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Freddy Peralta shines again as Rays beat Guardians to even ALCS

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Freddy Peralta, who pitched six scoreless innings, celebrates after getting the last out of his outing in the Rays' 3-1 Game 2 win over the Guardians on Oct. 13, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Fla, Image 2 shows Liam Hicks rips a two-run single during the fourth inning of the Rays' Game 2 win over Guardians

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — With the crowd chanting his name, a fired-up Freddy Peralta pumped one fastball after another past hitters all night long.

Peralta threw six innings of four-hit ball, Liam Hicks lined a two-run single after José Ramírez’s fielding error and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 Tuesday night to even the ALCS at 1-1.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday night in Cleveland.

The former Mets starter threw the hardest pitch of his big league career at 99.4 mph and relied on his four-seam fastball on 71 of 99 pitches — his 71.7% usage was his highest since June 11, 2019.

“It’s no secret that I trust in my fastball a lot and it’s my best pitch,” Peralta said.

Peralta’s 96.9 mph average fastball velocity was 2.6 mph above his season average.

Freddy Peralta, who pitched six scoreless innings, celebrates after getting the last out of his outing in the Rays’ 3-1 Game 2 win over the Guardians on Oct. 13, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Gary Bogdon/UPI/Shutterstock

“It plays a big role, the adrenaline,” Peralta said. “And also I define myself as a competitor, and I like these kind of games. I’ve always said in the past, that I enjoyed this as a Dominican pitcher. I grew up watching the games in D.R., and that’s the game that you see. And I got used to that because I grew up watching it. And I feel that I have that in me, in myself. And that’s the way that I feel when I am on the mound in these kind of games.”

Peralta pumped a fist and screamed joyfully walking off the mound in the sixth after fanning Petey Halpin swinging at a 3-2 changeup.

“I just enjoyed the moment because it was a really good at-bat,” Peralta said. “It wasn’t an easy game since the first pitch that I threw until the last one. It was a lot of competition between me and the hitters. … I think that was why I was fired up like that.”

Ramírez, whose two-run homer in Game 5 of their AL Division Series against Chicago helped the Guardians become the 11th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series, misplayed a grounder in the fourth inning that led to three unearned runs against rookie lefty Parker Messick.

Junior Caminero walked to start that inning and Victor Mesa Jr. grounded into a forceout originally ruled a double play. The Rays challenged the calls at both first and second and Mesa was ruled safe when a video review overturned the out decision by first base umpire Mark Ripperger.

After Jonny DeLuca struck out, Chandler Simpson beat out a high chopper to shortstop, and the Mesa reached third standing up when Ramírez failed to cover the bag.

Ben Williamson followed with a grounder that scooted underneath Ramírez’s glove and between his legs after the ball hit the edge where the artificial turf met the infield dirt. The third baseman played back rather than charging.

“It’s a little bit faster here this type of surface,” Ramirez said through a translator. “It’s frustrating. I feel bad.”

Williamson reached second and Simpson went to third. Hicks drove the next pitch to right-center for a 3-0 lead, electrifying the towel-waving, cowbell-ringing crowd of 32,125 fans at Tropicana Field.

Peralta and three relievers didn’t need any more support.

Liam Hicks rips a two-run single during the fourth inning of the Rays’ Game 2 win over the Guardians. AP

“I think the velocity really stood out,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Peralta.

Kevin Kelly got two outs in the seventh, retiring Ramírez on a fly ball to center with two runners on.

Lefty Ian Seymour replaced him and Chase DeLauter lined an RBI double to the right-field corner.

Seymour struck out Jo Adell swinging at a changeup, leaving runners at second and third. Seymour pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Bryan Baker finished with a perfect ninth for his fourth postseason save.

Acquired by the Rays from the Mets at the trade deadline, Peralta turned around his season in Tampa Bay going 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts after posting a 4.99 ERA for New York.

He pitched his latest gem in front of Mets owner Steve Cohen, who was in attendance.

“We have a good relationship,” Peralta said of Cohen. “I think he’s awesome. And I’m happy that he was here watching, not watching me, watching the Rays.”

Messick, who grew up going to Rays games at the Trop, took the loss after giving up six hits and the three unearned runs in five innings.

Cleveland had won four straight in the postseason for the first time since winning their first six playoff games in 2016 on the way to a World Series berth.

The 98-win Rays swept the Yankees before a 7-3 loss in Game 1 on Monday.

That was their first loss in two weeks. Now, they’re back on the winning track and need three more in a series that’s reduced to a best of five to advance to their third World Series.

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Martin Necas has 2 goals to lead the short-handed Avs past the Stars, 3-2

DALLAS (AP) — Martin Necas scored two goals, including a 5-on-3 score, and the short-handed Colorado Avalanche beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Tuesday night in the opener of a home-and-home series.

Artturi Lehkonen also scored for the Avalanche, while Mackenzie Blackwood made 24 saves after allowing five goals on Saturday against Toronto. Nathan MacKinnon had two assists, giving him 12 points.

The Avalanche opened with 11 forwards and six defensemen when forward Zachary L’Heureux was a late scratch with an upper-body injury. Colorado then played almost 17 minutes with 10 forwards when Fedor Svechkov drew a two-minute instigator penalty, five minutes for fighting and 10 more for misconduct. MacKinnon was also off the bench for more than seven minutes in the second after he fought Roope Hintz — who had his first NHL fight — and went to the locker room for facial repairs.

Tyler Seguin had a goal and an assist, and Hintz also scored for the Stars. Jake Oettinger stopped 22 shots after allowing three goals in his previous four games, and Miro Heiskanen had two assists.

Colorado came in leading the NHL with 5.2 goals per game, while Dallas had a league-best 1.38 goals-against average.

Necas gave the Avs a 2-1 lead early in the second period and then doubled the lead with four seconds left in the 29-second, two-man advantage.

Seguin’s goal, tying the score late in the first period, was Dallas’ first home power-play goal in eight tries.

Cale Makar, the Avalanche’s two-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman, didn’t make the trip with his wife expecting twins.

Stars forward Wyatt Johnston sat out with an illness after playing in all 395 games, regular season and playoffs, since he made the team in 2022. The Stars played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

Up next

The teams will meet again on Wednesday in Denver, where the Stars swept two meetings last season in shootouts.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

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Blackhawks Hang On And Win 5-3 In Connor Bedard's Return To Lineup

The Chicago Blackhawks were a part of the NHL’s Frozen Frenzy on Tuesday night. All 32 teams played in 16 games with staggered starts from 5 PM until the early hours of the morning. 

Chicago welcomed the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third United Center game of the young 2026-27 season. In addition to being a special night because of the Frozen Frenzy, it had extra-special meaning for the Blackhawks as well.

This game was the season debut of Connor Bedard, who skated in his first game as captain. It was also his first game with Patrick Kane. With this, there was extra buzz in the building. 

Once the game started, it didn’t take the Blackhawks long to get on the board. Just 28 seconds into the game, Teuvo Teravainen made it 1-0. Tyler Bertuzzi and Anton Frondell were hard on the forecheck, and Frondell found Teravainen for a point-blank chance that he didn’t miss. 

For a while, the Penguins started to take over the game. Eventually, Sidney Crosby scored with a snipe on the rush. His first of the season tied the game at 1. 

Late in the first period, with Chicago on the power play, Roman Kantserov gave the Blackhawks their lead back. He put home a goal after receiving a one-touch pass from Connor Bedard, who collected his first point of the season there. Bowen Byram also earned an assist, as he found Bedard for the setup. 

Whether it’s Kantserov, Bowen Byram, or Patrick Kane, who passed it to Byram, Bedard makes everyone on that unit better. That 2-1 lead stuck with Chicago through the first intermission. 

At 10:32 in the middle frame, Kantserov added his second goal of the game. He tapped home a nifty centering feed from Artyom Levshunov, who has been really good in the offensive zone in the season's early stages. 

Kane collected the secondary assist on this one, and that tied him with Phil Housley for the most assists by an American-born NHL player (894). This new-look top line with Bedard back in the mix is clicking, and it’s only been one game. 

Before the second ended, Pittsburgh added another to get back within one. Nick Robertson scored a strange one as he put it in the net, but it came out the back of the bottom, causing some confusion. After a review, it was clearly a goal. This 3-2 Chicago lead held through the second intermission. 

In the 3rd period, the expected push from the Pittsburgh Penguins came. Sidney Crosby’s second of the game tied it up at 9:17. At that point, the game could have gone in any direction. 

However, Teuvo Teravainen had a bit of puck luck that saved the day for the Blackhawks. He threw an innocent floater on net, and it somehow went in through the paraphernalia of goaltender Sergei Murashov. 

After Tyler Bertuzzi tapped a great spin-o-rama pass from Anton Frondell into the empty net, Chicago took a 5-3 lead, and that held as the final score. 

Winning Bedard's first game back was big for the group, as they now improve to 2-5-0 through their first 7 games. It hasn't been a pretty start, but they are 2-1 at home and 1-0 with Bedard back in the lineup. 

It's clear that Bedard changes the entire outlook of their game. He played a key role in making the power play look better; his line was strong at even strength, and everyone below his trio in the lineup had an extra step because they were slotted into positions where they were better suited. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks will play at home again on Thursday. It's another divisional battle as the Winnipeg Jets are coming to town. This is another good test for Chicago against a team that came in with low expectations but is off to a grand start (4-1-1). 

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'Football 301' diagnoses fatal flaws of 6 NFL contenders: What could derail Bills, Chiefs, Seahawks and more?

In this week's episode of Yahoo Sports' "Football 301" podcast, host Nate Tice and guest Derrik Klassen of The Athletic took a microscope to the NFL's contending teams and identified the fatal flaws that could keep each from grasping the Lombardi Trophy.

Here's a thorough breakdown of what could trip up each contender.

Fatal flaw: Defensive secondary

Despite a surging pass rush and another dynamic year from QB Josh Allen, the soft underbelly of this Bills roster is the coverage unit. Klassen pointed out that the corners and safeties aren't making the grade, notably with players like C.J. Gardner-Johnson — a red flag signing for a would-be contender. There's hope in the front four, but as Tice drilled home, the AFC playoffs will force you to beat elite QBs three weeks running.

With Buffalo's defense currently 28th in success rate and 30th in EPA, the risk of getting torched is painfully real. Unless the pass rush can dominate, expect shootouts and potential heartbreak in January.

Fatal flaw: Offensive line depth and durability

With talent at the skill positions and creative, adaptable coaching, the Jags look dangerous. But their hopes may rest on a precarious offensive line. Klassen highlighted the myriad dominoes that had to fall into place to make this line work, and the recent injury to their best lineman, left tackle Anton Harrison, puts them on red alert. The run game has survived on scheming and quarterback talent, not domination in the trenches, and stats like being 28th in QB hits allowed and 30th in yards before contact on run plays underscore the imminent danger.

Fatal flaw: Lack of downfield speed and explosiveness in passing game

With Tyquan Thornton out for an extended period with an ankle injury, the Chiefs' passing attack risks becoming horizontal and cramped. That's dangerous for a team built around stretching defenses, as Klassen argued.

While the run game has thrived, and Patrick Mahomes can still make magic, Thornton was KC's only real downfield threat. Even the highly touted Xavier Worthy hasn't shown that same top-end juice. Stats confirm it: with almost no plays breaking 20 mph among receivers outside Thornton, the Chiefs could be reduced to a "dink-and-dunk" unit.

Fatal flaw: Inflexible, predictable offense with a capped run game

Tice and Klassen discussed how the Bengals have reverted to their old spread, shotgun-only offense, with little diversity in look or concept. When forced to run, they rely on RPOs, which trade blocking for flexibility and cap explosive play potential. As defenses catch up and scheme specifically for the Bengals' flavor of spread, the games inevitably become tight, with the deep ball to Ja'Marr Chase the only real bailout. As Tice put it: "It's tough to make 10 good decisions in a row against a great defense."

Fatal flaw: Sam Darnold regression and no offensive "Plan B"

Per Klassen, the Seahawks managed to win last year with Darnold threading the needle — burning defenses on big explosives. This year, Darnold's turnover rate has ballooned, his sack rate is up, and his average depth of target has cratered. The run game has suffered from injuries, and auxiliary pass-catchers outside of Jaxon Smith-Njigba haven't stepped up. Without explosives, Darnold isn't the kind of QB to nickel and dime down the field. The formula worked in 2025, but with the supporting cast banged up and his confidence flagging, this offense could struggle hanging with the best again.

Fatal flaw: Undefined offensive identity and inconsistency

With the defense playing at an elite level, all eyes land on whether the Vikings' offense can find a steady footing. The run game is a work in progress, the o-line is banged up and QB Kyler Murray's style introduces volatility. There are flashes — especially when weapons like Justin Jefferson are healthy — but overall the offense feels "grab bag," per Klassen, and is prone to stalls and third-and-longs, leaving it too dependent on Murray heroics or play extension.

For more NFL insight, tune into "Football 301" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

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Jets beat the Wild 5-2 as Cole Perfetti scores 2 goals

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Cole Perfetti scored a pair of goals, Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Perfetti opened the scoring with his fourth of the season just 1:50 into the game. He added another late in the second period on the power play, converting a pass from Gabriel Vilardi in the slot.

Promoted to the top line with Scheifele and Kyle Connor, the trio combined for seven points against the Wild. Connor had a goal and assist. Connor now has goals in three straight games and in five of six games this season.

Perfetti now has five goals this season. Last season, the Jets winger needed 40 games to score five times.

Cole Koepke also scored for Winnipeg, which finished a three-game homestand 2-1.

Stuart Skinner made 19 saves and has yet to lose in regulation this season, with a 3-0-1 record.

Kirill Kaprizov scored both goals for the Wild, who were playing the second of back-to-back games after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night. Calvin Pickard stopped 20 shots. Kaprizov’s two goals gives him the NHL lead, with eight. Quinn Hughes’ assist extended his point streak to seven games. He has two goals and eight assists in that span.

Winnipeg went 1 for 2 on the power play, while Minnesota was 0 for 2.

Winnipeg never trailed in the game, taking 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 leads.

Up next

Wild: Host St. Louis on Thursday night.

Jets: At Chicago on Thursday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

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Knicks reserves demolished by Raptors as starters don’t play in ugly 50-point preseason loss

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Adam Graves looks to put up a shot as James Wiseman (35) and Mohamed Diawara (51) defend during the Knicks' 148-98 preseason blowout loss to the Raptors on Oct. 13, 2026 in Toronto, Image 2 shows Miles McBride drives to the basket during the Knicks' preseason blowout loss to the Raptors

TORONTO — No, the preseason results don’t actually matter. Knicks coach Mike Brown instead harps on the process.

Whatever this process was, though, it was ugly.

With Knicks starters — as well as veteran bench pieces Landry Shamet, Andre Drummond and Jordan Clarkson — sitting out the team’s preseason game (since it was the second leg of a back-to-back) against the Raptors on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena, it was a chance for those battling for bigger roles and roster spots to help their cases.

Brown went with Jose Alvarado, Miles McBride, Mohamed Diawara, Bruce Brown and James Wiseman as his starters.

Adam Graves looks to put up a shot as James Wiseman (35) and Mohamed Diawara (51) defend during the Knicks’ 148-98 preseason blowout loss to the Raptors on Oct. 13, 2026 in Toronto. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Raptors, however, used their normal starting lineup — which now includes Kawhi Leonard. And the Knicks reserves got crushed by a staggering 50 points — 148-98 — to continue their winless preseason (0-4).

“It’s not necessarily what’s on the scoreboard at that particular time,” an unconcerned Brown said. “It’s are you doing the right things to be better and/or get better? And in the first half, what I was most disappointed in was we weren’t putting bodies on bodies. Fifteen second-chance points in one half is not good. Thirty fast-break points in one half is not good.

Miles McBride drives to the basket during the Knicks’ preseason blowout loss to the Raptors. NBAE via Getty Images

“And then the way they sped us up, and us not necessarily touching the paint and trying to spray it and/or making quick decisions is not good. So that’s what I was most disappointed in in the first half. I really didn’t care about the score, especially with the group we had on the floor.”

Mikal Bridges made the trip here and went through a workout on the court pregame, though the four other Knicks starters — as well as Shamet, Drummond and Clarkson — stayed home.

Drew Eubanks, Tyler Nickel, Pacôme Dadiet, Tony Bradley, Ochai Agbaji, Kevin McCullar Jr., Tyler Kolek and Jaden Akins were the other Knicks who saw action.

They trailed by 20 after the first quarter.

The deficit ballooned to 28 early in the second quarter, reached 35 just past the midway point of the quarter and was at 38 by halftime.

It didn’t get much better in the second half, as the Knicks backups looked overmatched going against a playoff team that just added a superstar to its ranks.

“You never want to lose in that way,” McBride said. “But at the same time, we just gotta move on. Preseason is for those reasons. Missing eight of our guys, you just want to come out there and have a positive mindset. Go out there and play hard. There were things we could’ve definitely done better, but they’re a playoff team and you add a Hall of Famer with them.”

Leonard had his way with the Knicks with 21 points in 16 minutes, with Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles adding 19 apiece and RJ Barrett chipping in 17. The Raptors as a whole shot 57.3 percent from the field.

This was like those blowouts the Knicks punished opponents with during their championship run — except this time with the roles reversed.

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Freddy Peralta, Liam Hicks lift the Rays to a 3-1 win over the Guardians that evens the ALCS at 1-1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Freddy Peralta threw six innings of four-hit ball, Liam Hicks lined a two-run single after a fielding error by José Ramírez and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 Tuesday night to even the AL Championship Series at 1-1.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday night in Cleveland.

Ramírez, whose two-run homer in Game 5 of their AL Division Series against Chicago helped the Guardians become the 11th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series, misplayed a grounder in the fourth inning that led to three unearned runs against rookie lefty Parker Messick.

Junior Caminero walked to start that inning and Victor Mesa Jr. grounded into a forceout originally ruled a double play. The Rays challenged the calls at both first and second and Mesa was ruled safe when a video review overturned the out decision by first base umpire Mark Ripperger.

After Jonny DeLuca struck out, Chandler Simpson beat out a high chopper to shortstop, and the Mesa reached third standing up when Ramírez failed to cover the bag.

Ben Williamson followed with a grounder that scooted underneath Ramírez’s glove and between his legs after the ball hit the edge where the artificial turf met the infield dirt. The third baseman played back rather than charging.

Williamson reached second and Simpson went to third. Hicks drove the next pitch to right-center for a 3-0 lead, electrifying the towel-waving, cowbell-ringing crowd of 32,125 fans at Tropicana Field.

Peralta and three relievers didn’t need any more support.

With fans chanting “Freddy! Freddy! Freddy!” Peralta struck out six to earn the win. He was fired up walking off the mound in the sixth after fanning Petey Halpin swinging at a 3-2 changeup.

Kevin Kelly got two outs in the seventh, retiring Ramírez on a fly ball to center with two runners on.

Lefty Ian Seymour replaced him and Chase DeLauter lined an RBI double to the right-field corner.

Seymour struck out Jo Adell swinging at a changeup, leaving runners at second and third. Seymour pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Bryan Baker finished with a perfect ninth for his fourth postseason save.

Acquired by the Rays from the Mets at the trade deadline, Peralta turned around his season in Tampa Bay going 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts after posting a 4.99 ERA for New York.

Messick, who grew up going to Rays games at the Trop, took the loss after giving up six hits and the three unearned runs in five innings.

Cleveland had won four straight in the postseason for the first time since winning their first six playoff games in 2016 on the way to a World Series berth.

The 98-win Rays swept the New York Yankees before a 7-3 loss in Game 1 on Monday.

No hit for you

Caminero leaped to his left to snag Steven Kwan’s hard liner to third in the fifth and then wagged his finger toward the batter. Caminero, who played all 162 games in the regular season and hit 42 home runs, was in the lineup after a collision with DeLuca on a foul ball in the ninth inning Monday night.

Up Next

Neither team had announced a starter for Thursday night. RHP Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10 ERA) started Game 3 against the Yankees, allowing two runs and five hits in 3 2/3 innings in a 4-3 victory. RHP Gavin Williams (14-8, 3.76) is on schedule to start for the Guardians. Williams started Games 2 and 5 against the White Sox and tossed an inning in relief in Game 4. He had 24 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits.

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Cubs BCB After Dark: Should the Cubs pick up Colin Rea’s option?

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 31: Colin Rea #53 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on August 31, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the hippest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and join us. It’s always good to see a friendly face. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. There’s a two-drink minimum, but it’s bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last evening, I asked you who was the Cubs’ Pitcher of the Year for 2026. Admittedly it was a lot of bad choices, but you tied between Shōta Imanaga and Ben Brown, with both of them getting 24 percent of the vote.

On Tuesday night, I don’t normally do an movie stuff. But I always have time for tunes and you’re free to join us.

For our collection of Halloween jazz for October, we have a cocktail lounge classic in Peggy Lee singing the theme song to the sixties television show “Bewitched.” I bet some of you didn’t even know the theme song had lyrics.

I feel like I should have a martini in my hand while I listen to this. Maybe one of you can wiggle their noses and whip one up for me.

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.

Colin Rea was not listed among my candidates for Cubs Pitcher of the Year, but at least one of you put in a plug for him in the comments. I think the best you can say about Colin Rea at this stage of his career is he’s a dependable innings eater. He can start and he can relieve. He’s thrown over 120 innings in each of the last four seasons and 137 this past year over 19 starts and 15 relief appearances. In that time, Rea went 4.34 with a record of 8-8. He struck out 101 batters and walked 47. Both Baseball-Reference and Fangraphs had Rea’s WAR last year at 0.4. That’s, well, just a little bit better than replacement value. Which means it’s somewhat below average. But hey, this isn’t Lake Woebegone. At least half the players have to be below average.

The Cubs have a $7.5 million team option on Rea with a $1 million buyout. So essentially, it will cost the Cubs $6.5 million to keep him around in 2027. (Assuming they play a full season in 2027, which isn’t a guarantee.) Would you pick up that option?

On the one hand, Rea has done everything the Cubs have asked of him. He’s not spectacular out there, but he’s not terrible. He’s someone who can fill in when someone gets hurt and won’t complain in between appearances.

On the other hand, Rea is going to be 36 years old next season. His ERA this past year was kind of “meh” at 4.34, but his expected ERA was a poor 5.35. His fielding independent pitching (FIP) was a below average 4.80. It wouldn’t be unfair to say that what little success that Rea had in 2026 was because of the Cubs defense and that the Cubs might be able to get another pitcher who replicate that performance for less salary.

So would you bring Colin Rea back for a third season? Or more precisely, would you pick up his team option? Because technically, the Cubs could possibly decline the option and try to sign him back for less.

Thanks for everyone who stopped by tonight. We enjoyed hosting you. Get home safely. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.

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Cavalier superlatives: Meleek Thomas shines in an otherwise disappointing performance vs. Magic

ORLANDO, FL - OCTOBER 13: Meleek Thomas #15 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Orlando Magic on October 13, 2026 at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished their preseason with a whimper, as they fell to the Orlando Magic 132-116 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate.

Three stars of the game

First star: Franz Wagner

20 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds

The Magic have skilled pieces, they just don’t fit together. That changes when Wagner is able to create for others as easily as he did on Tuesday.

Orlando’s offense makes sense when Wagner is attacking downhill, getting to the line, and kicking out to shooters. This was the offensive formula new head coach Sean Sweeney wants to see from his team going forward.

Second star: Paolo Banchero

24 points, 3 assists, 8 rebounds

The Cavs didn’t have an answer for Banchero inside. He went 7-for-8 in the restricted area and 8-for-10 in the paint overall.

This was a stark contrast to what we saw Sunday. Then, Cleveland’s defense did a good job of containing Banchero by mostly making him a jump shooter as he went 1-for-10 from the field that game. That formula was lost entirely in this matchup in what was an overall awful defensive outing for the Cavs.

Third star: Meleek Thomas

16 points, 0 assists, 3 rebounds

Thomas was the lone Cavalier standout in this game. He made the most of his opportunity in the fourth quarter by putting up 14 of his 16 points then.

It’s worth pointing out that Thomas’s scoring hasn’t exactly translated to an off-ball role. Whether or not he can show these same skills playing away from the ball could determine the rookie’s impact this season. That said, the flashes you see when you put the ball in his hands are incredibly encouraging.

Dud of the game

Evan Mobley

14 points, 5 rebounds, 0 assists

This wasn’t an objectively bad game, but it was the continuation of an underwhelming preseason for Mobley. The Cavs have talked about wanting to get him comfortable in the offense. He hasn’t looked that way, as this showing was on the heels of a 3-for-10 shooting performance on Sunday.

You don’t want to make too much of preseason, but there hasn’t been much from these three games that would make you believe a drastic leap is coming.

Cavalier who deserves a shoutout

Jaylon Tyson

12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Tyson continues to showcase the well-rounded game he teased at times last season. He seems much more comfortable creating with the ball in his hands. That pairs well with a solid three-point shot and the consistent energy he plays with.

Play of the game

Kenny Atkinson has talked about using Mario Hezonja in the post when he has a mismatch. This shows how doing so can lead to an easy basket.

Here, Hezonja gets a mismatch on him, backs his guy in the post, and then forces Goga Bitadze to step up to help. That help defense gave Jarrett Allen a runway to get into the lane and draw a foul.

Efficient scoring often comes down to whether you can create and exploit mismatches. Plays like this show how Hezonja can do that.

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Quote of the game

“We got to have a first line of attack that’s a little stronger.” – Assistant coach Mike Gerrity

Defense starts at the point of attack. You can’t protect the rim if the guards are consistently getting blown by on the perimeter. That forces you into rotation, opens up driving angles off ball, and leaves you vulnerable to three-pointers.

This was a bad game all around, but the reason this got out of hand was due to a lack of perimeter defense.

Stat of the day

The Magic put up a 109.7 half-court offensive rating (92nd percentile)

This number represents how poorly Cleveland played on that end. You don’t give up that high of a half-court offensive rating without struggling to contain the ball. When you can’t contain the ball, the offense can continually get easy looks just by making one or two passes.

It’s just preseason, but Cleveland’s defense has left a lot to be desired in three exhibition games after setting the goal of being a top-five defense.

What this game will be remembered for Meleek Thomas’s fourth-quarter breakout

You don’t want to get carried away by a garbage-time preseason performance. Yet, the Cavs have to be pleased with what they’ve seen from Thomas in these three exhibition games.

This strong on-ball scoring outing doesn’t mean that Thomas will have a place in the rotation when the season starts, but at the same time, the other guards in the depth chart haven’t exactly shown that they’re more deserving of those minutes either. If he does get a shot in the opening night rotation, we can point back to the close of this game as to why.

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Flyers Lose 8th Straight Despite Best Efforts as Spiral Continues

The Philadelphia Flyers looked as much like a real hockey team as they have all season, and despite an encouraging comeback that saw them erase a 2-0 deficit, they sputtered out, ultimately falling 3-2 to the Seattle Kraken in shootout fashion.

Kraken forward Bobby McMann opened the scoring on a pop fly in close proximity to Dan Vladar, swatting home on the power play on an opportunity generated by a Jack Studnicka tripping penalty.

The penalties and an overall lack of discipline in all facets have plagued the Flyers throughout their eight-game winless start, and Studnicka and Michael Bunting, players brought in by the Flyers to provide a spark, took penalties that led to goals in the last week.

Just under halfway through the second period, the Kraken doubled their lead to 2-0 on a Ville Ottavainen wrist shot through some heavy traffic, which was again produced by a series of unavoidable mistakes.

David Jiricek was forced to ice the puck on a long line change, and the Kraken proceeded to cycle the puck around the Flyers' defensive zone until Ottavainen's long-range shot through traffic beat Vladar.

After some taunting and back and forth between Trevor Zegras and Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer, the Flyers finally caught some life in the third period.

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After diving to break up a 2-on-1, rookie defenseman Oliver Bonk raced up the left wing before dishing a backhand pass through the middle of the ice. Tyson Foerster dummied the pass, which allowed Christian Dvorak to slam home the puck at the back door for an easy Flyers goal to make it a 2-1 game.

Zegras would get his revenge on Grubauer a short time later, rifling a shot into the top left corner to tie the game after a tremendous solo rush from Travis Sanheim during a 4-on-4 sequence.

"It is what it is," Zegras sheepishly said of his kerfuffle with the Seattle goalie after the game, visibly dismayed with an eighth consecutive loss.

The Flyers squandered a promising overtime period, taking a lazy too many men penalty to put the Kraken on the power play for two minutes of the final 2:39.

Soon after, the shootout required 10 shooters to decide the victor, with Matvei Michkov the lone scorer with the Flyers.

Matty Beniers and Bobby McMann each scored for the Kraken despite some phenomenal efforts from Vladar, which included a marvelous glove save on Mackie Samoskevich.

"He's been solid every time he starts. There's a couple of bouncy goals this year that he's really upset about," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said of Vladar after the shootout loss. "We're not blaming the goalies. To be honest, they've been terrific for us this year."

With the loss, Vladar dropped to 0-3-1 on the season, though his GAA and save percentage improved to 4.21 and .875, respectively.

The Flyers will practice at 12 p.m. at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, N.J. on Wednesday before facing the Detroit Red Wings in Detroit at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night.

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Penguins/Blackhawks Recap: Crosby scores twice but power play rotten in 5-3 loss

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 13: Roman Kantserov #80 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at United Center on October 13, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Pregame

Andrei Kuzmenko returns and Sergei Murashov gets the start for the Penguins.

Chicago is happy to welcome their new captain, Conor Bedard, for his first game of the season tonight against the Penguins.

First period

Chicago scores right out the gates 28 seconds in. Declan Carlile gets pressured and passes the puck to the Blackhawks after a bad bounce. A quick pass gets Teuvo Teravainen in front of the net and the Finn finishes. 1-0

The Penguins get it back, it’s a good time for Sidney Crosby’s first goal of the year. This time it’s pressure by Bryan Rust along the wall that creates a turnover and the puck spits back to Erik Karlsson. Karlsson quickly feeds Crosby and the Pens have a 2-on-1. Crosby looks off the pass and calls his own number, blistering a shot past the far side of Spencer Knight. 1-1 game.

Pittsburgh earns the first minor penalty, they barely hold possession of it in the Chicago zone.

Kris Letang takes the first Pittsburgh penalty, the Blackhawks capitalize. After some nice puck movement, Bedard makes a little touch pass to Roman Kantserov who quickly fires it by Murashov. 2-1.

The Pens get another shot at their power play deep into the period. It’s awful.

Shots are 9-7 CHI after 20 minutes. The difference so far is the powerplays, the Blackhawks got one, made it look clinical and scored. The Penguins had two and it was nothing but odious, they’re behind by a goal as a result.

Second period

Nothing on the short carryover power play for the Pens, Nick Robertson draws them another. This one at least spends its time in the right end, think I counted six Erik Karlsson shots wide or blocked or redirected from in front wide, but at this point that’s an improvement.

Kantersov scores his second of the night. Carlile employs a man-concept and skates away from the net marking Patrick Kane. Ville Koivunen isn’t on the same page and doesn’t stick with the pointman, Artyom Levshunov and he gets a ton of space. That leaves Ben Kindel in front of the net to defend and Kantersov is strong enough on his stick to fight him off, with the incoming pass from the outside coming in with no resistance since Carlile has left his spot and Koivunen . 3-1 CHI.

Pittsburgh claws back within a goal, Blake Lizotte shoots on a 2-on-1 rush, he doesn’t score but makes a key play when Knight goes to cover the puck Lizotte beats him there and bumps the puck back out. It finds Robertson and he’s got an easy finish for his fourth goal of the season. 3-2 game.

Shots end up 19-15 PIT after two, and they’re well out in front on shot attempts 42-22. However, Chicago clings to the special teams edge and that is still resulting in a one-goal advantage for them at the second intermission.

Third period

Kaeden Korczak gets caught on the mic yelling a bad word after getting slashed, the refs heed his pain and send the Pens to a fourth power play of the night. Doesn’t work but they don’t lose momentum on it. A bit later on an improvised line, Crosby is out with fourth liners. Connor Dewar works in and takes a shot, Knight leaves an atrocious rebound that Crosby is able to corral and calmly move to his forehand and tuck into the net. 3-3 game.

Egor Chinakhov takes an interference call and Chicago gets a second crack at the power play. The Blackhawks look surgical with their passing but Patrick Kane can’t convert on the best chance they get.

Chicago pulls ahead with 4:18 to play. Teravainen strikes again, from all the way against the left wall. Murashov wasn’t square or set for that angle and the puck sneaks by him. 4-3.

Pittsburgh pulls the goalie for a last push, it doesn’t work out. Tyler Bertuzzi taps in an empty netter with nine seconds to go. 5-3.

Some thoughts

  • Great to see Crosby get on the board with his first goal of the year, then add another for good measure. Plenty written (including here) about whether or not to keep the top line together, we saw some pretty good evidence of why it remained together. Rust didn’t get an assist on the play but started the sequence with quality board work. Frequent Crosby collaborator Karlsson made a beauty of a pass and the captain took it from there.
  • Recurring note: move the ‘Consecutive games where Nick Robertson has drawn a penalty’ board up to three. His speed forces opponents to take him down. Then he scored a team-leading fourth goal. Why is this guy on the fourth line? (It is a good fourth line and they play a fair share, but still!)
  • Too bad those penalties only draw a power play for Pittsburgh. Now up to 0-for-16 in the last five games. Completely disconnected now, if it’s not a lost faceoff it’s the inability to gain the zone with possession, if it’s not that it’s an ill-advised pass that sends it back to square one. Ugly stuff.
  • Pittsburgh could take notes from looking no further than the video Chicago’s power play, which was dreadful coming into tonight, but then again they didn’t have Bedard until today. The Blackhawks’ point guy was creeping to the tops of the circles at time, common on a 5v3 but rare to shrink the ice that much and put so much pressure on a PK. They got setup and their passing had a purpose to look for back door plays and set up dangerous players on their shooting sides (Bedard on the left, Kane on the right). It was a thing of beauty.
  • Power play ends up 0/4 on the night and the PK gives up a goal. Team ends up behind by one goal (pre-EN goal). Tale as old as time. Identifying the issue (and it’s clearly on the power play side) is the easy part.
  • If you had a dime for every 2-on-1 rush in this game you wouldn’t be able to retire but you would have enough change to buy something out of a vending machine. (Do vending machines still exist? Or even accept cash? These are the intrusive thoughts when games are played outside of the Eastern time zone). Neither team was exactly sharp to details or keeping their defensive structure in close order with all the odd man rushes flying around at both sides of the rink.
  • One player not all that involved in the rush offense: Chinakhov. It was off the charts good last year when the sun was shining and all was well, seemingly to vanish for the start of this season. Naturally, as this thought comes into mind during the second intermission, Chinakhov did get a rush shot immediately on his first shift of the third period, for his first and only shot on goal of the game. Ideally there’s more to come there.
  • Which I guess a hallmark of this Pens team that is starting to develop is they’ll mostly play to the level of the competition. They were strong, sharp, focused against what they knew would be a tough Dallas team last game. Tonight, they surely had to know Chicago isn’t exactly a powerhouse, and wouldn’t you know some details slip and the overall effort/performance left a lot to be desired. This theory will get put to the test in coming games with tough matchups ahead against Colorado and Vegas, but hey, maybe the Pens will be ready to meet the challenge. Based on the past couple of games that wouldn’t be shocking.
  • Still don’t know what Carlile was thinking staying with Kane and abandoning the net. Kindel in front of the net will draw the kneejerk, base reaction but Carlile + Koivunen not being on the same page is the troubling pressure point in that play. Plenty to still iron out in that department.
  • A couple of different things can be true, while the Penguins didn’t particularly play a great game, they found themselves tied with under five minutes to play in regulation. Murashov, on a night where Moneypuck had his xGA just under two, can’t really be faulted for any of the first three goals. But an NHL goalie has to stop what held up as a game winner 100 times out of a 100 for a team to have a fighting shot, especially that late in a tie game. Bad goals are a part of the learning curve and growing pains a team signs up for when they go with a 22-year old in net at this level, occasionally that type of thing happens. Murashov earned the team a point they didn’t deserve in his last start in Columbus, tonight he might have cost them at least one. So it goes, onto the next.

And onto the next indeed. The degree of difficulty ramps up on the next leg of the road trip, Pittsburgh will need to be better almost from top to bottom in their next game against Colorado. On the bright side, at least Crosby showed he’s back on track

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In ALCS Game 2, José Ramírez let the Guardians down. He won't stay there for long

They will wake up in Cleveland still loving José Ramírez. That will never change, nor, likely, will Ramírez’s regard for the city he’s insisted on making his baseball home.

Yet the love affair between future Hall of Famer and scrappy municipality hit a most unpredictable speed bump, right around the time a ground ball skidded off the very edge of the artificial turf on Tropicana Field’s infield.

Ramírez, the beloved third baseman whose playoff heroics drove the Cleveland Guardians into a commanding position in this American League Championship Series, failed to stay down on a ground ball off the bat of Tampa Bay’s Ben Williamson with two outs in the fourth inning of a scoreless game, runners at the corners, the Guardians still in position to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.

It was a ball he’d fielded thousands of times in his 14-year career. This time, though, he appeared to eyeball the grounder hitting the dirt. Instead, it clipped off the turf and skidded right between his legs. Victor Mesa Jr. scampered home with the game's first run.

And if there's any team you don't want to leave the door open, it's the Rays.

"When they smell blood," says Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, "they take it and run."

Seconds later, after a Liam Hicks two-run single, a scoreless game turned into a three-run Tampa Bay Rays lead and eventually, a series-tying 3-1 victory Tuesday, Oct. 13 at Tropicana Field.

To that point, it seemed the Guardians were still in control. Ramírez played hero in Game 1, his leadoff single sparking a go-ahead, eighth-inning rally, his RBI double and daring break for third base keying a put-away rally in the ninth.

Sure, Cleveland rookie starter Parker Messick and Rays right-hander Freddy Peralta were locked in a pitchers' duel. But Messick kept getting ground-ball double plays when he needed them. The Guardians had played flawless ball with their backs against the wall since falling down 2-0 in their AL Division Series against the Chicago White Sox.

Since then? Win-win-win-win, just like the song says. They were grooving.

Which is what made their franchise cornerstone giving it away so shocking.

"José Ramírez," says Rays manager Kevin Cash, "is as good as any third baseman there is in the game."

After the ball skidded by him, all Ramírez could do was stare at his glove and furrow his brow, the telltale sign Ramírez is not right. Tropicana Field roared around him.

"It’s a little faster here," Ramírez said of the Tropicana Field infield, through a club translator. "I was playing parallel to the base and the ball bounced right on the edge between the dirt and the turf.

"I tried to knock it down, but I couldn’t."

Said Vogt: "Josey kind of got stuck. It looked like he just didn't move his feet. And I don't know if it hit the lip or not on the second hop, but just kind of looked like he sat back a little bit with his feet set instead of moving his feet."

And after Peralta powered through six innings, and Tampa Bay’s good but not impenetrable bullpen held the line just enough, Ramírez’s gaffe was, to slightly overstate it, 100% the reason the ALCS is now 1-1.

And not 2-0, Guards up, going home to Cleveland.

Come Game 3 on Thursday, they will announce the starting lineups for both clubs, and the Progressive Field crowd will roar for Ramírez, sure, for his Game 5 ALDS game-winning homer and Game 1 ALCS heroics.

Yet it will also be an acknowledgment that Ramírez and The Land are still cool. They probably always will be.

For one moment, though, Ramírez blinked. And the love song hit a rare sour note.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: In ALCS Game 2, José Ramírez let the Guardians down. He won't stay there for long

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Islanders slip past Canucks thanks to Kyle Palmieri’s two-goal night

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Kyle Palmieri, who later scored the game-winning goal, celebrates after scoring on Leevi Merilainen during the first period of the Islanders' 3-2 win over the Canucks on Oct. 13 2026 at UBS Arena, Image 2 shows Ilya Sorokin makes one of his 23 saves in the Islanders' win over the Canucks

Say this for Pete DeBoer’s Islanders: They are not playing down to their opposition. 

It wasn’t as easy as their win over the Blackhawks that started this homestand, but the Islanders ended it by taking care of business with a 3-2 victory over the Canucks on Tuesday night, with a pair of goals from Kyle Palmieri pulling them back to .500. 

“We went into that third period knowing the recipe, and I think we put a ton of pressure on them in the third,” Palmieri said. “ … I thought as a team we went out there and every line was rolling and tilting the ice in our favor.” 

Kyle Palmieri, who later scored the game-winning goal, celebrates after scoring on Leevi Merilainen during the first period of the Islanders’ 3-2 win over the Canucks on Oct. 13, 2026 at UBS Arena. Robert Sabo for New York Post

DeBoer’s team played structured and effective hockey, surviving a shaky second period to regain control in the decisive third. That is as it should be against Vancouver, which has won just two of its first eight games and looks set for a miserable season. 

A hallmark of Islanders teams in recent years, though, has been struggling to put away or routinely beat teams just like that. The Islanders, for better or worse, had a tendency to play to their opponent’s level. 

At least so far this year — and this is where the obligatory “it’s early” caveat goes — that hasn’t been the case. Which, if DeBoer can turn it into a hallmark, will be critical to keeping the Islanders in the playoff race. 

This wasn’t a perfect 60 minutes, but the third period was as clinical of hockey as the Islanders have played this season. They did, though, have to survive the second to get there. Max Sasson seemed to zap the Islanders’ momentum at 7:52 of the second, cutting a 2-0 lead in half by blasting a rolling puck past Ilya Sorokin. 

Suddenly, the Islanders were losing battles, they were on their heels and you could feel the equalizer coming as soon as Palmieri tripped Liam Ohrgren late in the second. Not only did Brock Boeser tie it up with a one-timer from the slot, but the Islanders ended the second with another needless penalty after Tony DeAngelo took exception to a Sasson check that came after the horn. 

It was a gut-check moment for a team whose habit in the past would have been to let things spiral from there. Instead, they killed off DeAngelo’s penalty and — sparked, unsurprisingly, by Matthew Schaefer — found their game again. 

Kyle Palmieri and teammate Bo Horvat get into a scuffle with some Vancouver players late in the third period of the Islanders’ win over the Canucks. Robert Sabo for New York Post

“We learned through the first two periods what worked for us, what didn’t,” DeBoer said. “And then the third, we deserved to win that game with how we played in the third period.” 

Twice in the third period’s first six minutes, Schaefer’s play with the puck led to extended pressure in the Canucks’ zone. On the second of those, after Schaefer had two shots saved, Palmieri got one to go for his second goal of the evening. 

After the top line had gone scoreless through the season’s first five games, getting two goals from it at 5-on-5 — the second of which came after Matias Maccelli swapped places with Emil Heineman amid a superb evening from Maccelli — is just what the Islanders needed. 

Ilya Sorokin makes one of his 23 saves in the Islanders’ win over the Canucks. Robert Sabo for New York Post

For the remainder, they were relentless in possession, their retrievals and forechecking near-dominant at points. Right when the Canucks started to push with a few minutes to go, and looked ready to pull Leevi Merilainen, Heineman drew a penalty on Zeev Buium that kept the Islanders in the driver’s seat when they should have been frantically defending at 5-on-6. 

“I’ve always believed the best defense when you have a lead is to keep the puck in the other team’s end,” DeBoer said. “They can’t score from 200 feet away. So I think that was our goal and I actually liked our grind in the third period.” 

“We spent a lot of time in the other team’s end. We didn’t throw pucks away. We weren’t impatient.” 

Maccelli had driven play early in the night as part of a fourth line with Casey Cizikas and Simon Holmstrom — who moved down from the third line, swapping places with Ondrej Palat. At 15:50 of a dominant first for the Islanders, Maccelli ripped one from the left circle for the 2-0 goal, the feed coming from Schaefer. 

“You finally see one go in, it boosts your confidence. Puck just all of a sudden starts following you out there,” Maccelli said. “It feels really good.” 

That was just 53 seconds after the Islanders had scored first on Palmieri’s tip-in of Matt Kessel’s point shot. It was his first goal since Nov. 18, 2025, just 10 days before he tore his ACL. 

New York Islanders center Kyle Palmieri (21) scores during the first period against the Vancouver Canucks. Robert Sabo for NY Post

Fitting, then, that he ended with the game-winner too.

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Sharks to Host Hockey Fights Cancer Night on November 15

Throughout the month of November, the NHL, NHLPA and the V Foundation are set to team up for the Hockey Fights Cancer campaign once again. While each team will host a day dedicated to Hockey Fights Cancer, they're going to be spread out throughout the season, although most of them are in the month of November. 

Among the teams hosting their Hockey Fights Cancer night next month are the San Jose Sharks. On November 15, the Sharks will help raise awareness and raise funds for the initiative as they play the Nashville Predators.  

According to the NHL, since partnering with the V Foundation and AstraZeneca, the initiative has raised more than $21.3 million in just three seasons.

Almost everyone has somebody in their lives who has been impacted by the effects of cancer and the NHL has consistently been trying to do their part in fighting the terrible disease since founding Hockey Fights Cancer alongside the NHLPA back in 1998. For more information, visit HockeyFightsCancer.com.

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Senators' Hot Start Hits A Sour Note Against Blues

The Senators had plenty working against them on Tuesday night, and the St. Louis Blues took full advantage.

Mason McTavish, Jake Neighbours and Pius Suter each scored twice as the Blues (3-2-1) defeated the Senators 7-2 at Canadian Tire Centre, handing the Sens (5-2-0) their second loss of the young NHL season.

The Sens were playing their second game in as many nights after defeating the Devils 4-1 in New Jersey on Monday.

They were also without three regular defencemen, Jake Sanderson, Artem Zub and Nikolas Matinpalo, leaving the club with a makeshift blue line. In fact, three of their six defencemen (Carter Yakemchuk, Hoyt Stanley and Jorian Donovan) entered Tuesday's game with 10 or fewer games of NHL regular season experience.

With starting goaltender Linus Ullmark getting the night off, Samuel Ersson was given the assignment in goal. But the Senators' new backup struggled on the night, allowing seven goals on 26 shots and finishing with a .731 save percentage. By the end, a smattering of Sens fans gave him some sarcastic applause on a basic save.

Down 2-0 in the second period, the Senators got a nice goal from veteran Claude Giroux, who converted a feed from Tim Stützle with a well-placed wrist shot to cut the lead in half. But McTavish, the Carp native, restored the two-goal lead just 33 seconds later.

It was all Blues after that.

Giroux also added an assist on Fabian Zetterlund's first goal of the season in the final couple of minutes, long after the outcome had been settled.

Suter, who had two goals and an assist for St. Louis, has an interesting connection to the Senators' organization.

Back in 2017, four years before making his NHL debut, the Swiss forward attended Ottawa's rookie camp and performed well enough to earn an invitation to the team's main training camp, but he didn't make the club.

Nearly a decade later, and a couple of weeks before Halloween, Suter came back to haunt Ottawa and helped the Blues score a one-sided win. He was the one who got the offensive ball rolling, opening the scoring with a shorthanded goal in the first period.

The Sens entered the game riding the momentum of a 5-1 start, but this just in: nobody maintains an .833 points percentage forever. They were due for a night like this, especially with a tough schedule, injuries on defence and an off night in goal.

The Senators will now have a day to regroup before returning to action Thursday night when they host the New York Islanders at Canadian Tire Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa