ST. LOUIS (AP) — Marcel Hartel had the lone goal of the second half on Saturday night, and St. Louis City spoiled New England's first trip to Energizer Park with a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over the Revolution.
St. Louis City (1-3-1) had just one goal — by Hartel — through its first four matches before coming to life after spotting New England (1-3-0) an early lead.
The Revolution jumped in front in the 14th minute when defender Ilay Feingold used assists from Luca Langoni and Carles Gil to score for the first time this season. Feingold had three goals in 29 appearances as a rookie last year. Langoni's four assists on the season have come in the last two matches. Gil's first assist of the campaign gives him 74 in 197 career appearances — all with the Revs.
St. Louis City answered with the equalizer in the 29th minute after Simon Becher took a pass from Daniel Edelman and scored his 12th goal in 66 career appearances. Edelman also assisted on the club's first goal by Hartel.
Chris Durkin scored in the third minute of stoppage time and St. Louis City took a 2-1 lead into halftime. It was his seventh career goal in 147 appearances. Defender Rafael Santos notched his first assist in his first season with the club and his seventh in 87 career matches.
Hartel added the insurance goal unassisted in the 83rd minute.
Roman Bürki saved one shot for St. Louis City.
Matt Turner turned away three shots for New England.
The Revolution, who were coming off a 6-1 romp over FC Cincinnati in their home opener, have lost their first three road matches under first-year coach Marko Mitrović.
St. Louis City played the Revs to a 2-2 draw at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 7, 2024, in the only other matchup.
Jordan Spence and Tyler Kleven each helped set up two goals on Saturday night as the Ottawa Senators rolled to a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, outshooting them 43-14 in the process.
The Senators looked to have the game well in hand, building a 3-0 second-period lead before Toronto pushed back. The Leafs clawed their way to within one, but Michael Amadio’s third-period goal poured cold water on the embers of a comeback, before Ridly Greig’s late marker ultimately sealed the win.
Ottawa also got goals from Tim Stützle, Claude Giroux, and Warren Foegele, who now has four goals in eight games since joining the club.
Easton Cowan led the way for Toronto with a goal and an assist, while John Tavares added the other Leafs goal.
This was a game the Senators absolutely had to have, and not just because they're right in the thick of the playoff chase. The circumstances were clearly tilted in their favour.
Toronto has gone from first to worst in the Atlantic this season and is now playing out the string. They were already without Auston Matthews due to a knee injury, and had also lost Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton to trades at the deadline two weeks ago. Just before puck drop, the Leafs were dealt another blow when Morgan Rielly was ruled out.
But the headaches didn't end there. After preparing all day to be the backup, Joseph Woll was forced into action after William Nylander’s shot struck starter Anthony Stolarz in the throat area during warmups. Stolarz was taken to the hospital to be examined, forcing the Leafs into an EBUG situation.
The Senators had an injury scare of their own when Oliver Ekman-Larsson skated almost the length of the ice and drove Dennis Gilbert hard into the end boards. Gilbert stayed down for roughly a minute before leaving the game, appearing to favour his shoulder.
If Gilbert is sidelined, and Travis Green says it could be a while, Ottawa could turn to Lassi Thomson, who's already with the team as the seventh defenceman. But that doesn't mean Thomson is necessarily the next man up. That may be Carter Yakemchuk, who may still be in Belleville because he needs to play, not sit in an NHL press box as the seventh man.
Late in the game, Fabian Zetterlund nearly added a highlight-reel finish, attempting a Michigan-style goal behind the Toronto net. He couldn’t quite pull it off, but Sens fans would have described it as a fitting exclamation point against their hated rivals, reminiscent of Greig’s infamous empty-net clapper that riled the Leafs up a few years ago.
The victory moves the Senators to within one point of the New York Islanders, who were hammered 7-3 in Montreal on Saturday night, and three points behind Detroit for the final Wild Card spot.
The Senators are back in action Monday night in New York against the Rangers. If they win that one, they may have a chance to pass the idle Red Wings and into a playoff spot when they face the Wings in a massive head-to-head showdown on Tuesday in Detroit.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was originally published at The Hockey News. For more Senators news, analysis, and features, visit the Ottawa Senators site at The Hockey News.
MONTREAL -- After a devastating defeat to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, the New York Islanders were punished by the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Saturday in a 6-3 loss.
Goaltender Ilya Sorokin's brilliancy was not enough. He allowed six goals on 32 shots in what was an onslaught. David Rittich came in for relief, with Roy giving Sorokin some rest as he'll start against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.
Looking around the league, the Pittsburgh Penguins won in a shootout. The Blue Jackets won in regulation, while the Philadelphia Flyers also got a win to keep themselves in the playoff picture.
The Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings are still playing.
Here's how the game unfolded.
Despite Juraj Slafkovskiy opening the scoring, an Emil Heineman snipe and a Simon Holmstrom breakaway tuck hand the Islanders on top.
Palat get an assist since that’s whose stick Pelech used on the pass?
However, a 2-1 lead quickly became a 3-2 deficit after the Canadiens scored twice in 1:19 in the middle frame. That was after the Islanders came out of the gates strong, going up 8-0.
Rookie Matthew Schaefer did what he's done all season, scoring a big-time goal on the power play at the 45-second mark of the third period to move within one goal of the rookie record for a defenseman:
But, less than three minutes later, Kaidan Guhle's point shot deflected off Marc Gatcomb and past Sorokin, putting Montreal back on top 4-3 at 3:17 of the third.
Slafkovsky scored his second of the game at 8:07, giving Montreal a 5-3 lead. before Caufield's second of the game made it 6-3 at the 11:20 mark of the final frame.
Caufield recorded the hat-trick on the power play at 14:59 of the third for a 7-3 final.
"I think it slipped away in the second period, when we hit those two posts," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said postgame. "I thought that was the difference in the game, and we could have made it 3-1, and they scored that late goal in that second period on their power play. We tied the game. Unfortunately, it was a bad bounce on that fourth one, and from there, they just took over the game."
The Islanders end their final road trip of the season with a 1-2-0 record.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 21: CJ McCollum #3 of the Atlanta Hawks drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on March 21, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks were in action on Saturday evening to face the Golden State Warriors. After a tough loss to the Houston Rockets last night, which ended their 11-game winning streak, the Hawks were looking to see if they could get another streak going.
As for the Warriors, they were also coming off a loss the night before against the Detroit Pistons. It’s been a rough season for Golden State, and it’s mostly been because of the injuries. As for the Hawks, they were without Jalen Johnson in this one with shoulder inflammation.
Dyson Daniels got it going early with a three-pointer.
The Hawks started off fast, but the Warriors answered quickly with a run of their own. That didn’t bother Daniels, because he knocked down another three-pointer in the first.
The Warriors stormed back again and took the lead once again, but the Hawks kept it close down the stretch. They trailed 36-35 going into the second.
The Hawks still trailed behind for most of the second, but they kept it within striking distance. Zaccharie Risacher was rolling in the second and knocked down a few three-pointers.
The Hawks controlled the game for the rest of the quarter, and the Warriors waved the white flag early.
Daniels finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, McCollum finished with 23 points, Risacher finished with 17 poonts, and Gueye finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The Hawks will be back in action on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Vancouver Canucks hit to 40 loss mark on the season after a 3-1 defeat against the St. Louis Blues. Filip Hronek scored the only goal, which came on a third-period power play. As for Kevin Lankinen, he stopped 18 of the 20 shots he faced in the loss.
Saturday's game was the definition of a slow start. Vancouver registered just four shots in the first and were at 10 by the end of the second period. As for the 15 total shots, it was not the lowest of the season, but ranks tied for second with three other occasions.
"They were quick up on us," said Adam Foote post-game. "And we weren't gapping up. Like it happened in the first early. We didn't do enough to start on time. And so when you're not gapping up, when you're not pushing up ice, you get caught in between. When our forwards weren't pushing with all three, then the D weren't gapping up either, and they were just hit in the middle and going back down into our end. And the second period. We have struggled in second periods, because we get caught when we're not skating. We get caught in our end easily, and then we have a hard time stopping cycles. So then once you get out of it, you got to change, and then you are right back down. So we've got to manage the puck better. Stop the cycles as a few to five in the second. And you know, it's hard to generate offense when you're in your end. Then you're having these changes. And the changes were really weak, like they weren't even proper. We didn't thump it out deep enough and push them back in their end to at least get our forecheck going there. Do another quick up. So something we've been working on and addressing, and, you know, once we started pushing in the third, we saw it changed. And, you know, we took over the third. But we have to learn to start on time in these afternoon games too."
Again, second periods proved to be the Canucks' Kryptonite. Vancouver allowed two in the middle frame, which brought their total to 95 allowed in 69 games. At this stage of the campaign, it is hard to imagine this problem being fixed as it has plagued the team since the start of the season.
In the end, the Canucks can not afford to have performances like this down the stretch. While wins and losses no longer matter, effort levs and process are still being judged as the organization tries to sort out who to keep for the rebuild. Ultimately, Saturday was another disappointing performance in front of a Rogers Arena crowd who have seen just eights win in 36 games.
Mar 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; St. Louis Blues right wing Dalibor Dvorsky (54) battles for the puck against Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) during the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
- Elias Pettersson ties Mattias Öhlund for the 11th most power play assists in franchise history at 103
- Elias Pettersson tied J.T. Miller for the ninth most power play points in franchise history at 165
- Marco Rossi goes eight for nine in the faceoff dot
- Canucks set a franchise record for regulation loss in a season at 23
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
No Scoring
2nd Period:
10:17- STL: Pius Suter (11) from Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway 11:36- STL: Pavel Buchnevich (16) from Philip Broberg and Logan Mailloux
3rd Period:
8:32- VAN: Filip Hronek (8) from Elias Pettersson and Marco Rossi (PPG) 19:12- STL: Jordan Kyrou (16) from Pavel Buchnevich and Logan Mailloux (PPG) (ENG)
Up Next:
The Canucks continue their homestand on Tuesday when they battle the Anaheim Ducks. Vancouver and Anaheim will play twice more this season, with the final game coming in April. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 21: Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on March 21, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs have a habit of playing with their food, but the talent difference between them and their opponents makes up for it on most nights. Eventually, they flexed their muscles and there was nothing the visitors could do.
They overwhelmed the Indiana Pacers with paint pressure, which also opened up the outside game, and everyone who got time was a contributor. Victor Wembanyama was like an angry killer wasp on defense, constantly harassing ball handlers, racking up four of his five blocks in the first half. Everything was going smoothly, but his teammates started allowing too much penetration, and their 21-point lead was reduced to eight. It was just three players doing most of the heavy lifting offensively for the Pacers, and the Spurs spent the rest of the game, denying them from getting within striking distance.
Observations
This is a gap year for the Pacers, and despite their abysmal record, they have flashes of being a strong team since a lot of their DNA from the finals run remains. They were searching for 3-pointers in the fourth plus their ball and body movement gave the Spurs some trouble, but the latter’s significant rebounding edge gave them more shots. Keep in mind that the Spurs had three players log multiple offensive rebounds.
These games are valuable at the end of the season because there may be someone who shows coach Mitch Johnson that the playoff rotation should be a bit longer. At the very least, they are showing they can be capable replacements in case of emergencies. Credit to Wemby for being a good teammate by taking a step back to let others shine for most of the game as he focused on defense. He and De’ Aaron Fox were the stars of the fourth quarter.
Dylan Harper and Harrison Barnes were slotted into the lineup for Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell. Harper played eight minutes before taking his rest in his first start, and had most of the first-half playmaking duties while being in attack mode. He got into the lane easily, and had one of his best games of his young career. Barnes was Mr. Reliable, making shots from inside and out. Moreover, the team didn’t get to the line much, yet the offense scored 136.7 per 100 possessions, good enough for the 95th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.
Keldon Johnson led the cavalry off the bench, getting inside at will as bodies bounced off him. He was the team’s leading scorer at halftime with 16 points on 87.5 percent shooting. He’s a physical presence, sort of like the greater of the Ajaxes in The Iliad (ruler of Salamis).
The Spurs are just as good as any team when they raise the pace. They finished with 24 fastbreak points, and Indiana’s turnovers and misses caused it, wearing out their legs.
The zone is risky because of all the space available up top. They went to it with Luke Kornet, but it’s suboptimal with him instead of Wemby because he’s not as laterally quick. Still, Kornet had a solid night, and one of his finest moments was a chase-down block in transition.
MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored three goals to push his season total to 43 and added two assists to help the Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Islanders 7-3 on Saturday night.
Caufield is second in the NHL in goals, two behind Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon.
The Canadiens entered the day third in the Atlantic Division, while the Islanders were the first team outside the playoffs in the tight Eastern Conference.
Juraj Slafkovsky had two goals and two assists, and Nick Suzuki had four assists to bring his season total to 61. Kaiden Guhle added a goal and two assists, Alex Newhook also scored and Jacob Fowler made 19 saves.
Emil Heineman, Simon Holmstrom and Matthew Schaefer scored for New York.
Ilya Sorokin allowed six goals on 32 shots before he was pulled midway through the third period. David Rittich stopped three of four shots in relief as the Islanders dropped their second second straight game. After Schaefer beat Fowler with a one-timer from the point to tie it 45 seconds into the third period, the Canadiens responded with four goals in a row,
Guhle restored the lead when his shot from distance deflected off forward Marc Gatcomb and into the net at 3:17.
Slafkovsky made it 5-3 at 8:08, and Caufield chased Sorokin with a shot between the goalie’s pads with 8:40 to go. Hats rained down on the ice when the American winger buried his 43rd with 5:01 left.
NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 29: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans drives to the basket during the game against the New York Knicks on December 29, 2025 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Eleven games remain on the regular season slate for our heroes. If they hope to leapfrog Boston for the second seed, New York needs to win at least those games in which they are favored. This week offers the Knicks three chances to stack wins against weaker opponents. The last game in this batch will be the first of a four-game road trip, and next week promises stiffer competition. So this week, run the table Knickerbockers!
Sunday, March 22 — Knicks vs Washington Wizards, 7:30 PM (MSG)
The Knicks host the woeful Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. Obviously, the Knicks are heavily favored—the ‘Zards are underdogs against everyone, save perhaps the Pacers, the only club with a worse record. Even the contemptible Kings can look down their noses at Washington!
The Knicks have beaten the Wizards in 11 straight games and twice already this season. In their last meeting, on February 3, the Knicks won 132-101 with Mikal Bridges scoring 23 points and Jalen Brunson adding 21. Will Riley scored 17 for the losing team.
Tuesday, March 24 — Knicks vs New Orleans Pelicans, 7:30 PM (MSG)
When they met on December 29, the Pels pushed New York to the wire but fell short. The Knicks won 130-125 with Jalen Brunson posting 28 points and 10 dimes. Zion Williamson scored 32 in their loss.
The buzz about freshman Derik Queen has quieted of late. Zion’s put up solid numbers, but is not a leader sufficient enough to lift this team out of the bottom tier in the West. Still, they can be feisty and have won six of their last ten. Slacking is discouraged in this one.
Thursday, March 26 — Knicks at Charlotte Hornets, 7:00 PM (MSG)
The Knicks have beaten the Hornets twice this season and will have two more chances before the playoffs. When they played on December 3, the Knicks won 119-104 with Karl-Anthony Towns logging a 35-18 double-double.
Kon Knueppel has shot 7-of-28 in two games against the Knickerbockers this season. He’s a much better shooter than that, so prepare for the double K rookie to deliver better performances in at least one of their next two tilts.
MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored three goals to push his season total to 43 and added two assists to help the Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Islanders 7-3 on Saturday night.
Caufield is second in the NHL in goals, two behind Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon.
The Canadiens are third in the Atlantic Division, while the Islanders are a point behind Detroit for the second wild card in the tight Eastern Conference.
Juraj Slafkovsky had two goals and two assists, and Nick Suzuki had four assists to bring his season total to 61. Kaiden Guhle added a goal and two assists, Alex Newhook also scored and Jacob Fowler made 19 saves.
Emil Heineman, Simon Holmstrom and Matthew Schaefer scored for New York.
Ilya Sorokin allowed six goals on 32 shots before he was pulled midway through the third period. David Rittich stopped three of four shots in relief as the Islanders dropped their second second straight game.
After Schaefer beat Fowler with a one-timer from the point to tie it 45 seconds into the third period, the Canadiens responded with four goals in a row,
Guhle restored the lead when his shot from distance deflected off forward Marc Gatcomb and into the net at 3:17.
Slafkovsky made it 5-3 at 8:08, and Caufield chased Sorokin with a shot between the goalie’s pads with 8:40 to go. Hats rained down on the ice when the American winger buried his 43rd with 5:01 left.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - MARCH 21: Ethan Holliday #2 of the Colorado Rockies prepares to bat during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
A contingent of Colorado Rockies prospects faced off against a contingent of Arizona Diamondbacks prospects in the third annual Spring Breakout game, and the heat ended up being a little too much for the Rockies prospects to handle. It was 104 degrees at first pitch, and 93 by the time the game ended around 7pm local time.
The first-pitch heat nearly foreshadowed the final score, with the Arizona team ultimately coming out on top in the duel in the desert.
Brecht got wrecked
Brody Brecht (No. 3 PuRP) got the start for the Rockies prospect crew, and he did not have a good outing. Things unraveled early, as an error by Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) allowed JD Dix to reach. Then, Jansel Luis singled, followed by back-to-back walks by LuJames Groover and Ryan Waldschmidt to put the Snakes up early. Brecht came back and struck out Gavin Conticello, but then Jose Fernandez and Druw Jones hit back-to-back singles to score three more runs. However, Carlos Virahonda struck out to end the inning after Jones was caught stealing.
Brecht would come back for the second and got a quick ground out of Kayson Cunningham. However, Dix and Luis walked again and Groover drove in Dix as Groover was out at second. After that, Brecht’s day would come to an end.
Final line: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
Extra! Extra! (Bases)
Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP) had an excellent day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. He also attempted to steal a base, but was throw out by catcher Carlos Virahonda to end the second inning.
Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP) went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI, a walk and a strikeout, also knocking a double. He scored Brito and Wilder Dalis (No. 24 PuRP) in the first inning to put the Rockies up 2-0 early before things fell apart on the pitchers mound (see above).
Dalis went 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored and a walk; while Andy Perez went 1-for-3 with a triple, a run scored and strikeout. Condon didn’t have any hits, but he did walk twice.
Walks still haunt
In total, Rockies pitching gave up 10 walks. The only relievers who did not give up a walk were Fidel Ulloa (0.1 IP), Jackson Cox (2.0 IP, 2 H, 3 K), and Welinton Herrera (No. 17 PuRP; 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER)
In the seventh inning, JB Middleton (No. 7 PuRP) came in relieve Antoine Jean, and he immediately issued three-straight walks to start the inning. He got Jose Alpuria to ground into a force out at second, but then an error by Sebastian Blanco put Anderdson Rojas on and allowed Angel Ortiz to score and put the Snakes up 9-3.
Cade Denton entered in relief of Middleton, immediately walking Cristofer Torin. But then he induced an inning-ending double play to get out of the jam.
Up Next
The Major League Rockies will finish up their regular spring training schedule tomorrow against the Athletics. They then host the Detroit Tigers in two exhibition games on Monday and Tuesday before heading to Miami for Opening Day.
First pitch is at 2:10pm MT, and hopefully we don’t all melt.
MONTREAL — This loss to the Canadiens came by entirely different means than two nights ago in Ottawa, when the Islanders just didn’t seem to have it in them. Saturday, though, might be an even worse punch to the mouth.
The Islanders were in this one, leading 2-1 and later tied 3-3. These were two teams in the thick of the playoff race tossing haymakers in prime time in front of a sold-out Bell Centre, the intensity every bit as high as it’ll be in the postseason.
And then Mike Tyson, whaling on some poor sap who couldn’t get knocked out quick enough.
Two nights after playing a disastrous third period in Ottawa, the Islanders were even worse over the final 20 minutes in Montreal.
Montreal’s top line overpowered the Islanders’ trio of Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat, breaking the game open as the Habs scored four consecutive goals on the back of Cole Caufield’s hat trick to hand the visitors a disastrous 7-3 defeat that marks a major setback in the playoff race.
“Sometimes there’s no explanation,” coach Patrick Roy said. “The other teams just have talent and they have skills. If you try to open up the game — I can’t blame our guys to try to open up the game as well because you’re trying to come back in the game.”
After the Penguins had won in the afternoon and the Blue Jackets sealed up their victory over the Kraken, it became all the more critical for the Islanders to leave Bell Centre with two points just to keep pace.
They did not, and as a result cannot regain third place in the Metropolitan Division merely by beating Columbus in an equally critical Sunday match on Long Island.
Cole Caufield (13) scores on Ilya Sorokin during the second period for the first of his three goals in the Islanders’ 7-3 blowout loss to the Canadiens on March 21, 2026 in Montreal. NHLI via Getty Images
Paradoxically, the Islanders played a terrific second period, and yet it was when, according to Roy, the night started to slip away from them. After the Islanders held Montreal without a shot for the period’s first 14:26, the Habs erased a 2-1 deficit over the ensuing 5:34, grabbing a 3-2 lead on goals from Alex Newhook and Caufield.
For good measure, the Islanders had hit two posts in the period, and had a Matthew Schaefer goal disallowed for a (very) high stick.
Even after Schaefer scored his 22nd goal of the year to tie it 3-3 on the power play just 45 seconds into the third, the Isles couldn’t retain their composure.
“We gave up a couple,” Ryan Pulock said. “And then we got carried away trying to chase it really hard.”
Kaiden Guhle gave the home side a 4-3 lead minutes later when his shot from the top of the zone deflected off Marc Gatcomb’s stick and in.
Making matters even worse, the Canadiens extended their lead 8:08 into the third on a Caufield-to-Juraj Slafkovsky goal that saw Pulock simply lose track of the Montreal superstar low in the slot.
Simon Holmstrom scores on Jacob Fowler during the first period of the Islanders’ road blowout loss to the Canadiens. AP
Slafkovsky slammed in Caufield’s pass from behind the net, and a home crowd that had been tense all night was singing celebratory olés.
The singing renewed three minutes later when Caufield got on the end of Slafkovsky’s feed to make it 6-3. That prompted Roy to pull Ilya Sorokin in a bid to leave him fresh for Sunday, essentially raising the white flag on the evening.
Caufield added his third on a power play after Barzal’s frustrations boiled over and he unsuccessfully attempted to fight Nick Suzuki, taking a penalty amid the fracas that followed.
“Tonight was more they made plays through us,” Lee said. “We had a couple missed assignments. I wouldn’t say it was an effort problem. We thought we were a little short on [that] the other night.”
The Islanders had acquitted themselves well through 40 minutes, matching the Habs blow for blow and playing with far more physicality than they showed Thursday. Sorokin stood on his head in the first; the second was perhaps the best 20 minutes the Isles played on this three-game trip.
None of it mattered.
Not after the Isles wilted away in the third, their best players disappearing in the heat of the Bell Centre cauldron.
Roy tried his best to give some positive spin afterward, noting that the Islanders have 10 of their next 12 at home, where they’ve won seven of their past 10, and just need to regroup and refocus. It’s true enough that if they win Sunday, this won’t be remembered for long.
Here’s what’s also true: Their season took a hard turn in the wrong direction over the past few days. It needs to get fixed. Fast.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Ottawa Senators had a dominant game against their provincial rivals beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Saturday night.
Anthony Stolarz was expected to get the start but took a puck to the throat during warm-ups and was sent to hospital for precautionary imaging putting Joseph Woll back in action. Woll had faced 36 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to Carolina on Friday night.
Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Warren Foegele, Michael Amadio and Ridly Greig scored for Ottawa. Tyler Kleven and Jordan Spence added two assists each, and Woll stopped 38 shots.
John Tavares and Easton Cowan scored for the Maple Leafs, who were without captain Auston Matthews who had knee surgery on Thursday. Linus Ullmark made 12 saves.
Trailing 3-1 to start the third the Leafs made it close with a goal by Cowan.
The Senators regained the two-goal lead midway through the period when Amadio scored his 12th of the season, tucking in Spence's rebound. On an odd-man rush Dylan Cozens found Greig in the slot.
The Senators made it 2-0 midway through the period when Giroux grabbed Kleven's rebound and backhanded it past Woll.
Foegele made it 3-0 with just over two minutes remaining when his shot deflected off Simon Benoit, but 21 seconds later Tavares completed the give-and-go with Cowan and beat Ullmark under the arm.
Ottawa opened the scoring at 14:58 of the first with a power-play goal. Stutzle stepped into the faceoff circle and wristed a shot clean past Woll.
Morgan Rielly missed the game and is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Australia has taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in its T20 series against the West Indies after defeating the Caribbean team by 17 runs in St. Vincent on Sunday morning AEDT.
Florida Panthers winger A.J. Greer will have a hearing for boarding Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary.
Greer was assessed a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct for interference in the third period. Zary was forced to exit the game and is not listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
The hearing will be held over the phone, which means Greer can’t be suspended for more than 5 games. If the hearing had been in person, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety could have suspended him for more games.
On the ensuing power play from the hit, the Flames scored twice, securing a 4-1 victory.
“Terrible hit. It was awful,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska told reporters after the game. “I don’t have an update. He’s moving around, he’s fine and all that stuff, but I don’t really have a real indication of what it is yet.”
Prior to the hit, Greer notched his 13th goal and 24th point of the season in 68 games. Greer finished the game with 17 penalty minutes and 13:23 of ice time.
Greer was suspended once by the NHL Department of Player Safety in 2023 for cross-checking, missing just one game. Greer was a member of the Boston Bruins at the time.
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 21: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the first half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on March 21, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers narrowly won their final game of this road trip. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.
LOSER- Offensive Purpose
I’ll just say it. This was one of the uglier games the Cavs have played this season. Calling it sloppy would be an understatement. For long stretches of this game, I had no idea what they were attempting to accomplish.
Aimless three-point attempts. Turnovers that made them look like an AAU basketball team. And truly, no sense of direction on offense.
James Harden went scoreless in the first half while the Cavs mustered up just 19 points in the second quarter. There really aren’t enough fingers to blame everyone. It took a full team effort to nearly blow this game
I’ll dish out criticisms for Mitchell and Harden, who looked half asleep for the first three quarters. Dennis Schroder hopped off the bench and turned in a disaster class. Nae’Qwan Tomlin apparently signed up for the same class. Thomas Bryant, while effective with 11 points and 8 rebounds, ultimately looked out of place in this up-tempo match.
Had it not been for a complete turnaround in the fourth quarter, I would have been prepared to call this the worst loss of the season. And we haven’t even talked about the defense yet.
LOSER – 3PT Containment
I don’t want to beat a dead horse. The truth is, I could copy and paste any of my previous winners and losers to explain what’s wrong with the defense. Let’s try to condense this by explaining what went wrong tonight.
Herb Jones had never taken 10 three-pointers in a game before. He did it in the first half tonight. You see, you can’t always control whether or not your opponent shoots efficiently, but you can at least limit their attempts. The Pelicans, who are among the league’s worst three-point shooting teams, had already made nine three-pointers entering halftime. That’s nothing crazy, but it’s just two shy of their average for entire games this season.
Yeah. The Pelicans are that bad.
The Cavs are giving up 3PAs at one of the highest rates in the NBA. It’s a systemic problem that allows even teams like the Pelicans to momentarily burn them.
Fortunately, the Cavs flipped this around and held the Pelicans to just three three-pointers in the second half. But if you allow the floodgates to remain open like this, you’re going to get washed away more often than not.
WINNER – The Fourth Quarter
I’m reluctant to reward this team after the way they played in the second and third quarters. But they don’t ask how, they only ask how many. The Cavs did enough in the fourth quarter to win this game. Let’s break it down.
Cleveland had worked itself into a 15-point hole entering the final frame. All of the above reasons led to that deficit. Naturally, fixing those issues in the fourth quarter is what led to them turning the tables.
Magically, the Cavs began playing defense again. Williamson was met with a wall in the paint. Three-point shooters were run off the line or contested at their release. Ball handlers were pressured. Turnovers were forced. And the Cavs used their defense to build momentum on offense.
New Orleans went four full minutes without scoring a field goal in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell led a seismic wave to create a 28-6 run in favor of Cleveland. The backcourt combined for 25 of Cleveland’s 35 points in the final quarter.
It’s nice that the Cavaliers flipped the switch and won this game. Yet, it also proves that so many of their current problems can be resolved by simply playing harder. That’s a bittersweet reality in a game you almost blew.
