The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had some really good chances to win Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Final series against the Toronto Marlies on Friday night, but it wasn't meant to be.
Game 2 went to overtime before a strange puck bounce found the back of the net, giving the Marlies a 2-1 win and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Michael Pezzetta took a shot from the blue line before WBS goaltender Sergei Murashov and Marlies forward Marc Johnstone tried to get the puck. It was a weird deflection and was originally ruled no goal, but the officials huddled and reversed the call.
It also looked like Murashov was interfered with by Johnstone in the crease.
Here's a look at the play:
Sergei Murashov clearly tangled with Marc Johnstone at the net.
Before that goal, former Penguin Alex Nylander opened the scoring for the Marlies in the first period before Tanner Howe tied the game in the third period. It was a classic Tanner Howe goal as he collected the loose change around the crease and fired the puck home.
Outside of the weird overtime goal, the story of the game was Marlies goaltender Artur Akhtyamov. He was sensational in the net, making 33 saves, some of which were highway robbery. He's been fantastic in the first two games of this series.
Murashov has also been great for the Penguins, but they simply aren't giving him goal support like they were in the first two rounds.
The series will now head to Toronto for Game 3 on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.
Overall leader leaves nothing to chance on final climb
Dane will claim first Giro by reaching Rome finish
Jonas Vingegaard all but won the Giro d’Italia on Saturday and his attention will soon turn to the Tour de France as he attempts to become the ninth man to complete the Giro-Tour double.
The Dane wrapped up the first part in style, soloing to victory atop Piancavallo at the end of the 20th and penultimate stage to extend his overall lead to more than five minutes from Felix Gall. Jai Hindley remained in third, 6min 25sec behind Vingegaard.
Glasgow Warriors will face the Bulls in their URC semi-final at Murrayfield, after the South African side bested Munster in Pretoria.
Johan Ackermann's side were big winners at Loftus Versfeld, as they ran in six tries to rack up a 45-14 victory.
The Warriors secured their place in the semis on Friday night as they eventually overcame a stubborn Connacht side 33-21 at Scotstoun.
They will now head to Murrayfield, as Scotstoun is unavailable as it prepares to host the Commonwealth Games later this summer.
The Bulls only visited Glasgow last month, with Franco Smith's men running out 25-21 winners in a tight game.
It's been two years since the Warriors visited Pretoria for the URC final and, at it's famous altitude, reached their highest high as they won their second title.
As for the Bulls, they've finished runners-up in the previous two URC seasons and will be hoping third time is the charm.
His four-seamer has been crushed (.348 xBA, .614 xSLG), and he won’t be able to throw many get-me-overs against a Philadelphia Phillies lineup with the fourth-most WAR (5.3) against fastballs.
Jesus Luzardo (2.80 FIP), on the other hand, is lethal. He generates whiffs (90th percentile), and when teams do make contact, it’s usually on the ground (83rd percentile ground ball rate) and hit softly (95th percentile hard-hit rate).
Buy to +105.
COVERS INTEL:Roki Sasaki allows loud contact (11th percentile barrel rate, 11th percentile hard-hit rate), which is a concern against a Philadelphia lineup with the fifth-highest hard-hit rate (35.6%) in the last 20 days.
Phillies vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-107)
Luzardo has limited LA’s projected starting lineup to a .168 AVG and .558 OPS across a large sample size of 107 at-bats. Behind him is a strong bullpen in excellent form, posting a 2.07 SIERA in the last 20 days.
While Sasaki’s numbers are poor, he can take solace in the fact that Philadelphia has been ice cold, plating no more than four runs in any of its last nine games while sporting a 53 wRC+.
LA has also been lights out in relief (2.96 FIP in the last 20 days), and both pens are well rested.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 18-18, -5.53 units
Over/Under bets: 27-10, +16.41 units
Phillies vs Dodgers odds
Moneyline: Phillies +118 | Dodgers -130
Run line: Phillies +1.5 (-195) | Dodgers -1.5 (+170)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)
Phillies vs Dodgers trend
Philadelphia has cashed the Under in seven consecutive games. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Dodgers. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Dodgers.
How to watch Phillies vs Dodgers and game info
Location
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Saturday, May 30, 2026
First pitch
10:10 p.m. ET
TV
NBC Sports California, SportsNet LA
Phillies starting pitcher
Andrew Painter (1-5, 5.40 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcher
Roki Sasaki (3-3, 4.93 ERA)
Phillies vs Dodgers latest injuries
Phillies 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.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 14: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates breaking 50 points against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter in game seven of the 2023 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals at TD Garden on May 14, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Bill Russell famously once said: “The two greatest words in sports are ‘Game 7.’”
With the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder soon tipping off a Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals tonight, I thought it would be the perfect time to reminisce on some of the best Game 7’s in Celtics history. You can go into any era of Celtics history and find an all-time performance when the lights are at their brightest.
Russell was undefeated in his career in Game 7’s with a perfect 10-0 record with five of those wins coming in the NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics as a franchise have played the most Game 7’s in NBA History at 38, the most recent a month ago when they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite this season, Boston has been pretty great in these do-or-die contests historically with a 27-11 record.
1957 NBA Finals: Hawks vs. Celtics
The first Game 7 played in both NBA and Celtics franchise history came in the 1957 NBA Finals when they faced off against the St. Louis Hawks on April 13th, 1957. With under a minute to go in the game, Bill Russell made a basket to tie it up and blocked the Hawks attempt to take the lead and eventually force overtime.
With the game still tied at the end of the first overtime, Bill Sharman had a chance to give the Celtics the win, but his jumper rimmed out and they headed for a second overtime. In the second overtime, Boston had a two-point lead with 2 seconds left and St. Louis had possession. They drew up a play for Bob Pettit who had 39 points up to that point, but both of his game tying attempts missed, giving the Boston Celtics a 125-123 win and their first NBA championship.
The 1957 Rookie of the Year Tom Heinsohn was remarkable in this game and carried the offense for Boston with 37 points and 23 rebounds on 17-33 shooting in 45 minutes played. Russell, also a rookie, finished with 19 points and 32 rebounds in 54 minutes. In later years, Heinsohn would call it the best game ever played which is high praise given that he was the Celtics coach during Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals in what was deemed “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”
1965 Eastern Division Finals: 76ers vs. Celtics
The 1965 Eastern Conference Finals was the definition of a back and forth series where both the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics traded victories going into Game 7. This was a battle of the big men as Wilt Chamberlain was trying to take down Bill Russell for the first time in his career. Wilt would have 30 points and 32 rebounds while Russell had 15 points and 29 rebounds. Sam Jones led the way for Boston with 37 points, but it was John Havlicek who was the hero of this Game 7.
In the final seconds of the game after Russell threw the ball out of bounds on an inbound play, the 76ers had the ball with the Celtics leading 110-109. Hal Greer went to inbound the ball for Philadelphia and when he threw it in play, John Havlicek intercepted it and Jones dribbled out the clock to propel Boston to collect their seventh straight NBA championship. This game will be remembered most for the iconic radio call from Johnny Most as he exclaimed in excitement: “Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball!”
1981 Eastern Conference Finals: 76ers vs. Celtics
In an inverse of the 2026 series between the Celtics and 76ers, Philadelphia jumped out to a quick 3-1 series lead over Boston in the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics were able to battle back into the series behind two huge games by Larry Bird to force a Game 7 back in the Boston Garden on May 3rd, 1981.
This game started with Boston trailing by 7 points at halftime, but this didn’t deter them as they were able to tie it up late in the fourth quarter. Boston’s defense would swarm Philadelphia in the paint and that led to Larry Bird hitting a huge bank shot to give the Celtics a 91-89 lead with 1:03 left in the game. With 29 seconds left, Maurice Cheeks would have a chance to tie the game at the free throw line, but he missed the first and the 76ers couldn’t get a last second shot off. Boston would win 91-90 and go on to the NBA Finals where they defeated the Houston Rockets for their 14th title.
1984 NBA Finals: Lakers vs. Celtics
Out of all the Game 7s on this list, the matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics in the 1984 NBA Finals might be the biggest of them all. The best rivalry in basketball history, the clash of the titans between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, all culminating in their first head-to-head Finals matchup. This series started with the Lakers stealing home court from Boston in Game 1, but the Celtics would bounce back to take a 3-2 series lead going into Game 6. Los Angeles won Game 6 at home, setting up winner-take-all battle in Game 7 back in Boston on June 12th, 1984.
Boston took the early advantage in this game, leading by 6 points at halftime, but the third quarter saw them start to pull away. They outscored the Lakers 33-26 and took a 91-78 lead going into the fourth quarter. Los Angeles didn’t roll over; they locked in defensively and held the Celtics to only 20 points in the final frame and cutting Boston’s lead to three points on a James Worthy jumper with 1:14 to go in the game. This would be the Lakers final basket of the game as the Celtics rattled off a 9-0 run to put the game out of reach and earn Boston their 15th championship.
2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cavaliers vs. Celtics
Jumping ahead to 2008, this was the first playoff series that LeBron James would face the Celtics as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Boston was powered by their Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Keven Garnett, and Ray Allen and they were giving the 23 year-old James fits throughout this entire series. The Cavaliers were able to play some strong defense to support James, and after they beat the Celtics in Game 6, they were in for a fight in Game 7 back in TD Garden on May 18th, 2008.
Game 7 saw an all-time duel between LeBron James and Paul Pierce who decided that they were going to be the one who sent their team to the Eastern Conference Finals. James scored 45 points on 14-29 shooting and was dominating Boston for most of the game and made it a one-point game with 2:20 left in the fourth quarter.
However, the Celtics did not let up in this game as PJ Brown hit a clutch midrange jumper with 1:21 to go make a three-point game. After that Pierce took over, playing elite defense on James on every possession. He hit two clutch free throws to finish the game with 41 points. Boston would go on to beat the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals to claim their 17th championship.
2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Wizards vs. Celtics
The 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup between the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards is one of my all time favorite series. Every game saw both teams battle tooth and nail, being led by two All-Star point guards in Isaiah Thomas and John Wall. Thomas made his impact felt in Game 2 when he scored 53 points on his sister’s birthday who he tragically lost at the beginning of these playoffs to give Boston a 2-0 advantage in the series. Wall would make his impact in a win or go home Game 6 for the Wizards where he hit a game-winning three to help bring Washington to a Game 7 in TD Garden on May 15th, 2017.
The first half saw both teams keep the game close with Washington taking a 55-53 into halftime. Bradley Beal went off for Washington, dropping 38 points on the night and the Wizards would open up their biggest lead of the game at 6 points midway through the third quarter. However, the Celtics would respond with a 9-0 run at the end of the quarter to take a 85-79 lead going into the fourth. Once the fourth quarter started, Kelly Olynyk became a folk hero in the city of Boston forever. He exploded for 14 points in the quarter and finished with 26 points on 10-14 shooting to lead the Celtics to a 115-105 win and a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.
2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Bucks vs. Celtics
On the five year anniversary of the game Kelly Olynyk knocked out the Wizards in the 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals, another unlikely role player would have his own special moment in a Game 7. After a heartbreaking Game 5 loss at home to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Celtics were down 3-2 going back on the road. Jayson Tatum would put up a heroic 46 point Game 6 performance, setting the stage for Game 7 on May 15th, 2022.
The Bucks shot out to an early 10-point lead towards the end of the first quarter but that was before the Celtics started to pull away thanks to the help of Grant Williams having the game of his life. Williams would finish with 27 points on 10-22 shooting from the field and 7-18 shooting from three. Boston would ride the hot hand of Grant Williams to a dominant 109-81 victory and use this series as a stepping stone to eventually making the 2022 NBA Finals. Williams put out a video on his Instagram reminiscing on this game and said, “These were such cool moments to look back to because it shows that you had some type of defining moment in your career.”
2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals: 76ers vs. Celtics
Not only is the final Game 7 in this article the most recent victory for the Celtics, but it is also my all time favorite performance. A year after Grant Williams’ heroics, the Celtics found themselves experiencing deja vu in the playoffs once again. Down 3-2 in the series going on the road in the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals, this time against the Philadelphia 76ers. Jayson Tatum once again came up big in Game 6 on the road and this time was going to make his mark on Game 7 in TD Garden on May 14th, 2023.
The similarities continued into Game 7, where the 76ers took a 6-point lead at the end of the first quarter, but Jayson Tatum had 11 points for the Celtics. Once the second quarter hit, Tatum continued his hot shooting first half with 14 points in the second quarter and Boston had a 55-52 lead at the half. Boston would leave Philadelphia in the dust in the second half, led by Jayson Tatum dropping an NBA Game 7 record with 51 points on 17-28 shooting from the field and 6-10 shooting from three and the Celtics would win 112-88 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - OCTOBER 04: (L-R) Jake Allen #34 and Jacob Markstrom #25 of the New Jersey Devils sit in their stalls in the locker room prior to the 2024 NHL Global Series-Czechia game between the New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres at O2 Arena on October 04, 2024 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
HI!
Hope everyone had a lovely fake Spring and now real Spring so far. Not sure if you are all watching the playoffs, but there have been some fun games and fun young teams. I did not have Vegas beating Colorado in my bracket, let alone sweeping, so definitely pretty shocking. Although I had Ottawa beating Carolina so what do I know.
As annoyed as I am that we are on the outside looking in, stress free playoff hockey can be the next best thing. Ok, I’m lying, it sucks, I cannot believe we are back here again – I’d much rather be a pasty ball of anxiety, ignoring my family and friends, work, life etc. Some of these young fun teams (Utah, Anaheim, Philly etc) got invaluable experience we should’ve gotten the past 2 seasons.
Back to the Devils. There have been a few major themes plaguing this team the past few years: scoring, injuries, and goaltending. Our scoring woes and injuries are interconnected; when your good players get hurt and you have worse players on the ice, those worse players are going to score less. Jack has obviously been the main problem here, but don’t discount how much other injuries affect scoring (Pesce playing playing half a season, Glass and Grits missing time). Goal scoring is the biggest issue this summer and I plan to get more in depth about scoring like I did here once the marketplace for players becomes a little more apparent.
So, that leaves goaltending which I do think can be talked about now to see if there are any viable paths to fix the goaltending. And by “fix the goaltending” I am talking exclusively about Markstrom as Allen is on a great contract and was mostly good in contained deployment. Daws will also be in the mix as an RFA with arb rights, and with his contract status I would be surprised if he isn’t in Utica again next season.
Quick Look at the Future
First, It is instructive to consider how our future goalie pipeline looks, with Yegorov and Malek projected to be good NHLers with Daws as a serviceable backup/1B. Now, obviously you can take “future looks bright in goal” with a grain of salt since Goalies are strange magical creatures and always very difficult to project.
Every goalie drafted in the first two rounds in the 2010s visualized by the primary place they played in each season of their careers so far: pic.twitter.com/Km5i701PTX
Often it takes highly drafted/rated goalies until their D+5 or D+6 year year to pan out as NHL goalies, with the best coming up and staying around the D+4 year: Oettinger, Knight, Vasilevskiy, Gibson. On the other hand you can see the sheer volume of guys that never set foot in the NHL (blue/red) that were high picks and/or never really established themselves in the NHL.
So if I were to guess if there was some sort of plan, it was to run Markstrom/Allen until Yegorov and/or Malek were ready. Or knowing Fitz, he was just going to extend Markstrom until the end of days, who knows if anything was an actual plan. In 2026-27, Jakub Malek will be entering his D+5 year and Mikhail Yegorov will be entering his D+3 year and will be returning to BU for his 3rd season, so we are close or at the “ready” portion of their careers if they are going to pan out. One thing I agree with Jared on, is that that both Daws and Malek should at minimum be qualified, and I would be surprised if either went anywhere.
Also, Environment Matters
I promise at some point I will get to what we could potentially do with goalies. But first, I think it’s also important to understand the environment in front of them. For the most part, goalies are a product of their defensive environment, and how good or bad the structure in front of them will have an outsize effect on the goaltending results.
Below is the 2025-26 season of xGA vs GA per/60 at 5v5 via JFresh’s hockeystats.com. xGA is a great proxy for “how good is this team defensively” since it accumulates and weights all of the chances given up, regardless of goalie. There is a linear correlation between xGA and GA – which is why defensive environment is so important. If your defense can’t prevent chances, you’re gonna get scored on a lot unless you have an all-world goalie (Washington Boston, Islanders) or you can get scored on a lot despite a stingy defense (Ottawa and Vegas).
2025-26 Devils Goaltending: A Retrospective
All of Tim’s fun math aside, we had two very differently performing goalies (I’m not including Daws for this exercise). Of Goalies with 30 or more games played, Markstrom was the 6th worst in terms of GSAA at -11.4 for a full season and -.27 per/60. Jake Allen, on the other hand, was 33rd at +9.8 and +.27 per 60.
Below is how those numbers accumulated by game as visualized by hockeystats.com. I’m including because this site is awesome and I highly recommend playing around in it ($$). I’m also including it to note that a massive chunk of Markstrom’s cumulative -11.4 GSAA came in 2 games: Colorado in October (first game back from his early injury) and the infamous 9-0 Islanders game. Otherwise he was basically break even over the course of the season.
Now before I get dangerously into “defending Markstrom” territory by pointing that out, let’s take a deeper stroll into these numbers. In only 18 of his 44 starts was he positive for GSAA, so basically 60% of his games he was below league average. Further, he gave up 3 or more goals in 28 of those 44 games, and in ONLY 4 of those was he positive for GSAA. If he gets one more save in each of those 24 games (28 minus 4), we are having a different conversation (or no conversation).
Piling on a bit here – when your goalie gives up bad goals at bad times and you’re chasing the game it can be defeating. I am so tired of hearing “he battled” – I don’t want my goalie to battle, I want him to stop pucks. Batting implies it was a struggle, which it often seemed like it was. He gave up the first goal of the game in 24 of his starts, more than half his games, and the devils were 9-14-1 in those games. You can see this in his below goalie card under “quality starts” which is when he had a GSAA above 0. Also, don’t be fooled by the excellent start percentile, he had 2 in total (above 2.0 GSAA). He notoriously overcommits and often is flat out swimming out there – I can’t remember the last time I got so nervous so often for a wrister from the point. Maybe our TBD new goalie coach can have that conversation with him: “hey, you’re too old to rely on athleticism, so use your size more. You’re a giant Viking.”
Further, the most glaring thing about Markstrom is his clear decline, as evidenced by his JFresh card. Take a look at the top right box which is his overall Wins Above Replacement (WAR) trend. Fitz decided 2 more years with this trend line was totally worth an extension. Extrapolating this through his new contract, he will be at -50% WAR by the end of 27-28:
I could also get into his low danger save percentage (26th percentile and 2nd to last) or his average goal distance against (3rd worst, 22.9 feet) but that would really be beating a dead horse.
There are a few ways to get out of Markstrom, and the second buyout window has been laid out here. We can also flat out waive him to the minors – his extension transitions to a modified NTC and is not an NMC starting in 26-27. Also, and while I highly doubt he is tradeable, but he does have a 20-team no-trade list in 2026-27 and a 5-team no-trade list in 2027-28.
Here’s the problem, though. Finding an alternative upgrade that can start 50ish games this offseason could prove extremely challenging. We would obviously have to dig into the UFA/RFA/Trade market which means utilizing precious trade assets or cap space that we don’t have a lot of.
Also of note, I’m largely going to rely on JFresh cards as a snapshot of each goalie below. The “main number,” Proj WAR, is a three year weighted average, and the top right provides a WAR trendline. All percentiles for each stat are how they compare to the league.
Stu Skinner – Honestly, not a terrible idea, he is better than Markstrom and only 25 and can handle the workload. He does come with some baggage, and when it goes badly for him it goes BADLY. However, in Edmonton he was largely a product of his environment and “Darnell Nurse” and he was mediocre at best for Pittsburgh.
Connor Ingram – He’s a backup and while he did take the starter job from Jarry in Edmonton, he is not a guy that can be relied on for 50+ games. I do like his age and potential and he’d be cheap.
Danil Tarasov – Career backup, and could be a possibility and was signed in Florida – basically the only reason I highlighted him amongst the UFA goalies. Every time Florida signed someone I always perked up, but they also signed Vanacek, so there’s that. If I were to guess, Florida basically ran the numbers and determined they could just find a warm body behind Bob for 15-20 games.
There are also a few non-NHL options and admittedly, I had to rely on the ole internet machine for the two below and the summaries are cut and pasted. But if you want to think outside the box, there are two KHL goalies that are regularly reported as the best in the league:
Bilyalov is statistically one of the most efficient goaltenders in KHL history. He set the KHL record for the longest modern shutout streak (316 minutes, 9 seconds) and won the league’s Best Goaltender honors. His high-end .927 career SV% comes over a substantial heavy-workload sample size.
Isayev has been the league’s top lockdown technical goaltender over recent seasons. He carried Lokomotiv to the Gagarin Cup finals behind an elite postseason where he averaged a tiny 1.65 GAA.
RFA Options
Similarly, it is slim pickings for RFA Goalies, and we are entering offer sheet territory here. As I will get into below, we are very light on legitimate trade assets, and coughing up assets and picks where our biggest need is scoring punch may be ill advised – and as Jared wrote here, offer sheets are fun in theory but rarely ever happen. However, Yegorov and Malek are no guarantees and finding a viable long term solution here could, in turn, make one of them a very valuable trade chip.
Trade Options
I’m not bringing up Hellebuyck here, even though there was some offhand mentions of him after the Jets brutal season and they are in limbo moving forward. However, I don’t see a world or a mechanism where the Devils can take a run at him. What I did focus on was teams with crowded creases that will likely need to make decisions on their goalie room.
The other consideration here is our limited assets to actually swing multiple trades and I will scream from the rooftops that we need more scoring help first and foremost. Some of these guys might not need major packages, and a good baseline comp is Logan Thompson who was acquired by the Capitals for 2 3rd rounders from Vegas.
Anthony Stolarz – Stolarz is a popular name around the Devils fanbase, probably heavily influenced by sentimentality as he is NJ born and bred. He is an excellent goalie, but he has a hard time staying healthy and hasn’t made it through a full season – he has had 2 knee surgeries, a brutal concussion, a scary incident after taking a puck to the throat, and a groin injury this past season. He has a 4-year, $3.75MM extension kicking in next season and with Woll and Hildeby signed through 27-28, he is the guy that should fall out as Toronto retools. I would definitely take the risk knowing we have Daws and Malek as call-ups.
Alex Lyon – Lyon has 1 more year at $1.5MM and has shown time and again that he can rise to the occasion. He was the main reason Florida even got into the playoffs 2 seasons ago, and he took over for Lukkonen as the primary starter this season (although he lost the crease in the playoffs). With UPL signed long term, Ellis and Levi waiting in the wings, I can see a world where Lyon is the guy who falls out of the mix. He’s also a bit of a psycho which I enjoy.
Filip Gustavsson – Is Minnesota going to trade out a goalie? Rumors were abound that they have floated Wallstead in multiple trade offers, but he wound up taking over the net in the playoffs, so does that leave the Gus Bus on the outs? He has a 4-year $6.8MM extension that kicks in next season, so making this work would be difficult. Do they want to give the keys to Wallstead, and could we actually give Minnesota our own Swedish Goalie veteran mentor in return with a pick or two?
Sebastian Cossa – Cossa has been recently rumored as available according to several insiders, as the “Yzerplan” is going about as well as the “Fitzplan.” They already have Gibson signed as the starter and I have read that they see Augustine as the better prospect. I would absolutely take a look at him if he is really available. He has done nothing but win and stop pucks:
Devin Cooley – For some reason Cooley doesn’t have a JFresh Card, but he is a rising star in this league, put up a .909 sv pct for an atrocious Calgary team and is currently carrying USA’s D team to the knockout stage at Worlds (.930 sv pct). He has 1 more year at $1.5MM and with Dustin Wolf having 4 more years at $7.5MM, and Calgary in full tear down mode, I can see him getting an opportunity elsewhere.
So, After All That
The goalie market isn’t great from a UFA and RFA perspective, but there are some intriguing trade options. The question then becomes, do we have enough assets to bring in more scoring help AND a goalie upgrade? If Sunny can pull off a Logan Thompson style robbery, I’m all for it but once we get into the 12th overall/Nemec/Mercer territory, I think I more inclined to stand pat for one more year and offload Markstrom after this upcoming season.
One thing I will also point out is the analytics community views goaltending as a means to an end, and not the lynchpin of a team – the best example of this is Carolina. I alluded to it above when talking about environment, there is a major correlation between how good the team in front of a goalie is, and the results that goalie sees with few outlier exceptions. So maybe just play better defense? Get Keefe on the phone, I cracked the code.
How about you, gang? Do we NEED to get out of Markstrom and find anyone else in your opinion? Do any of the above options intrigue you? Anyone on team “play better and our current guys will be fine”? Or are there any other goalies that are on your radar that I missed?
It was that kind of day in St. Louis. The Cubs jumped right on top with three runs in the top of the first, then gave three runs right back in the bottom of the inning. They got a run in the second, but allowed single runs in the fourth and fifth, then chased the remainder of the game, coming up short. The Cub bullpen did throw 2.2 innings of one run ball to end the game, but Cub starter Shōta Imanaga allowed five runs in just 5.1 innings. That and the one run allowed by Phil Maton out of the pen were too much for the Cub offense on this night. They did manage 11 hits, but only drew one walk and one hit by pitch. All together, it just wasn’t enough. For what has been all too frequent an occurrence recently, the Cubs came up short.
Five runs isn’t too bad of an outcome for the offense, but the six runs allowed by Cub pitching are just too much. Shōta Imanaga was all too vulnerable in 2025 and after a nice resurgence in April, he’s been very beatable in May. The calendar is going to turn to June, but stop me if you’ve heard this before, I’m not sure the warmer weather is going to do him any favors. Compounding matters for him were a walk and a hit by pitch in the first inning. He only allowed five hits, which isn’t awful, but one was a three-run homer.
Each team had a three-run homer allowed in the first inning. Imanaga’s gave away all of the momentum of the first inning and for that matter the last two days. When Cade Horton was hurt, Justin Steele was reinjured and Matthew Boyd was sidelined, you had to wonder how the Cubs would get enough outs. It didn’t surface right away, but this team is way too bad at run prevention. The cherry on top was the run allowed by Phil Maton in the eighth. To be fair, the bullpen can’t be expected to have to always be perfect. For Maton, though, it’s been anything but. He had a disastrous April, but even looking at his numbers solely in May, he’s allowed seven runs, all earned, in just 13 innings of work.
We’ve started to talk a little about the lack of high leverage situations for Cub relievers. I’m generally talking about being up a run or two late. But I guess this is a different kind of leverage spot, a one-run deficit late. The kind of game where you have to shut the door and hope the offense comes through. Of course, ex-Cub Nelson Velázquez was right in the middle of most of the scoring. He started the eighth inning rally with a one-out single and ultimately scored the decisive run. Maton had two strikes and two outs before Masyn Winn extended the inning with a single. José Fermín then followed with a single on an 0-2 pitch. Twice Cardinal hitters wriggled off of Maton’s hook when he couldn’t put them away with two strikes and favorable counts.
Velázquez had a nice game, with two hits, one a homer and three runs driven in. This was, of course, his first game as a Cardinal. After an unremarkable stint with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds (.232/.344/.420), the Cardinals called him up and dropped him right into the four spot in their order. You would have to be happy for Nelson literally any other day.
Just another frustrating day as a Cub fan. All too many of them these last few weeks.
Three Positives:
Ian Happ had a three-run homer in the first and added a double. He homers for the third straight game for the second time this year. He owns NL Central pitching.
Seiya Suzuki had three hits in four chances.
Michael Busch had three hits in five chances, driving in two and scoring one.
Game 58, May 29: Cardinals 6, Cubs 5 (31-27)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Ian Happ (.247). 2-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, R
Hero: Seiya Suzuki (.092). 3-4
Sidekick: Ethan Roberts (.066). 1.2 IP, 6 BF, H (0.60 ERA on the season)
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Shōta Imanaga (-.296). 5.1 IP, 23 BF, 5 H, BB, 5 ER, 2 K, 2 HBP (L 4-6)
Goat: Michael Conforto (-.165). 0-4
Kid: Carson Kelly (-.123). 0-4
WPA Play of the Game: Ian Happ’s three-run homer with two outs in the first. (.250)
Pirates Play of the Game: Nelson Velazquez’ three-run homer with one out in the first. (.232)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 57 Winner: Ian Happ with 134 of 179 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Michael Busch +21
Ian Happ +12.5
Alex Bregman +9.5
Nico Hoerner +9
Michael Conforto +7
Jameson Taillon/Phil Maton -9
Matt Shaw -10
Dansby Swanson -12
Seiya Suzuki -24.5
Current Win Pace: 86.59 wins
Up Next: Game two of the three-game series. Ben Brown (1-2, 2.01, 44.2 IP) makes his fifth start of the year. He’s 0-1 with a 1.89 ERA since becoming a starter. That’s just 19 innings of work as he gets fully stretched out. But he’s been pretty terrific in every role they’ve used him in this year.
Kyle Leahy (5-3, 4.44, 50.2 IP) makes his 11th start of the season. The 17th round pick of the Cardinals back in 2018 (513th overall) has made just 11 starts in his young career. Last time out, the Reds scored five runs in five innings against him.
This is a matchup the Cubs should win. You’d like to have a split in hand before sending Jordan Wicks to the mound for the finale. Wicks was knocked around pretty good in his first 2026 MLB game.
Jun 16, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks center fielder Justin Thomas Jr. (4) hits a single against the Murray State Racers during the eighth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (23-32) lost 6-1 (BOX SCORE)
The offense got on the board in the first inning on a Strahm RBI groundout. Brown made a rehab start for Sugar Land last night and was great striking out 5 over 3 innings allowing just one hit, a solo home run. He touched 99.3 MPH. Hendrickson relieved Brown and allowed 5 runs over 5 innings and the offense was stifled the rest of the way as Sugar Land fell 6-1.
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (23-26) lost 8-1 (BOX SCORE)
Swanson got the start for the Hooks and was pitching well until the 4th inning where he allowed 5 runs. After scoreless outings from Santos and Torres, Leach allowed 3 runs as the Mission extended their lead. The offense got on the board in the 8th inning on an Encarnacion RBI groundout but that was it as the Hooks fell 8-1.
A+: Asheville Tourists (10-38) won 13-8 (BOX SCORE)
Smith got the start and allowed 4 runs, all in the first inning, over 4 innings of work. The offense got on the board in the third on a Batista solo home run. The offense added 6 more runs in the 4th inning on a Garcia 2 run double, Batista RBI single and Thomas 3 run home run. They picked up another run in the 6th on an error. In the 8th inning, Moss connected on a 2 run single. The offense got 3 more runs in the 9th on an error, Frey RBI single and Call sac fly. The pen allowed a few runs late but held on for the 13-8 win.
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (21-28) lost 3-2 (BOX SCORE)
The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning on an Ochoa 2 run home run. Weber got the start and pitched really well allowing 1 run over 6 innings with 3 strikeouts. The Howlers tied the game in the 7th getting a run off of Rosario. The game would go to extra innings and in the 10th, the Howlers walked it off as Fayetteville fell 3-2.
Note: Alvarez is hitting .375 over his last 9 games.
BINGHAMTON, NY - MAY 26: Franklin Arias #50 of the Portland Sea Dogs celebrates on first base after hitting an RBI double in the 10th inning during the game between the Portland Sea Dogs and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Mirabito Stadium on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Kylie Richelle/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
The lone winner in the organization Friday night, the WooSox and Michael Sansone were hit around by the Rail Riders (Yankees AAA) to start and needed some late offense to bring them home, where Tommy Kahnle again slammed the door in the ninth. That late offense was an eighth-inning leadoff triple by Allan Castro and subsequent knock by Jason Delay. Allan Castro may be hitting just over .200, but on Friday, he was the driving force in the win.
Franklin Arias had yet another multi-hit game. So, too, did Miguel Bleis, who’s recovering okay but not great after some early struggles. And Caden Rose, the 24-year-old outfielder out of Alabama, had three hits, but still, the team stranded ten runners and the Rumble Ponies (Mets AA) ended up walking Portland off in extras. This was despite Portland outhitting Binghamton 11-6.
Shea Sprague got taken for a ride in the fourth inning, as Asheville (Astros High-A) scored six runs against the Drive. Despite scoring four runs in the bottom of the first including Mason White hitting his ninth home run of the season, after that early defensive melt down, Greenville never got closer than 3 runs down after the fourth and, even when they put more offense on the board, it was only in response to Asheville also putting some runs up earlier in the inning.
Salem and Hickory (Rangers A) traded fourth-inning runs, the RidgeYaks’ coming off the bat of a home run from Skylar King. Jose Bello let walks get the best of him to start the fifth and Salem found themselves down by three runs, and then answered with two of their own. Still a winnable game… until Harry Blum let five runs cross in the eighth and Salem simply couldn’t answer.
Former Detroit Red Wings forward Darren McCarty continued his tribute to his longtime rival, Claude Lemieux, who died at age 60 on May 28.
Their rivalry goes back to heated playoff battles between the Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche, when, in Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Finals, Lemieux checked Red Wings center Kris Draper from behind, driving Draper's face into the boards. It led to the famous "Fight Night at the Joe," the next season, when McCarty got payback by pummeling Lemieux.
"This is extremely sad no matter what feelings from past or present you hold. My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends and people who got to see the person off the ice wasn’t the person on said on social media," McCarty said on social media.
McCarty further paid tribute to his former foe during a television appearance on Woodward Sports.
Darren McCarty talks about burying the hatchet with Claude Lemieux, and the two’s relationship off the ice ❤️
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) May 29, 2026
"I'm a guy who has asked for redemption in a lot of ways in my life, and trying to prove that some of the things I've done in the past aren't who I am today," McCarty said. "Claude Lemieux is the one person in life who has proven to me that the guy on the ice wasn't the guy off the ice. He was loved very much. ...
"The best way for me to describe my feelings and whatever else, is that it's very sad. I'm very sad,"
McCarty and Lemieux would team up in later years and make public events regarding their feud to raise money for charity.
"We were supposed to go golf later in the summer and do all this stuff that will never be done," McCarty added. "Just, any compassion at all, say a prayer for his family and his kids and wife."
Last Australian player in singles draw is defeated
Kasatkina loses 6-0, 7-5 to world No 1 in Paris
Australia’s lukewarm challenge at a boiling French Open is over after Daria Kasatkina was beaten 6-0, 7-5 by the world No 1, Aryna Sabalenka.
Kasatkina became the last of Australia’s 13 singles contenders to bite the red dust before the end of the first week, a battling fightback almost inevitably denied by Sabalenka, who will face Naomi Osaka in the last 16.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 29: Geraldo Perdomo #2 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws out a runner during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 29, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Diamondbacks News
Marte’s Hit Streak, Snakes Fall to Mariners in Extras Geraldo Perdomo broke ot of his funk, but Zac Gallen was unable to keep the qality start streak alive. In the end, the Diamondbacks were unable to capitalize on some opportunities and fell in extras.
Diamondbacks Walked Off in 10 A bit better timing by either Zac Gallen or the offense (if not both) and this game goes the other way.
Closes May with a 7.04 ERA over 6 starts (30.2 IP, 37 H, 24 ER, 1.57 WHIP).
Season ERA of 5.16 is 5th worst in MLB amongst qualified pitchers.
Allowed 2 HR over first 6 starts, allowed 8 HR over last 5 starts.
Averaging under 5 IP per start in ‘26.
— Arizona Diamondbacks | Stats & Info (@DbacksStatsInfo) May 30, 2026
I expect there will be plenty more posts like the one above until after Gallen is gone from the team, regardless of how the rest of the season goes. Gallen certainly is doing himself no favours, but it isn’t as though there were better options to be had at the time.
MLB CBA Panic Check Jeff Passan and others are still trying to keep a positive spin on tings and point out that it is entirely too early to panic.
Spencer Striders Fascinating First Examined Diamondbacks fans are well aware that simply giving up three in the first inning is not the end of the world if the pitcher can buckle down moving forward.
What Should Giants Do with Robbie Ray Another old friend alert. After bouncing back from injury in Arizona, Robbie Ray went on to be one of the better pitchers in the American League for a spell. Now, he’s starting to show signs of aging jst as the Giants are looking at the possibility of unloading him at the deadline.
The South-sider’s slugging rookie phenom left last night’s tilt against the Tigers early after suffering a tweak in his right hamstring running to first base. He will undergo imaging today and is likely headed to the IL.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - MAY 22: Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks to shoot the ball against Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the third quarter in Game Three of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 22, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. 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. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs will play Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals, and it’s become one of the most compelling series in recent memory as two young teams are emerging into potential greatness.
OKC is very young and remarkably deep and flexible, while San Antonio is even younger. We can’t remember if it’s the core or the overall team, but we read that this is the youngest team ever to get to a conference finals.
And of course both teams feature a member of the Brotherhood, with Mason Plumlee on the Spurs and Jared McCain on the Thunder.
McCain has emerged as a major factor, with his upbeat nature and boundless confidence fueling his game and, in turn, his team.
We thought we’d put together a links run for tonight’s game featuring McCain. There are a few themes: 1) his surprise emergence, 2) the hard fouls that Plumlee and Bismark Biyombo gave McCain in Game 5, and 3) that OKC will rely on him in Game 7.
Game time is 8:00 p.m. Quite frankly, most NBA basketball has been reduced to threes and dunks and is no longer compelling. This series is incredible, and these two teams, as young and talented as they are, are going to change the trajectory of the league. The Warriors did that during their era, and a lot of teams went with small ball.
These teams are not about that, and it could save the NBA from death by boredom. It’s too bad they’re both in the West though. This rivalry could become historic, and if they met in the Finals, it would be amazing for the league.
20 June 2023, Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel: The sailing competitions of Kiel Week 2023 will be held in front of the Olympic Center in Schilksee. At the start on the sea lane there is a dense crowd of ORC yachts. Photo: Sascha Klahn/dpa (Photo by Sascha Klahn/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Hickory starter Aidan Deakins allowed three runs in 4.1 IP, striking out four and walking two.
Yolfran Castillo went 3 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. Paulino Santana had a pair of walks and a stolen base. Hector Osorio had a pair of walks. Josh Springer had a hit.
The Roughriders played two. Rafe Perich joined the Roughriders from Hub City, making his AA debut.
In Game One, Frisco starter Winston Santos struck out eight in 5.2 IP, walking three and allowing three runs, including a home run. Eric Loomis faced three batters and allowed a run on one hit and one walk, striking out one.
Arturo Disla went 3 for 3. Dylan Dreiling had a hit.
In Game Two, Dalton Pence struck out six and walked one in six shutout innings.
Ian Moller was 2 for 3 with a homer and a walk. Dylan Dreiling homered. Rafe Perich walked. Keith Jones II walked twice and stole a base.
For Round Rock, Robbie Ahlstrom allowed a run in 0.2 IP, striking out one and walking one. Joe Ross struck out three in two shutout innings. Ryan Brasier threw a shutout inning. Michel Otanez struck out one, walked one and allowed a solo homer in an inning of work. Emiliano Teodo needed just 9 pitches (7 strikes) to retire the side in the ninth, striking out two.
Cam Cauley had two hits, two walks and a stolen base. John Taylor, promoted to Round Rock from Frisco, tripled. Aaron Zavala had a hit and three walks.
The Mets' wins haven't been pretty, but they are finding a way.
That was again the case on Friday night, as New York blew a late lead but battled to open a three-game weekend set with a much-needed gusty walk-off win over the Marlins in 10 innings.
It was their league-high 11th extra-inning victory to this point, and here’s how it played out:
Unlike last weekend in Miami, New York was able to come through with some timely hits early on against Max Meyer, scratching across four runs in the bottom of the first.
“The guys put together some really good at-bats there,” Carlos Mendoza said. "We saw Myers over the weekend and he was nasty, so it was good to see them set the tone out of the gate."
Freddy Peralta followed that with a scoreless second inning, but then the Marlins were able to get themselves on the board after making him work through a 38-pitch third.
The righty ended up being chased with four runs allowed (two earned) in 4.2 innings of work.
“Give those guys a lot of credit,” Mendoza said. “They made him work and grinded out some long at-bat's, we didn’t make some plays in the field which cost him some pitches, but they made it tough on him.”
The skipper was forced to lean heavily on his bullpen once again, and things went as planned until Tobias Myers allowed a game-tying two-run homer in the top of the eighth.
Before that, though, this one was pushed to extras where Austin Warren did a tremendous job stranding the ghost runner at second which set up MJ Melendez to send the fans home happy with a towering two-run blast.
It was the first walk-off knock of Melendez’s big-league career.
“Honestly pretty speechless, kind of a surreal feeling,” the lefty said. “It’s something that I’ve never done before at the major league level, so it was a really crazy feeling.”
The Mets have now won back-to-back games for just the seventh time this season.
Three of their last five victories have come in extras, with the other two being a one and two-run ballgame.
It’s a trend that they know isn’t sustainable, but they’ll take it for now.
“At the big-league level you take the wins however they come,” Mendoza emphasized. “Especially with how hard it’s been for us this year -- ideally on a night like tonight, we had to use pretty much everyone that was available.
“Is that sustainable? Of course not. But at this level it’s just whatever it takes day in and day out, we worry about tomorrow tomorrow, and I’m glad that the boys were able to come through today.”
COVERS INTEL:
