New York Islanders rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer has been tremendous in his first NHL season. The 18-year-old defenseman has 12 goals with 17 assists for 29 points through the first 45 games of his career.
If we look at the Calder race, Schaefer sits in third place. He is seven points back of Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov, who has 10 goals and 29 assists for 39 points to sit atop the rookie leaderboard. In second place is Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke, who has 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points.
However, the fact that Schaefer is a defenseman plays a huge part in this, and if he can keep up his pace, there's no question that he should win the Calder. The last Islanders player to win that award was Mathew Barzal ater recording in 2017-18 after recording 85 points (22 goals, 63 assists) in 82 games.
Now, to the crease.
Despite a slow start to the season, Ilya Sorokin has been one of the most clutch goaltenders in the NHL this season. After turning aside 33 of 36 in a 4-3 overtime win against the Nashville Predators, Sorokin improved to 14-10-2, with a 2.47 GAA and a .915 SV%, with four shutouts. His 19.0 Goals Saved Above Expected leads the NHL.
Sorokin should be unanimous frontrunner for Vezina. Stole a win last night with 2.72 goals saved above expected in Islanders 4-3 win. Leads NHL in GSAE Leads NHL in Goalie Steals (GSAE > Score Differential) Goalie Steals: 9 (1st) 35% of his starts, he's stolen a win for his team… https://t.co/mVXpUqFxPQ
Sorokin was a Vezina finalist back in 2022-23 (31-22-7, 2.34 GAA, .924 SV%, 6 SO), a season where he owned a 38.7 GSAE. He fell to then Boston Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark, who owned a 1.89 GAA and with a .938 SV% and two shutouts, with a GSAE of 42.4.
Could the Islanders win the Jennings Trophy, given how well backup David Rittich has played, too?
They've combined to give up 120 goals this season, the third fewest in the NHL this season. Ahead of them is the Tampa Bay Lightning, who doesn't really have a dominant tandem.
The Colorado Avalanche, who have allowed just 95 goals this season, are the front-runners for this award, given the play of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood.
They still are searching for their first four-game win streak and haven’t been four games above .500 once.
Inconsistency in the starting lineup also was a major theme, until four weeks ago. Warriors coach Steve Kerr on Dec. 14 started Moses Moody and Quinten Post alongside Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green and hasn’t looked back since.
Kerr says though the stats of the group together don’t show the best results, he’s sticking with them for multiple reasons.
“I’m committed to it because we’re generally in a good place. … We committed, what was it, three weeks ago, to just staying with the same starting five and same rotation to try to get guys more comfortable and we’ve achieved that,” Kerr told reporters Monday after Warriors practice. “I know that five-man group hasn’t been great, but again, it allows Draymond to start at the 4. Like tomorrow, he doesn’t have to guard [Donovan] Clingan to start the game. That’s a big deal for us.”
The first game Kerr unveiled the Curry-Moody-Butler-Green-Post starting five was in a 136-131 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in which Curry’s 48 points couldn’t result in a win. That same starting five is expected to begin the game Tuesday night when the Warriors play the Blazers for the fourth time this season. They’re 0-3 against them thus far, losing twice without the starting five and once with it.
Moody and Post have each played and started every game since Dec. 14. Curry, Butler and Green each missed one, a blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 2. In the 13 games all five have played and started alongside each other in that span, the unit has produced a minus-1.3 net rating with a 113.5 offensive rating and 114.8 defensive rating.
“While the numbers may not be that impressive, it allows the game to unfold in a way that we like,” Kerr explained.
So, should Kerr be this committed to the current starting five? And does it really matter?
Since turning to the starting five, the Warriors are 8-6 overall and 8-5 in the games they have played together. Following a three-game losing streak, the Warriors now have won eight of their last 12 games but haven’t gained ground in the Western Conference standings and remain the No. 8 seed.
It was a goal of Kerr’s to not start Green at center all season and limit his minutes against giants like the 7-foot-2, 280-pound Clingan. That is a big deal for him and the Warriors alike. Theoretically, the lineup makes sense in putting size, shooting and defense around the Warriors’ veteran Big Three.
Outside of the start of the first and third quarters, the group isn’t playing long stretches next to one another. Kerr quickly is turning to his depth and playing his bench players in short bursts, another stylistic decision he appears to be sticking to.
“As a player, it’s not easy to play a four-minute stretch and come out,” Kerr admits. “You feel like maybe you don’t have a chance to get your rhythm. But with the speed and pace of the game and the nature of our roster, where we have a lot of depth but not a lot of clear separation, we’re definitely playing more people.
“I think we’re playing an 11-man rotation right now, pretty consistently, which I don’t think we’ve ever done since I’ve been here, and as a result of that we’re playing guys in shorter bursts of four or five-minute stretches.”
Defense and spacing is the idea around starting Moody and Post as the complements to Curry, Butler and Green. Post leads the Warriors in defensive rating (106.5) and Moody is second (107.2). Fast-twitch guards still give Moody problems, however, and teams aren’t exactly scared of Post protecting the rim.
Advanced stats have flipped for the Warriors since implementing their new starting five. The Warriors rank fifth in offensive rating (117.5) and 19th in defensive rating (115.3) since Dec. 14. Oddly enough, Moody (30.6 percent) and Post (33.3 percent) have struggled shooting from long distance in their 14 straight games starting together.
The Warriors rank dead last in first-quarter points per game this season (27.1) but are 22nd since Dec. 14 (28.9) and scoring 23 first-quarter points in the one game Curry, Butler and Green didn’t play doesn’t help.
This starting five also rarely, if ever, closes games.
Whenever De’Anthony Melton, who has been Kerr’s closer out of the bullpen, is able to play 30 minutes, he more than likely will be Curry’s backcourt mate. Post is shooting 41.2 percent from three in the first quarter, which is by far his best 3-point percentage of any quarter. He provides the size and spacing needed next to Green, and it allows Al Horford to thrive in lineups centered around Butler and be able to finish games.
Changes could come eventually, and maybe even from the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Until then, Kerr is going to stick to one of the only parts of the season that has been consistent for the Warriors after searching for a starting five for so long early on.
Top seed was leading Osorio 6-3, 2-4 when play called off
Venus Williams lost 6-4, 6-3 to Tatjana Maria in Tasmania
Emma Raducanu cut a frustrated figure on Tuesday at the Hobart International as her first round match was suspended for the night due to rain with the Briton struggling to hold on to her precarious 6-3, 2-4 lead against Camila Osorio of Colombia.
Raducanu, the top seed in Hobart, will return to the court on Wednesday afternoon hoping to close out her first win of the season. She lost her only match of 2026 to Maria Sakkari at the United Cup mixed-team competition last week. Afterwards, Raducanu explained how her pre-season had been badly disrupted by the foot injury she had been struggling with since she prematurely ended her 2025 season in October. The 22-year-old only began to play points and move properly in her training sessions once she arrived in Australia at the end of December.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home to face the Calgary Flames tonight at 7 PM. New Head Coach Rick Bowness makes his Blue Jackets debut behind the bench.
Calgary Flames - 19-22-4 - 42 Points - 5-5-0 in the last 10 - 7th in the Central
Columbus Blue Jackets - 19-19-7 - 45 Points - 5-4-1 in the last 10 - 8th in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
Columbus wrapped up a four-game road trip with a 3-2 OT victory at Utah on Sunday. The club returns home to play seven of the next eight contests at Nationwide Arena from Jan. 13-28.
The Jackets have scored the first goal in 10 of the last 14 contests and 13 of the past 19. The team ranks sixth in the NHL in games scoring first in 2025-26 (25).
Columbus leads the NHL in goals by defensemen and ranks fourth in points with 34-79-113 in 45 contests.
The Blue Jackets rank third in the league in faceoff percentage since Dec. 13 (53.5 pct. in 14 GP).
CBJ have denied opponents on 30-of-34 power play chances over the last 11 games and rank third in the NHL in penalty kill pct. since Dec. 20 (88.2).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 18.8% - 19th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 76.4% - 29th in the NHL
Goals For - 131 - 20th in the NHL
Goals Against - 152- 28th in the NHL
FlamesStats
Power Play - 13.6% - 32nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 82.2% - 8th in the NHL
Goals For - 114 - 32nd in the NHL
Goals Against - 133 - 14th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheFlames
Columbus is 36-26-0-8 all-time, and 21-10-0-4 at home vs. Calgary.
The Blue Jackets are 4-2-1 in the last 7 against the Flames.
The CBJ went 1-1-0 vs Calgary last season.
Who To Watch For TheFlames
Nazem Kadri leads the Flames with 24 assists and 32 points.
Blake Coleman leads Calgary with 13 goals.
Goalie Dustin Wolf is 14-18-2 with a SV% of .898
CBJ Player Notes vs.Flames
Zach Werenski has 11 points in 15 career games vs. the Flames.
Kirill Marchenko has 5 points in 7 games.
Sean Monahan has 6 points in 7 games against his former club.
Injuries
Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 37 Games - IR - Expected to practice with the team when the current road trip concludes. But there is no timeline for a return to the lineup.
Isac Lundeström - Lower Body - Missed 9 Games - IR
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 7 Games IR - Out 3-4 months after having knee surgery.
Miles Wood - Lower Body - Missed 6 Games - IR - Week-to-week.
Mason Marchment - Upper Body - Missed 4 Games - Week to week
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 115
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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After falling 4-0 to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night, the Montreal Canadiens were hoping to bounce back by taking on the Vancouver Canucks. The British Columbia outfit rolled into two, having lost its last three games in regulation and its last six games if you count extra time, which should have made it easy prey on paper.
Unfortunately for the Habs, the game isn’t played on paper, and no matter how badly a team is doing, there isn’t a single squad in the NHL that will give you the win. If you repeatedly shoot yourself in the foot, there’s not a single team that won’t make life complicated for you, and the Canadiens must have realized that tonight.
After 40 minutes, goaltender Jakub Dobes had given up three goals on just 14 shots, giving him a .786 save percentage. While that’s clearly not good enough, it was hard not to feel bad for the masked man since each of those goals came from glaring defensive mistakes.
On the first goal, it was Oliver Kapanen who missed his defensive coverage and wasn’t in a position to make life complicated for Ellias Pettersen as he jumped on a rebound. On the second one, Arber Xhekaj, who had been playing very well since the start of the new year, was under pressure in his own zone with two Canucks hot on his tail. He opted for a no-look backhand pass at the top of the defensive zone, which, of course, became a giveaway and was in the net seconds later. Then, on the third goal, Xhekaj and Kaiden Guhle collided, taking themselves out of the play, and the Canucks had an easy two-on-zero to score easily.
Nobody expects the defensive game to be flawless, but there’s a world of difference between playing a perfect match and making such enormous mistakes. The Canadiens played a much better defensive game in the third period, and Dobes shut the door on the eight shots he faced in the final frame, although he did get some help from his posts a couple of times.
Carrier’s Milestone
Before Monday night’s game, the Habs had a single goal from their blueliner on the power play and Noah Dobson, freshly inserted on the first man advantage unit, added one to that small tally. In the second frame, fellow defenseman Alexandre Carrier scored a pair of goals, which turned out to be his 100th and 101st points in the NHL. The Quebec City native now has five points in his last five games and must really enjoy being paired with Lane Hutson.
Interestingly, in 245 games with the Nashville Predators, the right-shot rearguard had only 69 points, averaging 0.28 points per game. With the Canadiens, he now has 32 points in 97 games, averaging 0.33 points per game, a slight increase.
The Habs now have the second-most productive blueline in the league with 119 points, second only behind the Colorado Avalanche, who had 144 points from their defensemen at the time of writing.
Turning It On In The Final Frame
After making a lot of mistakes through 40 minutes, the Canadiens came out strong in the third frame. It was almost as if the players felt bad for their goaltender and decided to go and get two points for him. After six minutes in the third, the Habs scored three times to take a three-goal lead, which would hold until the end of the game.
It was a strong frame for the second line as the three youngsters scored two of the three goals. In two games against the Canucks this season, the duo of Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov has put up 11 points (five for the Slovak and six for the Russian). They certainly wouldn’t complain if they had to play them more often.
On Monday night, Arber Xhekaj played his worst game since the calendar turned to 2026, and it will be interesting to see if Martin St-Louis decides to replace him with Jayden Struble on Tuesday night in Washington. Will his strong start to the year have bought him a bit of leeway, or will his minus-three rating and juicy giveaway prove fatal? It’s also worth mentioning that Tom Wilson plays for the Caps and is a tough customer.
While Dobes has won four of his last five games, he has received a lot of offensive support, and his stats are not great. On Monday night, he finished the game with a .870 SV, and with Kent Hughes having said the Canadiens wouldn’t keep three goalies around for too long, one can wonder if the Slovak netminder might not be the one to go down. Speaking to the press after the game, Dobes said that he wouldn’t understand if he were sent back down to the Laval Rocket. Asked about that comment during his post-game media availability, the coach said whoever asked Dobes how he would feel if he was sent down had asked a bad question and did not say anything further.
After Monday morning’s practice, the coach said that it was a possibility that Josh Anderson could come back in the lineup on Tuesday night to face the Washington Capitals. If he is, in fact, inserted in the lineup, someone will have to come out. Against the Canucks, the fourth liners were the least-used forwards: Owen Beck spent 11:03 on the ice, Sammy Blais 11:06, and Joe Veleno 12:40.
After the game, the Canadiens took off for Washington, where they’ll join Samuel Montembeault, who had flown earlier to be fresh and ready for Tuesday night’s tilt—a wise move from the Habs who decided to take advantage of having three goaltenders around.
Don’t look now but the Florida Panthers might be picking up some momentum.
After a frustrating start to their season-long six-game road trip, the Panthers have bounce back in a big way, picking up wins in Ottawa and Buffalo over the past few nights.
Monday’s win over the Sabres was particularly noticeable due to the fact that Buffalo had gone 13-1-0 since early December and were the hottest team in the league.
They also hadn’t lost a game on home ice since the day after Thanksgiving.
Now the Panthers get to take a few days off and relax in their own homes (they’re spending the off time in South Florida) as their roadie doesn’t resume until Friday when Florida plays a back-to-back set in Carolina and Washington.
Let’s get to Monday’s takeaways:
GREER GETS GOING
It had been a while since Greer put up three goals and five points in a six-game span back in late November.
We know what the gritty, skilled forward is capable of offensively, but it’s not often that he gets the opportunity to show it off.
Skating on a line with Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe this week, Greer took advantage and showed what he can do when playing in a top six role.
The 29-year-old scored two goals in a game for the second time this season while also picking up the game-winner in Monday’s 4-3 win in Buffalo.
“He plays hard,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “Our first introduction on day two of training camp a couple years ago, I don't think I've seen a guy work that hard straight through a brutal practice, and he's been doing it every night. Analytically, that line, they just score when they're together. Good for him. I don't know that he’s scored a lot of empty net goals in his career, because he wouldn't have got the opportunity to be out there, but he earned it tonight and deserved to be on the ice.”
STRONG FINAL FRAME
If ever there was a time the Panthers knew they’d be in for a fight for two points, it was during the intermission between the second and third periods on Monday in Buffalo.
The Sabres have turned KeyBank Center into a house or horrors for visiting teams over the past month during their ascent up the Eastern Conference standings.
They also had just tied the game a few minutes before the end of the second period, so both the crowd and the team were buzzing.
All Florida did was hold Buffalo to a single shot through the first 13:05 of the third period, which gave the Panthers an opportunity to apply some pressure of their own.
The Cats controlled puck possession and put up eight shots during that time, eventually taking their third lead of the game, one they would ultimately hold on to, on a goal by Anton Lundell.
“We were good,” Maurice said. “I think we had given up one shot in the first 11 minutes. I don't know when the shot came, but at the nine-minute timeout we'd given up one, so we weren’t sitting back, we weren't just flipping pucks out, we were trying to push the pace, but we were right.”
TWO BIG POINTS
The victory allowed Florida to keep pace in a fast-moving Eastern Conference playoff race.
That’s what will happen when there are so many teams competing for so few spots, so tightly packed together.
As it stands, there are two points separating top Wild Card spot (held by Toronto with 53 points) and the five teams below them, a group that includes the Panthers and their 51 points.
There are only eight points, and all eight non-playoff teams, between Toronto and Columbus, who sits in last place in the conference.
Buffalo is the second Wild Card team, one point ahead of Florida.
So yeah, beating them in regulation was fairly big for the Cats.
“They're huge,” Maurice said of the two points. “But the real takeaway is, I loved the way we played, and I felt the same way in Ottawa and the last two periods in Montreal. With some guys out, I get that, but the guys that were in there, they played hard, and we were on the puck, and we were frustrating to play against. We just played fast, and that's a great place to be at this point of the year, to understand that that's the way we got to play.”
Photo caption: Jan 12, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; The Florida Panthers celebrate a win over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)
As the Philadelphia 76ers rolled into Scotiabank Arena on Sunday for a matchup against the Toronto Raptors, a familiar face walked in wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.
Former Raptor Kyle Lowry sported an Auston Matthews-signed sweater going into the arena ahead of the first half of a back-to-back in Toronto. Lowry, who won an NBA Championship with the Raptors in 2019, has known Matthews ever since the Maple Leafs' forward was drafted into the NHL in 2016.
On the back of the jersey, Matthews wrote: "To Kyle, Toronto legend! Much love, Auston Matthews".
"But you know, I'm a Maple Leafs guy, and that's a great jersey. I didn't know how big those damn jerseys were, but it looked good with my fit. I appreciate him and I wanted to show the support for the city and also for him, for giving me the jersey."
The video of Lowry entering Scotiabank Arena wearing the jersey received a lot of love from Toronto's fans, not only because of what he was wearing, but also for what the 39-year-old means to the city and the Raptors.
"He's a Raptors legend, Toronto legend and a guy I got a lot of respect for," Matthews said after being asked about Lowry wearing his jersey. "I bumped into him a few times in my tenure here, and he’s been nothing but class. It was pretty cool to see him wear that jersey."
Matthews had been to several Raptors games while Lowry was with the team. Lowry was with the Raptors from 2012 to 2021, playing 601 games for Toronto. He was an NBA All-Star in six of his nine seasons with the Raptors.
Lowry potentially played his final game in Toronto on Monday night with the 76ers. Once he calls it quits, Lowry said he will retire a Raptor, and it's also likely he'll have his number '7' retired and put up in the rafters inside Scotiabank Arena.
"If it does and when it does, it will be a super emotional day. I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into that seven," Lowry added, "and to know that it probably won't ever be worn again, it'd be pretty special. I think, something that, for my basketball legacy, is pretty, pretty darn cool."
Former Verbum Dei standout David Greenwood in 2021. He died on June 8 last year at the age of 68. His jersey will be retired on Friday at Verbum Dei. (Colin E. Braley / Associated Press)
David Greenwood, one of the best high school basketball players in Southern California history, will have his jersey retired on Friday night during a ceremony at his alma mater, Verbum Dei.
Greenwood, who died on June 8 at the age of 68 after a bout with cancer, teamed with Roy Hamilton to make Verbum Dei one of the best teams during his high school days in the 1970s. He'd go on to be an All-American at UCLA and played 12 years in the NBA. He came back to coach at Verbum Dei.
Verbum Dei is playing Gardena Serra on Friday at 7 p.m. The ceremony will be held at halftime.
Greenwood was the No. 2 pick in the 1979 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. Magic Johnson went No. 1 to the Lakers. He'd win an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons.
He coached Verbum Dei to state championships in 1998 and 1999.
"David was a hero to me," said Verbum Dei alumnus DeAnthony Langston. "He's one of the all-time greats in Verbum Dei history."
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
A night that was years in the making unfolded at Little Caesars Arena on Monday evening in downtown Detroit, as the iconic No. 91 jersey of former Detroit Red Wings Hall of Fame forward Sergei Fedorov was officially retired and raised to the rafters.
One of the greatest players in team history, Fedorov endeared himself to the fans of Hockeytown over 13 seasons with the club, during which he scored exactly 400 goals while also playing an integral role in their 1997, 1998, and 2002 Stanley Cup wins.
Fedorov, whom the Red Wings selected with the 74th pick in the 1989 NHL Draft and first arrived in Detroit after famously defecting from the Iron Curtain of the soon-to-be-fallen Soviet Union in 1990, began his NHL career under head coach Bryan Murray.
But in 1993, the Red Wings hired Scotty Bowman, who was already regarded as perhaps the greatest coach in the history of the sport.
Just as he did with Steve Yzerman, Bowman helped Fedorov become a special two-way player who was just as good on the defensive side of the puck as he was offensively. In fact, Bowman sometimes even played Fedorov as a defenseman.
Prior to his official jersey retirement ceremony, Fedorov explained that the greatest lesson that he learned while playing under Bowman was
"First of all, no matter how difficult things are going not your way hockey-wise, Scotty always was calm, leveled, and came to the locker room to talk to use without, if I may say, any panic in his voice," Fedorov said after taking a moment to contemplate. "He just basically addressed the issue in what we have to get better at."
"No matter how bad we lose, no matter how good we played, it was the same manner," Fedorov continued. "Because after a few seasons, when we couldn't get the job done, in other words, to win the Cup, we understood one thing - it was all in our hands."
Under Bowman, the Red Wings reached heights they hadn’t seen in decades, rising to the top of the hockey world three times, including back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998.
Before arriving in Detroit, Bowman famously led the Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the 1970s, winning the Stanley Cup in 1973 and from 1976 through 1979, and later coached the Pittsburgh Penguins to the 1992 Stanley Cup.
He retired after guiding the Red Wings to their third Stanley Cup championship in six years in 2002, his ninth as a head coach, a record that still stands today.
It was that experience that particularly stood out to Fedorov.
"Scotty was just that kind of person, obviously an experienced person," Fedorov said. "He knew before the game if we were going to win or not, I have no doubt in my mind. Lately, I've analyzed it and come to that conclusion.
"And he was just sort of cool in the sense that he gave so much belief, confidence, and guidance from his demeanor when he came to speak to us - in any situation, bad or good."
While Bowman himself wasn't able to personally attend the ceremony on Monday evening, he was one of several who recorded a special video message as part of the proceedings.
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The Giants might not be done making moves this offseason.
After adding to the starting rotation and the bullpen this winter, San Francisco is looking for an upgrade in the infield and is “aggressively” pursuing either Chicago Cubs’ Nico Hoerner and St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Tuesday, citing sources.
The San Francisco Giants are aggressively pursuing a second baseman and have been engaged with Chicago on Nico Hoerner and St. Louis on Brendan Donovan, sources tell ESPN. An infield of Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Donovan or Hoerner and Rafael Devers would be among MLB's best.
The Giants reportedly have had interest in Donovan throughout the offseason, and recently have been connected to Hoerner after Chicago agreed to a five-year, $175 million free-agent contract with star third baseman Alex Bregman last week, a move that many believe could make the long-time Cubs infielder expendable.
Hoerner, a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, batted .297/.345/.394 with seven home runs, 61 RBI and 29 stolen bases in 156 games last season with Chicago.
The 28-year-old also is a Bay Area native, born in Oakland.
Donovan, 28, is a former All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner, and batted .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI in 118 games with St. Louis last season.
The Giants saw improvement from infielder Casey Schmitt last season, who was the team’s primary second baseman down the stretch, and while they might feel comfortable with their in-house options, it’s clear they are on the hunt for a potential upgrade.
There were three days of play during an ice hockey test event at the Santagiulia Arena [Getty Images]
The NHL says it will "continue to monitor" the unfinished Winter Olympic hockey venue in Milan but said it was "pleased" with a test event held at the Santagiulia Arena.
Delays in construction and doubts about the quality of the ice had raised concerns about players from North America's National Hockey League, the biggest in the world, taking part in next month's Winter Games for the first time since 2014.
"We expect that the work necessary to address all remaining issues will continue around the clock," said a statement from the NHL and NHL Players' Association after seven games were played in the arena over three days.
"The NHL and NHLPA will continue to monitor the situation, standing ready to consult and advise on the work being done to ensure that the local organising committee, the IOC (International Olympic Committee), and the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) deliver a tournament and playing conditions befitting the world's best players.
"We were pleased that this weekend's event was a good trial run and provided important insight into the current status."
The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will take place from 6-22 February, with ice hockey matches split between the new Santagiulia Arena and the existing Milano Rho Arena.
The rink in Milan, approved by the IIHF, is shorter than the minimum requirement in the NHL, leading to suggestions there could be an increase in high-speed collisions.
During the test event, there was a short delay while a small hole in the ice had to be repaired on Friday before the other matches took place without incident.
IIHF president Luc Tardif said "the puck was sliding and not bumping" and believes "there is no reason that the NHL will not come".
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters: "There are still challenges because the building is still under construction and the ice is new.
"We've been assured that, or we expect, that everything that needs to be done on a timely basis will get done.
"But, as you know, it's not our event. We're invited guests. We've offered to help and consult and advise as they feel they need and would be appropriate because we do have a little bit of expertise in that area."
Biopic charting Naseem Hamed’s rise has reopened old wounds but is also a reminder of what was and what might have been
The first time I watched Prince Naseem Hamed train, my jaw couldn’t have dropped any faster if he had hit me with one of his lassoing uppercuts. I had followed all his fights on TV, of course. But to see him in the flesh in September 1994, a year before he became world champion, was an altogether more visceral and mesmeric experience.
Hamed’s punches sounded like firecrackers welcoming in the new year as they smashed into the pads. He was almost impossible to hit. And, most staggering of all, despite standing 5ft 4in tall and weighing only nine stone, he would bully far bigger men in sparring – including fighters such as John Keeton, who went on to become the British cruiserweight champion – until my great uncle, Brendan Ingle, called time.
The Colorado Avalanche saw their 17-game home winning streak — one shy of tying a franchise record — come to an end Tuesday night at Ball Arena.
How It Unfolded
In overtime, William Nylander stripped Nathan MacKinnon of the puck and, moments later, outraced the Avalanche superstar up ice before finishing the play himself to secure a 4–3 win for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It marked Colorado’s first home loss in more than two months, though a late goal from Martin Nečas ensured the Avalanche still salvaged a point — something they’ve now done in all 22 home games this season.
With Mackenzie Blackwood still sidelined on injured reserve and Scott Wedgewood dealing with a minor issue, Colorado once again turned to Trent Miner. The 24-year-old, fresh off his first NHL victory, delivered another steady performance, but ultimately couldn’t come up with one more save than Joseph Woll at the other end.
It didn’t help that one puck found the Avalanche net off a teammate.
After Woll denied several early looks from Brock Nelson, Toronto opened the scoring when Easton Cowan sent a puck toward the crease and Brent Burns inadvertently redirected it past Miner with his skate. Colorado answered quickly. Five minutes later, Cale Makar tied the game following some excellent work by Nečas along the boards. Nearly two minutes later, the Avalanche took the lead when Nelson scored five seconds into Colorado’s first power play of the night.
From there, the game began to tilt away from the Avalanche.
Colorado went nearly 13 minutes of the second period without registering a shot on goal. Before they could snap the drought, Toronto tied the game by capitalizing on a breakdown between Victor Olofsson and his defensemen. Olofsson attempted a drop pass, but Bobby McMann jumped it, then beat Sam Girard and Ilya Solovyov up the ice to score on a breakaway and even the game.
That space expanded further when Nečas and Laughton went to the box — Laughton for high-sticking and Nečas for holding — setting the stage for four-on-four hockey. Auston Matthews took full advantage, using Josh Manson as a screen before executing a toe drag and ripping a wrist shot top shelf over Miner’s glove, leaving the goaltender no chance.
As they’ve done all season, the Avalanche didn’t fold. Less than three minutes later, Nečas struck again, finishing a perfect feed from MacKinnon to tie the game. Colorado had a late opportunity to take the lead with Matthews in the box, but struggled to gain the zone with possession and failed to generate a look.
Overtime nearly ended in Colorado’s favor when Nečas set up MacKinnon for a one-timer off the rush, but the shot rang off the crossbar and kept the game alive. The miss proved costly. With just over a minute remaining, Nylander stripped MacKinnon once more and finished the play moments later, sealing the win for Toronto.
Despite the loss, the Avalanche moved to 19-0-3 on home ice and maintained their 12-point cushion atop the Central Division.
Next Game
The Avalanche (33-4-8) square off against the Nashville Predators (21-20-4) on Friday. Coverage will begin at 9 p.m. local time in what is certainly a very late start.
LOS ANGELES — James Harden has passed Shaquille O’Neal for ninth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
The Los Angeles Clippers guard made a 3-pointer early in the third quarter on Monday night against the Charlotte Hornets, pushing his career total to 28,598 points in his 1,187th regular season game. O’Neal had 28,596 points in 1,207 games over 19 years.
Harden, who began the night 14 points behind O’Neal, finished with 32 points in the Clippers’ 117-109 win against the Hornets. He had 13 points in the first half — including 11 in the first quarter — and scored 11 in the third and eight in the fourth to increase his scoring total to 28, 614.
Harden entered the night averaging 25.6 points per game, his highest average since the 2019-20 season (34.3 points per game) when he won the last of three straight league scoring titles.
Harden, who began the game with 28,582 career points in his 17th season, faces a steep climb to the next spot. Wilt Chamberlain is eighth with 31,419 points, in just 1,045 games over 14 years. LeBron James is the all-time leader with 42,601 points entering his game with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Following him are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant.
Harden recently moved up to 12th on the all-time assists list. The 11-time All-Star also ranks second all-time in 3-pointers made, behind Stephen Curry.
The Los Angeles Kings (19-16-10) went scoreless for the first 40 minutes of the match, but showed a strong response after the early setback, only to fail to clutch up and win the game Monday night. Despite playing great defense with their no offense being cold early on, the Kings still came up short when it mattered most, falling 3-1 at Crypto.com Arena to the Dallas Stars.
Dallas closed the game out in the clutch when the game was tied 1-1 in the third period, while Los Angeles struggled to convert its chances against Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, who finished with 24 saves on the night, consistently denying the Kings shots on ice.
The games opening goal came off a early Kings turnover. Just three minutes into the first period, Wyatt Johnson beat Darcy Kuemper on a rush chance alone after turnover, giving Dallas the early lead.
From there, the Kings leaned into physical play with their offense being stagnant. The fourth line of Andre Lee, Samuel Helenius, and Taylor Ward brough that Ontario energy to the Kings tonight. It was a great defensive affair from that line, keeping the Kings very much alive for the first two periods of the game, despite their offense not finding any room to score.
Kings Tilt the Ice
Los Angeles had a solid second period, bringing a lot of offensive-zone pressure, but was still unable to score a goal. The Kings couldn't find the net with Oettinger under the crease, swatting rebounds and forcing Los Angeles to reset on multiple promising sequences.
The breakthrough finally came in the third period on the power play. Brandt Clarke kept the puck on the blue line and moved it quickly to Corey Perry, who fed Quinton Byfield for a one-timer that tied the game 1-1.
The assist from Perry marked his 500th career NHL assist, making him the first player in league history reach that milestone at age 40 or older. It was a deserved award for a power play unit that's been struggling this season to see that kind of achievement happen during the night for Perry.
Per @NHLPR, Corey Perry is the first player in @NHL history to collect his 500th career assist at age 40 or older. He is also the 29th active skater to reach such mark. pic.twitter.com/nNW1Y2Z4on
Momentum swung to Dallas with under four minutes remaining when Jason Robertson scored the go-ahead goal that went past Kuemper, giving the Stars a huge momentum swing. The Kings pushed late, generating several looks in the final minutes, but couldn't beat Oettinger again.
Matt Duchene sealed the game in regulation with an empty-net goal in the final seconds, sending the Kings to their latest loss in a game that followed a similar script. The Kings finished the night with more shots and one power play goal, despite the Stars going blank on the power play. Los Angeles' inability to close out games came back to haunt them, despite winning in the statsheet.
Give credit to Oettinger who proved to be the difference, repeteadly turning aside Los Angeles chances during its strongest pushes, while the Stars capitalized on their oppourtnites at the other end.
While the Kings' fight showed improvement from their young guys, especially being shorthanded, still without Anze Kopitar or Joel Armia, the results once again showed that the Kings are unable to win games that come down to the clutch.
Next up, the Kings will host their final two game home stand on Wednesday, January 14 at 7:00 p.m. against the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
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