started the attacking movement on halfway and finished it off with a left-foot shot from a tight angle in the 58th minute, the decisive moment of a semifinal that was tied 1-1 at halftime.
The Australians will play the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Japan and South Korea. Australia last won the continental championship in 2010.
Caitlin Foord gave the host the lead in the 17th when she finished off an attacking raid that started with Mary Fowler combining with Ellie Carpenter on the right. Carpenter crossed back into the area, where Fowler cut the ball back for Foord to fire.
China equalized in the 26th through Zhang Linyan from the penalty spot. Zhang won the penalty after she swooped on a defensive blunder and was felled in the area by goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold.
All of the semifinalists qualified automatically for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The losing quarterfinalists go into playoffs for two more guaranteed places in Brazil.
Iran’s exit
The two Iran players who remained in Australia on protection visas following their team's group-stage exit joined a practice session Monday with a professional club in Brisbane in their first publicly shared appearance since it emerged they were given asylum.
Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were pictured smiling and wearing the club’s training uniform as they posed alongside a women’s elite squad in photos posted to social media by the Brisbane Roar.
The baseball world is in the throes of the World Baseball Classic, with the final game Tuesday night featuring Team USA against. Will Smith is the only Dodger still playing in the WBC.
Samuri Japan was eliminated Saturday by Venezuela and as such, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani are back in Arizona. While neither is happy with how their WBC run ended, their eyes are now on getting the Dodgers that Three-Peat.
On Monday, Yamamoto was named the Opening Day starter. Eric Stephen covered that story here.
As for Ohtani, he did not pitch in the WBC, but he did throw bullpens. His most recent was a four-inning outing last Thursday. Since the assumption was that Samurai Japan was going to go all the way to the finals in the WBC, there wasn’t much of an expectation that Ohtani would pitch in Spring Training this year. Now, Ohtani will have time to take the mound at least once before the season starts.
Ohtani could pitch later this week in Arizona, or be kept until the Freeway Series starting on Sunday. Sonya Chen covers all the details for MLB.com.
Shohei expressed his regrets for what he referred to as his “shortcomings” in the WBC. As Chuck Schilken of the L.A. Times notes, one wonders what those shortcomings might be as Ohtani had a better WBC this year than he did when he was the MVP in 2023. Dodger fans hope that Ohtani continues to make up for those perceived flaws throughout the 2026 season.
The Ontario Tower Buzzers are the newest addition to the Dodgers family, starting their first season as the Dodgers’ Low-A farm club on April 2nd. While stating that the Tower Buzzers have hit the mark in every other facet of their digs, Jim Alexander of the OC Register posits that they have missed the spot on one area – having nothing named after Don Drysdale, who was so good at ‘buzzing the tower’ of opposing batters.
The Dodgers have signed an agreement with Uniqlo that will give them naming rights to the field at Dodger Stadium. For those of you who are also not cool like me, Uniqlo is a Japanese clothing company. Anthony Soloranzo covers more of the details of the deal here. I don’t know about you, but if the team is selling rights to iconic things like the field at Dodger Stadium, they can wear those beautiful blue spring training jerseys a couple games a year.
Build Your Winning Bracket!
SB Nation’s CBB expert Mike Rutherford and resident bracketologist Chris Dobbertean will answer all your questions this week and help guide you to bracket glory! Drop in SB Nation’s March Madness Feed all week long and we’ll have both on hand! (All times ET)
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev delivered a moment that had hockey fans buzzing on Monday. During a shootout between Dynamo Moscow and Spartak Moscow at Megasport Sport Palace, the former Toronto Maple Leafs forward delivered a highlight-reel, jaw-dropping goal that sealed a thrilling victory for Dynamo.
Skating in with speed from center ice, the 25-year-old forward approached Spartak goaltender Artyom Zagidulin. What followed was pure audacity: Der-Arguchintsev feinted to his forehand, then in a flash, flipped the puck between his own legs while spinning, threading it past a sprawling Zagidulin into the top corner.
Born in Moscow and known for his slick hands and vision, he has thrived back home, tallying points consistently for Dynamo after stints with Traktor Chelyabinsk. In the 2025-26 season, he’s been a key contributor, with his shootout prowess adding to Dynamo’s depth. But for Toronto fans, this viral moment serves as a reminder of what might have been,a prospect who flashed promise but never fully cracked the NHL roster.
Der-Arguchintsev’s journey with the Maple Leafs began at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, where Toronto selected him in the third round, 76th overall. The pick was a nod to his junior success, and he quickly signed a three-year entry-level contract on September 22, 2018, after impressing at rookie camp. That first season, 2018-19, saw him dominate with the Peterborough Petes in the OHL, racking up 46 points in 62 games. He also dipped his toes into pro hockey with the Newfoundland Growlers, the Leafs’ ECHL affiliate at the time, notching two points in three regular-season games and contributing during their playoff run.
The following year, 2019-20, he elevated his game further with the Petes, amassing 75 points in 55 games before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season. He was Peterborough’s second-leading scorer behind current Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson (86 points in 36 games). Adapting to the disruptions, Der-Arguchintsev was loaned to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL for 2020-21, gaining valuable experience abroad. He returned to North America briefly, suiting up for six games with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL and collecting four points. By 2021-22, he was a full-time Marlie, posting 32 points in 51 games as he honed his two-way play.
His breakthrough came in 2022-23, where he tallied 40 points in 50 AHL games with the Marlies. That performance earned him a call-up to the big club, and on December 6, 2022, Der-Arguchintsev made his NHL debut in a 4-0 shutout win over the Dallas Stars. Logging limited ice time and no points in that lone appearance, he was reassigned shortly after, a common fate for bubble prospects in Toronto’s stacked lineup.
As a pending restricted free agent after that season, Der-Arguchintsev opted to return to Russia, signing a two-year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk on July 4, 2023. He later moved to Dynamo Moscow, where he’s continued to develop. Notably, the Leafs still retain his NHL rights, leaving the door ajar for a potential return if circumstances align.
After Saturday night’s defeat at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis said he was disappointed with the way his team managed risks in the game, but he also looked frustrated because that’s been a recurring issue this season. To use St-Louis’ own metaphor, who once likened himself to a dad for his players, a huge part of being a parent is repeating the same thing until the kid finally understands what you want them to do and why, and it’s what he’s going through right now.
On Tuesday night, the Canadiens will host the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre for one last time this season, and the stakes are as high as they could be. Montreal’s lead over the Bruins has melted to just one point. While most pundits thought the Massachusetts outfit would miss the playoffs this season, they’ve been having a very respectable season, and they even lead the season series 2-1. The Habs' sole win this season came in December, when they vanquished the Bruins 6-2, but Boston won the last time the two teams faced off, 4-3 in regulation.
Samuel Montembeault was in the net for the two defeats, while Jacob Fowler manned the net in the only win. The Canadiens have yet to confirm who will be on duty tonight, but it’s likely to be a choice between Fower and Jakub Dobes. Montembeault has faced the Bruins 13 times and has a 3-8-1 record with a 3.81 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage. Meanwhile, Dobes has never faced them, while Fowler won his only outing against the divisional rival, posting a .929 SV. The Tricolore will hold a morning skate at 10:30, and we should know then who St-Louis chose as his starter.
Jonas Korpisalo was in the net on Monday night when the Bruins took on the New Jersey Devils and lost 4-3 in the shootout, so Jeremy Swayman should be on duty, just like he was for the first three games against the two sides this season. He has a 11-2-1 record against the Habs with a 2.92 GAA and a .893 SV. As for backup, Korpisalo he’s 8-2-0 with a 2.49 GAA and a .916 SV when facing the Sainte Flanelle.
Up front, there are question marks about the Canadiens’ lineup. Brendan Gallagher was a healthy scratch on Saturday night, while Zach Bolduc got the chop on Sunday night, but Kirby Dach was hurt early in the game against the Ducks, and we have yet to get an update on his status. If he can’t play, Bolduc should draw back in. If Gallagher plays, he will be skating in his 900th game with the Canadiens. On the backend, Arber Xhekaj played well on Sunday but only had one shift in the third frame, and one has to wonder what that means for tonight.
Gallagher is historically the Canadiens’ most productive player against the archrivals with 30 points in 46 games, but he’s been held off the scoresheet in the three duels this season. Nick Suzuki is second with 18 points in just 21 meetings, while both Josh Anderson and Noah Dobson have 13 points in 23 games. The Bruins should definitely keep an eye on Lane Hutson, though. The blueliner has eight points in just six duels, and after having a couple of tough games, he will want to bounce back. Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky both have three-game point streaks going, and the Habs will need them to keep it up if they are to come out on top Tuesday night.
As for the Bruins, David Pastrnak has always been a thorn on the Canadiens’ side; he has 46 points in 35 games against Montreal, and he’s on a six-game point streak. Ellias Lindholm comes in second place with 25 points in 37 games, followed by blueliner Charlie McAvoy, who's on a seven-game point streak, with 19 points in 26 games.
Boston has a 5-3-2 record in its last 10 games but is still catching up to the Canadiens. The Habs are third in the Atlantic division with 82 points, just one point ahead of the Bruins. Meaning a win for the visitors would drop the Habs into a wild-card spot. The Canadiens also have a 5-3-2 record in their last 10 games, but have lost their last two. The Bruins have won seven of the last 10 matches between the divisional rivals and have outscored the Canadiens 40-32 in the process.
The game is set for 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on RDS, TSN2, and NESN. Furman South and Wes McCauley are set to officiate, while Jesse Marquis and Brandon Grillo will be the linemen. The Canadiens will travel to Michigan on Wednesday, where they’ll take on the Detroit Red Wings in another crucial tilt on Thursday night.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 16: Maikel Garcia #11 of Team Venezuela celebrates after an RBI single in the seventh inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Semifinals between Italy and Venezuela at loanDepot park on March 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Vinnie Pasquantino incorrectly noted which teams were in the WBC final four and apologized. Oops. It’s ok – he’s highly caffeinated and we all make mistakes when we’re W I R E D.
“It’s amazing,” Pasquantino said. “I don’t know how many people would’ve picked the Dominican Republic, Japan, the United States and Italy in the final four, but we’re here now, so we’re going to enjoy this for the probably next few hours. We’ve got a flight to catch. This is incredible, man.”
Pasquantino’s comments came hours before Venezuela advanced to the final four by defeating Japan.
The Royals Spring Breakout game will be televised on the Amazon MLB FAST channel on Friday.
Caglianone’s expected stats, which take quality of contact into account rather than the actual results, not only indicate he was much better than his OPS implies, they show he was one of the unluckiest hitters in the game.
In fact, he had MLB’s largest unlucky gap (the difference between his expected and actual production) in all three of these categories (minimum 100 PAs):
Colleran was the Royals’ 2024 seventh-round pick out of Northeastern and in his first year of professional ball in 2025, he went from Low A to High A and even pitched in one game at Double A, going a combined 9-0 with a 2.85 ERA in 66 1/3 innings with 72 strikeouts. He was so dominant that he represented the Royals in the Arizona Fall League, where he posted an impressive 1.17 ERA over seven relief appearances. He’s on a fast track to the majors and I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes his major-league debut sometime this year once his slider becomes more consistent and he throws more strikes.
Matt Quatraro, manager: “Dennis has been absolutely electric. He has an upper-90s fastball coming out of a low arm slot with an emerging slider. Hitters have really had uncomfortable at-bats against him.”
Verdict: Real. Witt had 32 home runs in 2024 before dropping to 23 in 2025, so we know there’s 30-homer power here — and maybe closer to 40 with the new ballpark dimensions. He’s entering his age-26 season, a common age for a player’s best season. Add 20 points or so back to his batting average, and reaching 92 extra-base hits is in play.
Last season, the Royals opted to let Massey be the everyday second baseman, and India rotated as a utility guy in left field and at third base at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, the move was disastrous for India, especially on defense. India posted a -5 FRV in 3B, and that poor defense carried to second base, as he posted a -4 FRV at the keystone. The poor defense seemed to have a mental impact on India’s bat, and he ended up having his worst season at the Major League level.
Quatraro is intent on India being their regular second baseman, with Massey mixing in here and there based on matchups. So far this spring, it seems like that has helped India be in a better headspace in 2026.
John Smoltz was his typical downer self about Paul Skenes on the broadcast for the WBC. Some unfortunate honesty in there, though I have no love for Smoltz as a commentator.
The Chiefs have their new interim starter/backup for when Patrick Mahomes comes back next season – it’s Justin Fields. CBS Sports has a grade for the trade.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - MARCH 04: Ethan Holliday #18 of Team USA looks on during the 2026 World Baseball Classic exhibition game presented by Capital One between Team USA and Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP) made his debut with the Colorado Rockies big league club on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs at Salt River Fields. The shortstop – who was drafted fourth-overall in the 2025 MLB Draft – played six innings and went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts at the plate, but also made a spectacular diving stop to nab first baseman Carson Kelly right before being lifted (the clip below doesn’t do it justice, but alas).
“It was a blessing to be out there with those guys,” Holliday said after the game. “I look forward to things like this in the spring. I was super fortunate to be able to go out there, enjoy some baseball and get better. It was fun.”
Holliday, of course, is the son of Rockies legend Matt Holliday and has grown up around the game. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s ready for MLB action quite yet. In 18 games with the Single-A Fresno Grizzlies in 2025, Holliday batted .239/.357/.380 with 14 runs scored, four doubles, two home runs and six RBI. He also walked 12 times (14.3%) and struck out 33 times (39.2%).
“You don’t really know how it feels until you experience it,” he said. “When you first get out there, the speed of the game gets on you a little bit, but take a deep breath and just remember you’re playing a game that you’ve always played, and it’s the same game you played back when you first started.”
He’s also taking camp one day at a time, “making adjustments, and [I] still have some time until the stats really matter.
“I’m just trying to improve my game every single day and trying to get my body healthy and get ready for it to be worked this season,” he continued. “And I’m just really trying to prepare for what’s ahead, but focus on the now and just try to improve every day.”
Holliday is in his first spring training, but it’s not his first experience with the Rockies – both from his dad’s time and his own short experience last summer after his draft. But he’s taking note of the new atmosphere surrounding camp.
“It’s been great [with] the new front office and a lot of new faces around here, even from when I was just here for the summer,” he said. “It’s been really cool to kind of get to know these people. And there’s a really cool buzz around this place right now, and it’s a super exciting time to be a Rockie and we’re in a really cool spot. So I’m super excited.”
In addition to his normal routines, Holliday has also been selected to represent the Rockies in the Spring Breakout game next weekend and was also selected to play for Team USA in their exhibition game against the Rockies on March 4.
“It was insane,” he said of the Team USA experience. “I walked out there and Clayton Kershaw was on the mound. You look around and you’ve got Hall of Famers all around you, and it’s an emotion you really aren’t ready for. But you get out there, and it was so much fun. I really enjoyed it, so it was a great experience.”
Even though he was surrounded by baseball giants, there was one player in particular he was excited to meet.
“Bryce Harper was pretty cool to meet,” Holliday said. “I’d heard a lot of things about him, and I’ve always looked up to him. I’ve always watched him since I was young, so it was really special to interact with him.”
But he added that, “all of the guys treated us like we were part of the team, so that really meant a lot.”
Finishing out the spring, Holliday said, “everyone’s goal is to get up to the big leagues fast and have success” but their timelines are out of their control.
“It’s one of those things where you work for it every day and you follow a process, but the answer people want is to get up there as fast as [they] can,” he said. “That’s what I want, so I’m going to work hard every single day and help the team win.”
“And I’ll be ready,” he continued. “When my time’s right, I’ll be ready.”
We always know that baseball is a family business a lot of the time, and Saturday was no different. Rockies bench coach Jeff Pickler served as the manager for one of the split squads, and his dad, Scott, served as his bench coach. It was a fun full-circle moment not only for the Picklers, but for many players and coaches who knew Scott from previous teams he coached them on.
Cade Horton looked damn good, throwing 10 Ks in five innings of work. The Cubs that were willing to ride the bus or unable not to did a good job, with Scott Kingery swatting a two-run homer and Matt Shaw making good contact. Brett Bateman made good contact as well, though his was against the center-field wall. Colin Rea also threw very well.
*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
RIP Tony Balsamo.
Build Your Winning Bracket!
SB Nation’s CBB expert Mike Rutherford and resident bracketologist Chris Dobbertean will answer all your questions this week and help guide you to bracket glory! Drop in SB Nation’s March Madness Feed all week long and we’ll have both on hand! (All times ET)
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Taylor Ward #3 of the Baltimore Orioles hits a home run during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a spring training game at Ed Smith Stadium on March 11, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
My brain refuses to wrap itself around the fact of Taylor Ward being on the Orioles. I’m well aware that they traded for him since I wrote about that here on Camden Chat when it happened. It’s just not real yet. Spring training hasn’t done enough for the idea to sink in that the O’s have this guy – presumably an everyday corner outfielder – for the year.
Ward is coming off a 2025 season with the Angels where he socked a career-high 36 home runs. As we all remember quite well, the 2025 Orioles were lacking in home run threats in the lineup, with no one hitting more than 17 homers as an Oriole. Acquiring Ward was one part of Mike Elias’s plan to fix that. Maybe he’ll do something to make me happy to remember him as the season goes along.
Here’s how two of the big projection systems look at Ward for this season:
ZiPS (FanGraphs): .243/.328/.454 with 27 home runs, 2.7 WAR
PECOTA (Baseball Prospectus): .232/.317/.411 with 22 home runs, 2.4 WAR
We will all be hoping things turn out more like ZiPS for Ward than that PECOTA projection. If Ward hits only 22 home runs, not many people are going to fondly recall the trade, without even getting into what happens with Grayson Rodriguez in Los Angeles.
What do you expect from Ward this season? Do you think he’ll be bombing balls over Walltimore 2.0 for the year, or will he just be bombing his way out of the starting lineup?
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Iran’s Embassy in Mexico on Tuesday said the country is negotiating with FIFA to move Iran’s World Cup matches from the U.S. to Mexico after President Donald Trump discouraged the team from attending the tournament, citing safety concerns.
It was unclear whether such talks are happening with FIFA, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iranian officials have previously said it is up to FIFA and the U.S. to keep the team safe during the World Cup.
The Embassy posted a statement attributed to Iranian soccer federation president Mehdi Taj saying Iran wants to move its group stage matches to Mexico to ensure the safety of players and officials.
“When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America,” the statement said. “We are currently negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s matches in the World Cup in Mexico.”
The World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Iran is scheduled to play against New Zealand on June 16 and Belgium on June 21 in Inglewood, California, before finishing group play in Seattle against Egypt on June 26.
Moving the games would be unprecedented less than three months before the start of the World Cup.
Trump said last week that the Iran team was welcome at the World Cup despite the ongoing war in the Middle East but “I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”
Iran has sent mixed signals about its participation in the tournament after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks that killed the Islamic republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other senior figures.
Sports minister Ahmad Donyamali told state TV last week that it was not possible to play "due to the wicked acts they have done against Iran.”
But after Trump's post the national team said on Instagram that “no one can exclude” it from the tournament and a government spokesman in Tehran stressed in it was the responsibility of FIFA and the U.S. as a co-host nation to keep players safe and secure.
“FIFA is the organizer of the World Cup,” Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said. “When warnings are issued at the highest level about the environment being unsafe for Iranian football players, this indicates that the host country apparently lacks the capacity and ability to provide security for such an important sporting event.”
Soccer is followed passionately in Iran, a nation of more than 90 million people which has qualified for seven men's World Cups and each of the past four editions. The team is ranked No. 20 in the world by FIFA and behind only Japan from Asia.
FIFA has not commented in recent days beyond an Instagram post by president Gianni Infantino last week that he'd received assurances from Trump that Iran was welcome at the tournament.
The Vancouver Canucks will take part in their fourth game of an eight-game home stand when they face the Florida Panthers later tonight. Both the Canucks and the Panthers’ last matchups came against the Seattle Kraken, with Vancouver losing by a score of 5–2 on Saturday and Florida losing by 6–2 in Seattle the day after.
Today’s matchup falls in Vancouver’s favour for a couple of reasons. First is the fact that the Panthers will be without their top-scorer in Sam Reinhart tonight. The Vancouver local leads his team with 29 goals and 32 assists but did not travel with the team on their current western conference road trip. Second is the fact that the Panthers only had one day between their two games, while the Canucks had two.
Vancouver’s power play has been fairly cold as of late, as their last goal on the man-advantage came on March 6 thanks to Brock Boeser. To make matters more difficult for their power play, Florida currently sits at seventh in the NHL in penalty kill percentage with 82.2%. If they are unable to convert on the man-advantage tonight, the Canucks’ power play goal drought will increase to five straight games.
Another interesting tidbit about tonight’s game is the fact that Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote could be coaching against his son, Nolan Foote, who is currently with the Panthers. The Florida forward did not play on Sunday but could dress against Vancouver tonight.
Players To Watch:
Kevin Lankinen
With Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote confirming that Lankinen will start tonight at yesterday’s practice, the goaltender will officially play in his 200th-career NHL game. The goaltender has had a run of rough results recently, having not won a game since January 21 against the Washington Capitals. Despite this, he has not entirely been to blame, as Lankinen has put up impressive efforts as of late — specifically against the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets.
Matthew Tkachuk
Since returning to Florida’s lineup on January 19, Tkachuk has played well for the Panthers. He currently has eight goals and 12 assists in 19 games played as well as seven points in his last five games. The forward is also coming off his sixth-career NHL hat trick after a three-goal performance against the Detroit Red Wings on March 6.
Dec 12, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander (21) and Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues (17) and defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) and defenseman Uvis Balinskis (26) watch as forward Brock Boeser (6) scores during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks (20–38–8):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 13–25–38
Filip Hronek: 7–31–38
Brock Boeser: 16–16–32
Jake DeBrusk: 14–18–32
Evander Kane: 12–16–28
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1
Kevin Lankinen: 7–21–5
Nikita Tolopilo: 5–6–2
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
Florida Panthers (33–30–3):
Points:
Sam Reinhart: 29–32–61
Brad Marchand: 27–27–54
Sam Bennett: 24–26–50
Carter Verhaeghe: 19–27–46
Anton Lundell: 17–26–43
Goaltenders:
Sergei Bobrovsky: 24–19–1
Daniil Tarasov: 9–11–2
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Feb 25, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees infielder George Lombard Jr (96) hits a two-RBI double during the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
With the World Baseball Classic stealing the show this spring training, the spotlight in Yankees camp has turned to the team’s young prospects. Namely, manager Aaron Boone has been able to give plenty of looks to the up-and-coming trio of Jasson Domínguez, Spencer Jones, and George Lombard Jr. Lombard, who was named New York’s new top prospect for 2026 by MLB Pipeline, FanGraphs, and Baseball America, is gearing up for a vital season in his development — with eyes on becoming the next great Yankee shortstop in the next few years.
The precocious young infielder and son of a former big leaguer-turned-coach by the same name tore up the High-A South Atlantic League with the Renegades for 24 games to start the year before getting the call to the Patriots in May. His production there was unspectacular (.215/.337/.358), but he continued to showcase his stellar athleticism in the field and on the basepaths (24 steals). And ultimately, it wasn’t a terrible showing at the dish for the youngest qualified hitter at the Double-A level.
Lombard’s tools are loud; he should have far more thunder in his bat than Anthony Volpe, the previous heir apparent at shortstop. Acknowledging that this is a bit of a subjective, his talent jumps off the screen in a way that Volpe’s never really did, even though he was also once a highly acclaimed prospect. (And if you’ve ever seen Lombard’s glovework in person, you know just how dazzling it can be.) While his Grapefruit League results didn’t blow anybody away—he hit under .200 with a .740 OPS and just one homer—you see a sparkle of superstardom in every game he plays. Take that one spring homer: a leadoff comet off a 97-mph heater from AL Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet.
The former two-sport athlete credits his time as a top-flight soccer player in helping to develop his physical and mental game. Let that be a lesson to parents who want their kids to specialize in a sport right away!
I don’t bring it up for nothing: that mental maturity manifests in his plate discipline. While most young hitters are overly aggressive hotshots at the dish, Lombard’s outstanding walk rate shows he has a discerning eye and won’t make pitchers’ lives easier with poor swing decisions. The key will be making sure he doesn’t become overly passive and spot them extra strikes by waiting for the perfect pitch to hit. Lombard himself said as much: “I think the most important part is just competing, having competitive at-bats and not giving any free ones away,” he told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
However, what he does outside the zone is less important than what he does within it. With that, we must discuss his greatest weakness as a prospect. From MLB Pipeline’s latest scouting report writeup:
“Despite an efficient right-handed swing and a patient approach, Lombard has persistent issues making contact against in-zone fastballs.”
That’s a pretty big warning sign which threatens to undermine the strides he’s made in taking walks and hitting the ball in the air.
With the wealth of data all young players have access to, Lombard and his camp have probably already diagnosed the issue and formulated a plan to improve. This season will be a referendum on whether his strategy works. If Lombard can take a major step forward in Bridgewater, he could be on the fast track to the Bronx; as every prospect buff knows, the jump from Double-A to Triple-A is significantly smaller than High-A to Double-A.
Last week, Lombard was sent to minor-league camp to continue preparing for this consequential campaign. He had no realistic shot of battling for a roster spot, though the Yankees have been effusive about his work ethic and his defensive bona fides. Brian Cashman went as far as to say he “could play defense in the big leagues right now”—they’re just waiting for the bat to come along.
The Yankees don’t have quite as many blue-chip prospects as they did when the Baby Bomber era began a decade ago. But when they do come along, Cashman and his braintrust tend to give them every possibility to succeed. Lombard will get plenty of opportunity to make their jobs tougher if he takes a big step forward in 2026. Even with Volpe, José Caballero, and Ryan McMahon already covering the left side of the infield, it’d be hard to argue against bringing him into the fold if the complete version of GLJ starts to shine.
With their two losses against the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks this weekend, the Montreal Canadiens have put themselves in quite a pickle. They are still third in the Atlantic with 82 points, but now, the Boston Bruins, who are in the first wildcard spot, are catching up. They now sit just one points behind the Habs, while the Detroit Red Wings, who are in the second wild card spot, also have 80 points, but they’ve played more games.
This week, the Canadiens will be facing the Bruins in Montreal on Tuesday night and the Red Wings in Detroit on Thursday night. Needless to say, those games will be do-or-die affairs. Montreal absolutely cannot afford another debacle against divisional rivals. Back in January, the Habs lost three of four games to divisional rivals over two weeks, and that had serious repercussions for the standings.
Given how the Canadiens have played since returning from the Olympic break, it’s hard to believe that they will be able to take care of business. Thankfully for Martin St-Louis and his men, the two teams don’t exactly have great records over their last 10 games. Still, if the Canadiens put on the same display we’ve witnessed on defence over the weekend, it will be hard for them to come away with the much-needed four points.
While Jacob Fowler has already shown that he can have a great impact, even he cannot stop everything when the defence is hemorrhaging scoring chances. With the Canadiens having a day off on Monday and a simple morning skate on Tuesday, it’s hard to imagine that many adjustments will have been made.
For a long while, it looked like the Canadiens would easily qualify for the postseason, but with their recent performances, they are letting other teams catch up, including the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are currently ninth in the conference and only three points behind the Habs. If this doesn’t give you a sense of déjà vu, I don’t know what will.
It’s time for the Canadiens to buckle up and get to work the right way, before they fall out of playoff contention.
If the Philadelphia Flyers have gotten one thing right in their rebuild, it's been their pro scouting and ability to buy low on struggling players. It might be time to check in with the Anaheim Ducks once again.
Trevor Zegras and, against the odds, Jamie Drysdale, have been success stories for the Flyers since arriving from the Ducks in the last two seasons, respectively.
Zegras was their first attempt at going out of their way to add a proven talent to the roster, and now the Flyers will have the opportunity to do something similar.
On Monday, the Ducks made center Mason McTavish a healthy scratch for their game against the Montreal Canadiens, which inevitably raised questions about his role and future with the team.
McTavish, 23, has just 13 goals and 32 points in 61 games for the Ducks this season and is a -11, and considering he had a career-high 22 goals and 52 points last year, the 2021 No. 3 overall pick is now going in the wrong direction amidst the worst season of his career.
If the Ducks do wish to move on from McTavish just as they did Zegras, who also started strong before being forced out, nothing will prohibit them from doing so.
McTavish is in the first year of the six-year, $42 million ($7 million AAV) contract he signed with the Ducks on Sept. 17, but he won't see his 15-team no-trade list kick in until 2029-30.
So, if the Flyers were to reunite the talented center with one of his old Ducks teammates, nothing is stopping them aside from a potential bidding war and meeting Anaheim's asking price, if there is one.
From 2022-23, Zegras and McTavish held an expected goals-for percentage of 47.5% at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick, and while that is objectively a bad number, the Ducks were a bad team. The bottom line is that the two were better together.
McTavish, without Zegras, was at an even lower 44.57%. Zegras without McTavish was a tad lower at 43.74%. The Ducks without either of those two at 5-on-5? Just a dreadful 42.75%.
It's worth noting, too, that when paired together, McTavish, Zegras, and the Ducks scored 14 high-danger goals to their opponents' 12. There's untapped potential there if the Flyers can reunite the two former top draft picks in a better, fresher, and friendlier environment.
In the summer, when McTavish was an RFA, I advocated against the Flyers trading for him due to his lack of speed and production. These are still true, as McTavish is not particularly useful in the transition game and is now scoring points at the worst rate of his career.
At the same time, though, his $7 million cap hit is modest enough to make the risk worth the trouble for the Flyers, especially as they continue to drift towards another middling draft pick and may or may not make the playoffs.
The Flyers will need to find talented top-six centers one way or another, and it sure would be fun to see McTavish reaching his full potential playing with agitators like Zegras and Porter Martone, Travis Konecny, or Matvei Michkov.
More than likely, the Flyers have assets to make a potential deal worth Anaheim's while,
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 15: Gunnar Henderson #11 of Team United States hits a solo home run against Team Dominican Republic during the fourth inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Friends, if you haven’t been following the World Baseball Classic, you have been missing out. This year’s tournament has been as thrilling as always, and the drama has ratcheted up this week. From Team Venezuela knocking out defending champion Japan, to Team USA eking out a nail-biter over the Dominican on a controversial game-ending called strike, we’ve seen plenty of exciting baseball even before the MLB regular season begins.
Last night, Venezuela punched its ticket to the championship for the first time, riding a late-inning comeback to overtake Italy, the previously undefeated Cinderella team of the tournament. That sets the stage for the WBC finale tonight between the U.S. and Venezuela. And here in Birdland, there’s one question we’re particularly invested in: will Gunnar Henderson be in the starting lineup?
Gunnar’s playing time hasn’t been easy to come by amid a stacked USA roster. With Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop and Alex Bregman at third, Henderson has started just three games. But he’s certainly made the most of his opportunities. He’s gone 6-for-14 and crushed two home runs, tied for the most on the club, including his mammoth, game-tying dinger in the win over Team D.R. on Sunday.
Coming off a somewhat down year (for him) in 2025, Gunnar is playing like a guy with something to prove. Starting 2026 by being thrown into a high-octane, pressure-packed tournament like the WBC is certainly a different vibe than playing meaningless spring training games, and Henderson has risen to the occasion. With any luck, he’ll bring that kind of intensity back with him to the Orioles as they prepare to start their season next week. Meanwhile, his O’s teammates have been watching Gunnar’s sterling performance and are hoping he’ll be starting tonight.
Listen up, Mark DeRosa: do the right thing. Put Gunnar Henderson in the lineup.
After back-to-back rainouts, the Orioles are scrambling to get enough innings for their pitchers before Opening Day. Any chance Team USA needs some extra arms tonight?
I’m pleasantly surprised that the Orioles rank fourth. FanGraphs is projecting both a modest bounceback by Adley Rutschman and a solid rookie season for Samuel Basallo. I’d take that in a heartbeat.
Melewski takes a look at the Orioles’ best non-Basallo international prospects. A 22-year-old lefty throwing high-90s heat? Yes, I will jump aboard the Luis De Leon bandwagon, thank you very much.
This spring the O’s have tended to take a conservative approach with their ABS challenges, preferring to save them for important late-inning at-bats. That game-ending strikeout for the Dominican WBC team is a good example of why.
He’d darn well better be. All this guy does is hit dingers on Opening Day! Bench him for the next 161 games for all I care, but you can’t have an Opening Day lineup without O’Neill.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 36th birthday to current Orioles reliever Andrew Kittredge, although it’s probably not that happy, considering he’s out with shoulder inflammation and will miss the start of the season. And happy birthday as well to newly minted Orioles Hall of Famer Chris Davis, who turns 40 today. Other former Orioles with St. Patrick’s Day birthdays are right-hander César Valdez (41) and catcher Raúl Chávez (53).
In the entire 72-year history of the Orioles, they’ve made only one roster move on March 17. That was in 1955, their second year of existence, when they acquired right-hander Erv Palica from the then-Brooklyn Dodgers for first baseman Frank Kellert. Palica, who had debuted in the majors at age 17, spent two years with the Orioles as a swing man, going 9-22 with a 4.28 ERA. What’s your favorite Erv Palica memory, O’s fans?
Build Your Winning Bracket!
SB Nation’s CBB expert Mike Rutherford and resident bracketologist Chris Dobbertean will answer all your questions this week and help guide you to bracket glory! Drop in SB Nation’s March Madness Feed all week long and we’ll have both on hand! (All times ET)
Mar 16, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) controls the puck in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Evgeni Malkin returned from his five-game suspension Monday night with a stellar game against the Colorado Avalanche and after the game, the veteran Penguins center said he and Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas are expected to talk this summer about his contract situation.
After Monday’s 7-2 throttling of the Colorado Avalanche, Malkin spoke at length about his return from being suspended and also addressed his contract situation, but wasn’t able to provide many specifics outside of when the two camps might meet again.
“I can’t say anything,” Malkin told The Athletic’s Josh Yohe.
Malkin said that he and Dubas talked a couple of weeks ago with Dubas telling Malkin the two would talk this summer.
Geno on his contract situation: "I can't say anything. We (Malkin and Dubas) talked probably two weeks ago. He told me we would talk this summer. I'm OK with that. We have 15 games left, I hope playoffs. I want to just play. He asked if I wanted to play next year. I said yes. He…
According to Moneypuck, the Penguins have an 85.3% chance of making the postseason for the first time since 2022, when the team lost to the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs.
