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Game 21: Tigers at Red Sox, Garrett Crochet battles both Detroit and the weather

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 07: Garrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Fenway Park on April 07, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After getting absolutely annihilated in his previous start on Monday in Minnesota to the tune of 11 runs in just 1.2 innings, Garrett Crochet is set to retake the mound today and convince us all that everything will be fine as far as he and his health are concerned.

Unfortunately, he won’t just be battling the Tigers. Mother Nature is once again destined to play a roll in today’s match up, and here’s how the radar looks inside of an hour from first pitch:

The good news is the initial batch of heavier precipitation has moved out and east of Boston, but more unsettled weather still lurks to the west ahead of a slow moving front. That mess will push through eastern Massachusetts over the next several hours, filling in the current dry slot. While this incoming precipitation won’t be as heavy as what fell at times earlier today, it will come attached with colder and windier conditions, so a miserable weather game lies ahead (if they even try and play through it at all — The Yankees did not and waited around for three hours before starting their game against the Royals at 4:20pm). The other option will be to just wait until after sunset when it will be dryer, but still very cold and windy.

When they do get started, today’s lineup includes Roman Anthony leading off in leftfield, Andruw Monasterio at first base, and Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida, and Marcelo Mayer all starting on the bench with an opposing left-handed starter on the mound in Framber Valdez for Detroit.

OTM’s own pitching guru Jacob Roy will be around later to handle the postgame wrap and tell us if we should should be freaking out or breathing a sigh a relief when it comes to Crochet.

Today’s Lineups

TIGERSRED SOX
Jahmai Jones – DHRoman Anthony – LF
Gleyber Torres – 2BAndruw Monasterio – 1B
Matt Vierling – CFWillson Contreras – DH
Dillon Dingler – CTrevor Story – SS
Riley Greene – LFWilyer Abreu – RF
Wenceel Perez – RFCeddanne Rafaela – CF
Spencer Torkelson – 1BCaleb Durbin – 3B
Hao-Yu Lee – 3BCarlos Narvaez – C
Javier Baez – SSIsiah Kiner-Falefa – 2B
Framber Valdez – LHPGarrett Crochet – LHP
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Dom Smith, Michael Harris II return to lineup as Braves seek series sweep vs. PHI

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 13: Dominic Smith #8 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates in the fourth inningduring the game against the Miami Marlins at Truist Park on April 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

A sweep on Sunday Night Baseball sounds pretty sweet to me.

The Atlanta Braves will run with their standard lineup opposing RHPs to face Phillies rookie Andrew Painter. Michael Harris II, who came into last night’s game in the seventh once lefty Cristopher Sanchez departed, is back in his usual spot in the nine hole and in center field. Dominic Smith (of the big moments) is penciled in to bat seventh. Does his .362 / 1.040 OPS tear make him one of the best hitters ever designated? Some are saying… but discuss amongst yourselves.

The Phillies are looking to salvage the series.

Catcher JT Realmuto is absent for the finale, dealing with the lower back tightness that caused him to leave the game in the top of the seventh last night.

Instead, we’ll see Brandon Marsh patrol left field and batting fifth, Bryson Stott at second base and batting seventh, backup catcher Rafael Marchán batting eighth, and Justin Crawford batting ninth.

A four game set awaits in the nation’s capitol. But first, the only team to not lose a series yet this season will try for their first sweep against their division rivals in Philly starting at 7:20 pm ET on Peacock. (And thankfully, C.J. Nitkowskiwill be in the booth tonight!)

ICYMI

Preview

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Pistons vs. Magic Game 1 Discussion: Game Time, TV, Odds, and More

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 1: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during the game against the Orlando Magic on March 1, 2026 at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

So far in these NBA Playoffs, every top seed has won game 1 of their series by at least 10 points. The Detroit Pistons hope not to break that trend as they face the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic at Little Caesars Arena. The top-seeded Pistons are hosting Game 1 of a playoff series for the first time in nearly two decades. They are looking for their first series win in just as long.

The Pistons were just 2-2 against the Orlando Magic this year. They struggled from deep, hitting just 31% of their 3-pointers. Detroit has been a hot-shooting team in this last phase of the season, and hopefully it continues. They will also look to force Orlando, particularly Paolo Banchero, into turnovers that they can flip into easy offensive opportunities.

Enough yapping, let’s watch some playoff basketball

Game Vitals

When: 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: NBC/Peacock
Odds: Pistons -8.5

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (0-0)

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Orlando Magic (0-0)

Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter

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Mariners Bryce Miller hits 98.6 mph in first rehab start for Tacoma

PEORIA, AZ - FEBRUARY 26: Bryce Miller #50 of the Seattle Mariners warms up in the outfield prior to the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Stadium on Thursday, February 26, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Emma Bronsteader/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller made his first start in a competitive game since February 26th yesterday in Tacoma, beginning a rehab assignment that will last through at least the end of May. Miller was on a pitch count/innings limit of around 35 pitches and two innings, and wound up pitching 1.2 innings and throwing 33 pitches, 21 of them for strikes. He gave up three runs on four hits, with a walk and a pair of strikeouts (although one of them came on a batter pitch timer violation).

Bryce Miller to begin rehab assignment, creating good problem for Mariners

The most exciting thing about Miller’s outing was the velocity on his fastballs. The first pitch he threw was a 98.1 four-seamer that just nicked the outer edge. He went on to hit 98.7 with the first pitch to his second hitter, missing low, but beating his hardest career pitch—which was 98.3 to George Springer in the ALCS, and which he then followed up with two more fastballs (97.8, 97.9) that were harder than any he’s thrown since 2023.

The positive upward trend continued for Miller’s lone spring training outing, where his velocity was again up, touching 98.4, and it’s a positive sign that he’s been able to carry that through his bullpens during his rehab process and into his first rehab start, where his four-seam averaged 97.1 mph and his sinker average was up to 96.7 on average.

What Miller needs to work on next is making sure he’s still able to hit his spots with that increased velocity; his fastball had a ton of downward action in his outing in Tacoma, but he missed at the bottom of the zone a few times, including a particularly violent spike at 97.8 mph that resulted in a walk.

Beyond his four-seamer, Miller’s most favored pitch in his outing was his slider, which he threw with the new grip he’s learned from Bryan Abreu in Houston. (Don’t be fooled by his slider velocity average on Gameday, which incorrectly labels a 92 mph cutter as a slider.) He missed with it outside some, but also had success when he was able to get it to be “depthy,” something he said he was working on in Arizona.

The bigger breakers – the curve and the splitter – were harder for Miller to corral, and he hung a few, but was still able to get a couple of whiffs on the splitter, and he got a groundout on the curve. Miller threw a handful of cutters, generating weak contact; touted Giants prospect Bryce Eldridge got on top of the pitch and rolled over it for an easy groundout.

When Miller was commanding the bottom of the zone, the River Cats batters were pounding his stuff into the dirt; he gave up one line drive base hit, on a poorly located fastball that was hit hard, but everything else was on the ground, with a couple of hits sneaking through.

For Miller, what he was concerned about in his outing was re-adjusting to the pitch clock after such a long layoff, a challenge made more stringent in working with a less-familiar catcher with his rich pitch mix. Physically, though, he said he felt fine and is looking forward to his next start. Miller’s next rehab start will be Friday in Everett, where he’ll be caught by Mariners prospect Luke Stevenson, marking an exciting challenge for the youngster to catch a big-league arm. For this outing, he’ll try to stretch to three innings, with a pitch cap of 45.

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Blackhawks Should Consider Targeting Maple Leafs Star Again

The Chicago Blackhawks are entering the 2026 NHL offseason as a team to watch very closely. While they have plenty of promising young prospects in their system, they should not be afraid to bring in proven NHL talent this summer as well. 

The Blackhawks' biggest need during the offseason is to bring in at least one proven top-six winger. Connor Bedard could use more help around him, and one player who stands out as a perfect target for Chicago is Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies.

The Blackhawks' interest in Knies is no secret, as Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported last month that they were one of the teams that targeted him leading up to the trade deadline. With the Blackhawks still in need of top-six help, bringing in a player like Knies would be huge for them. 

At just 23 years old, Knies would be a perfect fit on a rebuilding Blackhawks team that is looking to take that next step. This is especially so when noting that he would be far more than a rental for the Blackhawks if acquired. This is because he is signed until the end of the 2030-31 season, where he has a $7.75 million cap hit. 

Knies' offensive skill could make him thrive playing with a star center like Bedard. His stats this season show how impactful he can be, as he had 23 goals and 66 points in 79 games for the Maple Leafs. The 6-foot-3 winger also made an impact with his physicality, posting 152 hits. 

Ultimately, with the Blackhawks needing another star in their lineup, Knies is exactly the kind of young and proven forward that they should be kicking tires on again if Toronto makes him available. 

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Public Skate: Bruins vs. Sabres, Game 1

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - MARCH 25: Viktor Arvidsson #71 of the Boston Bruins scores a second period goal against Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen #1 of the Buffalo Sabres during an NHL game on March 25, 2026 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The playoffs are officially here, folks!

Well, technically they started yesterday elsewhere in the NHL, but for our purposes, today’s the day.

The Celtics kicked off their postseason at TD Garden earlier today, and hopefully that game went well—I’m putting this together on Saturday, so I hope the future is nice.

Anyways, all of the waiting and “tales of the tape” and “they have the edge here” is just about over.

It’ll be nice to enjoy some playoff hockey after a year away, and by “enjoy,” we all know that means “be in a constant state of anxiety for at least a week.”

Hey, it’s what we all look forward to, right?

Bruins! Sabres? Yes, Sabres! LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!

Discuss.

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Sixers play ‘unacceptable' Game 1 against Celtics, turn focus to what must change

Sixers play ‘unacceptable' Game 1 against Celtics, turn focus to what must change  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

BOSTON — The Celtics had a swell Sunday afternoon to open their 2026 postseason.

The Sixers … had a day. 

Any explanation provided for the Sixers’ 123-91 Game 1 loss in Boston is likely to be true and also woefully incomplete. The team missed many jumpers and layups, played leaky defense and plunged into a deep deficit. 

“A lot went wrong, that’s for sure,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “It kind of started right in the beginning with not getting off to a great start offensively, getting into some foul trouble with both bigs. The first quarter was obviously moving past us pretty (quickly) and we just didn’t do enough at either end to settle into the game. 

“I thought from the second quarter until the middle of the third, we finally … played pretty good basketball. But the minutes around that were absolutely unacceptable.”

The Sixers were subpar in ways that popped up often during the regular season. Their three-point shooting troubles were extreme — 4 for 23 (17.4 percent)— and can be chalked up partly to bad luck on the day. However, it’s notable that the Sixers were a bottom-10 team this year in both three-point frequency and three-point accuracy, per Cleaning the Glass. 

Other familiar flaws included transition defense and difficulty compensating for Tyrese Maxey being anything other than world-class. Maxey was the Sixers’ top offensive producer in Game 1 with 21 points on 8-for-20 shooting and eight assists. Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery) was desperately missed. 

With shot after shot clanging off the rim, the Sixers’ defensive energy and focus wilted. 

“To be honest, we missed wide-open shots,” VJ Edgecombe said after posting 13 points and three assists in his first playoff game. “It’s deflating, especially against a good team that’s also shooting really well and with a postseason crowd. 

“So my takeaway is they’ve got to win three more. It’s on to the next game. We’ve just got to get ready for that one and make it feel like more of a playoff game.”

Edgecombe later noted that the Sixers must “match (the Celtics’) intensity and bring the physicality” moving forward in the series.

Why didn’t that happen in Game 1? 

“To be honest, I don’t know,” he said. “I feel like they were flowing into their sets and all their actions easily, untouched. I think we have to just get up and guard. Just play hard. Be ready to guard your yard; it’s really 1-on-1. If you keep your man in front of you, then we won’t be in rotation.”

Turnovers were also a sizable problem for the Sixers, which is a less common occurence. Points off of turnovers isn’t a perfect stat, but the disparity there Sunday was telling. The Celtics scored 22 points off of the Sixers’ turnovers and punished early-game sloppiness. The Sixers … scored three points off of Boston’s giveaways. 

They can play much cleaner basketball. 

“We certainly can’t give up that much in transition,” Nurse said when asked about specific, controllable areas of emphasis. “That’s a big one. We’ve got to take care of the ball better. Too many turnovers that were live-ball and led to some of that transition. And I think we’ve got to generate more threes against this team. We’ve got to generate ‘em, we’ve got to take ‘em, and obviously we’ve got to make some, which I’m sure we will.”

Defensively, the Sixers’ day was devoid of shining moments. Jaylen Brown (26 points) and Jayson Tatum (25 points) each enjoyed themselves. Sam Hauser shot 4 for 6 from beyond the arc. No Sixer made multiple threes. 

The Sixers were second in the NBA this season in fourth-quarter defensive rating. They ranked in the league’s bottom half for the other three quarters. At the start of Sunday’s fourth quarter, the Celtics held a 24-point lead. 

“If you see someone driving to the rim, no matter what the scenario, step in front of them — especially if it’s Jaylen or Jayson,” Maxey said. “Step in front of them, make them kick the ball out and then rotate after that. But they got a lot of wide-open, walk-down-the-lane layups, walk-down-the-lane dunks. … Those are the ones we can’t give up. 

“It’s going to be tough regardless. We’re capable of doing it, but we can’t give those types of plays up.”

Game 2 is Tuesday night and the Sixers need dramatic upgrades to even the series. 

“We’ve got to lock in for our film session tomorrow,” Nurse said. “We’ve got to lock in on our practice tomorrow. Lock in on our film session Tuesday, and then we’re going to have to come out and play a lot better.”

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Game #22: A’s vs. White Sox Game Thread

It’s fun to see a walk off but let’s not forget that the A’s were not only outmatched on Friday by the score of 9-2, but they also began their first trips to the plate yesterday down 5-0. Yes, they clawed back into it but this is the Chicago White Sox we’re talking about. That should be expected. Not to mention they had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th with one out and couldn’t make anything happen. Thankfully Jack Perkins had “prove it” written across his forehead and the A’s were able to march into the 11th with the score still knotted at six. The bottom of the lineup played hero once again, the A’s continue to be tied with the Rangers for the division lead, and yet I still can’t shake the feeling that history is going to repeat itself. May is just right around the corner and we’ve been here before. We’ve been excited about the showings of this A’s core in the early goings, we’ve even seen an exciting A’s walk off against the White Sox for the second straight season. But what lies ahead? Can the A’s bullpen, one held together by bubble gum, stay fresh? Will Joel Kuhnel be the next Ryan Cook or the next Ryan Dull? And what do we do with Luis Severino? Even he can’t point a finger at the friendly confines of Sutter Heath Park, as his overall performance compared to last season has been remarkably off-kilter.

Maybe some much needed time in the “Luis Severino room” will help him figure out what the hell is going on.

Another walk off today will not be acceptable. It’s Jeffrey Springs Sunday and I expect nothing but a win by five or more runs. Momentum is a tricky thing in baseball. It doesn’t always translate series to series but we might as well enter next week’s road series against Seattle with a little mustard on the hot dog. In fact, the next six games are against both the Mariners and the Rangers – – two teams with postseason pedigree in recent years, that the A’s need to prove they can hang with on a consistent basis.

Here’s the lineup behind Springs…

Some shuffling has been done by Mark Kotsay. Andy Ibanez batting cleanup and Zack Gelof in right field are interesting picks. I thought maybe Kotsay was playing he Ibanez card based off of his history against the White Sox’s stater, going back to his days as a Tiger, but it turns out this is Noah Schultz’s second big league start. What does Kotsay know here that we don’t? Based off of some of his bullpen choices, some might argue very few. The decision to only roll with one lefty in the pen still baffles me. However, he did it make it up by putting our secret weapon into the mix yesterday.

Looking forward to seeing how this version of the lineup fares against the Whit Sox and their young lefty. In Schultz’s big league debut against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, he tossed 4.1 innings, gave up 3 ER on 3 hits, while giving up a walk for every strikeout recorded (4). Not a dazzling performance by any means, but there’s a lot of buzz around the kid and the A’s have been guilty of giving up Chase Dollander’s to guys like these.

Beware of the “powa” provided by Munetaka Murakami. I’d say that the lefty-lefty match between him and Springs is favorable but we also saw what he did to Hogan Harris yesterday on a CHECK SWING.

That being said, Hogan Harris is no Jeffrey Springs. The A’s starter has been absolutely brilliant to begin the season, including a start at home against the Astros where he shoved for seven frames. Last year against the White Sox, at home, Springs did struggle through the early innings, This is something to be mindful of as we enter today’s play.

Just having a clean first inning this series would be nice. Six runs total have been given up against the White Sox in the first inning of the first two games. Here’s to the A’s changing that tune, as they go for the series win against the Southsiders!

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Transfer portal and NBA Draft dates to know for Kentucky Basketball offseason

The college basketball offseason is well underway with the transfer portal in full swing. Here are a few important dates that the Kentucky Wildcats will follow throughout the spring and summer:

Tuesday, April 21: Transfer portal entry window closes

The transfer portal window has been shortened to 2 weeks, limiting the time players have to decide whether to enter the portal. This deadline only applies to players entering the portal. Players who are already in can still take visits and commit after this date.

Friday, April 24 (11:59 PM ET): NBA Draft Early Entry Deadline

This is when we’ll know who will keep testing the NBA Draft waters for several more weeks. Outside of Malachi Moreno and Jayden Quaintance, no other Wildcat appears likely to test the draft waters

Thursday, April 30: Recruiting period ends

This is the final day of the April recruiting period, both for high school prospects and transfer portal players. From April 10 through April 30, programs are allowed to host both on-and off-campus visits. A quiet period begins Friday, May 1, and runs through Saturday, May 9, during which no off-campus in-person recruiting contact is permitted.

May 8-10, Chicago, Illinois: NBA G-League Combine

This is when we could see Otega Oweh get a chance to boost his stock and hopefully earn an invite to the NBA Combine.

May 10, Chicago, Illinois: NBA Draft Lottery

May 10-17, Chicago, Illinois: NBA Draft Combine

May 27 (11:59 PM ET): NCAA Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline

This will be the deadline for Malachi Moreno and others to withdraw from the draft if they want to remain in college basketball.

June 13 (5:00 PM ET): NBA Early Withdrawal Deadline

This is the NBA’s deadline to withdraw or stay in the draft.

June 23, Brooklyn, New York (8:00 PM ET): 2026 NBA Draft First Round

Assuming Jayden Quaintance remains in the draft, expect this to be the night his name is called.

June 24, Brooklyn, New York (8:00 PM ET): 2026 NBA Draft- Second Round

If Oweh can have a good pre-draft process, there’s a chance he will hear his name called toward the end of this night. That is, so long as he doesn’t try to make a push for a fifth season of college basketball.

July 9-19, Las Vegas, Nevada: NBA Summer League

This is when we’ll likely get a chance to see Otega Oweh and other former Cats look to show what they’re made of and hopefully earn a spot on an NBA roster.

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Game #21 GameThread: Jays @ Diamondbacks

MILWAUKEE, WI - AUGUST 28: A general view of the American Family Insurance commercial sponsorship logo on the stadium prior to an MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 28, 2025, at American Family Field in Milwaukee, WI. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Game three of three with the Diamondbacks.

I’m putting the GameThreads together before leaving on holiday, which seemed like a better idea before I started doing it. Normally, a GameThread is pretty quick and easy, but when you are doing 20-some in a row, it loses some of the fun.

Thankfully, I’m near the end. I’ll be home on the 22nd, and I can go back to the normal way of doing things…that’s when I realize, about 10 minutes before game time that I need to put up a GameThread and I rush to get it up before the game starts. I’ve been on the site for several years now, and yet that seems to be the way I do GameThread, like I’m surprised it has to be done. But that is better than doing 21 in one sitting.

I guess I could just type Go Jays Go, fifty times to get up to that 150 word mark.

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Celtics, Jays look sharp in Game 1, blowout 76ers 123-91

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 19: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics shows off his jersey before Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden on April 19, 2026 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 Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Twenty-two times, the Celtics and 76ers have tipped off a playoff series with Boston owning a 15-7 lead. Their 23rd meeting started with a 123-91 blowout in Game 1 of this year’s first round series with the Jays combining for 51 points and 10 assists.

If there was any doubt that Jayson Tatum wasn’t ready for the postseason after a 16-game regular season runway, his performance in the series opener silenced any doubters. Just a year shy of his Achilles tear, Tatum finished with another near triple-double of 25-11-7. He looked springy on defense and like a charging bull on his drives.

And as for this year’s MVP candidate, Jaylen Brown fulfilled his role as lead scorer with 26 on 11-of-21 shooting. He started off slow before halftime, hitting just 4-of-12, but when the 76ers threatened a comeback to open the third, Brown scored on 7-of-9 from the field for 26 points to put Philadelphia away.

The Celtics have been littered with x-factors all season. This afternoon, with a healthy roster and no one on the injury report, it was the entire team that had their moments in the blowout win. Mazzulla had trimmed the rotation to eight towards the end of the season, but with the bigs in foul trouble in the first half and the game in hand by the start of the fourth, Boston went twelve deep and everybody had their moments: a floater and block from Baylor Scheierman; Luka Garza with a putback and triple; Jordan Walsh contributed a Maxey shift and a leak out dunk; Sam Hauser hit 4-of-6 from 3.

Ultimately, the Celtics bench outscored Philly’s 37-27, led by Payton Pritchard’s 12 and six assists.

As we previewed here at CelticsBlog, containing Tyrese Maxey was going to be a priority for Boston and for the most part, they kept the All-Star point guard in check. Maxey managed to lead the 76ers in scoring with 21 points, but on an inefficient 8-of-20 with just five trips to the free throw line and three turnovers.

Creating turnovers hasn’t been a strength for the Celtics, but in Game 1, they forced fourteen that generated 22 points. Conversely, Boston had just eight givewaways from 3.

Game 2 is on Tuesday at TD Garden with a 7 pm tip-off.

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The Hockey Show: Panthers Season Ends With Silver Lining, Previewing Stanley Cup Playoffs With Bill Lindsay

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are upon us, and The Hockey Show is pumped!

This week, THS co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork, along with producer Ethan Budowski, previewed the eight first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series’ that will begin on Saturday.

They also discussed the fiery comments of a pair of NHL head coaches, Carolina’s Rick Bowness and Detroit’s Todd McLellan, who had some very hard comments for the way their respective teams performed during their season finale’s last week.

Joining this week’s show to discuss playoff matchups and the Florida Panthers’ season ending was Florida’s radio analyst and former player Billy Lindsay.

In addition to previewing the first-round matchups and giving his darkhorse favorites, Billy also talked about the future of the Panthers, what the team may do with their 2026 first-round pick and how the team has maintained such a strong culture despite enduring a very challenging season.

This week’s wins and fails included some interesting moves by Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, a player being dragged out of a goal crease during an OHL Playoff game, a couple of great moments from last week’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, and a great move by the New Jersey Devils hiring former Panthers AGM Sunny Mehta as the team’s next general manager.

You can see the full show and interview in the videos below:

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Panthers Assign Eight Players To The AHL

Panthers Get To Keep 2026 First-Round Pick Thanks To Finishing With Eighth-Worst Record In NHL

Devils Hire Former Panthers Assistant GM Sunny Mehta As New General Manager

Panthers Place Noah Gregor, Nolan Foote On Waivers Ahead Of AHL Playoffs

Aleksander Barkov Among Several Panthers Players Expected To Play At World Championships

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Utah Mammoth at Vegas Golden Knights Game 1 Preview: Lines, Where to Watch

For the eighth time in nine seasons, the Vegas Golden Knights are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They’ll start the first round against the Utah Mammoth on Sunday at T-Mobile Arena.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:22 p.m. PST.

Carter Hart will start in goal for the Golden Knights. Hart had a record of 11-3-3 and an average save percentage of .891 in 18 games during the regular season.  

Karel Vejmelka starts in net for the Mammoth. Vejmelka had a record of 38-20-3 and an average save percentage of .897 in 64 games during the regular season.

Golden Knights Lines

Mitch Marner — Jack Eichel — Mark Stone

Ivan Barbashev — Brett Howden — Pavel Dorofeyev

Reilly Smith — Tomáš Hertl — Keegan Kolesar

Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Colton Sissons

Defense

Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore

Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson

Jeremy Lauzon — Kaedan Korczak

Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill

Mammoth Lines

Clayton Keller — Nick Schmaltz — Lawson Crouse

Kailer Yamamoto — Logan Cooley — Dylan Guenther

JJ Peterka — Alex Kerfoot — Michael Carcone

Liam O’Brien — Kevin Stenlund — Brandon Tanev

Defense

Mikhail Sergachev — MacKenzie Weegar

Nate Schmidt — John Marino

Ian Cole — Sean Durzi

Goaltenders: Karel Vejmelka / Vitek Vaněček

Special Teams (Regular Season)

VGK power play: 24.6%, 6th

VGK penalty kill: 81.4%, 7th

Mammoth power play: 20.0%, 18th

Mammoth penalty kill: 78.1%, 19th

Game Notes

In the regular season series, the Golden Knights won the first meeting by a score of 4-1. The Mammoth won the next two, 5-1 and 4-0, respectively.

This will be the first playoff series between the Golden Knights and the Mammoth. The Golden Knights have the edge in certain areas, but the young, hungry Mammoth will pose a unique challenge.

In 12 career Game 1s, Mitch Marner has five goals and 13 points.

Jack Eichel led the Golden Knights in scoring this season with 27 goals and 90 points in 74 games. Eichel has two goals and six points in six regular season games against the Mammoth.

Clayton Keller led the Mammoth in scoring this season with 26 goals and 88 points in 82 games. Keller has 10 goals and 26 points in 34 career games against the Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights went 20-12-9 at home this season; the Mammoth were 21-17-3 on the road.

How to Watch

TV: Vegas 34, ESPN

Streaming: KnightTime+

Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340, Deportes Vegas 1460

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Game Thread: White Sox (7-14) at Athletics (11-10)

Noah Schultz dons the South Side pinstripes for the second time today. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

It’s Noah Schultz day, everyone!

The second big league start for the highly-hyped 22-year-old Chicagoland native is imminent, making for one of the more highly anticipated April contests in recent memory.

Let’s make a few observations about Schultz’s debut start so we can understand what we might expect today. Per Baseball Savant, Schultz flashed his entire six-pitch arsenal, but largely relied on four offerings. He used his sinker and four-seam fastball in roughly equal proportion to both right- and left-handed hitters, both clocking in around 97 mph, which would be the fourth-fastest average among all big league lefties this year. Against lefty hitters, Schultz turned to the sweeper as his out pitch, which worked to the extent that hitters went 0-for-3 against it with two strikes. Against righties, Schultz turned into someone Lance Lynn-esque, putting together an even mix of four-seamers, sinkers and cutters that function somewhat like a breaking ball. Now and then, he’ll also try to get a hitter with a back-foot sweeper that’s almost reminiscent of how Carlos Rodón would attack hitters at his peak.

The thing to watch out for today is Schultz’s changeup. He threw it 14% of the time in Triple-A against righties, but on Tuesday he only utilized it twice. With Jeff McNeil and Carlos Cortes getting a day off, the A’s are running out a heavily right-handed lineup. Schultz will need that changeup to keep developing, because his command of his sweeper and slider to righties was spotty on Tuesday and he needs a secondary out pitch to keep hitters on their toes in the event they’re not biting on breaking balls. If Schultz can command those pitches better or find a way to effectively utilize his changeup, we could be looking at a quite fun start on our hands.

Here’s the lineup that Sacramento manager Mark Kotsay has posted for his surprisingly competitive squad, who are sitting in a tie for first place in the AL West at this early junction:

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Will Venable counters with the following behind Schultz:

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Incredibly, this is the 18th different lineup in 18 games for Venable, continuing to put himself at odds with my fierce assertion that “consistency is key.” Anyhow, the the main alteration for the day being Miguel Vargas’s ascension to the 2-spot, his first start there of the year. It’s quite a relief that the Andrew Benintendi Leadoff Experiment may already have run its course.

The one-two punch of Chase Meidroth and Vargas is an arrangement that I actually like a lot. Both of them are quite difficult to strike out and adept at making contact with most of what they swing at. With the whiff-prone ways of Munetaka Murakami, Colson Montgomery and Everson Pereira, it makes sense to precede them with hitters who can get on base the old-fashioned way, and sometimes give upcoming hitters an extended look at the pitcher’s arsenal if their ability to make contact results in long at-bats.

Speaking of which, Pereira has been rewarded for his early slugging by batting cleanup for the fourth time this week at the expense of Montgomery. Sam Antonacci gets the afternoon off.

Before the game, the White Sox announced that the revolving door of 13th pitchers on the roster continues, as freshly-claimed Osvaldo Bido (6.30 ERA in six games with Atlanta) pushes Doug Nikhazy back down to Charlotte.

And just for the hell of it, here’s the video of Murakami’s mammoth grand slam the other night:

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First pitch is scheduled for at 3:05 p.m. CT, live from Sacramento. If you want to join us, broadcasts are available on CHSN (TV) and WMVP AM 1000 (radio) like always!

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Sixers completely outclassed by Celtics in Game 1 disaster

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 19: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics grabs a rebound over Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Andre Drummond #1 during the first quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on April 19, 2026 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 Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Yeah, I don’t know what I expected.

The Sixers got crushed 123-91 in Game 1 by the Boston Celtics Sunday afternoon, falling down 1-0 in the series.

Tyrese Maxey was unable to pull a rabbit out of the hat, leading the Sixers with 21 points shooting 8-of-20 from the floor along with eight assists. Paul George put up 17 points on 4-of-8 shooting along with four rebounds, one assist and two turnovers.

VJ Edgecombe had his moments in his first playoff game, going for 13 points shooting 6-of-16 from the floor with three rebounds and three assists. Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 26.

Joel Embiid (appendectomy surgery recovery) was the only player unable to suit up due to injury.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

  • The Sixers came out chucking — their first three shots of the game were all from behind the arc, but only one of those fell and it was banked off the glass. Adem Bona got the start at center but got a very quick hook after picking up two fouls with a turnover in the process. The Sixers were also able to draw two quick fouls on Neemias Queta though once Maxey and George were able to find space to drive.
  • It would take just about flawless basketball to get a win and that’s not how the Sixers came out. George had two rough turnovers while Andre Drummond committed a bad loose ball foul after a rare stop. The Celtics ripped off a 14-2 run to get out to a comfortable lead. Nick Nurse opted to go small with Dominick Barlow at the five when Drummond picked up his second, the only positive being the moving screen wasn’t absurdly upgraded to a flagrant.
  • All of this was secondary though to the Sixers inability to score. Maxey did as good of a job as he could being asked to make something magical happen off the dribble every possession. It took nine minutes of game time for someone other than Maxey or George score, and 10 minutes for a different Sixer to make a field goal. Jayson Tatum made a couple of baskets then found Jordan Walsh in transition to give the Celtics a 15-point lead after one.

Second Quarter

  • George made a quick four free throws out of five. Justin Edwards ended the three-point drought and followed that up with an and-1. He couldn’t convert that free throw and the Sixers still couldn’t make much progress. Drummond checked back in, but with Luka Garza drawing him out to the perimeter, the Sixers had no interior presence.
  • The frustration for Philly culminated in Drummond getting T’d up as the Celtics pushed their lead to 20. The struggles at center continued as Bona missed two putback bunnies in a row at point-blank range. Not only could they not buy a jumper to fall but they kept leaving points on the table at the line with Kelly Oubre Jr. becoming the latest Sixer unable to convert an and-1. The Sixers shot 12-of-18 from the line in the half.
  • Forget flawless play, the Sixers just weren’t able to get out of their own way. Edgecombe converted a rare and-1 then the Sixers retained possession their next trip down the floor with the ball going off the Celtics. They immediately turned the ball over trying to throw an inbounds pass from the baseline to half court. A small positive is that Edgecombe got a couple floaters to go in the quarter after a very quiet start. He nailed a turnaround to pull the Sixers within 18 at the half.

Third Quarter

  • The Sixers finally got a couple bounces to go their way with a couple of baskets followed by an unsuccessful Celtics challenge. A missed layup from Oubre led to Boston being able to respond, but the Sixers were able to get those points back and prevent another run.
  • Another poorly-timed turnover helped the Celtics snatch momentum right back. They had gotten a stop down 15 and Maxey was leaking out ahead of the defense. Drummond’s outlet pass didn’t have enough on it and Brown intercepted it. Two Boston threes later and the reeling Sixers called a timeout. They missed two midrange looks coming out of the timeout while Brown and Tatum each got an easy basket at the rim to cap off a 10-0 run.
  • A good example of execution being the difference was the offensive rebounding numbers vs. second-chance points. The Sixers pulled more down through three quarters, having 11 offensive rebounds to just four for Boston, but second-chance points were in Boston’s favor 12-10. Each one of those points felt back breaking with the Sixers fighting tooth and nail for every basket. They trailed by 24 going into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

  • Quentin Grimes taking and making his first two shots of the game didn’t stop the Celtics from taking their first 30-point lead of the night. The amount of wide open layups the Sixers missed was staggering as Barlow became the latest to do so. To this point in the game they were shooting 55% at the rim, which Cleaning the Glass puts in the 12th percentile across the league.
  • It didn’t take very long into the quarter for the white flag to be raised. Both teams shut down their stars, with Trendon Watford and Dalen Terry checking in for the first time. Edwards made the best case for minutes in this series as the only bench player to hit shots, and even he finished this game 3-of-9 from the field. The Celtics fans mocked the “We want Boston” chants towards the end of the game to put the cherry on this crap sundae.