MONTREAL (AP) — Lane Hutson scored on a slap shot at 2:09 of overtime and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series that has opened with three extra-time thrillers.
Hutson fired a shot from the top of right circle that went through traffic and found the top left corner behind goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy on the only shot on goal in overtime.
Kirby Dach tied it for Montreal with 7:17 left in the second period. He fired a snap shot through traffic from the top of the right circle that beat Vasilevskiy on the short side.
Game 4 is Sunday night in Montreal. The Canadiens took the opener 4-3 on Sunday and the Lightning countered 3-2 on Tuesday night.
MAMMOTH 4, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lawson Crouse scored twice in a 5:42 span in the second period and Utah won the first NHL playoff game in the state, beating Vegas for a 2-1 series lead.
Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is Monday night in Salt Lake City. In Las Vegas in the first two games, Vegas won the opener 4-2 on Sunday and Utah replied with a 3-2 victory Tuesday.
The Mammoth are in their second season in Utah after leaving Arizona.
MacKenzie Weegar and Dylan Guenther scored for Utah in the first period, with Guenther striking on a power play. Crouse had a tip-in at 4:06 of the second and struck on a long shot at 9:48 to make it 4-0.
Karel Vejmelka made 29 saves for the Mammoth, who had only 12 shots on goal against Carter Hart. Clayton Keller had two assists.
DUCKS 7, OILERS 4
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson scored 42 seconds apart in the third period, Mikael Granlund had a goal and two assists, and Anaheim celebrated their first home playoff game in eight years with a victory over Edmonton and a 2-1 series lead.
Jeffrey Viel and Jackson LaCombe also scored in the third and Lukas Dostal made 20 saves for the upstart Ducks, who have poured in 16 goals in three games to take an early lead in this first-round series against the two-time Western Conference champion Oilers. Mason McTavish and Alex Killorn scored early goals.
Hundreds of fans who tossed their Golden Knights jerseys into a bin in exchange for a Utah Mammoth sweater before Game 3 of the teams' opening round series had plenty to cheer about Friday night.
The Mammoth scored four unanswered goals and held off Vegas' late rally for a 4-2 win in Salt Lake City to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series.
Lawson Crouse scored twice in the second period, including the game-winning goal, to lead Utah's offensive attack. MacKenzie Weegar and Dylan Guenther also scored for the Mammoth, while Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots.
Jack Eichel scored his first goal of the postseason in the second period, while Nic Dowd cut Utah's lead in half in the third period with his second of the postseason. Carter Hart made eight saves, as Utah managed just 12 shots.
"They got the first goal, I thought we came in, we had a good first 10 minutes," Eichel said. "We knew it was gonna be a good environment. I thought we played a good game. It was a bit of a weird one. We didn't give up a ton."
Vegas' 20-shot differential made it difficult to understand how the Knights lost an ample opportunity to steal the home-ice edge back, especially with Utah managing just one shot in the third period.
The Mammoth continued to do a good job of slowing Vegas' offensive attack in the neutral zone, which has meant quality chances from the offensive zone.
Vejmelka, for the most part though, was a wall for the Mammoth, improving to 2-1 in the postseason after allowing just two goals for the second straight game.
"It's always unfortunate when you lose, there's gonna be games where you play great and you don't get the outcome that you want," said Dowd, who added three shots to his goal. "I think there's a reason why it's a seven-game series and not a one-game playoff or a three-game series. You're not gonna win every single game. You do the math, you can lose 12 and still win a Stanley Cup.
"We're on to the next game."
KEY MOMENT
With former Knight Nate Schmidt in the box for an interference call against Tomas Hertl, Vegas had a chance to seize momentum by scoring a power-play goal before the second intermission. A goal would have cut Utah's lead in half, and clearly would have been momentous for Vegas coming out of the locker room down 4-2, rather than 4-1.
KEY STAT
0 for 4 ... After finishing the regular season with the sixth-best power play (24.6%), the Knights failed to capitalize on any of their four opportunities in Game 3. They were 1 for 1 in Game 1 and 1 for 4 in Game 2, but failed four times in Game 3. After a power play in each of the first two periods, two more came in the third period, but the Knights couldn't bully the newest franchise.
"Obviously, the power play, we have to find a way to score as a group," Eichel said. "We hit two hockey posts in that second one in the second period. It just needs to be simplified, urgency, get pucks to the net, crash the net. But at the same time, we gotta be confident when we have it and make the right play. Unfortunately, we weren't able to score tonight. It's something we need to help the team with the man advantage."
WHAT A KNIGHT
Eichel appeared to be as active as he could have been during 22:23 time on ice. He had three shots to go along with his goal. He also registered 6:37 TOI during the power play, and another 0:25 during a penalty kill. Last season, after the Knights fell behind 1-2 in their opening-round series with the Minnesota Wild, Eichel had an assist in the Knights' 4-3 overtime win in Game 4, the first of six straight playoff games that he registered a point.
UP NEXT
The Golden Knights continue their best-of-seven playoff series with the Mammoth in Game 4 from Salt Lake City on Monday.
"We're a veteran group," Eichel said. "We've been in a situation of being down in series. We know it's a best-of-seven. In terms of a response, just go out there and play our game. Do the things that make us successful. We're gonna prepare for Monday and go find a way to win a hockey game."
PHOTO CAPTION
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) plays the puck against the Utah Mammoth during the second period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Delta Center.
SALT LAKE CITY — Lawson Crouse scored twice in a 5:42 span in the second period and the Utah Mammoth won the first NHL playoff game in the state, beating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Friday night for a 2-1 series lead.
Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is Monday night in Salt Lake City. In Las Vegas in the first two games, Vegas won the opener 4-2 on Sunday and Utah replied with a 3-2 victory Tuesday.
The Mammoth are in their second season in Utah after leaving Arizona.
MacKenzie Weegar and Dylan Guenther scored for Utah in the first period, with Guenther striking on a power play. Crouse had a tip-in at 4:06 of the second and struck on a long shot at 9:48 to make it 4-0.
Karel Vejmelka made 29 saves for the Mammoth, who had only 12 shots on goal against Carter Hart. Clayton Keller had two assists.
Jack Eichel got Vegas on the board with 6:40 left in the second. Nic Dowd made it 4-2 with 3:08 left in the third.
Weegar opened the scoring with 7:01 left in the first, tracking down a feed from Liam O’Brien and blasting the puck between the circles.
Guenther converted on a power play with 2:14 to go in the period on a slap shot from the top of the left circle.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 24: Josh Naylor #12 of the Seattle Mariners slides safely into home plate for a run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning at Busch Stadium on April 24, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mariners fans are still waiting for this offense to break through in the way we know they’re capable of, but in the meantime, please enjoy this Classic Mariners One-Run Win, featuring: a strong-n-long outing from a starter! A shutdown performance from the bullpen! And everyone’s favorite, Just Enough Offense!
The Mariners got on the board first with some small ball: Randy Arozarena led off the second inning with a double, moved to third on a Luke Raley flyout, and scored on a nice two-out RBI single from Cole Young, Young pouncing on a first-pitch fastball and sending it back where it came from.
This was especially good because Cardinals starter Andre Pallante was hard for the Mariners hitters to solve; he racked of up five of his six strikeouts in the first five innings on the slider, which the Mariners hitters just could not seem to pick up. So this is a good plan here by Young to ambush the first-pitch fastball and not let Pallante get to his slider. Someone is putting himself in line for a postgame trip to Dave and Buster’s.
The Mariners were able to small-ball around another run in the fourth, thanks to what we’ll call a leadoff Josh Naylor double (walk, stolen base), but Arozarena and Raley then struck out back-to-back on the slider, natch. With two outs, though, Dominic Canzone came through this time, punching a sinker through the hole in the left side of the infield to score a hustling Naylor.
That slide would be a dream for foley artists to score, but who cares, it worked.
However, all that careful small-balling was undone in the fourth. After looking deadly sharp for 3.1 innings, Kirby seemingly lost the handle in an at-bat against Alex Burleson, walking him on five pitches – the fifth being one Cal Raleigh could have challenged, and in retrospect, probably should have, because Kirby suffered some poor luck after. Jordan Walker hit into what could have been an inning-ending double play but was able to leg it out as the play developed slowly, and then Nolan Gorman turned on an inside sinker and pulled it into right field for a ground-rule double. It looked like the Mariners might have lucked into not allowing a run to score, pinning Walker at third thanks to the ball bouncing into the crowd, but in a 1-2 count Masyn Winn reached into the opposite batter’s box to parachute a slider into right field for a game-tying single. Frustrating!
The Mariners weren’t able to answer back in their half-inning despite Cal Raleigh walking and taking second on a wild pitch, but Kirby did his job to hang another zero with a quick inning in the bottom of the fifth despite giving up another annoying parachute single.
Josh Naylor then helped out in the sixth with a solo homer, clobbering a fastball at the bottom of the zone for his third homer of the season – a 418-foot blast that looked softer than it was actually hit, at 107.3 mph off the bat. This would wind up being the difference in the game, and it’s great to see Naylor’s bat continue to heat up as he wreaks havoc in all facets of the game:
After striking out Arozarena on that dang slider again, Pallante’s day was done, as the Cardinals went to the bullpen to get lefty Justin Bruihl to contend with Seattle’s raft of lefties – meaning Luke Raley’s day was also done. Rob Refsnyder kept things going with a seven-pitch walk, and Canzone – who won the right to stick around against a lefty – followed that with a walk of his own. Sadly, Cole Young killed all those good vibes by grounding into a double play, knocking his contributions back to net zero for the game. He’s gonna have to work harder if he wants to earn that trip to Dave and Buster’s postgame.
Kirby came back out for the seventh with his pitch count still in the 70s, but Winn ambushed a first-pitch sinker for a ground ball base hit. Not messing around, Dan Wilson mashed the Matt Brash button and then Matt Brash mashed José Fermin into a fine paste.
After Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo combined to hurl a scoreless eighth, Andrés Muñoz came on for the close and again showed a solid return to form, allowing one stupid little ground ball base hit on a slider but also netting two strikeouts, including the game-ender.
Fun! We would love to see some more offense, of course, but this felt like a Vintage Mariners Win, like a favorite book you’ve read before but will happily read again. Sometimes it’s nice to play the hits.
TORONTO, CANADA - NOVEMBER 24:Immanuel Quickley #5 of the Toronto Raptors passes the ball during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 24, 2025 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Toronto Raptors announced Friday that point guard Immanuel Quickley will not be available for the remainder of the team’s first round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Quickley, who was recovering from a hamstring issue, re-injured it during the rehabilitation process. The team added that an update will be provided “as appropriate”.
After several injury-plagued seasons, Quickley appeared in 70 this past year – his most since 2022-2023 when he was a member of the New York Knicks. He is also one of the team’s better three-point shooters at 37% and he attempts the most threes per game on the team. That floor spacing is imperative on a team that is challenged offensively at keeping up with their opponents when the scoring starts coming. On the year, Quickley averaged 16.4 points and 5.9 assists per game.
In his absence, the Raptors have started Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter so far in the series. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, who was very effective in Game 3 with 22 points off the bench, could also start in Quickley’s place.
The Cavs catch a break with Quickley being ruled out for the series, which narrows the margin of error even more for the Raptors. Cleveland’s offense was very poor in Game 3, but they muscled their way through the first half with a tie and put themselves in position to win entering the fourth quarter. The final score is not indicative of how much the Cavs fought back, so there is good reason to believe the offense will look better in Game 4 just due to regression back to the mean. Toronto, meanwhile, shot 61% from deep in Game 3 – well above their season average.
They did not necessarily need him for Game 3, but Toronto certainly would have liked to see Quickley on the court for another near must-win Game 4. The Raptors trail the series 2-1, and its is fair to say that the first two games are more indicative of what the baseline is for these two teams. The Cavs have had one of the best offenses since the All-Star break, and the Raptors have struggled mightily in that same timeframe.
The Cavs and Raptors will square off in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.
Apr 24, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Nathaniel Lowe (31) hits a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
The Tigers continued their string of games against National League Central opponents on Friday night, in the opener of a three-game series against the Reds on the banks of the Ohio River. There was a big early lead which evaporated, and then a nice comeback for a late lead, but one final home run doomed the Detroiters in a 9-8 walk-off loss.
Making his sixth start of the season for the Detroiters was Framber Valdez. He was coming off a very solid six-inning outing in Boston in which he gave up one run, walked two and struck out seven. It took me a long time to find strikeout percentage — eventually I found it buried deep in Advanced Pitching on Baseball Reference — and his is quite a bit below his career average so far this year. For his career, his strikeout percentage is 23.3% (MLB average has been 22.7% over that time); in 2026, in the small sample we have, it’s been 15.8%.
Andrew Abbott started for the Reds, and his season so far hasn’t been great: his ERA coming into tonight was 5.84 (although his FIP was only 4.32, so he’s been a bit unlucky). But if you’re surrendering four walks and over eleven hits per nine innings, you’re going to have a lot of traffic on the basepaths, and that usually doesn’t help you win too many ball games. A stat in Abbott’s favour, though, is that he’s generally limited hard contact, and that’s a very important stat at Riverfront Stadium Great American Ball Park.
Well, that wasn’t of much use in the second inning when he hung a sweeping breaking ball right into the path of Riley Greene’s bat; he proceeded to clobber that thing into the right-centrefield stands for a 1-0 lead.
A walk and an infield single off Javier Báez’s glove started the bottom of the second, and a double steal pushed the runners up to second and third with one out. But Valdez bore down and struck out the next two hitters, stranding the runners and getting out of the jam.
Báez led off the bottom of the third and refused to be excluded from the home run party, clubbing a fat 3-0 fastball to centre for a 2-0 lead. With one out, Gleyber Torres walked, Kevin McGonigle singled, and a Matt Vierling double plated both runners for a 4-0 Tiger lead.
Valdez, meanwhile, was looking good early on — he kept righties off-kilter with plenty of changeups and curveballs. He got into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the third by walking a pair of hitters with two outs. But then Sal Stewart, who’s having a sensational rookie year so far, spanked a scorching liner deep to left field — but Greene made a fine running catch for the third out.
In the fourth the Tigers just kept coming: Spencer Torkelson doubled to lead off, and then with two outs Jahmai Jones, getting a start against a lefty, singled up the middle, scoring Torkelson and making the lead 5-0… which would not hold up, as it turns out.
Kyle Nicolas, a childhood friend of Dillon Dingler, relieved Abbott to start the fifth and he had trouble finding the plate, walking the first two batters he’d face, Torres and McGonigle. Vierling flew out but advanced Torres to third, and Dingler came up to face a guy he grew up with. The battle reached nine pitches, but on that ninth pitch Dingler hit a comebacker to Nicolas to start an inning-ending 1-4-3 double play.
The walks kept coming for Valdez in the fifth, and with one out he walked Dane Myers. That was a bad idea, as Matt McLain then hit a home run to cut the lead to 5-2. After Elly De La Cruz singled, AJ Hinch had seen enough and Kyle Finnegan was brought in. On the first pitch Dingler made a great throw to nab De La Cruz stealing, which certainly helped, and Stewart struck out, which helped even more as it was the third out.
Valdez’s final line: 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 4 K. Not great, Bob.
The Tigers loaded the bases with none out in the sixth via a Greene single, a Torkelson walk and a Colt Keith single. Nicolas departed in favour of Pierce Johnson, and Báez hit a grounder to shortstop. De La Cruz came home to get the lead runner, and catcher Tyler Stephenson threw to first but upon review Báez narrowly beat out the throw to first to get out of a double play and keep the bases loaded. However, Kerry Carpenter, pinch-hitting for Jones, hit a liner right at De La Cruz who snared it and doubled-off Keith to end the inning.
That’s a squander, right there. If the Tigers had scored — as one would expect in a bases-loaded, none-out situation — that would likely have changed the outcome of the game.
The Reds further narrowed the Tigers’ lead with one out in the sixth, as Finnegan served up a fat splitter that Nathaniel Lowe launched almost 440 feet (134 m) into the stands to make it 5-3. Rece Hinds doubled down the right-field line with two out as the heavy rain started, but Finnegan struck out Ke’Bryan Hayes looking for the third out of the inning to limit the damage.
A cursory glance at the weather radar didn’t offer a lot of hope for a quick resolution to this precipitation conundrum. But after almost two hours the rain had stopped and the field was suitably prepared, and play resumed at the start of the seventh inning. Brock Burke took over on the mound for the Reds, and he plunked McGonigle on the right hand; he stayed in the game and then swiped second base. But a Dingler groundout ended the inning and it was all for naught.
Will Vest took over for Finnegan after the delay and it did not go well: a four-pitch walk and another two-run home run by McLain tied the game at 5; yep, that comfortable lead was gone. After getting two outs but surrendering a double, Brant Hurter was brought in to face a lefty, and a routine grounder to Báez (now at second base) resulted in the ball being thrown away and the run scoring from second. Another double scored another run and it was 7-5 for the Reds.
Torkelson took matters into his own hands in the eighth, as he turned around a belt-high fastball for a solo home run — his third in three days — to narrow the gap to 7-6. Then, Keith lined a single and Carpenter sat on a fastball and blasted it over the right-field fence to retake the lead 8-7.
Drew Anderson was brought in for the bottom of the eighth; which version of Anderson would we see? Well, it was the version that got two strikeouts and a harmless fly ball, which I’ll definitely take any day.
Graham Ashcraft, who obviously made me think of Richard Ashcroft and how good The Verve’s Urban Hymns is, came on for the ninth and nothing particularly of note happened.
That brought Kenley Jansen into the game, who needed 36 pitches to lock down the win against Milwaukee on Wednesday. After a flyout and a strikeout, Spencer Steer poked a single into right field to put the tying run on base. That would prove to be fateful, as Jansen left an 0-1 sinker middle up right in the meatball zone. Lowe launched his second home run of the night deep into a misty Ohio night, sealing the victory for the home team.
Jahmai Jones went 0-for-10 to start his season; mind you, he wasn’t getting many opportunities as the Tigers didn’t face too many left-handed pitchers.
Since that slow start, coming into tonight, he’s been 6-for-15 with a pair of home runs, including the tying solo home run against the Brewers on Thursday afternoon — but not including the RBI single in the fifth.
There were plenty of Tiger fans in attendance at the stadium on the riverfront, and could be easily heard on the broadcast.
Jon Bois has a new weird series about charging the mound. If I were you, I’d make some time for this.
On this day in 1916 the Easter Rising began in Dublin, Ireland as a rebellion against British rule. It was the first real step towards Irish independence, which was declared in 1918 after Sinn Féin won the first real elections in the country.
“The desperate team normally wins in the playoffs,” Redick said, “the more desperate team.”
Despite missing two of their best players in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the entire series, the Lakers have been the better team in the matchup.
And on Friday night, they were also the more desperate team.
After trailing by six points fewer than 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Lakers pulled off a miraculous comeback against the Kevin Durant-less Rockets, beating the Rockets 112-108 in overtime on Friday night at Toyota Center to take a three-game lead in the series.
“There’s a lot of things that happened that were not perfect, including some stuff I did,” Redick said postgame. “But you just kind of get onto the next play. And that, to me, is a hallmark of poise; that’s a hallmark of composure. It’s tough to win on the road in the playoffs. Even without KD, they’re a great basketball team and that was a huge test for us, especially in that moment where we’re down six.”
Despite trailing by six points with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Lakers pulled off a miraculous comeback against the Kevin Durant-less Rockets APBut the Rockets scratched and clawed their way to victory after falling behind by double digits in the first half. AP
Marcus Smart had 21 points, 10 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocked shots.
Rui Hachimura scored 22 points, including 16 in the first quarter, while Luke Kennard added 14 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds. Jaxson Hayes had 12 points and 4 rebounds off the bench.
The Rockets scratched and clawed their way back into the game after falling behind by 15 in the first half, trailing by 11 at halftime and five at the end of the third quarter.
Alperen Sengun (33 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists), Amen Thompson (26 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists) and Jabari Smith Jr. (24 points, 6 rebounds) all had their best games of the series so far.
But the Lakers prevailed.
The Lakers are up 3-0 in the best-of-seven series against the Rockets, all guaranteeing that they’ll advance to the second round of the playoffs. AP
What it means
The Lakers are up 3-0 in the best-of-seven series against the Rockets, all guaranteeing that they’ll advance to the second round of the playoffs.
No team in NBA history has come back from down 0-3 in a playoff series, with the teams that were up 3-0 advancing all 125 times since the NBA moved to a 16-team playoff in 1984.
The Lakers haven’t been up 3-0 in a playoff series since 2010 when they swept the Jazz in the second round.
Turning point
With the Rockets leading 101-98 with 20 seconds left in regulation, James tapped the ball out of Sheppard’s hand from behind to Smart in the frontcourt.
Smart passed the ball to James, who passed to Kennard, who passed back to James, who hit a corner 3-pointer to tie the game at 101 apiece with 14 seconds left.
Hayes got the defensive stop on Sengun on the Rockets’ ensuing possession, with James grabbing the defensive rebound.
James missed the potential game-winning 3 at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 24: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots a three point basket during the game against the Houston Rockets during Round 1 Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, 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 (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
A couple of weeks ago, the thought of the Lakers being lucky injury-wise was laughable. However, now that they’ve played three playoff games, LA is trending in a positive direction with its injuries, and other Western Conference teams are in trouble.
The Denver Nuggets are trailing 2-1 in their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Aaron Gordon missed Game 3 with tightness in his calf. The San Antonio Spurs are tied 1-1 against the Portland Trail Blazers, but were without Victor Wembanyama in Game 3 due to a concussion.
And the Oklahoma City Thunder may be up 2-0 against the Phoenix Suns, but Jalen Williams sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated weekly.
The Lakers, on the other hand, are in front of the Houston Rockets 3-0, have suffered no additional injuries and Austin Reaves is inching closer to a return.
Barring a setback, his return is imminent. LA is winning, Reaves is returning and, suddenly, a season that felt like a loss has gotten interesting once again.
So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
LeBron had a slow start to this game, but he certainly picked up his production as the contest progressed. He had an amazing moment in the first half, lobbing the ball to Bronny and adding another historic moment to this family affair.
In the third, LeBron scored some timely baskets to keep the Rockets away and when Houston took over late in the fourth, Bron poked the ball away from Reed Sheppard and hit a huge three to extend the game to overtime.
He was incredible, and as LA’s leader, he’s found a way to get this team out to a 3-0 lead despite their two other stars being unavailable. This series will be part of his highlight reel in a career filled with iconic moments.
Hachimura was an offensive monster in this game. He started the game a perfect 6-6 from the field and remained impactful the rest of the way. Hachimura is a playoff riser, and he’s been that throughout his Lakers tenure.
Ayton had a rough game and was benched once again during clutch time in the fourth. However, he played in overtime, won a jump ball over Alperen Şengün and had some good defensive possessions against the Rockets’ big.
He needs to be better, but he stepped up in small ways when it mattered late in this game.
The Lakers don’t win this game without Marcus Smart. He scored 21 points, had some huge defensive rebounds and knocked down some clutch free throws in overtime to bury the Rockets.
He’s as tough as nails on the court, and his intensity is something you simply can’t teach. He establishes this team’s identity and makes everyone around him better by his mere presence.
Hayes didn’t dominate in this game, but he had a monster dunk in the first half and had a key stop against Şengün in the closing seconds to extend the game to overtime.
He was a defensive liability late in this contest, but the Lakers won and the timely stop helps the outlook on his overall performance.
LaRavia had some awful misses, was turning the ball over, stumbling on the ground and started to get passive with his shot attempts in the second half. Props to LaRavia for playing through an ankle sprain, but he has been horrendous.
Hopefully, he plays better because the Lakers have a tight rotation and can’t afford to have someone playing this badly.
It turns out that if you play Vando more, his offense improves and his defense remains elite. He had some nice passes in this game and an impressive up-and-under finish at the rim.
I doubt head coach JJ Redick will keep him in the rotation once Luka Dončić and Reaves come back, but he should seriously consider it.
Grade: B
Bronny James
9 minutes, 5 points, 1 foul, 2-2 FG, 1-1 3PT, +4
Bronny had a great moment in the second quarter, converting on a lob from LeBron, and a short shift in the fourth that was okay. The growth he’s had recently is impressive, but it still might be a bit too much playing time for a close contest in the postseason.
Grade: B
Nick Smith Jr.
Smith Jr. appeared only on the final play of regulation and will also not be graded.
JJ Redick
It wasn’t a perfect game for Redick. He couldn’t help the Lakers as they struggled offensively in the third and playing Bronny in the fourth was rough.
Still, he made the right calls in overtime, going with Ayton, and used his timeouts effectively down the stretch. Redick has done a superb job with his game plan throughout this series and Game 3 was no exception.
The Mets were hoping to extend their winning streak to three games on Friday, especially with their ace Freddy Peralta on the mound against the Rockies.
Unfortunately for the Mets, their high-profile trade acquisition was good but not great and, more importantly, could not go deep into the game again as New York fell, 4-3.
Peralta, who suffered his third consecutive loss, allowed just two runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out eight batters. However, he only pitched 5.2 innings and gave way to a beleaguered Mets bullpen, which would not keep the Rockies lineup off the scoreboard.
After Friday's loss, Peralta's ERA is at a respectable -- for this time of year -- 3.90, but the right-hander's inability to work deep into games this season may be concerning.
He's pitched a complete six innings just once to this point and has not recorded an out in the seventh at all with the Mets. Look even further back and Peralta hasn't recorded an out in the seventh since July 13, 2025.
"He’ll get there, he’s an ace," manager Carlos Mendoza said of Peralta after the loss. "I’m not worried about that. I trust him and I know that he’s more than capable of going long in the game."
So, is there a reason during his starts this season that haven't allowed Peralta to pitch deep? The Mets skipper doesn't believe there's any one thing, but every start has been different.
"I thought today, stuff-wise, was good," he said. "That swinging bunt [by Ezequial Tovar in the sixth] changes the whole thing... In general, every case has been different. I thought today, it was that one pitch the lefty [Jake McCarthy] was very aggressive. A walk here and there, trying to be too perfect…in general, he’s been pretty solid."
That last part from Mendoza, Peralta actually agreed with.
"I think mentally, I have to allow myself to keep trusting in the process because I feel amazing. I feel very good," Peralta said of what's holding him back. "Everything’s been great, the work I put in every day. It just, whenever I get to the mound, I finish it, that’s it. I know a lot of those are going to come soon.
"Sometimes [wanting to go deep into games] comes to my mind, I got to finish this. I think I put pressure on myself just thinking about it."
Peralta said that mentality has forced him to be too fine with his pitches sometimes, and that has led to walks and hits.
Friday, Peralta's seven hits allowed were a season high, and he has now issued three walks in three of his last four starts.
"[This has] happened in the past, and then everything’s fine again and I’ve been working on it," Peralta said. "It’s only six games into the season and I’ve been fine. The most important thing is that I’m feeling good... Everything. Pitching arsenal, body, how I feel, my arm. Everything is feeling very good."
It's a very tall mountain for the Penguins to climb, and getting themselves back into this series won't be easy. Teams down 3-0 in a series are 4-209 all-time in NHL history, so comebacks of this nature almost never happen.
So, if the Penguins have any hope to be the fifth, they are going to need to make some adjustments.
Much of what has been giving the Penguins headaches throughout this series so far has been the Flyers' stacking the blue line and playing a neutral zone trap that they can't seem to solve, forcing them to play dump-and-chase hockey that they aren't built for. While there's only so much they can do to counteract that issue, there are some adjustments they can make - lineup or otherwise - to give themselves better opportunities to score and lessen their chances of giving up prime scoring opportunities against.
Here are three adjustments the Penguins should consider making prior to Game 4:
During the stretch run of the regular season, the pairing of Kris Letang and Sam Girard actually started to gain some traction and improve alongside one another.
But, in the playoffs, a reversion has happened.
According to Moneypuck, the pairing of Girard and Letang has a measly 42.9 percent expected goals share. And, even if plus/minus is, generally, a pretty arbitrary stat, Letang is a minus-5 and Girard a minus-3 in this series - which are significant numbers across only three games and are the worst marks among Penguins' defensemen.
It appears that Penguins' head coach Dan Muse is going back to this pairing in Game 4, even if Connor Clifton looks like he has been swapped out for Ilya Solovyov on the bottom pairing - another change that needed to happen. However, if things start off on the wrong foot yet again for Girard and Letang, Muse should have a short leash.
Even if the pairing wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire earlier in the season, reuniting Letang with a more familiar partner in Ryan Shea might not be the worst thing. It also gives the Penguins a puck-moving defenseman on each pairing as well as a more traditional stay-at-home partner on each.
Again, if things look bleak early, this should be a default move for Muse.
Putting Chinakhov on the first PP unit, out in six-on-five
Everyone knows by now just how lethal a shot Egor Chinakhov possesses. He may not be playing his best hockey in this series, and he has missed the net with a glaring frequency in these first three games.
But, at the end of the day, he shoots the puck. And he's got a talent for it, too. In a series and in situations where goals are absolutely necessary, why isnt' he on the ice?
Chinakhov being on the first power play unit is something that should have happened ages ago. He has enough defensive awareness to cover up high and man the left point on the power play, and he - obviously - has a weapon as a shoot-first type from that spot.
But, even more so than the first power play unit, the fact that he is not deployed in six-on-five situations is simply mind-boggling.
In the game's most desperate few minutes, teams should be deploying the players on the ice that give them the best chance to put the puck in the net. Chinakhov scored at a 34-goal pace with the Penguins during the regular season, and - again - his devastating shot and reputation as a shoot-first player are huge reasons why.
With a weapon like that at your disposal, why not use him? Again, with the awareness he's shown, there's no harm, no foul in having him out in these situations. And, when your team needs a goal most, perhaps it makes sense to have arguably your best goal-scorer on the ice.
The truth of the matter is that the Penguins cannot continue to attack the Flyers the same way they have been in the first three games and expect different results. They need to use the middle of the ice more, play more of a dump-and-chase style when necessary, and use energy and offensive zone pressure to overwhelm the Flyers in their own zone.
And this is why having a good forechecker on each line is going to be key for the Penguins.
To be honest, I do think a guy like Avery Hayes in this series could have made a great deal of difference on the third line. This is the exact style that suits a player like him. But, without him as an option, the Penguins have Bryan Rust on the first line (as well as Rickard Rakell, who also excels at certain aspects of the forecheck), Tommy Novak on the second, Elmer Soderblom on the third, and, well, pretty much all three of those types on the fourth line.
The Penguins will need to play some "get-your-hands-dirty" hockey in order to win this game and have a shot at coming back in this series. They need to generate more around the net-front and more second-chance opportunities, but it all starts with deploying players who can win footraces to pucks, win puck battles, win physical battles, and get the cycle going.
Hopefully, the lineup deployment in this game will help lend to doing that. Good forechecking will be essential for the Penguins.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are bringing in some reinforcements for the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
They have officially signed forwards Kale Dach, Jordan Charron, and Travis Hayes to amateur tryout agreements. The news was released on Thursday.
Dach was picked by the Penguins in the seventh round of the 2025 NHL Draft and just wrapped up a great season with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen, finishing with 34 goals and 75 points in 63 games. He also compiled three goals and seven points in seven playoff games.
The Penguins have signed Kale Dach, Jordan Charron and Travis Hayes to amateur tryout agreements. All three forwards were drafted by Pittsburgh in this past summer's 2025 NHL Entry Draft.https://t.co/YjWqK3T59Bpic.twitter.com/D4fFtEnqYC
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) April 23, 2026
It will go down as his only season in the WHL since he's committed to Penn State for the 2026-27 season.
Charron was selected by the Penguins in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Draft and just played his second season with the OHL's Soo Greyhounds. He finished with 25 goals and 47 points in 66 games before compiling three goals and four points in 10 playoff games.
Hayes was a fourth-round pick by the Penguins in last year's draft and has been Charron's teammate for the last two years. He finished the 2025-26 season with 16 goals and 40 points in 63 games and had one goal and three points in 10 playoff games. He's also the younger brother of Avery Hayes.
WBS is still waiting to learn who it will face in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: Makai Lemon rings the bell before the game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics during Round 1 Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Eagles were busy handling business on Friday night as they navigated Day 2 of the NFL Draft, but the real action was at the Sixers game.
Not only was first-round pick Makai Lemon inaugurated into Philly sports culture by ringing the bell ahead of the Sixers-Celtics game, but he took in the game court-side next to DeVonta Smith. Tank Bigsby was also in attendance, and later in the night, after the Eagles officially traded for Jonathan Greenard, it turns out the former Vikings edge rusher was in the building for the Sixers’ game, too.
John Clark tracked down Jonathan Greenard in record time 😂
Greenard spoke to John Clark about the environment from Philly fans was exactly what he was expecting, and while he doesn’t quite know how he’ll fit into Vic Fangio’s scheme, he called the DC a genius and said they’ll figure it out.
It’s always cool to see the connection between the Philly sports teams, and there’s nothing like a handful of Eagles — new and old — taking in some playoff basketball together, surrounded by the same fans who will be cheering for them in a few months.
MONTREAL — Lane Hutson scored on a slap shot at 2:09 of overtime and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series that has opened with three extra-time thrillers.
Hutson fired a shot from the top of right circle that went through traffic and found the top left corner behind goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy on the only shot on goal in overtime.
Kirby Dach tied it for Montreal with 7:17 left in the second period. He fired a snap shot through traffic from the top of the right circle that beat Vasilevskiy on the short side.
Game 4 is Sunday night in Montreal. The Canadiens took the opener 4-3 on Sunday and the Lightning countered 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Dach assisted on Alexandre Texier’s opening goal at 4:53 of the first period. Jakub Dobes stopped 15 shots,
Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel scored for Tampa Bay, and Vasilevskiy made 26 saves. In the third, Vasilevskiy stymied Cole Caufield and Josh Anderson on breakaways.
Point tied it on a power play at 7:42 of the first. After Dobes was penalized for tripping Yanni Gourde, Point took Jake Guentzel’s centering pass and ripped a shot past Dobes’ blocker from the high slot.
Hagel gave Tampa Bay the lead at 4:47 of the second with his fourth goal of the series. After a Montreal turnover at its own the blue line, Hagel beat Dobes with a snap shot to the short side from the top of the left circle.
Nov 9, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Owen Ayers during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Other than the ones involving the major league team which we’ve covered elsewhere:
Right-hander Jace Beck was promoted from Double-A Knoxville to Triple-A Iowa.
Right-hander Ben Johnson was promoted to Knoxville from Low-A Myrtle Beach.
Trent Thornton was activated off the injured list and made his season and Iowa debut tonight. He pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Thornton struck out two and walked one.
The I-Cubs went into the ninth with a 3-1 lead, but Ryan Jensen couldn’t hold it. Jensen allowed two runs on three hits and four walks over 1.2 innings. Jensen struck out two.
With Iowa out of pitchers, Casey Opitz had to pitch the tenth and eleventh innings. He acquitted himself well, allowing only the automatic runner to score in both innings. But Iowa was unable to score the tying run in the eleventh when automatic runner Kevin Alcántara was thrown out at the plate on a single. So Opitz got the loss.
First baseman Jonathon Long was 4 for 5 with a double and a game-tying RBI single in the tenth. Long scored once.
Jake Knapp pitched the first 2.1 innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits. However, Knapp walked six batters and struck out just two.
Ben Johnson gave up three runs in his Double-A debut, but he ended up getting the win anyways. Johnson’s final line was three runs on three hits over three innings. All three of the runs came on a home run in the eighth inning. Johnson struck out five and walked just one.
First baseman Ethan Hearn hit a two-run home run in the second inning, his first of the season. He was 1 for 4.
Catcher Owen Ayers hit his first Double-A home run in the third inning with the bases empty. Ayers was a perfect 2 for 2 with a double, the home run and three walks. He scored twice.
Later in the third inning, center fielder Alex Ramírez hit a two-run home run, his first on the year. Ramírez went 1 for 5.
The Smokies saved the best for last as their fourth and final home run was a grand slam by right fielder Andy Garriola. It was his fourth of the year and third in two games. Garriola was 1 for 2 with three walks and two runs scored.
Left fielder Carter Trice was 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.
Here’s Ayers’ home run.
After rough couple of games, Owen Ayers is beginning to find his footing in Double-A.
He’s 2-for-2 with a HR, a 2B, and a BB tonight and is now batting .308 since his promotion. pic.twitter.com/WtQq1Non68
Koen Moreno started and took the loss after he allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits over three innings. Moreno had trouble finding the plate as he walked five and struck out just one.
Left fielder Kane Kepley was 1 for 2 with a double and a walk. He scored twice.
Center fielder Kade Snell was 1 for 3 with an RBI double and a walk. He scored one run.
DH Cameron Sisneros was 1 for 1 with a double, a walk and a sacrifice fly. He drove in two and scored once.
Here are Snell and Sisneros’ doubles, which both came in the third inning.
Victor Zarraga started and took the loss. Zarraga gave up two runs on three hits over 2.1 innings. He walked four and struck out three.
Edwardo Melendez relieved Zarraga and gave up one run on two hits over 3.2 innings. But most impressively, Melendez struck out eight and walked no one.
The Pelicans only had three hits tonight and their two runs were both scored by Jose Escobar on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Escobar was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Right fielder Eli Lovich was 1 for 1 with three walks.
The Penguins are down 3-0 in their first-round series against the Flyers and will be eliminated from the playoffs with one more loss. Now, if they win, they'd send the series back to Pittsburgh for a Game 5.
However, there's still a chance that Saturday's game could be Evgeni Malkin's final game as a Penguin since he's set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He spoke to the media about it on Friday and, once again, confirmed that he wants to be back with the Penguins next year and retire a Penguin.
“I hope it’s not over," Malkin said, via King Jemison of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I hope we’re still fighting. And my future again, I say the same thing. I want to be here. I want to be part of a team next year, too, and I want to be retired in Pittsburgh. But it’s not my choice. It’s Kyle’s decision. New owners, probably, too."
Evgeni Malkin on his future: “I hope it’s not over. I hope we’re still fighting. And my future, again … I want to be here. I want to be part of a team next year, too, and I want to be retired in Pittsburgh. But it’s not my choice. It’s Kyle’s decision. New owners probably, too.” pic.twitter.com/VZ6fHYAstT
Malkin has been one of the Penguins' best players in this series, compiling two goals and three points in three games. He also finished the regular season with 19 goals and 61 points in 56 games.
He has shown that he can still play at a strong level in the NHL, but it'll be up to general manager/president Kyle Dubas if he returns.
Puck drop for Game 4 on Saturday is set for 8 p.m. ET on TBS, truTV, HBO Max, and SportsNet Pittsburgh.
