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Jonah Tong gets roughed up as Mets falter in 10-3 loss to Cubs

The Mets fell behind early and couldn’t dig themselves out of a hole, falling to the Chicago Cubs 10-3 on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.

Jonah Tong surrendered five runs in the third inning, and it wasn’t until the fifth inning that the Mets got their first hit of the game. They finished the game with just four hits, one walk, and one hit batter.

The loss didn’t cost them too dearly, as the Pirates hung on to beat the Reds 4-3 in 11 innings and the Dodgers hung on to beat the Diamondbacks 5-4 in 11 innings, meaning New York is still 1.0 game ahead of Cincinnati and Arizona for the final NL Wild Card spot with four games to play.

Here are the takeaways...

- Tong surrendered a leadoff double to the right-center gap to start the bottom of the first and, after getting squeezed by home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn on a 2-2 changeup on the corner, issued a walk to put two men on base with nobody out. But Tong kept the Cubs off the board: First getting Ian Happ swinging at a changeup below the zone, then, on a Moisés Ballesteros single up the middle, Tyrone Taylor – in his first start off the IL - gunned down Michael Busch at the plate with a perfect throw and a sweeping tag from Francisco Alvarez, and closed the door with Seiya Suzuki grounding out to third. 

An eventful, but not overly taxing first inning (22 pitches) was followed by an easy-breezy 1-2-3 second on just 12 pitches with three outs to center. But Tong was in a big jam in the third after a bloop single, a walk, and a single to left loaded the bases with nobody down.

The young righty paid the price: Happ yanked a changeup down the line at first that just stayed fair over the bag for a two-run double, Ballesteros bounced an RBI single past a diving Mark Vientos, on a ball he probably should have snagged as he was playing in and on the line, and Suzuki pulled an RBI double down the third base line. 

That ended Tong’s night with Richard Lovelady entering with two in scoring position and nobody out. The lefty put out the fire with a strikeout, sac fly, and strikeout to limit it to a 5-0 Chicago lead. Tong’s final line: five runs on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout in 2.0 innings on 56 pitches (38 strikes). His ERA is now at 7.71 through 18.2 big league innings as Chicago jumped all over his two-pitch mix as he threw his fastball or changeup on all but five of his offerings. 

- Lovelady, needing to put up zeroes and outs, was stung for a solo home run off Matt Shaw’s bat to start the fourth, but thanks to diving plays from Brandon Nimmo and Vientos, he got three more outs for the beleaguered bullpen.

- Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd retired the first six Mets he faced before issuing a leadoff walk to Alvarez to start the third, but was left stranded there. Boyd got through the first four innings without allowing a hit on 56 pitches before Vientos smoked a single past the third baseman to lead off the fifth. And with one down in the inning, Alvarez smashed a changeup up right down the middle for a two-run home run to left (417 feet, 106.6 mph off the bat). That cut the deficit to 6-2, but the Mets never got any closer. 

Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto both started the night 0-for-3 off the Cubs’ left-hander before he departed with one out in the sixth. Daniel Palencia entered to get Alonso to fly out and Starling Marte swinging, meaning the top of the Mets’ order started the night 0-for-12 with two strikeouts.

Soto got that gang's first hit of the night, cranking an up-and-away cutter 397 feet to left center for his 43rd home run of the season. The solo homer was just smoked: 105.1 mph off the bat. He finished 1-for-4. But Lindor was 0-for-4, Alonso 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, and Marte 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

- Clay Holmes, who threw 57 pitches Sunday, entered after Lovelady issued a leadoff walk in the fifth. After getting the first two outs on groundouts, Alonso couldn’t scoop Vientos’ throw in the dirt to plate another run on the throwing error, the speedy Pete Crow-Armstrong on second. And after a wild pitch, Holmes was late to cover the plate, allowing PCA to score all the way from second to make it 8-2. 

After Holmes' 14-pitch inning of work, Sean Manaea, who threw 50 pitches Sunday, entered and allowed a leadoff single to Shaw, who promptly swiped second base. Busch then turned on a sweeper right down the middle for a 376-foot homer to right that just carried through the wind into the first row of seats to make it 10-2. The lefty got a strikeout in a 16-pitch inning of work. That could still have those two in line to pitch on Saturday in Miami.

- Ryan Helsley needed nine pitches for a 1-2-3 seventh, with a strikeout. He allowed a single in the eighth, but added another strikeout. He's now put up five-straight scoreless outings, allowing just two hits and two walks in that six-inning span.

- Taylor’s throw home in the first was clocked at 95.2 mph, the Mets’ fastest outfield assist of the season and the fastest of Taylor’s career, per Sarah Langs. He finished the night 0-for-3 at the plate.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets and Cubs conclude their series Thursday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:40 p.m. on SNY.

Right-hander Nolan McLean (1.27 ERA and 1.008 WHIP in 42.2 innings) gets his eighth start of the season with the home side sending out left-hander Shota Imanaga (3.37 ERA and 0.957 WHIP in 139 innings) for his 25th start.

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Searching for bullpen help, Dodgers activate RHP Roki Sasaki from 60-day injured list

PHOENIX — The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki from the 60-day injured list on Wednesday, and the right-hander is expected to throw out of the bullpen over the final five games of the regular season to see if he can earn a postseason role.

Manager Dave Roberts confirmed the move, saying right-hander Kirby Yates will head to the injured list because of a lingering hamstring issue. The move is retroactive to Sept. 21.

Roberts said he doesn't have a specific role for Sasaki, but wanted him to take advantage of his opportunities.

“Giving everything he has for an inning or two at a time,” Roberts said. “That's kind of what I see. Let the performance play out. Just go after guys and be on the attack.”

The 23-year-old Sasaki is 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings over eight big league appearances this season, all starts. He's also spent time at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he was 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA over seven appearances, including five starts.

The defending World Series champion Dodgers are searching for bullpen help as the postseason approaches. Tanner Scott blew a save in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Sasaki agreed in January to a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus as an international amateur free agent under Major League Baseball’s rules, leaving the Pacific League’s Chiba Lotte Marines under the posting system.

His debut season in the big leagues has been mostly disappointing, but the Dodgers hope he can still have a role in October.

Sasaki is one of three Japanese players on the Dodgers' roster along with two-way star Shohei Ohtani and right hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

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Judge ties MLB record by hitting 50 homers for 4th time as Yankees regain share of AL East lead

NEW YORK (AP) Aaron Judge put himself in some rare company while lifting the New York Yankees into a share of the AL East lead for the first time in 3 1/2 months.

Judge became just the fourth player to reach 50 home runs four times and, just like last year, he followed by hitting No. 51 in the same game.

“If you sit back and admire it, then you’re going to stop your momentum,” Judge said after he drove in four runs to lead the Yankees over the Chicago White Sox 8-1 on Wednesday night. “Hopefully I have a long career here and we do some special things that we can talk about at the end.”

New York (90-68) has won seven of eight, moving a season-high 22 games over .500 and getting to 90 wins for the seventh time in the last eight full seasons. The Yankees, who hadn't been in first place since before play on July 3, are tied with Toronto atop the AL East with four games left - though the Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker. Toronto led by five games with 11 remaining but has lost six of seven.

“All across Major League Baseball it's been a crazy 10 days, two weeks,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

A day after the Yankees clinched their 60th postseason berth and eighth in nine years, Judge joined Babe Ruth (1920, ’21, ’27, ’28), Mark McGwire (1996-99) and Sammy Sosa (1998-2001) as the only hitters with four 50-homer seasons.

Judge drove a 96.6 mph sinker from Jonathan Cannon (4-10) into the Yankees bullpen in right-center field for a 3-1 lead in the second inning.

“Obviously made a mistake to the best hitter in the game and punished me for it,” Cannon said. “He hits everything.”

Judge followed Trent Grisham's two-run homer in the eighth with a solo shot off Cam Booser on a fastball for his 46th mulithomer game, matching Mickey Mantle for the Yankees' second-most behind Ruth's 68.

Judge had three hits, raising his major league-leading batting average to .328 along with 109 RBIs. The 6-foot-7 Yankees captain, who turned 33 in April, is on track to become the tallest batting champion in big league history. He also has the top OPS at 1.136.

“The consistency is incredible,” said teammate Max Fried, who won his sixth straight start and became the major leagues’ first 19-game winner. “Every game that he plays, everyone’s giving their best stuff to him every single day.”

Judge became the fourth player to hit 50 homers this year, joining Seattle’s Cal Raleigh (59), Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber (56) and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (53). The only prior seasons with a quartet reaching that mark came during the Steroids Era, by McGwire, Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr. and Greg Vaughn in 1998, and by Barry Bonds, Luis Gonzalez, Alex Rodriguez and Sosa in 2001.

A two-time AL MVP, Judge made an 85.8 mph throw to second base on Colson Montgomery’s second-inning drive that went off the right-field wall on a hop. Judge overthrew shortstop Anthony Volpe at second, and the ball went on two hops to third baseman Ryan McMahon, Judge's hardest throw since hurting his right elbow in late July.

“Still a work in progress," Boone said. "That was by far the most he’s let one go so, hopefully, that’s a good sign.”

Judge came back on Aug. 5 from a 10-day stint on the injured list caused by the strained flexor tendon in hir right elbow and threw gingerly upon his outfield return on Sept. 5.

“It’s feeling great,” he said. “I've got to get back the accuracy a little bit, but that’ll come. That’ll come. I don’t like air-mailing balls like that.”

Defending AL champion New York still hopes for its second straight AL East title and third in four seasons. It's been a topsy-turvy season, in which all three AL summer division leaders have frittered away leads. Toronto topped the East by 6 1/2 games, Detroit the Central by 14 and Houston the West by seven.

“It’s unbelievable, but that’s baseball,” Judge said. “Especially with the expanded postseason, you’re going to have some moments like this where teams are going back and forth. When I go home, turn on MLB Network, check all the scores, see what’s happening, it’s pretty amazing. It’s just a lot of competitive teams out there doing their thing and we’ll see what happens here in the next four days."

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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Have Your Say: Playoffs Or Bust For Red Wings?

Only one NHL team has a longer current postseason drought than the Detroit Red Wings, and it's the Buffalo Sabres, who last played beyond the 82nd game of the regular season in April 2011. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

The Red Wings have yet to host a playoff game at Little Caesars Arena, and haven't experienced postseason hockey since Dylan Larkin's rookie season of 2015-16. 

Both Andrew Copp and Larkin himself have said in the days leading up to the new 2025-26 NHL season that the playoffs are the goal for the club. 

Will Little Caesars Arena host its first Stanley Cup Playoff game in the spring? 

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Padres outfielder Laureano has a broken finger and will miss the first round of the playoffs

SAN DIEGO — Ramón Laureano of the San Diego Padres broke his right index finger on Wednesday in a 3-1 loss to the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers and manager Mike Shildt said the outfielder will miss the first round of the playoffs.

Laureano shook his hand after fouling off a pitch in the second inning. He took a called third strike to end the nine-pitch at-bat, and was replaced in right field by Bryce Johnson in the top of the third.

Laureano was a key acquisition at the trade deadline on July 31, coming over from Baltimore along with Ryan O'Hearn.

He helped carry the Padres offensively since then, hitting nine homers and driving in 30 runs for his new team.

The Padres clinched a postseason berth Monday night with a 5-4, 11-inning win over the Brewers. San Diego won 7-0 Tuesday night to pull within 1 1/2 games of the Chicago Cubs in the race for the National League's first wild-card spot and within 1 1/2 of the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Padres were also without star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. for the third straight game. The team has said only that he has an illness, with symptoms including nausea, chills and a fever.

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Aaron Judge's two blasts, Max Fried's dominance power Yankees to 8-1 win over White Sox

Aaron Judge hit his 50th home run of the season, and Max Fried pitched seven one-run innings as the Yankees to an 8-1 win over the White Sox on Wednesday night in The Bronx.

The win, coupled with the Blue Jays' earlier loss to the Red Sox, has put the Yankees and Toronto in a tie for first place in the AL East. The Blue Jays do hold the tiebreaker as both teams have four games remaining.

Here are the takeaways...

-With the White Sox going with a bullpen game, the Yankees' lineup got the bases loaded with no outs in the first inning thanks to three walks from Fraser Ellard. However, Giancarlo Stanton popped out to shallow right field. Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt followed up by striking out swinging.

Anthony Volpe hit a one-out double in the second, and the Yankees again were in trouble of not capitalizing. Ryan McMahon struck out swinging and, after a Trent Grisham walk, set up Judge. The Yankees captain made the White Sox pay, launching a first-pitch sinker 392 feet into right-center field for a three-run shot.

It's Judge's 50th home run of the season and is the first Yankee since Babe Ruth to have back-to-back 50-homer seasons. It is also his fourth career 50 home run season, tying Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Ruth for the most all-time.

-The Yankees continued to tack on in the third, with Goldschmidt tapping an opposite-field single that scored Rice -- who reached on a triple -- from third. Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with a double that Goldschmidt scored all the way from first. 

Grisham continued his amazing 2025 with his 34th homer of the season, but was immediately followed by Judge's 51st of the season, that put this game way out of reach.

-After a 1-2-3 first inning, Max Fried pitched into trouble in the second, allowing back-to-back singles and a sac fly to allow his first run. After a throwing error by McMahon, Fried bounced back with a flyout and strikeout to limit the damage. And that was all the southpaw would give up through seven innings. 

In his final regular-season start, Fried pitched like the team's ace, allowing just one run on four hits and two walks across seven innings while striking out seven. His first season in pinstripes ends with 19 wins and a 2.86 ERA.

-In relief of Fried, Devin Williams pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Paul Blackburn got the final three outs to complete the win.

Game MVP: Aaron Judge

Although Fried was masterful, there was an air of unease at Yankee Stadium with the team down 1-0, but the three-run blast allowed the team to exhale.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees complete their three-game set with the White Sox on Thursday night. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

Carlos Rodon (17-9, 3.04 ERA) will take the mound for the final time this regular season against Davis Martin (7-10, 4.03 ERA).

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Dodgers bullpen remains a mess. Can Roki Sasaki's return provide trustworthy relief?

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki, of Japan, throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, May 9, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
Roki Sasaki delivers a pitch during a game in May. He has just returned from a five-month stint on the injured list and could be a reliable option as a reliever in the playoffs. (Darryl Webb / Associated Press)

Dave Roberts often refers to his bullpen hierarchy as something of a “trust tree,” with branches of relievers he can trust in leverage spots.

Right now, however, it’s been more like a shriveled-up houseplant. Barren, depleted and long-shunned from the sun.

On the season, the Dodgers' 4.33 bullpen ERA ranks 21st in the majors. Since the start of September, that number has climbed to a stunning 5.69 mark. Closer Tanner Scott has converted less than one-third of his save opportunities, his ERA rising to 4.91 after his latest meltdown on Tuesday. Top right-hander Blake Treinen had been the losing pitcher in each of the Dodgers’ five defeats before that, sending his ERA to a career-worst 5.55.

Plenty of others have been responsible for the Dodgers’ late-game incompetence. Kirby Yates has flopped as a veteran offseason signing. Michael Kopech has struggled through injuries and a lack of reliable command. Rookies like Jack Dreyer, Edgardo Henriquez and the since-demoted Ben Casparius have regressed after promising flashes earlier this summer. And the lone reinforcement the front office acquired at what now feels like a regrettably quiet trade deadline, Brock Stewart, is uncertain to return from a bothersome shoulder problem.

It leaves the Dodgers with only one full-time relief arm sporting an ERA under 3.00 this season — Alex Vesia, who has a 2.62 mark in 66 appearances.

It has turned the final days of the regular season into an all-out manhunt for even the slightest of trustworthy playoff options.

Read more:How Bill Russell stayed connected to baseball, and reconnected with the Dodgers

“What does that mean?” manager Dave Roberts said, when asked what qualifies as “trust” right now. “It means guys that are gonna take the mound with conviction. That are gonna be on the attack. That are gonna throw strikes, quality strikes, and compete. And be willing to live with whatever result.”

On Wednesday, that’s the backdrop against which Roki Sasaki rejoined the Dodgers' active roster — the raw and developing 23-year-old rookie pitcher, coming off a five-month absence because of a shoulder injury, returning in hopes of supplying Roberts’ crippling trust tree with an unexpected limb.

Sasaki’s return was not supposed to be this important. Up until a couple weeks ago, his disappointing debut season seemed likely to end with a stint in the minors.

Yet over the last 15 days, circumstances have changed. Sasaki rediscovered 100-mph life on his fastball. He excelled in two relief appearances with triple-A Oklahoma City. And suddenly, he seemed like a potentially better alternative to the slumping names that have repeatedly failed on the Dodgers’ big-league roster.

Thus, the Japanese phenom is back again, activated from the IL before Wednesday’s game as Yates, who has a 5.23 ERA this year and was slipping out of the Dodgers’ postseason plans, was placed on the IL with a hamstring strain.

“I just think [he needs to focus on] giving everything he has for an inning or two at a time, and let the performance play out,” Roberts said of Sasaki. “Just go after guys, and be on the attack.”

Sasaki’s revival began earlier this month, when he went to Arizona after four poor starts in a minor-league rehab assignment to work with the organization’s pitching development coaches.

At that point, Sasaki had lost his tantalizing velocity, hardly even threatening 100 mph since his adrenaline-fueled debut in Tokyo back in March. His command was just as shaky, averaging more than 5 ½ walks per nine innings in his first season stateside. Even his pitch mix required an examination, after his predominantly fastball/splitter arsenal was hammered in both the majors (where he had a 4.72 ERA in eight starts to begin the season) and the minors (where he had a 7.07 ERA in his first four rehab starts) by hitters who could too easily differentiate his stuff.

“Me, him and his translators went in the lab and sat down and watched video for a few hours, and just talked,” said Rob Hill, the Dodgers’ director of pitching who worked with Sasaki at the club’s Arizona facility. “It wasn’t as much solving this like, master plan or whatever. It was moreso helping him actualize the things that he was seeing.”

In Hill’s view, Sasaki’s mechanics had suffered from a shoulder injury that, even before this year, had plagued him since his final season in Japan.

While the two watched film, Hill said they found discrepancies between things Sasaki “still almost thought he was doing” in his delivery, but weren’t translating in how he actually threw the ball.

“I think a lot of it just came from his body changing, the way he was throwing due to throwing hurt for probably a couple years,” Hill said. “He knew what he wanted to do, but he couldn’t quite tap into the way to do it.”

What followed was a series of mechanical tweaks that got Sasaki’s fastball back around 100 and his trademark splitter to more closely mirror his four-seamer when it left his hand. Sasaki also added a cutter-like slider, giving him another weapon with which to confuse hitters and induce more soft contact.

When the right-hander returned to the minors, he struck out eight batters over a solid 4 ⅔-inning, three-run start on Sept. 9. He then impressed with two scoreless appearances in relief last week, after club executives asked Sasaki to experiment in the bullpen.

Now, he is rejoining the Dodgers for the final five games of the season. The team is hopeful that his small sample size of recent success has made him a legitimate postseason relief option.

“I guess it's fair to say I'm just going to throw him in on the deep end,” Roberts said of how he will use Sasaki going forward, noting there aren’t many “low-leverage” opportunities in an end-of-season division race.

“If we're expecting him to potentially pitch for us in the postseason, they're all leverage innings. So I don't think we're going to run from putting him in any spot."

Odds are that Sasaki won’t be a cure-all for the Dodgers’ late-game woes. A pitcher of such little experience and developmental uncertainties is anything but a lock to post zeroes in the playoffs.

Still, the team will take whatever bullpen help it can get. Already, Clayton Kershaw has made himself available for relief appearances and could pitch in late-inning leverage spots in October. Emmet Sheehan also will join the bullpen mix come the playoffs, likely as a multi-inning option to piggyback with starters.

In the meantime, the club is searching for even a couple more reliable arms — just one or two branches on the bullpen’s hierarchy tree for Roberts to trust.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The Dodgers’ sudden need for someone like Sasaki is a reflection of the roster’s underlying flaws. But he will try taking on a potentially critical role in a rookie season that once seemed lost.

“He's been in the 'pen for the triple-A team, and he's been really good,” Roberts said. “So I'm looking forward to seeing it with our club."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Todd McLellan Pushes Elmer “Elmo” Söderblom’s Footwork In Practice

Players in the National Hockey League have almost always gone by nicknames, and the Detroit Red Wings are no exception.

Mention names like "Larks", "Cat", "Showtime", and "Razor", and fans immediately know that one is referring to Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, and Lucas Raymond. 

There's a new nickname to be added to that list - Elmo. 

That's how 6'8" forward Elmer Söderblom is referred to by head coach Todd McLellan, who is set to begin his first full season behind the Red Wings' bench after being hired last December.

Söderblom is the tallest player in Red Wings history, and that's before his height increases after putting on his pair of skates that almost look as if they were custom made for Shaquille O'Neal.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Due to a higher center of gravity, skating can sometimes not be a strength for taller players. During practice at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday, McLellan directed Söderblom to move his feet quicker during an on-ice drill in resounding fashion. 

The good news is that McLellan doesn't believe that the skating of Elmer Söderblom - or Elmo, as he calls him - is an area of his game that needs work but that he can get caught up in his thoughts during specific practice situations. 

"I think sometimes when Elmo is playing the game and he's not thinking, he does move his feet," McLellan said. "In practice when we're working on specific moments and situations, I think he thinks it a little bit, so it slows him down. I'm not too worried about his feet in a game situation, but I'm just trying to push him in practice." 

"It's Time": Dylan Larkin Lays Out Clear Goal For Red WingsThe city of Detroit hasn't hosted a Stanley Cup Playoff game since April 2016 against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Joe Louis Arena, who at that time were overseen by general manager Steve Yzerman.

"In that moment, he was thinking probably, 'Am I in the right spot, am I in the wrong spot?' And he didn't skate," McLellan continued. "I just caught him there and it was a gentle reminder. I don't think his skating is bad, but I think if he does chug into people and push, he's a big load to handle. His feet moving, it's a good thing for him." 

Söderblom has been getting looks playing on the top line alongside Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin in the absence of free-agent signing James van Riemsdyk, another candidate who could take that spot but has yet to officially skate with the Red Wings because of an ongoing family situation. 

Last season, he was called up from the American Hockey League and ultimately scored four goals with seven assists in 26 games in what was his second prolonged stint at the NHL level. 

If Söderblom plays well enough this season for the Red Wings, expect to see a lot more love for his new nickname. 

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'It's Great That The Game Doesn't Count, Let's Put It That Way': Nikolaj Ehlers, Sebastian Aho, Rod Brind'Amour On Preseason Loss

The Carolina Hurricanes suffered a third-period collapse Wednesday night at Lenovo Center, losing 4-2 to the Florida Panthers in their second preseason contest despite outshooting them 49-16.

It was clear that the Hurricanes outclassed the Panthers' NHL regular-less roster through 40 minutes, but the Canes decided to start packing it in early after going up 2-0 and you can't really do that.

After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour along with Nikolaj Ehlers and Sebastian Aho spoke with the media. Here's what they had to say:

Rod Brind'Amour

On his first impressions of Nikolaj Ehlers in game action and on the top line: I thought they were good early. Had some buzz and then as the game went on, it kind of wasn't great. But I think it's tough to play in these games, I get it. But you can see that they generated a bunch early. Hopefully that will continue.

On Bradly Nadeau: He had some chances, one near the end Svech set him up. Again, he's a young kid still trying to figure it out. We'll keep giving him opportunity. 

On it being a community game: I think it's very important. The fanbase and the Hurricanes, we have a good relationship and I think anything we can do to show our appreciation is special, so I'm glad that we do it.

On Givani Smith: There's not much not to like about the way he's played. You always want to know when you ask about a player, 'What does he do and what can he provide?' and it's pretty obvious if you watch.

On seeing Dominik Badinka and Ivan Ryabkin in game action for the first time: They did fine. For a young kid, it wasn't NHL players they played against, but it's still men and I thought [Ryabkin] did well and Badinka isn't much older. He's a young guy too. The key is to not look out of place, right? If you can fit in and then all of a sudden, they did. They looked right at home there. So I think that's real positive.

On if he considered giving Frederik Andersen the full 60 minutes: Nah. Really, I think originally we were thinking maybe just go half, but it didn't feel like he even had to make a save. But it's not really about that either. It's more like, 'Okay, we got through it without any incidents, let's get him out of there.' That's kind of what the decision was.

On Mike Reilly: I thought he was good tonight. Again, those are guys that could be really, really important at some point or maybe even right away. You don't know how it's going to shake out. Those guys that are new like that, I think it's important for them to get acclimated to what we're doing. Now we have clips and things we can teach off of to get everybody up to speed even more so.

On having a learning moment from how the game ended: It sucks to play a game like that and then lose, but there's a reason we lost too. We could have walked out of that game 5-2 and still didn't have a very good segment in there, but now it's obvious. So we can hammer home the point a little more. It's great that the game doesn't count, let's put it that way.

Nikolaj Ehlers

On his impressions from his first game as a Hurricane: I like the way we played in the first two periods. We put a lot of pressure on them, gave them nothing. I've played against this team enough to know that that's the identity of this team and we did that for 40 minutes. 

On the impact of game action over practice: You want to lay a foundation in practice, but ultimately, it's the games that you find that chemistry in and where you learn how to play with each other. I think we did a lot of good things today, but there were also a lot of shifts where there was really nothing happening at all, but that's a part of playing in the NHL. We got some work to do.

On putting on the jersey for the first time and playing in front of the Lenovo Center crowd: It was really cool. The jerseys were looking pretty nice. Lots of fans out there, which is always nice. You want to play in front of a lot of fans. Felt good. Obviously it sucks to lose, always does, but it was a good first game. Got some game legs in you, but there's a lot better in this room. 

Sebastian Aho

On the team's performance: Obviously a brutal third period, but at least we got a lesson on how not to play hockey. Obviously this time of year doesn't really matter, but I guess the good thing is we can get some clips and talking points out of the third period, but obviously we had plenty of chances to put the game away, but obviously that last... You play a real game, you do whatever you can, the last little step to put the puck in. But I guess it was a good day to miss all those and save them for the regular season and the real games.

On building chemistry with Nikolaj Ehlers: I think that's the good part about the preseason. You bring a new guy in and there's probably a thousand little details that you have to soak in all at once and then when you play a game, you really see and feel how each situation goes. I know already that we're going to build a lot better chemistry just buying in and doing the little details the right way. Every team has different tendencies and like I said, that's why the preseason is good when you're trying to learn a new system and new guys and all that.

On getting reps with the full PP1 unit: Obviously when we start in a couple of weeks, that's a big part of hockey right now. Special teams, a lot of times, dictate how the games go and obviously we did some good things and had some good looks. We'll build here in the preseason so we can be as sharp as possible when we start.

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As He Battles For Roster Spot, David Edstrom Continues To Adjust To North American Hockey

Jun 28, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vegas Golden Knights draft pick David Edstrom stands with Knights staff after being selected with the thirty second pick in round one of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

When David Edstrom’s name was called in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft, he just so happened to be in Nashville.

The draft was held in Bridgestone Arena that year, but Edstrom wasn’t selected by the Predators. He was picked 32nd overall by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Fast forward to just over two years later. The 20-year-old Swedish center found himself in Bridgestone Arena again, this time in a Predators uniform. He scored the final goal of the Preds’ 5-0 victory against the Florida Panthers in the pre-season opener last Sunday.

Funny how things come full circle. After being selected by Vegas, Edstrom spent the next season playing for the Swedish World Junior Team, recording three assists during the tournament before appearing in 44 games with Frolunda HC (SHL).

When the Golden Knights traded for San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl in March 2024, Edstrom was part of the deal that also included a first-rounder in the 2025 NHL Draft.

After he informed the Sharks of his intention to play in Sweden, Edstrom was shipped to the Predators five months later. Nashville sent goalie Yaroslav Askarov, forward Nolan Burke and Colorado’s third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Along with Edstrom came goalie Magnus Chrona and the Golden Knights’ conditional first-round pick in this year’s draft to Nashville.

Now, Edstrom is in Predators’ training camp fighting for a roster spot. It’s been quite a journey for the 6-foot-3, 190-pound native of Goteborg, Sweden, but he’s just happy to be in this position, for however long that may be.

“I’m just trying to learn new stuff each day, trying to get better,” Edstrom said during media availability Wednesday. “There’s a bunch of good guys here, so I’m just soaking it in every day, just trying to get better.”

Proving His Worth

Edstrom has shown some flashes of his talent during the first week of camp and in pre-season play. With the Predators leading Florida 4-0 late in Game 1 of their split-squad doubleheader, Edstrom took a feed from Brady Skjei after the puck ricocheted off a Panther defender. Edstrom then fired a wrist shot that went behind Florida netminder Brandon Bussi for the Preds’ final goal of the night.

“I thought he had a heck of a game against Florida,” Preds head coach Andrew Brunette said of Edstrom on Wednesday. “He seems to be getting better every time I see him.”

Last season, Edstrom collected 19 points (7-12-19) in 39 games with Frolunda HC and had a brief stint with Milwaukee in the AHL. He appeared in four post-season games for the Admirals but did not collect a point.

As eager as he is to get to the NHL, Edstrom knows he still has some things to learn.

“I think it’s been really good for me to get back to Milwaukee last season to end the year there, to meet all the coaching staff and players, to get a bit more of American hockey,” Edstrom said. “That’s something I’m trying to soak in during the summer and been working on a lot.”

Finding A Mentor

Apr 14, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) celebrates his goal with his teammates against the Utah Hockey Club during the first period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

One of those “good guys” Edstrom mentioned earlier is Ryan O’Reilly, the Predators’ top-line center. Edstrom credits the 34-year-old veteran for helping him adjust.

“He’s a really good role model for me, his game, every detail,” Edstrom said of O’Reilly. “He’s a good guy to look up to.”

Edstrom is a long shot to make the final roster out of training camp. The Hockey News ranks him as the Preds’ No. 3 prospect and projects his NHL arrival in 2026-27.

Along with O’Reilly, Edstrom is competing with the likes of Steven Stamkos, Fedor Svechkov and Michael McCarron. The exceptional play of Brady Martin and Matthew Wood make the battle for forward spots even more intriguing, especially with Luke Evangelista not in camp as he attempts to negotiate a new contract.

Edstrom will most likely start the season with Milwaukee once again. In the meantime, he’s keeping his head down and working on his game.

“I’ve been working a lot on explosiveness this summer,” Edstrom said. “That is something I need to keep working on. Be more explosive in the gym, and it will translate into my game. Also faceoffs, be more explosive, skating and the skill stuff.”

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Young Panthers earn shocking comeback victory over veteran-filled Hurricanes squad in Raleigh

The Florida Panthers played their third preseason game of the week on Wednesday night in North Carolina.

Florida faced the Carolina Hurricanes, who they’ve defeated in two of the past three the Eastern Conference Finals.

Much like their previous trip to Nashville on Sunday, the Panthers did not bring any expected NHL regulars on the trip – other than expected backup goalie Daniil Tarasov – instead allowing their younger prospects and players fighting for roster spots to have another opportunity to show what they could do.

Carolina, meanwhile, dressed plenty of their NHL guys, including Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Nikolaj Ehlers, Seth Jarvis, Frederik Andersen and Shayne Gostisbehere.

Tarasov looked good in his first appearance in a Panthers sweater, playing the entire 60 minutes and stopping an eye-popping 47 shots, backstopping Florida to a stunning 4-2 win.

The only goals to get by him were on a great deflection by Carolina’ Ryan Suzuki and off a quick turnover that led to a slot one-timer off the stick of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, both coming during the opening frame.

Considering the Panthers were outshot 19-2 during the first period, a 2-0 deficit didn’t seem that terrible.

Things didn’t get much better in terms of shot volume during the second period, but Tarasov stopped all 16 shots sent his way to keep Florida down by only two heading into the third.

Defenseman Ben Harpur, who got into a fight earlier in the game, got the Panthers on the board with a sneaky wrist shot from the right-side boards that got past the blocker of Amir Miftakhov just under four minutes into the final frame.

It wasn’t until late in the third when the preseason version of the Comeback Cats roared to life.

First it was Gregor scoring a gift of a goal after Miftakhov gave the puck away behind the net to Gracyn Sawchyn, who quickly fed Gregor in front of a wide-open net.

Just 1:16 later, Mike Benning fired a shot that went off the stick of Miftakhov, rolled up his arm and went just over the goal line to five the Panthers a stunning 3-2 lead.

Jack Studnicka added an empty-net goal to seal the victory for Florida.

Carolina outshot the Cats 49-16 in the game, but Florida played an excellent third period to shock the Hurricanes and head back home with a win.

The Panthers ended up going 4-for-4 on the penalty kill, including a lengthy 5-on-3 during the first period. Tarasov stopped all eight of the power play shots sent his way by Carolina.

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Photo caption: Sep 24, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Eric Robinson (50) tries to get to the puck against Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Benning (20) and defenseman Tobias Bjornfot (22) during the first period at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)

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Colby Barlow Impresses in Jets Preseason Loss Against Oilers

Jets former first round pick puts on impressive performance in preseason loss to the Oilers Tuesday

It might be safe to say that Colby Barlow is ready to make the jump to pro hockey. 

While the Winnipeg Jets were downed for their second straight preseason loss Tuesday after falling 3-2 to the Edmonton Oilers. The team's 2023 first round pick had a standout performance with a goal, a +2 rating and five shots on net. Barlow was noticeable all over the ice as he made more than a handful impact plays. 

His line with high-end prospects Parker Ford and Brad Lambert made their presence felt as they were involved on the Jets first goal of the game. Barlow jumped up in the play after anticipating that Lambert would be able to free the puck off the boards from a Oilers defender. He speeds up to scoop the puck and dishes the puck to Ford who tries to work it back but the pass is knocked away. 

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The quick thinking by Barlow led to a lengthy possession in the Oilers end that was capped off by a Colin Miller goal from the point. Before the shot was fired, Barlow quickly moved to the front of the net as the puck was working its way to the point. He got in position for a screen or for an opportunity to tip the puck in and the play resulted in a goal. 

Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) on XWinnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) on XFirst (preseason) game ✅ First (preseason) goal 🚨

Barlow showcased his hockey IQ throughout the game like when intercepting a centering pass in the Oilers end and creating a high-danger chance but was turned away by Calvin Pickard in net.

He also showcased his talents on both ends of the ice as during a backcheck into the Jets end, Barlow caught up to a pinching Oilers defender coming into the zone looking to get a shot off in the high zone. He stick-checked the defender and quickly turned away the scoring chance before chipping the puck out to Lambert and creating a fast break the opposite way. 

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Barlow's best play of the night was late in the third period, when the Jets found themselves down 3-1 after giving up a power play goal followed by a defensive collapse leading to the Oilers third goal. Barlow was out in the final minutes and made another solid play.

He again saw the puck working its way back to the point and made sure he secured a prominent position in the netfront. Barlow was able to screen the goalie and even get a stick on a point shot from Ville Heinola for a re-direction that got past backup goaltender Matt Tomkins to cut the Oilers lead to one. 

TSN (@TSN_Sports) on XTSN (@TSN_Sports) on XColby Barlow gets his goal off the deflection after his first was given to Miller! 😅

Although they lost the game, it was a very positive showing from Barlow as he said post-game that his changes to his body were noticeable as he was able to get in the play easier and felt faster. 

"I think it's just moving my feet, getting in on the forecheck, backchecking, I think that gets you into the game pretty quick and, gets you involved all over the ice," Barlow explained "Definitely felt faster out there, light on my feet, more agile, was able to carry the puck, back check, get into place. So I think that's a big thing for me that helped me." 

Barlow is expected to not make the Jets main roster and will be optioned to the Manitoba Moose for the upcoming season. In his first three AHL games last season, he averaged a point-per-game with a goal and two assists.

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