Just four weeks remain before conference title races are settled in college football. We break down the biggest games of impact in Week 11.
Where to watch USC vs Northwestern today: Time, TV channel for Week 11 game
What channel is USC vs Northwestern football on today? How to watch, including time, TV schedule, live streaming info and game odds.
How Dodgers' 'silent assassin' Will Smith turned into a Game 7 World Series hero
A block away from the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Wednesday morning, a once-overlooked Dodgers star embraced his own newfound notoriety.
Four days after slugging the game-winning home run in Game 7 of the World Series, Will Smith was serenaded by hundreds of fans at a Raising Cane’s promotional event at the intersection of Sunset and Highland, taking a makeshift stage to chants of “We want Will!” from a crowd of Dodgers faithful forever indebted to his championship-clinching swing.
“To feel the love from all the fans, it’s just cool,” Smith said. “It’s fun celebrating with these people, to see what the Dodgers mean to them.”
For years, Smith has largely felt that love from the shadows of the Dodgers’ star-studded roster — a three-time All-Star, a generational talent at his position, but also an outshined member of the team’s big-name core.
Read more:The Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series had record-setting ratings. Here's what it means
That officially changed this week, after he hit the first game-winning, extra-inning home run in the seventh game of a Fall Classic.
His name has now joined the realm of October legends. His place in Dodger history, elevated to virtually immortal status.
“That’s crazy,” Smith said, when informed Wednesday of the history his 11th-inning swing made. “I never would have thought that [would happen]. But yeah, just glad I was able to get it done for the guys, and for the city … The passion that these fans have, that’s what motivates me most.”
That kind of answer, of course, exemplifies Smith’s default mode. Quiet and reserved by nature. Averse to the public spotlight. Happy to simply show up at the ballpark, handle his taxing job as the starting catcher on baseball’s best team, and sidestep the attention a player of his talent would typically command.
Such had been the reality of Smith’s existence with these Dodgers. Sharing a clubhouse with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Clayton Kershaw, it’s been easy for him to blend into the background for much of his seven-year career.
But then, last Saturday night, Shane Bieber hung him a slider in a tied game with a World Series on the line. Smith put a thunderous swing on it, pleading for the ball to clear the fence. And once it did, his standing in the sport had instantly been altered. The Dodgers cemented a dynasty. He was the face of one of its most defining moments.
“Yes and no,” Smith said when asked if it felt like his life had changed this week. “That’s a moment that will always be special. A very positive memory. In the first couple [World Series], had some big hits and stuff. But the game-winner is cool. So hopefully next year, going for a three-peat, we do something similar.”
Nothing, of course, will be as transformational as this past week was for the 30-year-old backstop.
Read more:'Work to do': Four questions the World Series champion Dodgers face this offseason
Had it not been for the heroic efforts of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Smith very easily could have won World Series MVP, having led the Dodgers with six RBIs, trailed only Ohtani with a .267 average, and caught all 74 innings of the marathon series in another Fall Classic record.
He wasn’t coaxed into speaking at the team’s championship parade, but still received some of the day’s loudest ovations, the fan base recognizing the herculean contributions he provided both at and behind the plate.
“He was the silent assassin,” Freeman said.
“He’s an absolute animal,” third baseman Max Muncy echoed.
Smith did show some of his dry humor during a Tuesday night appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, reeling off a few laugh lines alongside manager Dave Roberts and a few other teammates.
Then, on Wednesday morning, he got his hero’s welcome at the Raising Cane’s event, with fans lining up along Sunset two hours before his appearance with signs and posters ready in hand.
“It’s felt like a dream,” Smith said.
One he won’t be waking up from anytime soon.
Moving forward, Smith figures to be at the center of the team’s future success, having signed a 10-year, $140 million contract extension with the Dodgers in March 2024.
“This is pretty much home now for us,” the Louisville native and father of two said. “We love it here.”
As one of the younger members of the club’s All-Star core, his importance to the lineup will also continue to grow, with Smith trying to build off a 2025 campaign in which he set full-season career-highs in batting average (.296) and OPS (.901) despite missing most of September, and the first week of the playoffs, with a broken hand.
“To me, he kind of epitomizes a lot of the success that we've had looking back, in terms of our scouting process, our player development process, how well they work together, and then him coming through and having the impact he's had at the Major League level,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said of Smith, who was originally a first-round draft pick of the team in 2016.
“Make no mistake, there's going to be a lot of those moments for him,” Muncy added. “He’s going to be here for a long time. I’m exciting to see what he’s going to do for this organization.”
And to think, how disastrously different this week could have been if not for the other key play Smith made in Game 7, getting his toe back on home plate after it had popped off as he went to catch a throw from Miguel Rojas with the bases loaded in bottom of the ninth inning.
“I still don’t like seeing it,” Smith joked as the video of that moment replayed on Kimmel. “They were replaying it [in the stadium], and I was like, ‘Oh crap, this is not good. We’re gonna lose right here because I can’t hold home plate with my foot.’”
Read more:Money helped Dodgers win the World Series. But they say culture got them through Game 7
“That,” Smith added as Kimmel pondered the alternative reality, “would’ve stung.”
Instead, two innings later, Smith delivered a swing that will change his legacy forever — thrusting him onto a pedestal both overdue and long-warranted.
“For me, I’ve always tried not to do too much,” he said. “Just happened to get it in the air, get it over the wall.”
Another modest answer, from a player unlikely to go overlooked again.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
What did the pundits say about Rangers' loss to Roma?
Former Rangers player and manager Ally McCoist on TNT Sports
Forget one transfer window for Rangers, it might be three. It's a big job. A big, big job.
Former Rangers player Alan Hutton on TNT Sports
We're too used to seeing this now. For me, I look at Rangers at this moment in time and they are crying out for help. January is massive.
Former Scotland defender Robbie Neilson on the BBC's Scottish Football podcast
Rangers were kind of outclassed by Roma, which top end of the Serie A is to be expected, but I just felt they had a couple of gears to go.
This little period is difficult. I think getting through the game at the weekend, it gives them that international break.
I think the recruitment has been done. Danny Rohl has to make the best he can out of what they've got at the moment. And it's about getting to January in the best condition he can.
Former Rangers forward Rory Loy on the BBC's Scottish Football podcast
If Dundee can turn up [on Sunday], play their stuff on the big occasion like they have done when it's been on the telly before, then Rangers will be in for a game.
And it's not ideal for Rangers coming off the back of Thursday. I think Rangers will probably just have enough, but I would definitely have thought Celtic would have had enough.
Steve Kerr reveals Warriors' lofty playoff seed goal for 2025-26 NBA season
Steve Kerr reveals Warriors' lofty playoff seed goal for 2025-26 NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Nearing the end of Steph Curry’s career, the Warriors have nothing but winning an NBA championship on their minds.
Getting there, of course, is the challenge. And while Golden State, which once dominated the West for several consecutive seasons, might not be seeking the No. 1 playoff seed the way it used to, Warriors coach Steve Kerr revealed the team’s target seed it is chasing.
“I mean, unless you’re OKC, everybody in the West is thinking, ‘Let’s make sure we’re in the top six.’ I told our team before the season, let’s finish in the top four,” Kerr said Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.” “Let’s have our homecourt advantage in the first round. And so, top six is obviously where everybody wants to end up. Nobody wants to be in the Play-In. I think we’re good enough where we should be thinking top four. Home court. But we haven’t gotten there yet.
“The schedule’s been tough. We haven’t settled our rotation yet. We haven’t allowed for guys to get comfortable yet in their roles because lineups have changed. We’re a little scattered right now. But nothing we can’t fix and get on track. Like I said, I can’t be more excited about our team and talent level and ability to be good. But we have some work to do.”
Golden State currently holds a 5-4 record and is sitting seventh in the West in the early part of the 2025-26 NBA season.
The Warriors have the sixth-most difficult schedule remaining, per Tankathon, with four matchups against the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, three against the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets, respectively, and two against the red-hot Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons.
But experience is on Golden State’s side, even if the schedule isn’t.
And the confidence level is high for the Warriors, especially after acquiring six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, who is in the midst of his first full season with the team.
Now, as Kerr attested to, it’ll be on the players to execute if they want to reach their lofty goals of homecourt advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Rangers 0-2 Roma: Match stats
- Rangers have lost seven consecutive European games (including qualifiers) for the first time in their history. The Ibrox side have lost 10 European games in 2025, only the fourth time a team has ever done so in one year and one of the other three was Rangers in 2022 (10); the others are Sheriff Tiraspol in 2023 and Qarabag in 2024.
- Rangers have lost their past five games in the Europa League, their longest losing streak in the competition (since at least 2005/2006).
- Danny Rohl has become the first permanent Rangers boss to lose as many as three of his first five games in charge (W2).
- Rangers have kept a clean sheet in just five of their 23 matches in all competitions, their lowest percentage (22%) of games with a shutout in a season since 1957-58 (11 in 54, 20%).
- James Tavernier made his 61st Europa League appearance for Rangers, equalling the record for a single club (2009-10 onwards); he draws level with Andreas Ulmer's 61 games for RB Salzburg.
- Rangers have failed to score in three of their four games, no team has failed to do so more often in the 2025-2026 Europa League.
- Rangers have conceded the opening goal in five consecutive major European matches for the first time since doing so between September 1962 and October 1963.
Steve Kerr has ‘zero concern' about Al Horford's early struggles with Warriors
Steve Kerr has ‘zero concern' about Al Horford's early struggles with Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Al Horford appeared to be the perfect fit for the Warriors, but his recent shooting struggles have raised some eyebrows.
Horford went scoreless in Golden State’s loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, shooting 0-for-8 from the field and missing all of his seven 3-point attempts.
Still, Warriors coach Steve Kerr isn’t worried about the veteran center’s early slump.
“Zero concern,” Kerr said Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.” “Because what I’m watching is the way he’s moving. I said this after the game and I’m sure people laughed, but it was real. It was honest. I thought he played a really good game [Wednesday] night, the ball just didn’t go in. All of his shots looked good, I thought every single one of them was going, and none of them went. So he’s at one of those stages right now, and it happens in every sport. A baseball player who, the ball, it’s coming off his bat hard, but it’s going right to people.
“Nothing is going Al’s way right now. It doesn’t shock me because it is really hard to go to a new team. But I’m watching the way he’s moving, his decision-making, how smart this guy is. He’s going to be just fine. I wouldn’t worry about Al.”
Horford is 1 of 16 from beyond the arc over his last four games, and 5 of 24 (20.8 percent) on the season.
Over the course of his nearly two-decade career, Horford has shot 50.9 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from distance as he’s established himself as one of the best shooting bigs in the game.
That is why Kerr won’t hit the panic button just yet, as he is certain Horford will find a rhythm with time.
Sports quiz of the week: champions, challengers, scorers, Ashes and Traitors
Have you been following the big stories in football, rugby, baseball, cricket, hockey, boxing, tennis and baseball?
Continue reading...Takeaways from the Ducks 7-5 Win over the Stars
The Anaheim Ducks took to the road for a two-game trip, with the first being on Thursday night against the Dallas Stars.
The Ducks entered the game as one of the hottest teams in the NHL, having won their last four games and six of their previous seven, heading into this contest. They were coming off an emotional 7-3 victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, which ended their three-game homestand.
Game #13: Ducks vs. Stars Gameday Preview (11/06/25)
Takeaways from the Ducks 7-3 Win over the Panthers
Leo Carlsson received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for an interference penalty early in Tuesday’s third period. For this game, he returned to the lineup in his typical spot on the top line, and the Ducks went with the exact lineup that earned them their last two victories.
Lukas Dostal got the start for the 11th time in 13 games for the Ducks and saved 21 of 26 shots. He was opposed by Jake Oettinger in the Dallas net, who stopped 18 of 24.
Here are my notes on this game:
There were 12 goals scored in this game, but only four of them came during 5v5 play. This game was a special teams slobberknocker, where each team went to the power play five times. Discipline has been troublesome of late for the Ducks, but their 5v5 play tonight was some of the cleanest they’ve played all season, especially defensively.
All the usual suspects found the scoresheet for the Ducks, now the highest-scoring team (4.15 GF/G) in the NHL by a wide margin, ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs (3.71 GF/G). Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier extended their point streaks to eight games each, both contributing a goal and an assist. Alex Killorn (1-1=2), Troy Terry (0-2=2), Chris Kreider (2-0=2), and Beckett Sennecke (0-2=2) also added multi-point nights.
The Ducks now sit atop the Pacific Division and are the second-best team in the NHL in terms of points percentage (.731).
Defensive Zone Coverage-After an adjustment period, the Ducks seem to have grasped the intricacies of their new zone coverage system. They are making more precise reads when it comes to secondary pressure, collapsing when necessary, and protecting the slot at all costs.
When running as efficiently as possible, they’re able to kill plays early with second quick pressure, but even when they allow extended zone time to good teams like the Stars, they remain diligent to their assignments and close the seams opponents are attempting to exploit.
Penalty Kill-After a stretch of successful penalty killing that saw them kill 20 of their last 23 penalties heading into this game, they had a difficult time against one of the top power plays in the NHL. Dallas took advantage of the Ducks’ heavy high pressure that would send the weak side forward high, along with the strong. The Stars worked the puck across the top of the zone before sending it low and to the middle or backdoor, where they’d get off quality looks.
The Ducks surrendered three goals on five penalties, but the coaching staff and the killers did well to adjust late in the third period and were more conscious of the bumper and seams under the top pressure. They even got one back when Terry and Carlsson linked up for a shorthanded tally that wound up being the game-winner.
Jacob Trouba-Trouba can be a frustrating case study for defensive fundamentalists who value close gaps, textbook angles, body engagement, etc., especially against the rush. For a player who is known for his physicality, he utilizes his stick to do most of the defending for him and is rather choosy on when to fire up the “Trouba Train.”
He baits attackers into thinking they have more time and space than they do to get shots off or make an extra stickhandle before he cleverly disrupts. The same can be said for his off-puck work as well; he’s constantly breaking up passes through the middle of the defensive zone. His foot speed can be an issue, as he got burned early in this game through the neutral zone, and his stick work can be a double-edged sword, as he received his first penalty of the season in this game for a hook early in the third.
Killorn-Poehling-Nesterenko-The Ducks listed third line played 6:45 together at 5v5, won the shot attempt battle 9-3, and collected 74.9% of the expected goals share. Poehling can recover on a dime and is a vacuum in the middle of the defensive zone. Killorn’s anticipation skills led to a goal as well as a handful of clever breakups, while his play-building skills, especially at the offensive blueline, were top-notch.
Nesterenko has blossomed into a valuable piece of what the Ducks set out to accomplish in every zone. His increasing comfort level and NHL hockey IQ are leading to his line maintaining possession of pucks moving north, while his skating and puck skills are buying him an extra half second to scan and make optimal choices.
Beckett Sennecke-Sennecke had a notably professional game, minus a key blunder in the second period that broke a 2-2 tie. Rather than simply chipping a puck deep into the offensive zone after a long shift, he attempted to break down Miro Heiskanen, one of the NHL’s premier rush defenders, in a period where his team had the long change. Heiskanen cleanly stripped him of possession and swiftly sent his forwards on an odd-man rush.
The response to what was his only glaring hiccup was impressive. He’s learning how to absorb NHL defenders and protect pucks on the wall with greater success, making keen defensive reads on the forecheck, and finding ways to translate the special aspects of his game to the highest level of the sport; an encouraging game all around for the Ducks’ talented rookie.
The Ducks will conclude their brief two-game road trip on Saturday when they head to Nevada to take on the Vegas Golden Knights in a battle for the top spot in the Pacific.
Anaheim Ducks on the Tip of National Media Tongues
10 Stats from the First 10 Games of the 2025-26 Season for the Anaheim Ducks
Panthers play excellent road game in Los Angeles, skate away with 5-2 win
The Florida Panthers were in Los Angeles on Thursday night, looking to bounce back from a tough loss in Anaheim a couple nights ago.
Paul Maurice’s Cats did just that, taking a lead into the third period and then building on it, ultimately defeating the Kings 5-2 at Crypto.com Arena.
Florida quickly got to work, jumping out to an early 1-0 lead just over two minutes into the game.
Cats center Sam Bennett plucked a Jeff Petry rebound off the pads of Anton Forsberg and deposited the puck into the net for his third goal of the season.
Not long after, Sergei Bobrovsky stoned Adrian Kempe with a stretching right pad save after the Kings’ star forward got behind Florida’s defense.
A holding the stick call on Brad Marchand led to a game-tying goal for the Kings.
Anze Kopitar, parked at the top of Bobrovksy’s crease, deflected a shot by Quentin Byfield to knot the score at one at the 9:23 mark of the opening period.
The tie game didn’t last long, though, as Mikey Anderson sprung Perry on a breakaway just 1:37 later and he sniped Bobrovsky to give the Kings their first lead of the night.
Exactly two and a half minutes before the end of the period, Brad Marchand tied the game after stealing the puck from Forsberg behind the LA net and quickly firing it into the empty cage to send the game into the intermission tied at two.
Florida re-took the lead just after the game’s midway point, and it came on an odd-man rush.
Carter Verhaeghe led a 3-on-2 into the Kings’ zone and after a give-and-go with Sam Reinhart, Verhaeghe sent a backhand pass to the slot, where Reinhart finished the play and put the Cats back in front with 8:15 to go in the middle frame.
It took a while, but the Panthers were eventually able to get that all important insurance goal, and it came at an unexpected time.
With Florida killing their fourth penalty of the night, Eetu Luostarinen stole the puck from Adrian Kempe at the Kings’ blue line and sprung Anton Lundell on a breakaway.
Lundell wired a wrist shot that beat Forsberg cleanly through the legs, doubling the Panthers’ lead to 4-2 with 11:19 to go in the game.
After that, the momentum was clearly in Florida’s favor for the next several minutes.
Capping off an extended period of time possessing the puck in LA’s zone, Niko Mikkola forced a turnover as the Kings tried to exit.
Marchand was right there to collect the puck, turn toward Forsberg and send a nasty wrist shot over his glove, giving the Cats a 5-2 lead.
That would be more than enough for Bobrovsky and the defensive-minded Panthers.
Now we’ll see if Florida can build on the victory as they continue their four-game road trip.
On to San Jose.
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Photo caption: Nov 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9), center, is congratulated after scoring a goal in the first period against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)
After Win Against Capitals, Crosby On Pace For Career-High
Anyone who has watched Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby over the years - and who is aware of the captain's standing in terms of the NHL's all-time points list - knows that he is one of the most productive players of all time.
And, this season, we're seeing Crosby clicking on all cylinders in a category he's not quite as known for.
With two goals against the Washington Capitals in Thursday's 5-3 win - and against the greatest goal-scorer of all time in Alex Ovechkin - Crosby has 11 goals on the season, which leads the NHL. His six power play goals - both goals Thursday came on the man advantage - also tie him with Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl for the league lead.
At 38 years old, Crosby is not only leading the league in goals, he is also on pace for a new career-high. Crosby's current career-high in goals came in 2009-10, when he registered 51 and won his first Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for the most goals in the NHL that season.
This season? Crosby is currently on a 60-goal pace, which would shatter that previous career-high he achieved when he was 22 years old.
Takeaways: Special Teams Spoil Capitals' Comeback In Loss To PenguinsThe Capitals have now dropped five of the last six decisions.Of course, there are some factors to consider. Crosby's current shooting percentage is 31.4 percent, and it's hovering right around 50 percent on the power play. Neither of those figures will likely hold up throughout the course of an 82-game season.
But, it's also worth considering that Crosby has been somwhat of a trigger man this season, especially on the power play. If the Penguins' power play continues to click at the rate that it has so far this season - which bumped up to first in the league at 35.9 percent after the Washington game - 50 goals may not be out of the question for the longtime Penguins' captain.
Regardless, Crosby and his Penguins are off to a torrid start, and they'll go as far as he and Evgeni Malkin can take them. And, perhaps, Crosby's new linemate in rookie Ben Kindel, who has five goals and seven points in his first 13 NHL games.
Penguins Forward Ben Kindel Notches First Career Assist On ThursdayPittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel got his first (and second) career assist on Thursday night.Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Penguins Forward Ben Kindel Notches First Career Assist On Thursday
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel had five goals in his first 12 NHL games going into Thursday's contest against the Washington Capitals.
He had yet to record an assist this season, but that changed when he sent a beautiful cross-ice pass to Sidney Crosby for the first goal of the game in the first period. Kindel has been on the top power play unit since Rickard Rakell went down with a hand injury, and has fit in perfectly.
Sidney Crosby.... Aging like fine wine 🤌
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 7, 2025
📺: Capitals 🆚 Penguins live on Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/5YOnn7NNUP
Kindel would later pick up his second career assist in the third period off Bryan Rust's game-winning goal with 8:44 left. He flew into the offensive zone and set the puck around the boards to Evgeni Malkin, who found Rust with a beautiful pass at the end of a power play. It was also a spectacular finish from Rust after he hit two posts earlier in the game.
TRUSTY RUSTY 🙌
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 7, 2025
... AND WE GET 1/2 OFF RUSTY'S SHAKE AT THE @MShakeFactory TOMORROW! pic.twitter.com/9QQla3OiAJ
Kindel is the ninth teenager in the Penguins' franchise history to record multiple points in back-to-back games. He continues to get better in each game he plays, even though he's still only 18.
Thursday's win improved the Penguins' overall record to 9-4-2 as they head into a weekend back-to-back against the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings.
Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Takeaways: After Fast Start, Predators Falter In Loss To Flyers
Nov 6, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) skates with the puck against the Philadelphia Flyersduring the first period at Bridgestone Arena. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
For the second time in a week, the Nashville Predators met up with the Philadelphia Flyers, this time at Bridgestone Arena.
For the second straight meeting, the Preds scored just one goal. After losing 4-1 to the Flyers in Philly last Thursday, Nashville could do no better in a 3-1 loss at Bridgestone Arena.
Ryan O’Reilly got the Preds on the board early at 1:44 of the first period. Matvei Michkov tied the score with his second of the year at 4:43 of the middle frame, followed by Noah Cates at 17:37 to give Philly a 2-1 lead.
Travis Konecny added an empty-net goal at 18:47 of the third period to ice the game for Philly.
The Flyers outshot Nashville 26-23, with goalie Dan Vladar stopping 22 of the Preds' 23 shots. Juuse Saros, who once again made numerous key saves to keep his team in the game, saved 23 of the 25 shots he faced and took another tough loss.
"It's a broken record right now," Preds head coach Andrew Brunette told reporters after the loss. "It feels like that's kinda what we're dealing with, so we gotta find a way to break through it."
Neither team could muster a power-play goal; Philly was 0-for-1; the Preds 0-for-3.
Here are some takeaways from the loss.
A fast start couldn't be sustained.
The biggest question coming into Thursday was how the ending to Tuesday’s overtime loss would affect the Preds, especially at the start of Thursday’s game.
It didn’t take long for an answer. Just 1:44 into the game, Ryan O’Reilly was credited with a goal the official scorer claimed deflected off him from a Filip Forsberg shot. Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar, who allowed only one goal last week, didn’t see O’Reilly’s goal go in the net.
ROR WITH THE ALLEY-OOP pic.twitter.com/zdnmonkJ9u
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) November 7, 2025
As they did in Tuesday’s game in Minnesota, the Preds set the tone early, outshooting Philly 10-7 after getting nine of the first 10 shots on goal.
However, as has tended to happen throughout the season, the Preds let off on the gas in the middle frame, allowing the Flyers to attack the offensive zone and gain the momentum. This carried over into the third, when Nashville managed just three shots against Vladar to the Flyers' nine.
O'Reilly was visibly frustrated after the game, particularly with his own play.
"Obviously (had) a chance to take control of the game, and we didn't," O'Reilly said. "We let them come back in and push back... I know for myself, the number one center, turned the puck over... Can't make a six-foot pass to save my life. We're not going to have success if I'm playing pathetic like that."
Michkov got behind the defense to tie the score, then Cates capitalized on a rebound to put Philly ahead heading into the third.
Once again, it was the little things that cost the Preds in this game, and they were unable to get back the pace once they lost it.
The Preds were goaded into Philly's physical style.
The Flyers came into the game as the most penalized team in the NHL, logging 184 penalty minutes this season.
The Preds are certainly not afraid to throw their weight around, but it didn't play to their advantage on this night.
Things got physical in the second period following several big hits by Ozzy Wiesblatt. Then, after Owen Tippett went off for hooking, two players from each side were sent to the sin bin for roughing with six seconds left on the Preds power play: Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault for Nashville, Travis Sanheim and Garnet Hathaway for Philly, all at the 16:05 mark.
After all the excitement, it was the Flyers who capitalized on the emotion, with Cates scoring the goal that put them in front.
While the Preds' penalty-kill didn't yield a goal, the Flyers seemed to get a new lease on life following all the chippiness. Nashville didn't seem quite the same after that.
It’s only human to get physical at some points during the game. However, the Preds were unable to draw Philly into more penalties and take advantage with their power play, which had moved up to 26th over the last couple of games.
Where's The Killer Instinct?
The same pattern that has hampered the Predators all of last season and through 16 games in this campaign reared its ugly head again Thursday: letting up or making crucial mistakes at the most inopportune times.
The players and head coach Andrew Brunette have talked a great deal about the team's identity, specifically a gritty style that relies on getting in the dirty areas rather than mounting a consistently explosive attack that can score in droves.
Against the Flyers, the Preds did that to a point, particularly in the first period. The problem is, it doesn't allow much room for error when they are unable to keep possession of the puck, open up passing lanes and get enough shots.
"We feel like we're right in there," Preds defenseman Nic Hague said. "Then we make some mistakes and the puck ends up in our net . That's kind of the way it's going right now... It's a game of inches out there."
All it takes is one rebound, one turnover, or one defensive lapse, and the game is lost.
If the Preds don't maintain that killer instinct at critical points of the game, wins will be tough to come by.
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FREE GIFT ISSUE + 12 ISSUES + FREE DIGITAL ARCHIVE + FREE SHIPPING*** Canada Post Strike update - as of October 15, 2025 - Please be aware that Canada Post is now in a rolling strike. While they are accepting mail, delivery times could be longer than expected. US orders are not impacted. WHAT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR PRINT & DIGITAL ARCHIVE SUBSCRIPTION > FREE GIFT ISSUE* of your No. 3 Florida bounces back from season-opening loss and dominates North Florida
Alex Condon had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Micah Handlogten notched his second double-double in as many games and No. 3 Florida bounced back from a season-opening loss with a 104-64 drubbing of North Florida on Thursday night. It was so lopsided that 7-foot-9 walk-on Olivier Rioux, the world’s tallest teenager, made his collegiate debut. The 19-year-old Gators freshman got the loudest ovation of the night when he pulled off his warmup jersey and entered the game with 2:09 to play.
Ex-Penguins Forward Sets Hurricanes Franchise Record
Back at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins selected forward Jordan Staal with the second-overall pick. Following this, he spent six seasons with the Penguins from 2006-07 to 2011-12, where he recorded 120 goals, 128 assists, 248 points, and a plus-53 rating. He also won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009.
Staal's time with the Penguins ended during the 2012 NHL off-season when he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. He has not left Carolina since being traded by the Penguins, and he has now made franchise history with the Hurricanes because of it.
Staal played in his 910th game with the Hurricanes during their Nov. 6 matchup against the Minnesota Wild. With this, he has passed his brother, Eric Staal, for the most games played in Hurricanes franchise history.
No one has played more games in a #Canes sweater pic.twitter.com/p94S5Te5rF
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) November 7, 2025
This is a great accomplishment for Staal, and there is no question that he has had a strong tenure with the Canes. In 910 games over 14 seasons with the Hurricanes, he has recorded 181 goals, 286 assists, 467 points, 478 takeaways, and a plus-16 rating. He has also been the Hurricanes' captain since the 2019-20 season.