SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: Landen Roupp #65 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the top of the first inning of a major league baseball game at Oracle Park on July 12, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a very good series opener on Thursday, and a very bad follow-up on Friday, the San Francisco Giants will look to take the lead in their four-game set with the New York Mets this evening.
Taking the mound for the Giants is right-hander Landen Roupp, who will look to reprise his phenomenal season debut last week. Against the San Diego Padres, Roupp pitched six shutout innings, while allowing just four baserunners and striking out seven. Last year, in 22 starts, the 27-year old went 7-7 with a 3.80 ERA, a 3.91 FIP, and 102 strikeouts against 45 walks in 106.2 innings.
For the Mets, it’s righty Clay Holmes, a 33-year old veteran who is also making his second start of the year. In his season debut, Holmes gave up seven baserunners and two earned runs against the St. Louis Cardinals, while striking out five batters in 5.2 innings. He made 31 starts last year (plus two relief appearances), and went 12-8 with a 3.53 ERA, a 4.11 FIP, and 129 strikeouts against 66 walks in 165.2 innings.
Enjoy the game, everyone. Go Giants!
Game #9
Who: San Francisco Giants (3-5) vs. New York Mets (4-4)
INDIANAPOLIS — Tarris Reed Jr. posted his third double-double of the NCAA Tournament and Connecticut beat Illinois 71-62 in the Final Four to advance to Monday night’s national championship game.
The No. 3 Huskies will meet the winner of the second national semifinal between No. 1 seeds Arizona and Michigan.
Reed had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Braylon Mullins had 15 points on 5 of 14 shooting and guard Silas Demary Jr. had 5 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Illinois guard Keaton Wagler posted a game-high 20 points with 8 rebounds. He was joined in double figures by Tomislav Ivicic’s 16 points.
The Huskies went into halftime leading 37-29 behind the two-man game of Reed and Mullins, who posted a combined 23 points on 9 of 16 shooting. After making his only 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the Elite Eight win against Duke, Mullins went 3 of 5 from deep in the first half.
Illinois was led by Wagler, who had 10 points and 6 rebounds at the break. Wagler also committed the only two turnovers of the opening half by either team. UConn and Illinois shot a combined 24 of 63 at the break and were 10 of 32 from 3-point range.
The Huskies’ lead would grow to 13 points at 49-36 on a pair of Alex Karaban free throws five minutes into the second half. The Illini would get back within single digits at 49-40 with 12:56 to play but UConn answered with an 8-3 run capped by a Jaylin Stewart corner 3 to go in front 57-43 with 9:24 left.
Illinois would have another response. With UConn in foul trouble after picking up its 10th team foul with 8:03 remaining, the Illini made it 57-51 a minute later on a pair of Ivicic free throws and then 57-53 on an Andrej Stojakovic layup with five minutes to play.
After Wagler scored on a driving layup with 1:39 left to make it 63-59, Mullins would make a crucial 3 from the wing to put the Huskies in from 66-59 with 52 seconds to play. They’d make five of six from the line in the final 37 seconds to seal the win.
UConn is chasing its seventh national championship and third in four years after going back-to-back in 2023-24. A seventh title would break a tie with Duke and bump the Huskies into third in NCAA history behind UCLA (11) and Kentucky (eight).
Another day, and it's yet another milestone evening for Pittsburgh Penguins' longtime captain Sidney Crosby.
And, with this one, he has managed to climb even further up the NHL's all-time scoring list.
With an assist on Evgeni Malkin's second-period power play goal - his 1,400th NHL point, making him the 23rd player to hit the mark - against the Florida Panthers on Saturday, Crosby surpassed Detroit Red Wings great Steve Yzerman to take sole possession of seventh place on the NHL's all-time scoring list at 1,756. He tied Yzerman with a primary assist on Erik Karlsson's first-period power play goal.
Crosby, 38, has 28 goals and 69 points in 65 games so far this season.
Next up for Crosby is Marcel Dionne in sixth place, and he needs 15 points to tie him at 1,771. In addition, Crosby needs just one more point to clinch his 21st consecutive NHL season at point-per-game or higher to pad his own NHL record of 20. and he needs just two more points by the end of the 2025-26 regular season to clinch his NHL-record 21st consecutive point-per-game season.
Mar 30, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Mets Lineup
Francisco Lindor – SS
Bo Bichette – 3B
Jorge Polanco – DH
Brett Baty – RF
Mark Vientos – 1B
Jared Young – LF
Marcus Semien – 2B
Carson Benge – CF
Luis Torrens – C
Clay Holmes – RHP
Giants Lineup
Willy Adames – SS
Rafael Devers – DH
Heliot Ramos – LF
Luis Arraez – 2B
Matt Chapman – 3B
Jung Hoo Lee – RF
Harrison Bader – CF
Patrick Bailey – C
Jerar Encarnacion – 1B
Landen Roupp – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 9:05pm EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Darren Raddysh broke a tie with 5:31 left and Tampa Bay beat the Boston Bruins 3-1 on Saturday night, hours after the Lightning secured a playoff spot.
The Atlantic Division-leading Lightning wrapped up the Eastern Conference postseason position with Detroit's 4-1 loss at the New York Rangers in the afternoon. Boston holds the first wild-card spot in the East.
After assisting on defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous' tying goal at 2:13 of the third, Raddysh put the Lightning ahead with a sharp-angle shot past goalie Jeremy Swayman from the right side on a break.
Nikita Kucherov added his 42nd goal of the season into an empty net, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 21 saves to help the Lightning finish a seven-game homestand 5-1-1.
Casey Mittelstadt scored for Boston in the second. Swayman stopped 20 shots as the Bruins lost their second straight on a four-game trip. They lost 2-1 at Florida on Thursday night.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Manager Mark Kotsay #7 of the Athletics takes the ball from pitcher Luis Morales #19 taking Morales during a pitching change against the Houston Astros in the top of the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 04, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletics’ second home game of 2026 was exactly the opposite of its first game. After the A’s blew out the Houston Astros 11-4 in yesterday’s series-opener, the Astros responded with a blowout win of their own, taking advantage of porous A’s pitching and defense to win 11-0.
Playing in front of a crowd full of A’s fans clad in the team’s new Sacramento jerseys, the hosts looked to make it two wins in a row.
Yet, from the first pitch, it became apparent that today was not the A’s day.
A’s starting pitcher Luis Morales hoped to bounce back from a rough first start against the Toronto Blue Jays. That did not happen as he actually pitched worse this afternoon. The visitors scored two runs in the top of the first to seize the early lead. Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai proceeded to get through his first inning unscathed. The inning ended on a double play combination with Imai striking out Tyler Soderstrom and catcher Christian Vázquez throwing out Nick Kurtz trying to steal second base.
Morales escaped a bases-loaded jam unscathed the next inning. Unfortunately, he was not as lucky in the third. Astros first baseman Christian Walker led off with a solo home run to left field. Later that inning, the A’s defense came back to bite them. Third baseman Max Muncy let a grounder off the bat of an Astros player get by him into left field for the second straight inning. Then, left fielder Soderstrom lost a fly ball in the sun; the baseball found grass for an RBI double rather than his mitt for the third out. Both looked like errors but were ruled base hits.
Tyler Soderstrom lost the inning-ending fly ball in the Sacramento sun. Ruled a double and a run comes into score. Pretty brutal. #Athleticspic.twitter.com/lhI2h08Det
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay finally removed Morales after he walked the first batter of the fourth inning. He allowed five runs on eight hits and walked six while recording zero strikeouts, an outing that should earn Morales a demotion to the bullpen or Triple-A Las Vegas to work on throwing strikes and limiting hard contact.
The A’s relievers who succeeded Morales did not fare much better. Right-hander Elvis Alvarado, who replaced Morales in the fourth inning, allowed the Astros to score three more runs that frame. He pitched a scoreless second inning before left-hander Hogan Harris gave up three runs on four hits in the sixth inning.
Looking at the A’s team pitching stats, one would think that this was a Cactus League or minor league game. A’s pitchers allowed 11 runs, 18 hits and 13 walks, the latter the most since they walked 17 batters in a 2023 game against the New York Mets. Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez drew walks his first four plate appearances. The Astros finished seven-for-22 with runners in scoring position, left 17 runners on base and would have scored more had they not grounded into four double plays.
While the Astros enjoyed endless base runners and scoring chances, the Athletics offense went silent, a stark contrast to what happened last night. Imai showcased the ability that made him a multi-time All-Star in Japan, recording nine strikeouts in 5 2/3 scoreless innings.
The A’s ended the game with the same number of strikeouts on offense as walks allowed by their pitchers. Muncy had two of the A’s five hits, all of them singles. The A’s had limited scoring opportunities. Looking for an immediate answer after going down four, the team had two on with two out in the bottom of the third inning, but Imai struck out catcher Shea Langeliers to end that threat. In the sixth inning, Astros reliever Kai-Wei Teng got A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson to ground out to end the inning and strand two runners in scoring position.
Now that each team has blown out the other, tomorrow afternoon’s Easter Sunday contest will be the rubber-game with the victor winning the weekend series between these two division rivals. Left-hander Jacob Lopez will toe the rubber for the A’s, looking to pitch a bit more efficiently and further into the game in his second start of the season. He will be opposed by longtime Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr, who pitched seven innings of one-run ball in his first start of the season.
It should be a good matchup tomorrow. Hopefully the Athletics can emerge victorious to win their first series of the season!
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 7: Jamir Watkins #5 of the Washington Wizards dunks the ball during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on February 7, 2026 at Barclays in New York City, New York. 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 David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This Sunday matinee, the Washington Wizards visit the Big Apple and play the Brooklyn Nets on the second afternoon of a back-to-back East Coast road trip.
Game Info
When: Sunday, April 5 at 3:30 p.m.
Where: Barclays Center, New York City
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network
How to listen: The Team 980 AM, 106.7-2 FM.
Injury Report
Wizards: Tristan Vukcevic, Tre Johnson (Day-to-Day), Trae Young, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Cam Whitmore (Out)
Nets: Terance Mann, Noah Clowney (Day-To-Day), Nic Claxton, Ziaire Williams, Michael Porter Jr., Danny Wolf, Egor Demin, Day’Ron Sharpe
Pregame notes
A lot of injuries — The Wizards and the Nets are tanking right now, and so the combined injured list is close to half of their rosters. So, for all intents and purposes, this game is essentially a G-League matchup.
Defense — The Wizards’ defense as of late has been lamentable. They allowed 153 against the Philadelphia 76ers a couple nights back, and just today conceded 152 to the Heat in Miami. Can they start keeping teams below 150? Probably doable against the very depleted Nets. But who knows?
Flashback: Wizards defeat Nets with Russell Westbrook’s clutch three!
The last time a first-ballot future Hall of Famer played for Washington was the lone season of Russell Westbrook in D.C.
A Vintage Russ highlight (with two spectacular threes by him and Beal):
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 31: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns controls the ball during the second half of the game against the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center on March 31, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. The Magic defeated the Suns 115 to 111. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The clock is bleeding out, each second slipping through your fingers like sand you swore you had a grip on a moment ago. The arena hums with that low, anxious energy that lives somewhere between hope and dread. Under 30 seconds with the score tight, down by three points or less, and every possession suddenly feels like it carries the weight of a season. Maybe more.
You can feel it in your chest now. That tightening, that anticipation. The kind that makes every dribble echo a little louder, every pass hang in the air a fraction too long. This is where everything slows down and speeds up at the same time. Where the noise fades and somehow gets louder, where thousands of eyes lock onto one simple question that refuses to blink.
Who takes the shot?
Who do you hand the moment to, knowing it might define the night, the week, the narrative that follows this team around like a shadow? Who do you trust to step into that space? Who can absorb all of it — the pressure, the doubt, the expectations — and turn it into something clean, something decisive, something that snaps the net and silences everything for a heartbeat?
This is the currency of greatness. It’s the place where reputations are built possession by possession. It’s where stars start to feel different, heavier, and more permanent. Because anyone can play when the game is loose, and this is where it suffocates. This is where you find out who wants it, who demands it, who takes that final dribble, rises, and doesn’t flinch.
For the Phoenix Suns, it’s Devin Booker. That’s the reality. That’s the investment. That’s the expectation. You are paying him $53.1 million to be the guy in those moments. And for me, despite the noise and the recent misses, he is still the one I trust with the ball in his hands on this roster.
Because he has been there. Because he has delivered before. Because he understands the weight of those possessions.
When you zoom out and look at the numbers, it tells part of the story. In situations where Phoenix is trailing by three or fewer in the final 30 seconds this season, Booker has taken that shot nine times this season. He is 3-of-9 from the field, 1-of-5 from deep, and has not turned the ball over once.
It is not perfect. It is not dominant. But it is controlled and composed. It’s like Colonel Nathan R. Jessup says, “You want me on that wall. You need me on that wall”. Booker has no issue being on that wall for the Suns. When the game tightens, when the possession matters most, the Suns know exactly where they are going. And Book is willing to take shots that not everyone can or should.
Yeah, Devin Booker has struggled in the clutch over the past couple of months, and that mirrors what the Phoenix Suns have been as a whole. Devin Booker is the engine that drives everything they do. When it stalls, the whole thing feels it. So you look for answers, you run through the numbers, you try to make sense of what you’re seeing in real time.
And sometimes, you don’t like what you find.
Devin Booker in the clutch since February 1:
❄️1-8 record ❄️25 FG% ❄️-45 +/- ❄️0.6 AST:TO Ratio ❄️-53 Net Rating ❄️22.6 TO% 😲34.6 Usage % pic.twitter.com/gGQL3m5pi2
So it got me thinking about something I always come back to. ‘Price for value paid’. What are you paying for, and what are you getting in return when the moments matter most? That led me down a path with Devin Booker and how he stacks up against the top-paid players in the league in these exact situations. Not only this season, but across their careers. Because nobody earns $53.1 million based on one season. You earn it through years of production, through moments, through a body of work that tells you who a player is when the game tightens.
So I started digging. Looking at the top 15 players by salary this season and asking a simple question: What have they done in the final 30 seconds of games when their team is down three or fewer? Not in a vacuum, not based on a few recent misses, but across the entirety of their careers.
Because perspective matters.
We live inside the Phoenix Suns bubble. I know what it feels like when Booker takes that shot because I have seen it over and over again. But I do not watch every Kawhi Leonard game. I am not tracking every late-game possession for Jimmy Butler. I cannot sit here and tell you off the top of my head how Joel Embiid has performed in that exact scenario throughout his career.
So the question becomes, is what we are feeling in Phoenix unique? Or is it something that exists across the league, something that only feels different because we are living inside it every night?
That is what this exercise is about. Stepping outside the emotion, stepping outside the moment, and trying to find where Booker actually sits when you stack him up against his peers in the situations that define reputations.
Who takes those shots? How often? And how often do they actually come through?
#
PLAYER
SALARY
FG%
3PT%
1
Stephen Curry
$59,606,817
34.1%
26.5%
2
Joel Embiid
$55,224,526
23.9%
16.7%
3
Nikola Jokic
$55,224,526
41.6%
16.7%
4
Kevin Durant
$54,708,609
31.3%
31.6%
5
Giannis Antetokounmpo
$54,126,450
38.6%
20.0%
6
Jimmy Butler
$54,126,450
25.9%
16.7%
7
Anthony Davis
$54,126,450
47.8%
9.1%
8
Jayson Tatum
$54,126,450
42.1%
33.3%
9
Devin Booker
$53,142,264
30.4%
17.9%
10
Jaylen Brown
$53,142,264
42.9%
35.7%
11
Karl-Anthony Towns
$53,142,264
27.3%
21.4%
12
LeBron James
$52,627,153
33.4%
12.3%
13
Paul George
$51,666,090
21.9%
18.8%
14
Kawhi Leonard
$50,000,000
32.8%
11.1%
15
Zach LaVine
$47,499,660
30.5%
32.0%
A couple of things pop right away. Players like Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic tend to thrive in these spots, and a lot of that comes down to how they get their looks. They live inside. They operate closer to the rim. Their shots are naturally at a higher percentage because of where they are coming from.
Davis is a perfect example. He is sitting at 47.8% from the field in these situations, which leads the group, but he is near the bottom in three-point percentage. Why? Because he is not living out there. Over the course of his career, he has taken very few threes in those moments. He’s 1-of-11 from deep, so when he does launch late three-balls, they are often late clock situations, broken plays, or end-of-possession heaves rather than something designed. That is the difference. It is not always about who is clutch and who is not. It is about where the shots come from, how they are created, and what kind of looks each player is able to generate when everything tightens.
But I know where your eyes went. They went straight to Devin Booker, the ninth-highest-paid player in the league, and what he has done in those moments across his career. Let’s expand the Booker numbers through his career, knowing that he did not have any experience in these situations during his rookie season.
Year
Age
GP
W
L
Min
PTS
FGM
FGA
FG%
3PM
3PA
3P%
FTM
FTA
FT%
OREB
DREB
REB
AST
TOV
STL
BLK
PF
+/-
2015-16
19
13
3
10
3.7
5
2
5
40
0
0
0
1
2
50
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
3
-10
2016-17
20
19
6
13
10.4
11
4
12
33.3
1
6
16.7
2
3
66.7
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
2
-1
2017-18
21
10
2
8
3.9
6
1
4
25
1
1
100
3
3
100
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
-6
2018-19
22
16
5
11
8
12
4
10
40
0
5
0
4
5
80
1
0
1
1
1
2
0
1
7
2019-20
23
13
3
10
5.3
7
2
6
33.3
1
4
25
2
2
100
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
-8
2020-21
24
15
6
9
7.4
10
2
11
18.2
1
6
16.7
5
5
100
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
3
-5
2021-22
25
5
1
4
2.7
5
2
6
33.3
1
4
25
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
-2
2022-23
26
9
2
7
4.7
2
1
7
14.3
0
2
0
0
1
0
2
0
2
0
1
0
0
1
-6
2023-24
27
14
5
9
5.7
7
2
5
40
1
4
25
2
2
100
1
1
2
1
0
0
0
2
-2
2024-25
28
11
4
7
4.6
5
1
4
25
0
2
0
3
4
75
1
0
1
2
0
0
0
1
1
2025-26
29
15
2
13
7
10
3
9
33.3
1
5
20
3
4
75
2
1
3
1
0
0
0
1
-12
TOTAL
140
39
101
63.4
80
24
79
0.304
7
39
0.179
25
31
746.7
8
3
11
7
4
2
0
18
-44
The numbers are what they are. 30.4% from the field, 19.7% from deep, 24-of-79 overall, 7-of-39 from three. That is not dominant. That is not elite efficiency. But there is context inside those numbers that matters. Over an 11-year career in those exact situations, he has only four turnovers. That tells you something. Despite recent narratives, in these specific situations, there is control and composure. He is getting shots up, not giving possessions away.
So, where does that place him? Around the middle of the pack relative to his peers. Not at the top, not at the bottom, right in that range where most players live when the pressure is at its highest.
And that is where the perspective shifts. Because these shots are hard. They are contested, predictable, and heavily scouted. Everyone in the building knows who is taking it. If you are converting around 30% of the time in those spots, you are not failing; you are operating within the reality of what those moments are.
Look at Dillon Brooks this season. Five attempts, one make, 20%, with two turnovers mixed in. That is the other side of it. That is what it can look like when you move away from your primary option.
And even when you expand it to this season across the league, Booker is still right there.
Book is tied for seventh in makes in those situations alongside Kevin Durant. Durant has three makes as well, but on 12 attempts, 25%, with a turnover. Go back to his time in Phoenix, and Durant was 7-of-18, 38.9%, 4-of-10 from three. Booker sat at 3-of-9, right where he is now.
So what does it all mean? It means the frustration is real, but the expectation might be off. These are not high percentage shots. They are not supposed to be. And when you stack Booker against the rest of the league in these moments, he does not stand out as a problem. He looks like most stars do when the game tightens and everything gets harder.
So what is the takeaway here? For me, it is an exercise in relativity.
Because we live inside the Phoenix Suns experience. We watch Devin Booker every night, we feel every miss, and we react to every outcome. When he does not deliver in those moments, the question immediately becomes whether the price matches the production. Based on what the numbers say, and more importantly, how they compare across the league, the answer is “yes”. He is properly compensated for what he is in this specific scenario. He is the guy you want taking that shot. And he is not alone in the reality that those shots do not always fall.
There are outliers. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been exceptional in those moments. Nikola Jokic sits in a different space entirely, a +82 in plus/minus in those situations across his career. That is what a true superstar looks like when the game tightens.
Booker is not that. He is not a superstar. He is a star. And that distinction matters, even if it is uncomfortable to say out loud. There is a ceiling there, both for him and potentially for what this team can ultimately become with him as the centerpiece. But being a star still places you among the top-tier players in the league. It still makes you the best option your team has when everything is on the line.
The frustration is real, and it likely comes from the belief that he can live in that superstar tier consistently, something he touched in 2022. The reality is that very few players sustain that level year after year. Five, maybe seven across the entire league. That means more than 20 teams are operating without one, and trying to figure it out the same way Phoenix is. That is not a Suns problem. That is an NBA reality.
So you take the data, you take the context, and you understand where things actually sit. Not where emotion tells you they are, but where they truly fall when you stack them against the rest of the league.
Sometimes it is worth diving into the numbers on a Saturday and letting them tell part of the story. That story is that in the moments that tighten everything, you are not chasing perfection. You are choosing who carries the weight. Devin Booker carries it. Not flawlessly, not always successfully, but willingly, repeatedly, and with control. That is the job. That is the value. And that is why the ball still finds him.
The Florida Panthers' quest for a rare three-peat was almost over before it started.
The two-time defending champions were already without Matthew Tkachuk because of offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia that he played through during the playoffs.
Then, on the first day of fall practice, captain Aleksander Barkov, a three-time Selke Trophy winner as top defensive forward, tore his ACL.
That was a major blow after an offseason in which general manager Bill Zito defied the odds and got Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad re-signed.
Instead of the Panthers pushing for the NHL's first three-peat since the 1980s, they were officially eliminated from playoff contention after a 9-4 defeat against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 4.
Normally, a team with Barkov's situation would place him on long-term injured reserve and bring in someone, but the newly enacted playoff salary cap makes that tougher to pull off.
The Panthers opened the season with three consecutive wins then lost four in a row as the injuries piled up.
Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov had surgery for an upper-body injury in mid-October with an estimated recovery time of five months.
"We're not allowing any short-term injuries this year," coach Paul Maurice quipped at the time.
Eetu Luostarinen missed eight games with burns after a "barbecuing mishap." Seth Jones missed 2½ months after being hit with a puck at the Winter Classic. Marchand missed 11 games in the lead-up to the Olympics.
Tkachuk was able to return on Jan. 19 and the Panthers got to a season-best eight games above .500 (three points out of a playoff spot) on Jan. 25 before they fell again.
After the Olympics, in which the Panthers sent a league-best nine players, the Panthers began shutting down injured players, including Marchand. And Niko Mikkola, Anton Lundell and Evan Rodrigues suffered long-term injuries recently.
"The most dangerous job in sports right now is to play for the Florida Panthers," Maurice told reporters.
What did the Florida Panthers accomplish?
Now that the Panthers are out of the playoffs, here's a look back at what they accomplished in recent years:
Won the Presidents' Trophy in 2021-22 but lost in the second round.
Traded for Tkachuk in July 2022, recovered from a 3-1 series deficit against the record-setting Boston Bruins in the first round and reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996. They lost in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Won four rounds in the 2025 playoffs despite lacking home-ice advantage and beat Edmonton again for back-to-back titles.
What's next for the Florida Panthers?
The Panthers' position near the bottom of the NHL standings will be advantageous. They moved their 2026 first-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire Jones, but it's top 10 protected so they should be able to hang onto it. This draft is considered deep.
Florida moved Jeff Petry at the trade deadline but retained Sergei Bobrovsky and other pending unrestricted free agents and will try to re-sign them.
The Panthers had played 12 playoff rounds in the last three years, plus had heavy representation in the 4 Nations Face-Off and Olympics. A season out of the playoffs will help them rest and heal.
Once Barkov returns, the Panthers will automatically be better. If Bobrovsky re-signs and returns to form and Florida is able to avoid this season's spate of injuries, it should be a Stanley Cup threat again.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin had his 14th career hat trick and added an assist to become the 23rd player in NHL history to reach 1,400 career points, and the Pittsburgh Penguins routed the Florida Panthers 9-4 on Saturday to eliminate the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions from playoff contention.
The Panthers began the season hoping to become the first team since the New York Islanders of the early 1980s to win three straight championships. It never came close to happening as injuries and shaky play in net sent them tumbling to the bottom of the standings early in the season, a hole from which they never fully recovered.
While Florida will miss the playoffs for the first time in four years, Pittsburgh is inching toward a return to the postseason after three straight absences.
The Penguins strengthened their hold on second in the Metropolitan Division by blitzing the Panthers during the first half of the second period, pouring in four goals in less than 10 minutes.
Anthony Mantha broke a 2-2 tie with his 31st goal of the season just 1:51 into the second. Malkin then beat Sergei Bobrovsky twice in less than three minutes to create more than enough breathing room.
Erik Karlsson had a goal and three assists for Pittsburgh. Noel Acciari and Elmer Soderblom added a goal and an assist. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby picked up a pair of assists to move past Hall of Famer and childhood idol Steve Yzerman and into seventh place on the NHL's career scoring list (1,756).
Artur Silovs stopped 19 shots for the Penguins and had little work to do after Pittsburgh chased Bobrovsky following Soderblom's third goal in 15 games since being acquired in a trade with Detroit.
Up next
The teams meet again Sunday at PPG Paints Arena in a rare back-to-back at the same venue.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 04: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates in front of Donovan Sebrango #6 of the Florida Panthers at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Pregame
The Penguins keep the same skaters, flipping Ben Kindel and Rickard Rakell onto different lines. Arturs Silovs in the net.
It’s all Penguins early, the party gets started 20 seconds in with Noel Acciari driving hard to the net and lifting his rebound allll the way up and over the shoulder of Sergei Bobrovsky. Nice little bounce earned by driving to the net.
Bryan Rust takes a hard shot into the boards, he stays down for a minute in pain. With Rust unable to go out for the power play, Egor Chinakhov fills in and earns an assist. So too does Sidney Crosby to tie Steve Yzerman on the all-time points list thanks to a wonderful shot from Erik Karlson. 2-0 Pens just 5:06 into the game.
The Panthers don’t go away and answer back courtesy of a shaky play by Silovs. The goalie can’t handle a routine long shot and puts a rebound into a dangerous place. A.J. Greer moves to it and scores. 2-1.
The luck from the Acciari goals balances out when Seth Jones takes a shot that was going well wide until it hit the glove of Rakell and back on trajectory to go in. Game tied 2-2.
Shots are 9-7 PIT after 20. They’ve played well enough to probably be winning, but goaltending, whaddya gonna do? (Shoulder shrug)
Second period
The answer to the above is score four-straight goals and chase Bobrovsky.
Anthony Mantha starts the ball rolling, it’s another unlucky moment for Bobrovsky when his own defender reaching back to try and prevent Mantha’s pass down to Justin Brazeau. The tip alters the puck enough to hand cuff Bobrovsky, Pens back in front 1:51 into the period.
Pittsburgh goes back to the power play for a second time when Connor Dewar gets hit before the puck gets there, and the power play makes the Panthers pay. Karlsson measures up a perfect shot-pass for Evgeni Malkin to direct to the top of the net. 4-2 on Malkin’s 1400th career point.
Malkin strikes again, again from near the net. Big Gene is crashing to the net and Tommy Novak just throws a knee-high grenade at him, the puck goes in off the body. 5-2.
Bobrovsky’s night comes to an end after the sixth goal, another shot/pass type situation where this time big Elmer Soderblom leans out a little and sends Dewar’s offering to the top shelf.
Connor Clifton throws two big hits, including one in open ice and Florida is not happy. Luke Kunin and Clifton drop the gloves and square up.
Florida goes to the box for a third time, the Penguins strike for their third PPG of the game. The big boys snap it around, eventually Malkin feeds Rakell in the slot and a backhand shot gets the Swede involved in the flurry of goals. 7-2.
Even more bad luck for Florida, Ryan Shea slips into the middle of the ice, he shoots with Brazeau in front and yet again the Panther defender gets a slight piece of the puck before it heads to the back of the net. Stop the fight it’s 8-2.
Florida catches the Pens napping and score on the rush. Noah Gregor zooms by Clifton, Silovs tries for a poke check and, nope, he didn’t get there. As a result of the effort to spring out, the five hole is wide open. 9-3.
The Pens are trying to feed Malkin for a fourth goal and getting greedy can get you in trouble in the NHL, no matter what the score is. Sam Girard plays the 2-on-1 well to take away the pass but Silovs’ isn’t square to the shot and Mackie Samsokevich smokes a shot up high. 9-4 now.
This game reminded me a lot of the Islanders game on Monday. Shaky goaltending by Silovs kept the score closer than it needed to be until the Pens bypassed even counting on their goalie to zoom way out enough to break the will of the opposition. Shots in the second period today started out as 11-0 Pittsburgh, by the team Florida generated anything, they were already down 6-2 and just about cooked.
Silovs couldn’t allow under four goals, even in the blowout win. You gotta give him a pass on the second goal where his own player deflected a shot, but the other goals were less than confidence-building. The Pens weren’t exactly playing hard in the third period, they could have gotten a few more saves out of the goalie. Take the shooter on the 2-on-1, make a stop. Then in the first period, that first Florida goal was infuriating. A team can’t get away with that level of goalie play for very long. The Pens will probably clinch a playoff spot soon, and it’s not like you can really call Sergei Murashov up then, the time for that has probably passed, for better or worse this team is going to sink or swim with Silovs and Stuart Skinner. Neither has been very impressive lately, Silovs today didn’t do anything to inspire anything different.
It was a lethal power play, going 3/3. Karlsson’s fingerprints were all over that with three power play points and absolutely controlling every piece of the puzzle, from setups to shots to even making lunging efforts to hold the puck in the zone. The big guys all have their confidence now, snapping the puck around, working to manipulate shooting lanes into opening up and then converting. Nothing’s prettier on the ice than a high-functioning power play, the Pens got one cookin’ right now.
Ended up being a milestone night for Malkin and Crosby. Malkin crosses the 1,400 point barrier and had one of his better games in a long while, even before getting to the fact he recorded four points. Crosby ties and then passes Yzerman in the same game with a multi-point outing of his own.
Bobrovsky looked like he didn’t want to be in there after the sixth goal, can’t blame him. Karlsson beat Bob clean but Acciari and Mantha’s goals were were sheer bad luck. Add in a couple of shot/passes or tips into the top and it added up to six GA in about half the game, with very little he could do about it.
The Penguins did get a lot of puck luck and good outcomes today, but don’t discount how they got there (“the harder I work the luckier I tend to be” and all). A couple time Florida defenders got a piece of the puck before it ended up in the net. If they didn’t try to make those plays, Brazeau was standing on the doorstep and possibly about to score anyways.
Loved to see after Rust got boarded by Matt Benning the response the next shift can from Soderblom throwing a heavy hit of his own. Then the next shift Benning took, he went into the corner with Mantha and the big guy dropped his shoulder and absolutely laid into Benning in a way that Mantha never does.
The Pens might have dodged some injury bullets today. Rust took a heavy check into the boards and looked stunned for a while before the pain went away. Dewar briefly left the game in the second period after taking the hit that drew a penalty. Ben Kindel missed a shift as well. Brazeau took some damage in the third period with a stick into his extended arm and missed some time himself, though he did come back. All of them did come back, but it just goes to show that even the “easy” ones usually come at a cost.
Florida (winners of their last two) aren’t incapable, despite having so much talent sidelined with injuries. But this is what a good team does against the 14th place team in the conference, at home, in April. Maybe not score 9 goals, but they win these games.
The Panthers also didn’t totally pack their tents in an play out the string, scoring twice in the third period. That gives something to build on with a fresh start tomorrow. The individuals on that team are all playing for something and want to salvage their trip.
The Pens will try to replicate as much of today as they can tomorrow in the same building against the same opponent in the rare rematch situation coming up tomorrow against Florida at 3:00pm.
Apr 3, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) reacts on a call strike against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
After exiting yesterday’s game with calf tightness and undergoing an MRI earlier today, Juan Soto revealed that he has been diagnosed with a minor right calf strain. That’s about the extent of what we know, as Soto said he does not know how long he will be out and is hoping to avoid an IL stint. Speaking to the media prior to the game, Soto said, “We’re going to see how I wake up the next couple of days and go from there.”
Soto, who has appeared in at least 150 games in each full 162-game season dating back to 2019, has not made a trip to the injured list since April 2021, so this is a unique situation for the Mets’ left fielder. Soto exited Friday’s game in the first inning after appearing to injure his calf running first to third on a single. It was the lone negative in the team’s otherwise stress-free 10-3 win.
For now, the Mets have seemingly avoided the worst-case scenario, but it will be a few days before we know definitively. Losing Soto for any amount of time would be a huge blow for the club, especially with Francisco Lindor struggling following hamate surgery, and several of the team’s newcomers, including Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien, scuffling in the early stages of the season with their new club. Soto is hitting .355/.412/.516 with one homer, three runs scored, five runs batted in, and a 162 wRC+ on the young season. Last year, Soto finished second in NL MVP voting while slashing .263/.396/.525 with 43 home runs, 105 runs batted in, 120 runs scored, a 156 wRC+, and a 5.8 fWAR in 160 games.
The back-to-back defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers will not be defending their crown.
Suffering through an incredibly injury-plagued campaign, Florida lost 9-4 to the host Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon, all but officially eliminating the Cats from playoff contention.
A Columbus Blue Jackets win later tonight will make it officially official.
It didn’t take long for the Penguins to get the fun started for their fans.
Just 40 seconds into the game, former Panther Noel Acciarl picked up his own rebound and shoveled a backhand that floated over Sergei Bobrovsky and dropped right behind him in the net.
Less than five minutes later, Pittsburgh took advantage after Mike Benning took a boarding penalty on Bryan Rust that led to Erik Karlsson blasting a one-timer past Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Penguins a quick 2-0 lead.
The Panthers were quick to answer back.
Cole Reinhardt entered the Pittsburgh zone and sent a long wrist shot toward the net that was stopped by Arturs Silovs, but A.J. Greer was right there to slap a backhand into the net to cut the Penguins lead in half at the 7:10 mark.
Panthers defenseman Seth Jones tied the game with 6:29 left in the first period, blasting a slapshot that deflected off Rickard Rakell before beating Silovs inside the far post.
Once the second period arrived, the home team took the game over.
Anthony Mantha got things started 1:51 into the middle, but it was exactly four minutes after that when the Penguins really shifted into gear.
Pittsburgh scored three goals within a span of 4:02, including a pair by Evgeni Malkin and Elmer Soderblom’s sixth tally of the season, to give the Pens a 6-2 lead and chase Bobrovsky from the net.
Bob finished with 13 saves on 19 shots in 29:53 of game time, including stops on six of the nine high-danger shots sent his way by Pittsburgh, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Late in the middle frame, a pair of Penguins goals just 19 seconds apart by Rakell and Ryan Shea send the Panthers into the second intermission trailing six.
Malkin completed his hat truck 3:30 into the third period, stealing the puck from Mike Benning and beating Tarasov with a nice backhand-forehand move.
The goal ballooned the Pens’ lead to 9-2.
A pretty cost-to-cost-type goal by Noah Gregor and an odd-man rush tally by Mackie Samoskevioch brought the Panthers back within four, but that would be as close as they’d get.
For Samoskevich, he has now scored in four straight games, the longest such stretch of his young career.
Photo caption: Apr 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) controls the puck in front of the Florida Panthers net during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. (Mark Alberti-Imagn Images)
The Flyers’ Easter Sunday game just got that much bigger.
Rick Tocchet’s club has a chance to move into playoff position when it hosts the Bruins (3:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP). That’s because the Islanders and Blue Jackets lost in regulation Saturday night.
So with a win or loss after regulation Sunday, the Flyers would take over the final playoff spot (third place) in the Metropolitan Division.
They have 88 points, one behind the third-place Islanders. If the Flyers pick up a point Sunday with a loss in overtime or the shootout, they’ll have the tiebreaker over the Islanders because they’ll have played one fewer game.
A win, though, would be ideal for the Flyers. That would put them in sole possession of third place with five games to go. They’d have 90 points, one ahead of the Islanders, who have four games left.
The Islanders and Blue Jackets are off Sunday. The Flyers are tied with the Blue Jackets and have played one fewer game.
The Flyers had two other games go in their favor Saturday. The Senators and Red Wings also lost in regulation.
The Flyers are in a four-way tie with the Senators, Red Wings and Blue Jackets for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. The Flyers are behind the Senators and Red Wings because of the regulation wins tiebreaker.
A team to not forget is the Capitals. They’re playing well and have 87 points, just one behind the Flyers in both the division and wild-card races.
The Flyers have really turned it on down the stretch. They’ve gone 13-5-1 over their last 19 games. They’re trying to snap a five-year playoff drought.
A lot of eyes have been on the wild-card picture, but the Flyers’ main focus can be third place. They control their destiny now in the division.
The 2026 NBA postseason is right around the corner as teams around the association have five or fewer games remaining in the 2025-26 regular season.
The Golden State Warriors look to get their team into form ahead of the postseason following an injury-riddled season that has seen season-ending setbacks to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, and nagging injuries to Al Horford and Quinten Post.
ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported that Curry is expected to play April 4 against the Houston Rockets. With five games remaining in the Warriors' schedule, Curry's return is just in the nick of time to get back into basketball shape for a post season run.
Here's what Golden State's playoff scenarios could look like:
Here is who the Warriors face in their five remaining games of the 2025-26 regular season.
Sunday, April 5: vs. Houston Rockets
Tuesday, April 7: vs. Sacramento Kings
Thursday, April 9: vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Friday, April 10: @ Sacramento Kings
Sunday, April 12: @ Los Angeles Clippers
How the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament format works
The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament is practically the NBA's equivalent to MLB and NFL's wild card round. In this format, the Nos. 7-10 seeds are vying for a playoff berth. The higher seed plays at home throughout the tournament. The No. 7 and 8 seeds play each other, winner is the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Loser still has a chance for the No. 8-seed.
The No. 9 and 10 seeds play each other in an elimination style game. The winner of the No. 9 vs. 10-seed game plays the loser of the No. 7 and 8 seeds game for the No. 8 and final spot in the playoffs.
Warriors' playoff scenarios
The Warriors will play in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament since they won't be able to catch the Western Conference's No. 6 seed before the regular season ends.
The Warriors (36-41) are currently the No. 10 seed in the West and have five games remaining before the postseason begins Tuesday, April 14 with the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament.
Ahead of them, by three games, are the Los Angeles Clippers (39-38) at the No. 9 slot. The Portland Trail Blazers are 40-38, a half game above the Clippers at No. 8. Currently placed at No. 7 are the Phoenix Suns.
If the regular season ended today, the Warriors would go on the road to face the Clippers in an elimination game for a chance at the No. 8-seed.
If Golden State loses they are eliminated from postseason contention. If they win, they would face the the loser of the No. 7 vs. 8 seed game between the Suns and Blazers for the No. 8 spot.
If the Warriors were to win both play-in games, they would make their 2026 NBA Playoff appearance in the first round against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Golden State Warriors playoffs odds
Here are the Warriors' playoffs odds, as of Saturday, April 4, courtesy of BetMGM.
Warriors' playoff chances
Miss the playoffs: -450
Make the playoffs:+300
Advance to Western Conference second round (semifinals):+2800
