Yahoo Sports' Caroline Fenton, Jason Fitz and basketball analyst Isis 'Ice' Young react to the devastating ACL to the USC star and what it means for the sport as a whole. Hear the full conversation on the “College Basketball Power Hour” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
Mookie Betts is happy to be back in the Dodgers lineup
Mookie Betts’ trademark smile is back. As he walked off the field on his way back to the Dodgers clubhouse, he was in good spirits after his pregame warmup, exclaiming, “I feel great. Awesome. Normal.”
For Betts, Tuesday marked a return to normalcy, with the star shortstop back in the lineup against the Angels. Betts was slated to get “three at-bats, play four or five innings of defense,” according to manager Dave Roberts.
Coming back from his stomach ailment, Betts played into the sixth inning of the Dodgers' 4-1 victory over the Angels. He finished 0-for-3 with a couple of groundouts and a foul out to first base.
Betts emphasized that his main focus is simply “to play baseball.” He added, “I still don’t know how long, how many days it’s been — just to play baseball and try to get back into a rhythm."
It's been nearly two weeks since Betts last took the field, and while he acknowledges there's not much time to get back into game shape, he's undoubtedly confident he'll be ready for the home opener against the Detroit Tigers.
"Yeah, I played in the game," Betts said with a chuckle. "Once I step foot on the dirt, I'm ready to go."
Betts has been battling a stomach illness since the Dodgers’ trip to Tokyo, where he was sent home early. He reassured everyone that his only physical issue was his stomach and the weight he lost, remaining strong as ever.
The medication prescribed by the team doctors has been effective in the days since he started taking it, and he has also identified what foods to avoid — though he kept those details private, saying, "I'll keep that in house."
Since then, he has worked to regain weight — a process Roberts said has progressed in recent days, as Betts has been able to hold down food and manage his dehydration from the weight loss.
“All signs point toward we’ve turned a corner, and we feel good about where he’s at for tonight,” Roberts said before the game.
There was consideration of shutting Betts down, according to Roberts, but the team is taking a day-to-day approach. After discussions with Betts, the training and coaching staff agreed that "the right thing for him to do is to take good at-bats rather than not play."
His return to the lineup just days before the home opener is a positive sign that he’s on the mend. The team will evaluate his condition Wednesday to determine if he’ll play against the Detroit Tigers.
“I know Mookie’s expectation is to be in there on opening day,” Roberts said.
Dustin May's final spring training start
It has been nearly two years since Dustin May started at the big league level. A battle with injuries — and a near-death experience — has cost him a substantial portion of his career.
The typically fiery pitcher kept his composure in his final spring training outing, tossing five innings while giving up just one run on one hit and striking out six Angels batters, effectively using his breaking ball. He even took a line drive to the backside from a Tim Anderson line-up drive in the fourth and finished the inning.
“It was really, really good to get back on a big league field, feel the energy, feel the stands and just get back into an actual big league game,” May said, acknowledging the feelings on being on a major league mound.
“There was a lot of emotions going through the head… But definitely looking forward to my next one, Dodger Stadium, that one's gonna hit home a little bit more,” May said, looking toward the regular season.
Now the Dodgers' fifth starter, May is tentatively set to pitch in the team's second home series of the season against the Atlanta Braves — a moment he has been anticipating for what felt like an eternity.
“There’s gonna be a lot going through my mind because of all the time I’ve had to think about it,” May said. “I was waiting for 13 months, and then the esophagus thing happened, and that changed my perspective on a lot of things in life.”
Read more:After near-death experience, Dustin May thrilled to be pitching: 'Like a new beginning'
Being added to the rotation is monumental for May, reflecting the hard work he's put in. “The last three, four years that I haven't really been able to play are kind of paying off in this moment,” he said.
His journey back to the mound in a Dodgers uniform has been a testament to his resilience, and Roberts has seen firsthand the determination that brought him to this point.
“The main thing I’ve seen from Dustin is that he’s managing his emotions better,” Roberts said before the game, praising May’s mental approach.
From a mechanical standpoint, Roberts has noticed May’s growth from a pitcher who once let things “sort of spiral” when he lost command to one who can now regroup and get the outs he needs.
May will take the mound in the final spring training game against the Angels, with Roberts saying he will pitch about five innings.
“We got to the finish line as far as spring training, and he'll gear up for the Braves," Roberts said after the game. "He's put a lot of work into this, and I’m really proud. He said he's ready to go."
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Dan Hurley’s ‘egomaniac’ behavior is a bad look for UConn | College Basketball Power Hour
Yahoo Sports' Caroline Fenton, Jason Fitz and basketball analyst Isis 'Ice' Young discuss the Connecticut head coach's antics in the tunnel following the Huskies' second-round loss to Florida in the NCAA tournament. Hear the full conversation on the “College Basketball Power Hour” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
Dodgers will visit President Trump and the White House to celebrate World Series title
The Dodgers will visit the White House during their trip to Washington next month to face the Nationals, the team announced Tuesday, continuing a tradition for championship teams of the United States’ major sports leagues.
“It’s certainly a huge honor to get the invitation to the White House,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Allows us to celebrate our 2024 championship.”
The visit, scheduled for April 7, will mark the Dodgers’ second trip to the White House in the last five years. In 2021, the team’s 2020 World Series title was celebrated by President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
This time, the Dodgers will be welcomed by President Trump — which, given past comments some team members have made, raised questions in the wake of Tuesday’s announcement about whether anyone might decline to take part in the event.
Roberts said he would participate, despite comments he made to The Times in 2019 indicating he might not go to the White House if Trump — who was notoriously critical of Roberts’ managing on Twitter during the 2018 World Series — was president.
“I respect the position,” Roberts said Tuesday, confirming his attendance for next month’s trip. “It’s the highest office in our country certainly, in the world. So I’m looking forward to it.”
Read more:Dodgers manager Dave Roberts would like a White House invitation to decline
Kiké Hernández also said he was planning to go, something he said in 2018 he was unsure he would have done had the Dodgers won the World Series the previous year. Hernández, who was not with the Dodgers for their 2021 White House visit after signing with the Boston Red Sox the previous offseason, noted this year might be his last chance to experience a White House trip.
Mookie Betts, on the other hand, said he was undecided if he would make this year’s White House visit, and that he needed to talk it over with his family first.
After winning his first World Series title with the Red Sox in 2018, Betts skipped their trip to the White House the following year during Trump’s first term, along with Boston manager Alex Cora and All-Star teammate pitcher David Price. Betts did take part in the Dodgers’ visit in 2021 with President Biden.
During Trump’s first term, several sports teams, including the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia Eagles, did not make White House visits amid a threat of boycotts from their players.
Leading up to Tuesday’s announcement, however, Roberts said there “wasn't a formal conversation that we had as a ballclub” about whether the Dodgers would make a White House visit this year.
The team’s statement noted it was “keeping with long-standing baseball tradition” by visiting the White House. Baseball teams have made White House visits as far back as the 19th century, and championship winners in all sports began receiving regular invitations during Ronald Reagan’s presidency in the 1980s.
Roberts was asked Tuesday about a recent baseball-related controversy involving the Trump administration. Last week, the Department of Defense removed — before later republishing — an article from its website detailing Jackie Robinson’s history of military service in what appeared to be part of the administration’s stance against diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives.
Roberts said he was “happy that the page went back up” but didn’t offer any further opinions.
“I have my strong opinions on DEI and all that stuff,” he said, “but that's another scrum."
In addition to their White House visit on April 7, Dodgers team members also will visit Capitol Hill on April 8.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Golden Knights' Alex Pietrangelo Out Against Wild; Considered Day-To-Day
The Vegas Golden Knights are welcoming back Shea Theodore, but will be without Alex Pietrangelo as he is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
The new injury status comes as a surprise, with no prior sense that Pietrangelo has been dealing with any injury.
The 35-year-old has played in 67 games this year, scoring four goals and 32 points. He's averaging 22:29 of ice time, the lowest of his Golden Knights tenure.
With Pietrangelo out, Kaedan Korczak will remain in the lineup, skating alongside Nicolas Hague on the third pairing. It'll be his 14th consecutive game in the Golden Knights lineup, continuing his solid play despite limited minutes.
Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
LA Kings’ Kuemper Latest to Test NHL’s Stance on Goalie Fights
Unlike the other major North American sports leagues (MLB, NBA, and the NFL), the NHL has codified fighting into its game. Five-minute majors for fighting and two-minute minors for instigating are right there in the rulebook and have been for a long time.
While there has been endless debate about whether fighting belongs in the game, most hockey fans seem to enjoy a good tilt between a couple of heavyweights from time to time.
Even better? A goalie fight! The very thought of two netminders skating all the way out to center ice to “chuck the knucks” can send typical NHL crowds into a frenzy.
On March 23rd, Crypto.com Arena fans came very close to witnessing the very rare goalie fight when the Kings’ Darcy Kuemper and the Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman left their creases and made their way to center ice.
However, to the disappointment of many, both players were separated by officials before anything could get started.
Jeremy Swayman and Darcy Kuemper were so close to fighting. 👀 pic.twitter.com/PjFhePaNh9
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 24, 2025
Sportsnet analyst Elliotte Friedman literally booed the decision on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, asking “why are you ruining our entertainment?”. To drive the point home even more, the title of the episode is “Let The Goalies Fight.”
LA Kings’ head coach Jim Hiller, on the other hand, seemed relieved that his number one goalie was stopped from trading blows with Swayman:
“I was thinking that somebody should have grabbed him (Kuemper). I’m glad it turned out the way it did,” remarked Hiller during the postgame media availability.
And who could blame him? Kuemper is having a Vezina Trophy type of season for the Kings. His GAA of 2.13 is good for second in the league and his SV% of .918 is tied for second as well. Losing him for any reason, let alone for an injury sustained in a goalie fight, would be catastrophic for a team intent on finally changing their playoff narrative this season. High performing number one goalies with Cup winning experience are hard to come by in this league, so one can understand why coaches and GMs are loath to see them fighting.
The last NHL goalie fight took place on February 1st, 2020, between Calgary's Cam Talbot (ex-King) and Edmonton's Mike Smith during the pandemic bubble. In recent LA Kings’ history, the last fight goes back to Felix “The Cat” Potvin and Ottawa goalie Jani Hurme on December 20th, 2001. As a testament to how much the league’s tolerance for goalie fights has changed, Potvin and Hurme were allowed to fight for close to two minutes that night. This would be unthinkable now in 2025.
In addition to the Kuemper near fight, Pheonix Copley left his crease to challenge Anaheim’s John Gibson on February 17th, 2023, but the guys in stripes once again deprived the fans of a goalie scrap.
Does the entertainment value of a goalie fight outweigh the injury risks? When cooler heads prevail, most NHL fans would probably prefer not to lose their starting goalie to some broken knuckles or a wrist sprain due to dropping the gloves.
Thus, it is probably the right decision for the league to crack down on goaltender brawls, but it will never stop the fans from wanting to see it. And that isn’t going to change any time soon.
We witnessed maybe the biggest hockey crime there is, breaking up a goalie fight.https://t.co/4NTDWVVXddpic.twitter.com/TbAphVxBMf
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) March 25, 2025
Aussies secure whitewash with nervy win after rising star dropped FIVE times in career-best knock
Australia has secured a 3-0 series whitewash over trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand after winning Wednesday’s third T20 in Wellington by eight runs.
Test stars struggle, 19yo quick fires as Shield final carnage sees 16 wickets gone on day one
Test batsmen Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne both failed as Queensland made a horror start to the Sheffield Shield final against a South Australian side inspired by the feats of former Bulls paceman Brendan Doggett.
March Madness: Here are the 16 most intriguing potential Final Four combinations
With 16 teams still alive in the NCAA men's tournament, Final Four combinations are plentiful. Here's a look at the most compelling ones.
Another benching for York as Flyers are routed by Maple Leafs
Another benching for York as Flyers are routed by Maple Leafs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
John Tortorella benched Cam York early in a 1-1 game Tuesday night and the Flyers went on to lose, 7-2, to the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
The Flyers (28-36-9) have dropped six straight, matching their season-worst skid. Their other six-gamer was in October.
Even worse, they’ve lost 11 of their last 12 games (1-10-1) and have been outscored 52-21 over that span. Tortorella’s club has won just six times in its last 25 games (6-16-3).
With the Flyers in full-on rebuild mode to finish this season, they’re just one point ahead of the Sabres for the Eastern Conference’s worst record. Buffalo has played three fewer games.
Ryan Poehling and Sean Couturier provided the Flyers’ goals Tuesday night.
The Flyers have been dominated by the Maple Leafs (43-25-3). They’re 1-9-2 in their last 12 matchups with Toronto. The lone victory came last season when Scott Laughton recorded the game-winning goal.
• Tortorella is not exactly helping his cause here.
The last two games, the Flyers were outworked, outplayed and outscored a combined 14-6.
But on top of that, the head coach benched his young, top-pair defenseman Tuesday night. Tortorella played York only 3:50 minutes, sitting him for the rest of the night after the Maple Leafs scored a game-tying goal in the first period. York quickly lost a puck battle behind the net before John Tavares’ shot went off his leg and past Samuel Ersson.
As York was stapled to the pine, Toronto went on to score five more goals before the Flyers finally answered.
In 2022-23, their first season together, Tortorella really pushed York. He sent him to the minors before the Flyers even reached their final cuts of training camp. Since then, York had been one of the Flyers’ most improved players.
But this season has not gone well. York missed 13 games because of a shoulder injury and had been healthy scratched twice before Tuesday night’s in-game benching.
“I’ll admit, when I sent him down, I tried to pick a fight with him when I sent him down, I was so upset with his camp,” Tortorella said two weeks ago. “I think he went to Lehigh, he put the time in, I felt he had a chip on his shoulder coming back here, mainly at me. I was so proud of him as far as where he brought his game to; there is no reason why I can’t still look for that. And I’m going to continue to look for that.”
Tortorella is challenging York again, but the timing of this simply isn’t good. Not only are the Flyers losing games by lopsided scores as they stumble to the finish line, but York is also in a contract year and due for a considerable raise. And he’s getting benched? This can’t be helping negotiations for the summer.
It’s just not a good look at all for Tortorella. But he’s sticking to his word. He’s not going to care about optics.
• The Flyers faced Laughton for the first time since he was traded to the Maple Leafs earlier this month.
Laughton, after spending parts of 12 seasons in Philadelphia, is playing a depth role for Toronto. He’s still looking for his first point with the Maple Leafs, but he had five hits and a blocked shot against his old club.
• Ersson gave up the seven goals on 30 shots.
The Flyers were not sharp in front of him. They were outshot by double digits and Toronto had five more blocked shots.
Two days ago, the Flyers lost to the Blackhawks, 7-4, with Ivan Fedotov in net.
Anthony Stolarz, a former Flyers goaltender, made 17 saves on 19 shots for the Maple Leafs.
• Garnet Hathaway (undisclosed) and Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body) remained out.
Aleksei Kolosov was recalled from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, but did not suit up. Fedotov was Ersson’s backup.
• After going 0-4-1 on their road trip, the Flyers return home for a matchup Thursday against the Canadiens (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
Why Canucks Fans Should Be Cheering For The Montréal Canadiens On Tuesday Night
The end of the regular season brings the yearly tradition of out-of-town scoreboard watching. This season, Vancouver Canucks fans will be keeping a careful on what happens around the league, especially when it comes to the St. Louis Blues. Tuesday will be no different as Canucks fans will shed their blue and green for red and blue as they will be hoping the Montréal Canadiens can do them a massive favour.
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At 5 pm PT, the Canadiens will take the ice at the Enterprise Center to face the Blues. Both teams are currently involved in playoff races, with each occupying the final Wild Card spot. While a win either way wouldn't clinch a berth in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, it would ensure that each team remains above the playoff bar, at least for the night.
As mentioned, this game has a significant impact on Vancouver's playoff hopes. According to MoneyPuck.com, if St. Louis wins in regulation, their playoff percentage jumps to 62.6%. If they lose regulation, the Blues would drop to 40.6%, which would be good news for the Canucks who currently sit three points behind St. Louis.
St. Louis versus Montréal is not the only game fans in Vancouver need to watch. At 6:00 pm PT, the Calgary Flames will take on the Seattle Kraken from the Scotiabank Saddledome. A regulation win by Calgary would see their playoff odds jump to 37%, while a regulation loss would drop them to 20.7%.
Almost every night between now and the end of the 2024-25 season will be tense for Canucks fans. Not only does Vancouver need to go on a long winning streak, but fans also need to hope for long losing streaks from the Blues, the Flames, and the Utah Hockey Club. With the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs less than a month away, all four teams will be under pressure on a nightly basis, with the smallest slip-up potentially being the difference between securing a playoff berth and entering the off-season early.
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, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
Dylan Guenther Records 100th Career NHL Point
Utah Hockey Club forward Dylan Guenther recorded his 100th career NHL point last night against the Detroit Red Wings.
Guenther has played just 137 NHL games, and with his milestone point, he is producing at a 0.729 points-per-game rate. If he were to maintain this pace over 1,000 games, he would finish with 729 points—an impressive mark for a first-round draft pick.
Utah HC Give Up 5 Unanswered Goals in 5-1 Loss to Red Wings After scoring a combined 11 goals in its past two home games, with the recent Tampa game being one of its most electric performances this season, Utah ran out of steam against the Detroit Red Wings.
He is the seventh player from the 2021 NHL Draft to reach 100 career points, but he is the fastest to do so.
It’s a significant milestone, especially considering some had labeled him a potential bust heading into the 2024-25 season.
Andre Tourigny Among Many Supporting Ryan Smith and the New Utah OwnershipOn Monday, March 17, James Mirtle of the Athletic put out an article ranking every NHL owner from 1-32, based on surveyed responses from over 4000 readers, including fans of every NHL team. Nashville Predators at Carolina Hurricanes: Live Game Thread
The Nashville Predators (26-36-8, 60 points) visit the Carolina Hurricanes (43-23-4, 90 points) for the teams' second and final meeting this season Tuesday at Lenovo Center.
The Predators beat the Hurricanes, 5-2, on Dec. 23 at Bridgestone Arena behind a three-point performance from Jonathan Marchessault.
Nashville is coming off a 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, and the Predators are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. Carolina is coming off a 5-2 defeat of the Anaheim Ducks and has just one loss in the last 10 games.
Tuesday's game marks Nashville's first time facing Mark Jankowski since trading him to the Hurricanes at the March 7 NHL trade deadline. Since arriving in Carolina, Jankowski has six goals in seven games.
Juuse Saros will start in goal for the Predators in Raleigh, while Pyotr Kochetkov will tend the twine for Carolina.
How the Predators Lined Up vs. Carolina
Forsberg-O'Reilly-Evangelista
Bunting-Stamkos-Marchessault
Smith-Svechkov-Sissons
L'Heureux-McCarron-Bellows
Skjei-Blankenburg
Del Gaizo-Barron
Oesterle-Stastney
Saros
Annunen
Extra: Englund, Vrana
IR: Josi, Lauzon, Wilsby
Predators at Hurricanes: Live Updates
First Period (NSH 1, CAR 0)
The Predators earned the first power play chance in the game when Dmitry Orlov was whistled for high-sticking against Michael Bunting just over three minutes into the first period. Nashville's top power play unit struggled early, allowing Carolina's penalty killers to generate multiple shorthanded chances in the first minute of 5-on-4.
The Predators' second power play unit cashed in, however, when Bunting found a loose puck behind the pad of Kochetkov and tucked it in to give Nashville a 1-0 lead over the Hurricanes at the 5:14 mark of the first period.
Bunting's goal was assisted by Kieffer Bellows, who earned his first helper as a member of the Predators, and Brady Skjei, who was playing in his first regular-season game at Lenovo Center as a member of the opposing team after spending parts of the last five seasons with the Hurricanes.
When the opportunity strikes, Bunts is there 👍 pic.twitter.com/eVCQFsjLoo
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 25, 2025
Bunting has now scored two power-play goals in his last three games, both against his former teams. His last came on Saturday in the Predators' 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he played for two seasons from 2021-23.
Bunting signed with Carolina in free agency before the 2023-24 season, and he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins later that year in the deal that sent Jake Guentzel to the Hurricanes. Nashville acquired Bunting from the Penguins in the week leading up to this year's trade deadline as part of the deal that sent Luke Schenn and Tommy Novak to Pittsburgh.
Second Period (NSH 2, CAR 1)
Luke Evangelista widened Nashville's lead to 2-0 just over four minutes into the second frame. Filip Forsberg received a stretch pass from Marc Del Gaizo along the boards and chipped it to Evangelista entering the zone, and Evangelista deked on Kochetkov for the score.
Luke Evangelista made this one look easy!@PredsNHL | #Smashville | #NHLTonightpic.twitter.com/6UtqTR13Fc
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) March 26, 2025
With the primary assist on the play, Forsberg recorded his 22nd career five-game point streak and passed Roman Josi (21) for the most in Predators history.
Michael McCarron committed the Predators' first penalty of the game less than a minute later with a cross-check on Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Carolina made them pay. Taylor Hall received a pass from Seth Jarvis, entered the zone with speed and buried the puck down low on the backhand for a highlight-reel goal to cut the Hurricanes' deficit to 2-1 at 6:02 of the second period.
TAYLOR HALL LOVES PLAYING FOR THE CAROLINA HURRICANES pic.twitter.com/SGVE0Md0xW
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 26, 2025
Hall's goal was his third power-play tally in his last four games with the Hurricanes.
The Predators were fortunate to come out of the second period with a one-goal lead after being outshot, 27-9, through the first 40 minutes of play. The Hurricanes held Nashville to just two shots in the second period alone as the Predators failed to take care of the puck and struggled to keep up with Carolina's speed.
Why Christie remains optimistic despite Kings' four-game losing skid
Why Christie remains optimistic despite Kings' four-game losing skid originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SACRAMENTO – Following the Kings’ 121-105 loss to the Thunder on Tuesday night, interim coach Doug Christie made it a point to use Oklahoma City as an example.
For one thing, Christie is a believer that the two teams likely will cross paths in the NBA playoffs. That’s certainly rounding into shape, as the Kings’ four-game losing streak has tumbled them down the Western Conference standings, while the Thunder remain on fire after becoming the first NBA team to reach 60 wins this season.
Christie also wanted his players to take not of how well the Thunder played and the intricacies of what they did so successfully. In Christie’s mind, OKC was the perfect embodiment of who he envisions the Kings becoming.
“If you mess up, they take full advantage of it very single time,” Christie said. “And we’re going to get there because we keep demonstrating we can. Now it’s, are you willing to go through the pain it takes to do it? That’s really what it’s all about.
“It’s painful as hell and that’s why not everybody does it. But it’s not easy and sometimes you don’t feel good. There’s a lot of different things that go into it.”
Christie was correct in pointing out that the Kings have played at a high level at various times this season, but he was equally on point when he noted that the consistency isn’t there, whether it be from game to game or quarter to quarter.
The loss to the Thunder was a perfect example of Sacramento’s up-and-down tendencies, only this time it was down-then-up-then-down-again.
The Kings were out of sorts in the first half and limited to 42 points. It wasn’t their worst half of the season, but it sure seemed and felt that way. Keegan Murray said part of the problem was lack of attention to detail, something that has been a recurring theme in Sacramento.
Coming out of halftime, however, the Kings looked like an entirely different team while outscoring the Thunder 39-25 to make it a tight game until OKC pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Despite all of that, Christie found reasons for optimism.
He specifically pointed out the 47 3-pointers that the Kings chucked up against the Thunder, matching their season high and nearly twice the attempts they took the previous night while losing to the Boston Celtics. The Kings also had 32 assists on their 27 made buckets, their most in more than a week.
Christie emphasized both the good and bad to his players for several reasons.
“That’s a team that you’re going to face in the playoffs,” Christie told his players after the loss. “At some point you have to make a stand. To our guys credit, they did.”
As too often has been the case this season, it wasn’t enough.
“I’m not the moral victory guy, but there is a good team in that locker room and they are trying to find their way, and they’re trying to find their rhythm,” Christie said of the Kings. “They continue to fight, and I appreciate that. It doesn’t feel good right now but once they get that rhythm, watch out.”
In the aftermath if Monday’s loss to Boston, there was some talk about a bad vibe in Sacramento’s locker room. Keon Ellis had a different view, and Christie said he agreed that the feeling within the team is fine.
The need to get better, however, remains an issue, as does the ability to sustain the success for long stretches.
“I’ve told you guys, 80 percent isn’t enough. We’re a 90 percent-plus team,” Christie said. “What our guys have to understand is the consistency to which you approach something is everything for us. That means effort. That means attention to detail. That means extra efforts, possession game.
“That’s the team in the locker room. Unfortunately it’s not the team that continues to show itself for 48 minutes. I know that’s hard, but we’re not accepting anything less. There will be a time, and when that time comes you’ll feel it.”
Blues' Thomas, Canadiens' Suzuki Are MVPs Since 4 Nations Face-Off
The St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens face off Tuesday with two of the NHL’s most valuable players since the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
Blues center Robert Thomas and Canadiens center Nick Suzuki are largely responsible for their teams' rise in the standings to a wild-card spot in the past month. Both players are among the NHL’s top 10 scorers since the 4 Nations tournament, but their contributions, in particular, have led to some massive results.
The Blues occupy the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a three-point lead on the Vancouver Canucks. St. Louis was eight points behind Vancouver during the 4 Nations Face-Off.
While it’s unfair to the team to say only Thomas carried them to where they are today, he has done much of the heavy lifting. Since Feb. 20, Thomas posted 14 assists and 19 points in 16 games. He got at least one point in 13 of those games, and he posted two or more points in four of them. The 25-year-old now has 42 assists and 60 points in 60 games this season.
A Blues team that’s 16th in the league in goals-for per game (2.97) would be well out of a playoff spot were it not for Thomas’ contributions on offense. His point-per-game average is well above any other Blues player, considering he missed some time due to an injury this season.
While he’s still somewhat of a hidden gem outside of St. Louis, Thomas is doing everything asked of him. He’s a high-value performer at an average salary of $8.125 million per season.
In the Eastern Conference, the eighth-place Canadiens also are getting terrific contributions from captain Suzuki. Since Feb. 20, he has six goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 13 games. The 25-year-old has also put up at least one point in 10 of those games, and six of them are multi-point nights.
The Habs are 13th in goals-for per game, so Suzuki’s point production is necessary to where they are today. And his salary of $7.875 million also makes him a great bang-for-his-bucks type of player.
The Blues and the Canadiens aren’t anywhere close to locking up a playoff spot. That means they’re almost certainly going to need more out of Thomas and Suzuki. But the good news for Montreal and St. Louis fans is that both players are ready, willing and able to drive offensive production and take the heat off the rest of the lineup.
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