LOS ANGELES — The Islanders may have just had the worst run in Southern California since Magic Johnson tried hosting late-night television.
After 5-1 in Anaheim came 5-3 in Los Angeles on Trade Deadline Eve, as the Islanders fell to the Kings on Thursday in a game where they were completely overmatched from the jump. As messages to management go, this was one Mathieu Darche would probably like to erase.
One bad game was something the Islanders could wave away off the heels of a five-game winning streak. Two is a harder sell.
“It’s a wake-up call for us that we still have a lot of work to do,” said Bo Horvat, whose line has been a shell of its usual shelf so far on this trip. “We still have to play confident, good hockey in order to make the playoffs.”
It is easier to list the couple positives for the Islanders on Thursday than the many, many things that went wrong.
Ryan Pulock was back from injury, and going 8:35 without allowing an empty-net goal was fairly impressive. That is, pretty much, it.
The Islanders turned pucks over, they had no net presence on either side of the ice, they were anemic on the power play.
They have yet to come out of a first period without trailing since the Olympic break, and Thursday was their worst start yet, as the Isles were outshot 19-5 and barely touched the puck.
“I wasn’t surprised the way they came out,” Roy said. “We talked about it. We knew it was the second game for their new coach, and they lost against Colorado.”
Ilya Sorokin defends the net during the Islanders’ 5-3 loss to the Kings on March 5, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
Of course, Roy’s team also lost on Wednesday and should have had plenty of motivation.
Somehow, they were still within arm’s length going into the third period thanks to Horvat scoring in, literally, the final second of the second period. After one second was put back onto the clock, Horvat whipped one in from above the left circle off a faceoff to bring the Islanders within 3-1.
The momentum proved fleeting.
The Kings celebrate a goal during their March 5 win over the Islanders. NHLI via Getty Images
The Islanders and Kings ended up trading goals throughout the third, with the deficit never getting below two as Alex Laferriere, Adam Pelech, Adrian Kempe and Emil Heineman all added to the scoresheet.
There is just no way to come back down three goals without being much, much better around the crease and below the hash marks than the Islanders were on Thursday. Let alone when giving the opponent free access through the neutral zone.
Come to think of it, forget coming back, it’s hard to win a game at all under those conditions.
“In the games where we came back, the previous five games, we were getting to the [dirty] areas, creating more havoc our front,” Horvat told The Post. “These last two games, we’re trying to be too pretty. It’s kind of backfired on us. We got to get back to being more simple.”
Horvat’s commentary on his own line, which was on for two goals against and made little positive impact for the second straight night, was just as scathing.
“Right now we’re trying to make something out of nothing,” he said. “We got to be a heck of a lot better in order for our team to win here. My line has to step up in bigger ways and create offense. And be reliable in our own end too. We have to be a lot better than we have been the last two games.”
The Islanders react after allowing a goal during their March 5 loss to the Kings. AP
Making matters worse was that, aside from JG Pageau’s line, pretty much the entire lineup has had a brutal two nights.
The fourth line, which can usually generate some kind of a forecheck, didn’t have much in the tank and Kyle MacLean committed a brutal turnover leading to the Kings’ second goal, via Samuel Helenius.
The second line has been a total nonfactor two straight nights and looks an obvious candidate to be broken up.
Pelech turned it over leading to Mikey Anderson’s third goal just 1:31 later.
Scott Mayfield has had a tough two games and though Matthew Schaefer is beyond any serious criticism, the superstar rookie hasn’t looked like his usual self in either game out West.
Maybe there is something in the air in this building, where the Islanders haven’t won since 2018. Or maybe it is Southern California in general, even though the smog is largely a thing of the past.
Either way, the Islanders will be glad to get out of here.
DENVER, CO - MARCH 5: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 5, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. 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 Morgan Engel/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
A game of runs came down to the final minute between the Lakers and Nuggets with Denver edging out a 120-113win.
Trailing by three in the final 90 seconds of the game, Marcus Smart missed a pair of open threes. Nikola Jokić scored at the rim with 22 seconds left to make it a five-point game and effectively seal the win.
The Lakers got 45 points off the bench and turned 18 Denver turnovers into 26 points. An improved defensive effort in the second half allowed them to make multiple runs, but they could never take the lead.
The game began with Jamal Murray being fouled from behind the arc and converting on all three free throws. He then proceeded to drain two more 3-pointers while the Lakers struggled to generate any offense, allowing Denver’s lead to explode to 11 and forcing LA to call a timeout.
Out of the break, Luka Dončić was fouled and made only one free throw. LeBron James converted on an extremely much-needed layup for LA’s first field goal nearly four minutes into the game.
Other than that, the Lakers continued struggling offensively. LeBron was the highest scorer for LA with four points, followed by Luka with three.
At the 4:57 mark, Los Angeles was down by nine.
Denver was shooting 66% from behind the arc, a massive reason why they were red hot. Tim Hardaway Jr.scored seven points off the bench for Denver.
Late in the period, LeBron made history by passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most field goals made in NBA history.
Luke Kennard drained a triple to start the second period for the Lakers. The Nuggets then scored five in a row. LA was now down by 15 and still looked as if they didn’t know they were playing a game.
Murray added five more points to his stellar first-half play for a total of 14.
A nice 6-0 scoring surge from Los Angeles, thanks to LeBron, helped cut the deficit to single digits. He was the first Laker in double figures with 10 points.
The scoring run extended to 12-0 to get the visitors all the way back into the game.
Much needed LeBron James takeover. Sensed it was getting away.
Bruce Brown drained a triple to stop the run. The rest of the half was a game of runs back and forth.
LA cut the deficit to three, but the Nuggets responded with a 12-2 run, going back up by double figures. Los Angeles then scored eight straight, but the Nuggets responded and made it a 10-point lead into halftime.
The Lakers trail 64-54 at the half. Luka 15 pts on 6-for-12 shooting; LeBron 12 pts on 5-for-6. DEN: Murray 20 pts 5 ast; Jokic 10 pts 6 reb 6 ast.
The third period started with Jaxson Hayes, starting in place of Ayton who left the game with a knee injury and did not return, dunking off an assist from Luka. Murray then responded with a triple on the other end.
Austin Reaves began to heat up for LA, scoring five in the quarter.
Nikola Jokić was on triple-double watch with 16 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. Jokić also picked up his fourth foul.
Marcus Smart knocked down his first 3-pointer of the game, which Los Angeles desperately needed. After falling behind by as much as 15 again, LA picked up its offense once more, with Rui Hachimura and Smart draining triples and Reaves adding to his now 13 points.
The deficit was now four with 4:06 left in the quarter.
The Lakers fell behind by 15 early in the 3rd Q, but have rallied back into the ballgame once again, cutting the margin to 4 at 82-78 as Reaves blew past Jokic for a layup to cap a run that forced Denver's TO.
Unfortunately, the game of runs continued as Denver scored seven straight to push it back to a double-digit lead. Luka surged towards the end of the quarter, scoring on two triples that made it a seven-point game.
The final frame began with Hardaway Jr. draining a 3-pointer for the Nuggets. He was also fouled from behind the arc and converted on two of the three free throws. Jaxson Hayes was now at 15 points, after what felt like his 83rd dunk of the night.
LA found themselves on a 9-0 run, making it a five-point game with 7:30 left.
After the run extended to 11 straight points for Los Angeles, Jokić converted on a layup. That stopped a three-minute scoring drought for Denver. Now at the 5:06 mark, the Nuggets were up by seven after a free throw from Christian Braun.
Strawther added to his nice night with four more points. LA started to surge again, scoring nine points.
The Lakers made it a one-point game with a free throw from Austin at the 2:05 mark. The combination of Hachimura, LeBron and Hayes helped jumpstart this surge. LA had two opportunities to tie it, but Smart missed both threes.
With 28 seconds left, it was still a three-point game, and Jokić converted on a layup that made it a five-point game, sealing the win.
Key Player Stats
Luka finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. LeBron ended with 16 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Reaves had 16 points with seven assists and five steals.
Kennard pitched in with eight points off the bench. Jaxson Hayes scored 19 points and five rebounds. Hachimura notched 16 points. Smart ended with nine points.
The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Indiana Pacers on Friday at 7:30 PM PT.
It’s a good thing the Islanders managed three dramatic comeback wins coming out of the Olympic break, because then they headed to southern California and played like doodoo. Actually, their starts and play in SoCal wasn’t that much different from the prior three games, just the bounces and outcomes were a little different.
They followed up a 5-1 loss in Anaheim with a 5-3 loss to the Kings in Los Angeles Thursday. For moments, I had Scott Gordon Era flashbacks, staying up late to watch depressing performances on the West Coast and questioning life choices.
However, this one also had a distinctly Patrick Roy flavor, with a very early goalie pull that provided some surrealist entertainment for the final 8:30 of the game.
Things got off to a weird start when Ilya Sorokin lost his stick in an encounter with Anze Kopitar, and no Islander bothered to sweep it back to him. Even after the Islanders cleared the zone once and the Kings had the puck at their own blueline with all five Isles skaters between them and Sorokin, no one bothered to retrieve the goal stick from the corner.
Sorokin made a couple of sterling, groin-defying saves without his stick, but then they left Artemi Panarin all alone in front, and the Russian was patient in beating his countryman (no)stick side.
This is just frustrating to see. What the hell were they doing and thinking?
In DJ Smith’s second game as interim head coach, the Kings committed two too many men penalties in the second period, one with six skaters and one with seven(!). During an in-game interview, Smith took the heat for it while noting “one by the D, one by the forwards” as too eager to get on.
But what’s the risk? The Islanders power play, rarely inspiring, was downright abysmal. The Kings had the best scoring chances on both advantages.
Meanwhile, the defense continues to be mind-boggling, too:
Speaking of which, the Kings made it 2-0 late in the second period with the Islanders coverage scrambling all over the place. Carson Soucy was bodied off the puck, did well enough (maybe?) to reach and poke the puck around the boards, but it was intercepted, and Soucy spent the intervening time complaining to the ref while covering no one.
Within a couple minutes, it was 3-0.
The Islanders would get one more power play to try to get back into the game, and while they at least gained the zone a few times — progress! — they still posed no threats.
HOWEVER…a J-G Pageau faceoff win and a Bo Horvat bullet led to the all-too-rare faceoff goal with 0.2 seconds left on the clock. Horvat put everything into the shot and whipped it in off the far post. Impressive.
The Islanders followed that up by coming out in the third with a little more pep, but Veteran Experienced Ondrej Palat took an offensive zone slashing penalty, and the Kings cashed in on the ensuing power play to make it 4-1 just 2:30 into the period.
Then Ilya Sorokin sailed a puck over the glass to put the Kings on the power play again, and it looked like we were in for more pain. But that was a failure of the imagination, because I neglected to envision the classic Pageau-Adam Pelech shorthanded 2-on-1, which Pelech finished like an opportunistic sniper to cut the lead to 4-2.
Did that make it a game again? It did not. A 3-on-2-ish from the Kings four minutes later restored the three-goal lead.
Patrick Roy pulled Sorokin for a sixth attacker with over eight minutes left, which provided some late-night entertainment at least. The Islanders mostly controlled the puck and were able to make some goal-saving blocks on Kings empty-net tries.
With 1:59 left and after a few more blocked empty-net tries, the Isles finally got one through. Matthew Schaefer’s point shot was deflected by Emil Heineman past Darcy Kuemper to make it 5-3.
That’s where things would finish, after one final empty-net block by Schaefer. Sorokin got himself a nice long rest. The Isles got zero points from their southern tour.
Up Next
The trade deadline, and then a visit to San Jose Saturday to complete the California swing.
James drove and hit a layup with just over 4 minutes to go, but he came down hard and immediately grasped at his elbow. The Amazon Prime cameras captured James saying "elbow" and using some NSFW language as he was checked on.
Jaxson Hayes subbed in for James after the ensuing timeout and James received treatment from trainers while sitting on the bench, working his elbow area.
James' basket had cut the Lakers' deficit to 110-106 late. He returned to the court about two minutes later, with 2:05 on the clock and the Lakers trailing 112-111. James was removed for good with 22.3 seconds left
The Nuggets held on to win, 120-113.
ESPN's Dave McMenamin, relaying what Lakers coach JJ Redick said after the contest, reported that James was "icing his left elbow after the game and that he was experiencing enough discomfort that it caused him to be unable to finish the game."
Earlier in the contest, James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record for most made field goals.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Artemi Panarin scored his first goal in a Kings uniform, and Los Angeles beat the New York Islanders 5-3 on Thursday night for the club’s first victory under interim head coach D.J. Smith.
Panarin, Mikey Anderson and Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist apiece for the Kings, and Darcy Kuemper made 31 saves. Samuel Helenius and Alex Laferriere also scored in just Los Angeles’ second victory since January.
Kings captain Anze Kopitar had an assist while playing his 1,500th game, becoming the 25th player in NHL history to hit the mark. The Slovenian center, who is retiring this spring after 20 seasons in Los Angeles, is just five points away from passing Marcel Dionne to become the Kings’ career scoring leader.
Bo Horvat scored an improbable goal off a faceoff taken with a second left in the second period for the Islanders, but it didn’t prevent a second straight blowout loss for New York in Southern California.
Adam Pelech scored the second short-handed goal of his 11-year career and Ilya Sorokin stopped 30 shots for the Isles, who had won five straight before losing to Anaheim and Los Angeles by a combined 10-4 over the past two nights.
Emil Heineman scored with 1:59 to play while Sorokin was pulled for the final 8 1/2 minutes of the third period.
Smith replaced Jim Hiller on Sunday after the Kings’ slump took them out of playoff position. Los Angeles played decently in his debut while losing to NHL-leading Colorado on Monday.
Panarin had three assists in his first four games with the Kings, who acquired the Russian star from the Rangers and signed him to a $22 million contract extension a month ago.
Panarin finally got his first Kings goal 3:17 after the opening faceoff when Kopitar found him utterly unmarked 10 feet from Sorokin. He also secured his 10th career 20-goal season.
Down 3-0, the Islanders finally scored on an unbelievable play: With one second showing on the clock, Jean-Gabriel Pageau won a faceoff straight to Horvat, who whipped a perfect one-timer past Kuemper’s pad for his 26th goal.
After talks picked up towards the beginning of this week, the Vancouver Canucks have officially traded Conor Garland. The forward, who spent five seasons with the Canucks, has been sent to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a second-round pick in 2028 and a third-round pick in 2026. Garland finishes his time in Vancouver with 82 goals scored and 139 assists in 371 games.
Aside from the 2025–26 season, Garland has consistently been a 45–50-point player for the Canucks since being acquired via trade in 2021. He recorded a career-high in points in 2021–22, scoring 19 goals and 33 assists in 77 games. Last year, he registered his second career 50-point season.
Garland is a valuable player for any team — contending or not — due to his ability to provide offence, help drive a line, and kill penalties if needed. Many teams will likely find him best suited for an energy role, which he often provides night-in and night-out.
Discussions around a potential Garland trade picked up when Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reported that the New York Islanders were engaging in conversations revolving around the forward. Things escalated on Thursday when Pierre LeBrun of TSN, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV, and Jimmy Murphy of RG all confirmed multiple teams’ interest in acquiring Garland. Interested teams at the time included the Islanders, Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils, and San Jose Sharks.
With this trade, Vancouver now has multiple second-round picks in the next three NHL drafts. They also have two first-round picks in this year's draft and two fourth-round selections in the next three after 2026.
Vancouver will face the Chicago Blackhawks later tonight in what will be their first game without Garland on the team since 2021. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:30 pm PT.
Jan 27, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland (8) handles the puck against the San Jose Sharks in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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TAMPA — With just under nine months to go until the current Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire, both MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association have been battening down the hatches for what appears to be increasingly likely next winter: a lockout.
While the two sides are set to begin bargaining some time next month, the looming battle is expected to center on the possibility of a salary cap — with owners pushing for it and the union staunchly against it.
“We’ve been preparing for this fight for years,” MLBPA interim executive director Bruce Meyer said Thursday morning at Steinbrenner Field, where the union made a stop on its annual spring tour of all 30 teams.
“We’re coming off a season of incredible momentum and great fan interest, as evidenced by attendance, ratings, anything you want to look at. If the league is saying they’re looking to shut that down, that doesn’t make a lot of sense for a lot of reasons. But we’ll be prepared for that and everything else that may be coming.”
Gerrit Cole, who has previously served on the executive subcommittee, described the meeting with the PA as “very informative, very thorough.”
It came in the wake of Meyer replacing Tony Clark as the head of the union last month, after Clark resigned in the wake of an internal investigation that found he had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who was hired by the MLBPA in 2023.
While Cole said he is trying to keep an “optimistic” view in the face of concerns of a lockout, he acknowledged that a salary cap is not the “answer to the questions that we’re trying to answer.”
Gerrit Cole, throwing earlier in the spring training, said he is trying to be “optimistic” that there won’t be a lockout next season. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“The sport is growing, the viewership is younger, the gate is up, the players’ pay is up, club appreciations are up,” Cole said. “Obviously there is a whole list of concerns. … I’m optimistic that through good conversations, through a lot of deliberation and some tense moments, ultimately the best will come out.”
Meyer said that the union has never thought that salary caps were in the best interest of players.
“We see no reason to change that view,” he said.
Meyer also added that salary caps “don’t really guarantee competitive balance,” indicating that baseball has the best competitive balance as opposed to the other major sports, which all have salary caps.
“The problem we have in baseball is not with the teams that are trying to win games and trying to spend money,” Meyer said. “It’s with teams that maybe aren’t trying as hard as they can. That’s the problem with competition in baseball.”
Oswaldo Cabrera will make his spring debut on Friday night, starting at shortstop against the Rays in his first game action since breaking his ankle and suffering ligament damage last May.
“Excited for him,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously it’s been a pretty long road for him. It’s been exciting to see some of the improvement he’s made over the last few weeks.”
Cody Bellinger returned to the lineup Thursday for the first time in a week after dealing with a stiff back.
He played four innings in right field and went 0-for-1 with a walk in a rain-shortened 15-0 loss to the Twins at Steinbrenner Field.
“Felt really good,” said Bellinger, who is scheduled to play left field Friday. “Felt 100 percent.”
The Yankees made a round of cuts Thursday, optioning RHP Chase Hampton to Double-A Somerset and reassigning him, RHP Travis MacGregor and RHP Drake Fellows to minor league camp.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Dylan Cozens scored a power-play goal 6:33 into the third period to snap a tie and lift the Ottawa Senators to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.
Brady Tkachuk found Cozens alone in front and he beat Devin Cooley on the blocker side to give the Senators a 2-1 lead. Tim Stutzle and Shane Pinto added empty-netters for the final score. Lars Eller also had a goal as the Senators, who are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games, moved within four points of the Boston Bruins for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Eller’s goal ended a 34-game goalless drought. His last goal came on Oct. 30 against Calgary.
Linus Ullmark made 19 stops to improve to 8-0-3 in his last 11 decisions.
Martin Pospisil scored his first goal of the season for Calgary and Cooley made 33 saves.
Ottawa has been strong of late with the man advantage, entering the game 5 for 12 over its previous five games. The Senators finished 1 for 4 against Calgary.
Down 2-1, the Flames got a power play of their own with just over three minutes to go in the third period. But Stutzle intercepted Yegor Sharangovich's pass and scored into the empty net to put the game on ice.
Stutzle extended his point streak to 11 games (seven goals, eight assists).
The loss dropped the Flames to 31st overall in the league standings, ahead of only the Vancouver Canucks. Calgary is 0-3-1 in its last four games.
The Calgary Flames dropped a 4–1 decision to the Ottawa Senators Thursday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, in a game where strong goaltending kept Calgary within reach but Ottawa capitalized when it mattered most.
The Senators pushed the pace early, applying pressure in the opening minutes, but Flames goaltender Devin Cooley held firm. He turned aside all eight shots he faced in the first period and came up with a key pad save in the final minute to keep the game scoreless.
Calgary broke through late in the frame. Rookie Matvei Gridin tracked down a loose puck and slid it across to Martin Pospisil, who tucked it past Linus Ullmark at 17:04 for his first goal of the season.
The Flames carried a 1–0 lead into the intermission.
The remainder of the period featured tight checking and solid goaltending at both ends, sending the teams into the third period deadlocked.
Special teams made the difference in the final frame.
After drawing multiple penalties, Ottawa converted on their second power-play opportunity. During a battle along the boards, Brady Tkachuk dug the puck free and spotted Dylan Cozens alone in the slot. Cozens quickly picked his corner and snapped the puck past Cooley at 6:33 to give the Senators their first lead of the night.
With Calgary pressing late and the net empty, Tim Stützle sealed the victory with an empty-net goal, extending his point streak to 11 games and Shane Pinto scored again into the empty net securing the 4–1 Ottawa win.
Even in a loss, Devin Cooley looked composed and confident, making 35 saves. The Flames netminder made several timely saves and kept Calgary within striking distance throughout the game. Performances like this suggest he could be pushing for a larger role moving forward, and the Saddledome crowd responded to his effort like he’s quickly becoming a fan favourite.
2. Youth movement on the power play
The Flames’ first power-play unit featured young talent on the blue line, with Zayne Parekh and Matvei Gridin handling duties at the point. It’s a glimpse of the organization’s future as Calgary begins leaning more on its developing prospects.
3. Trade deadline uncertainty
With the NHL trade deadline approaching, Thursday’s game could potentially mark the final appearance in a Flames sweater for veterans Nazem Kadri or Blake Coleman. After the Weegar trade, Calgary’s roster could see more movement in the coming day.
The Blueshirts activated the 6-foot-7 forward off injured reserve ahead of Thursday’s game against the Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden.
In his first game since suffering a lower-body injury in practice in early December, Edstrom skated on the fourth line next to Jaroslav Chmelar and Juuso Parssinen.
“So I’ve been going through some struggles,” Edstrom said after the Rangers won 6-2. “Just kind of something that blew up again in practice, so it was something that they just thought I should take care of now instead of keep on playing through it. It’s always tough to miss time, but I feel way better now.”
This was Edstrom’s second long-term injury in the span of 10 months.
Adam Edstrom skates during the Rangers’ March 5 win against the Maple Leafs. Getty Images
He sustained a different lower-body injury last February, which required surgery to repair and knocked him out for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.
After earning a spot out of training camp this season, Edstrom was scratched with “bumps and bruises” for a couple of games in early November.
On Nov. 18, however, the 25-year-old served as a healthy scratch.
Whatever sidelined him on Nov. 7 and 8 continued to nag him and ultimately forced the Rangers to put him on long-term injured reserve in mid-December.
Edstrom went on to miss 33 consecutive games.
The big-bodied Swede recorded a team-low 8:24 of ice time in the Rangers first regulation win on home ice since Nov. 24.
“At the start, you can kind of tell that you missed some time,” Edstrom said. “You always get a chance to come back in practice, but it’s always a little different coming out there in a game situation. I feel like I worked my way into the game, kind of happy to get the first one out of the way and now I can just look forward.”
Parssinen appeared in his first NHL game since Nov. 22.
After dealing with a long-term hand injury for a majority of his season with AHL Hartford, Parssinen skated in his 15th NHL contest of the season.
Thursday night was also Chmelar’s first game since Dec. 16 and the seventh NHL game of his career.
Goalie Igor Shesterkin got the nod Thursday night, marking his 38th start of the season.
After returning out of the Olympic break from a 13-game injury-related absence, he has backstopped the Blueshirts to a four-game point streak (2-0-2).
On Thursday, Shesterkin stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced.
At 7 p.m. April 5, tune into ESPN+, Disney+, Disney Channel or Disney XD to watch the Rangers and Capitals skate alongside Joy and Sadness in the Inside Out Classic, a real-time animated alternative broadcast featuring characters from the award-winning Pixar films.
Watch as “Inside Out” characters compete with animated versions of the NHL players, who will be virtually transported to Hockey Island inside the mind of the film’s main character, Riley.
With a baseline fadeaway in the first quarter, LeBron James made his 15,838th basket, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (15,837) for the most field goals made in NBA history.
LeBron, 41 and in his 23rd NBA season, passed Abdul-Jabbar in points scored in February 2023, but because the 3-point shot didn't exist for some of Abdul-Jabbar's career, he made more field goals to get his points (Abdul-Jabbar made one in his 20 NBA seasons, on 18 attempts). LeBron is also the leading scorer in NBA playoff history and is the only player in NBA history to have more than 50,000 points in the regular season and postseason combined.
LeBron also has attempted more field goals than any player in NBA history.
Dylan Cozens snapped a 1-1 tie early in the third period as the Senators went on to defeat the Calgary Flames 4-1 on Thursday night in the second game of their four-game Western road swing.
The victory looked nothing like Ottawa’s previous stop in Alberta. Two nights earlier in Edmonton, the Senators lost 5-4 in overtime after squandering a 4-2 third-period lead.
Thursday’s game in Calgary was the polar opposite as the Sens outshot the Flames 37-20.
Calgary opened the scoring late in the first period when Martin Pospisil capitalized on an Ottawa turnover. Senators defenceman Nick Jensen accidentally over-skated the puck in his own zone, allowing Calgary to pounce. Pospisil finished the play for his first goal of the season, sending the Flames to the intermission with a 1-0 lead.
Ottawa answered midway through the second period, and the goal ended a lengthy drought for Lars Eller. Eller snapped home a shot off a beautiful feed from Ridly Greig to tie the game at 1. The goal was Eller’s third of the season and his first since October 30.
The game remained tight heading into the third period before the Sens finally broke through on the power play.
At 6:33, Cozens ripped a wrist shot past Calgary goaltender Devin Cooley, the game's first star with 35 saves. The goal gave Ottawa its first lead and it stood up as the game-winner.
The finish wasn’t without a little drama.
Artem Zub was called for a penalty with just over three-and-a-half minutes to play, giving Calgary a late power-play opportunity. The Flames pulled their goaltender to create a 6-on-4, but this just in, the Flames don't have the Oilers' power play and Ottawa’s much-maligned penalty kill held firm.
Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto put the game away with a pair of empty net goals. Stutzle's was a shorthanded effort, while Pinto’s goal was meaningless but welcome. He had entered the game with just three goals in his last 26 games.
Stützle was held off the scoresheet for most of the night before his late goal, but for the second straight game he may have been Ottawa’s best player, consistently driving play and creating chances.
The win was an important one for the Senators as they try to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Ottawa not only picked up two points in Calgary, but also got some help out of town. The Nashville Predators defeated the Boston Bruins 6-3 on Thursday night, tightening the Eastern wild-card race.
With 21 games still to play, the Senators now sit four points behind Boston for the final wild-card spot and six points back of the Montreal Canadiens, who hold the first wild card.
With the trade deadline less than a day away (Friday at 3 pm), Thursday's results won't necessarily push general manager Steve Staios into full buyer mode, but the Sens still have every reason to believe they can claw their way back in the race.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 24: Oswaldo Cabrera #95 of the New York Yankees participates in a spring training workout at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 24, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New York Daily News | Peter Sblendorio: On May 12th of last year, utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera broke his ankle in one of the more gruesome injuries you’ll watch in real time. It’s taken quite a bit of rehab for Cabrera in the ensuing ten months, but he’ll finally play something close to competitive ball today, with Aaron Boone announcing Waldo’s spring debut (coinciding with Cam Schlittler’s). Cabrera is more of a depth piece, and certainly a glue guy, rather than one of the stars the Yankees are looking to turn to, but I’m happy he’s back all the same.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees acquired lefty Ryan Weathers from the Marlins over the winter, and his stuff raised serious eyebrows in his first spring start for the Bombers. A possible breakout may be genetic for Weathers, whose father won two World Series, one with the Blue Jays and one with the 1996 Yankees. It goes even a step further, as David Weathers was also dealt from the Marlins to the Yankees, although it seems clear that the son has more natural talent. It’s not quite clear yet what Ryan’s role will be with the Yanks, but if that stuff plays, he’ll be called upon to do quite a bit.
Yahoo! Sports | Matthew Schmidt: Another winter trade hasn’t quite started so optimistically. Angel Chivilli was nabbed from the Rockies with clearly an eye to his powerful fastball and low walk rate, but he hasn’t looked great in Grapefruit League action. He gave up six runs against the Twins yesterday, and with a number of pitchers all competing for the final slots in the Yankee bullpen, it seems increasingly likely Chivilli will start the year with Triple-A Scranton.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 05: Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates after a three-point basket in overtime against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 05, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’ve said this a few times, but this time I actually mean it: that was the win of the year for the Golden State Warriors. They hit the road to face the 38-22 Houston Rockets, who had won four of their last five games. The Warriors were without Steph Curry, without Jimmy Butler III, without Kristaps Porziņģis, without Moses Moody, without Will Richard, and without Gary Payton II.
Somehow, they won, escaping Texas with a 115-113 overtime win that was as entertaining as it was impressive. And I’ll put my stamp on it now: whenever the season comes to a close, this will be the win of the year.
So let’s grade the 10 players — which included all three two-way contracts and a player who began the year on a two-way contract — who shocked the Rockets. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.
Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Thursday’s games, league-average TS was 57.9%.
This was far from a perfect game for Santos. He netted a donut from deep, and he had seven turnovers. But my goodness the bad doesn’t come close to the good.
His 41 minutes and 37 seconds of action were the most by a Warriors player in a game this season, and I feel quite comfortable saying that if he played a minute fewer, the Warriors don’t win. Despite playing such a gaudy minutes total, he was still a ball of Dani Rojas-esque energy to the final buzzer … and in fact, in the final seconds when the Warriors were desperately trying to add to a one-point lead, it was Santos who kept De’Anthony Melton’s missed shot alive, extending the possession that would ultimately result in a bucket.
Santos played phenomenal defense, and he had huge plays throughout the night. When the Warriors lost momentum at the end of the first half, Santos made wild driving layups on both ends of a two-for-one to right the ship.
That contract is already looking like a steal, and this is one of the very few times where I give someone a great grade when they have a huge number of turnovers and score with below-average efficiency.
Grade: A- Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team
A vintage Draymond game. He was a dog on defense, and played Kevin Durant about as well as you possible can. He conducted the offense, moving the chess pieces around brilliantly while getting the team into the system. He was an emotional leader, disrupting Houston while motivating his teammates, especially the younger ones.
If anyone wants to argue with this grade, well … I’ll leave you with this.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists.
The old man still got it. And Al, by the off chance that you read this, please don’t take that the wrong way … I ain’t far behind ya.
The Rockets are so young, and so athletic, and so rangy, and Horford didn’t seem to care. His excellent defense played from opening tip to the final buzzer of overtime, while he also steadied the offense with both his passing and his scoring. He had one of the biggest shots of the game, a shot clock-beating three with 45 seconds remaining in regulation, and the Warriors down a point. In overtime and nursing a one-point lead, he took Amen Thompson into the post and drained a jump hook over him with 39 seconds remaining.
Melton had a few tough plays in this game. There were moments where he went through slumps, hence the low efficiency. He committed an awful foul on Durant shooting a three in the waning moments. And he had a brutal turnover late in overtime: on the first possession after returning to the game, and nursing a five-point lead, he turned the ball over at midcourt, leading to an Amen Thompson fastbreak, which ultimately led to a four-point play (Thompson was fouled, missed the second free throw, and the Rockets got the offensive rebound, with Durant draining a three).
But the big plays were big. So big. Everything’s bigger in Texas big. He had 10 points in the first quarter as the Dubs made a statement that they were going to be competitive in the game. And with less than 10 seconds remaining in overtime, and a one-point lead in hand, Melton got into the paint for a good look at the rim. He missed the shot, but after Santos kept the ball alive, Melton was able to get a second chance, and banked it home to give the Warriors a three-point advantage. He also drained a huge three to beat the shot clock with 1:19 left in regulation, and the Warriors trailing by two.
Add in the sensational defense, and it was a very good game for Melton, despite some glaring miscues.
Podziemski was good in this game, and he was impressive. But I’m kind of more caught up on how fun he was. We know what he’s capable of, and when it all comes together, it’s just a joy to witness. He’s so crafty, unique, and funky, yet also tough and in control. He played 40 minutes against a lengthy and athletic defense that is one of the best in the league, and only turned the ball over once … while scoring 26 points and facilitating the offense far more than the assist total would suggest.
He made huge shots, and he made huge hustle plays. It was a treat to watch.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Led the team in points and rebounds.
Williams wasn’t able to make the impact in this game that he made on Monday, but he definitely looks like an NBA player out there. The Warriors have done so well with two-way contracts.
Post didn’t play very well in regulation, but he came in clutch when the team needed it most. With Horford having played the bulk of the fourth quarter, Steve Kerr gave his veteran center a break at the start of overtime, and turned to Post instead. The second-year big held it down impressively, especially on the defensive end of the court. Otherwise, not a great game for him.
The stats are pretty solid, but Spencer had a hard time making an impact in this game, and there’s a reason his minutes total was pretty low. The Rockets, with their length and athleticism, just aren’t a very good matchup for him, and that showed. He couldn’t hold up well on defense, and had a hard time initiating the offense. But he still put up some quality numbers.
Grade: C+ Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.
What a moment for Cryer. He entered Thursday having played in three NBA games, and having totaled eight minutes. He’d played exclusively in garbage time, and hadn’t seen any action in the last six weeks. And then on Thursday, in a nationally-televised game, he played 20 minutes, and was part of the five Warriors players who took the court at the start of the overtime period.
He was there partially because Kerr was monitoring Melton’s minutes, and rested him for the final possessions of overtime. But he also earned it, and there was a reason that he was on the court over the more established Spencer. It was the definition of a breakout game for Cryer, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. It would have been fun to have been a fly on the wall of the Warriors locker room after the game, where Cryer surely got his flowers.
Leons played some pretty nice defense, and his length played well against Houston. He couldn’t really make an impression in any other phase of the game, but just holding his own given the situation is a huge win.
Grade: B
Thursday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, Seth Curry, Steph Curry, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, Kristaps Porziņģis, Will Richard
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Logyn Greer and Desiree Wooten both scored 10 points in No. 6 seed Colorado's 55-48 win over No. 11 seed Kansas on Thursday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Conference Tournament.
Greer shot 4 for 7 from the field and drained both her attempts from 3-point range from the Buffaloes (21-10). She had six rebounds and four blocks. Wooten added four assists.
Colorado was in foul trouble early, racking up seven fouls in the first quarter. A 9-0 run in the second quarter broke the game open for the Buffaloes and they entered halftime up 26-18. Their defense held Kansas to 36% (19 of 53) from the field and 15% (2 of 13) from 3-point range.
Kansas (19-13) was led in scoring by S'Mya Nichols, who put up 14. Her and Sania Copeland scored the only 3-pointers for the Jayhawks.
Up next
Colorado: Will play No. 3 seed Baylor on Friday. The Lady Bears are ranked No. 20 in the country.
Kansas: Will wait for an invitation into a postseason tournament.
