For weeks, the buzz had been that Keon Ellis was the most likely player to be traded before the Feb. 5 deadline. It didn't even go down to the wire.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have traded De'Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder in a three-team deal that sees Dario Saric heading off to Chicago, a trade first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by multiple reports. Michael Scotto of Hoopshype had laid out a framework for this trade earlier in the day.
This trade is a win for the Hawks, who both save money — nearly $47 million in salary and taxes for a team still over the second apron — and get a better wing defender and 3-point shooter in Ellis. The Hawks had hoped that Hunter would fill their need on the wing, but he is averaging 13.9 points a game, has come off the bench a lot this season, is shooting 30.9% from beyond the arc, and is not a lockdown defender. Ellis, on the other hand, is a plus defender (even if he is three inches shorter) and is shooting 36.8% from 3 this season.
Here are other notes on the trade.
• Chicago picks up one or two late second-round picks — one is reportedly in 2029, the worst of Detroit, Milwaukee or New York's second-rounder — for taking on Saric.
• Ellis and Schroder are going to really help Atlanta's perimeter defense.
• Hunter became someone the Cavaliers could trade because of the emergence of Jaylon Tyson, who has played better for them in the same role.
• Schroder is averaging 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds this season and gives the Cavaliers depth at the point.
• This could mean less Lonzo Ball for the Cavaliers. He has not worked out as hoped for them this season.
• Sacramento had been looking for a late first-rounder for Ellis but did not get any picks as part of this trade.
• Sacramento is not done dealing — this trade adds $6.9 million in salary this season and moves them over the luxury tax line. Kings' ownership is not going to pay the tax for a 12-38 team that is last in the Western Conference. More moves are coming.
• Sacramento adds $10.1 million in salary next season with Hunter.
• Multiple reports say the Kings are excited and believe Hunter can help them on the wing. Can Keegan Murray and Hunter pair well together? We're going to find out.
• Moving on from Ellis and Schroder helps the Kings clear up a crowded backcourt and get more run for rookie Nique Clifford, who has shown some promise.
• Chicago is waiving guard Jevon Carter to create a roster spot for Saric.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Slovenian Ziga Sesko lifted his game after a shaky first set to beat favored American Keaton Hanse 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday in the junior boys final at the Australian Open.
Sesko had little time to savor his victory, other than to lift the trophy over his head at the after-match presentation. He was due to board a flight home hours after the final to join the Slovenian team for a Davis Cup tie against Turkey, starting Friday.
The seventh-seeded 17-year-old started a slight underdog against fourth-seeded Hanse, from Torrance, California.
Hanse looked the stronger and more steady player in the first set, breaking for a 3-2 lead in the fifth game and comfortably holding to take the set in 38 minutes.
Sesko lifted strongly in the second set, gaining more purchase on serve and beginning to crush his forehand while also mixing in a difficult backhand slice. He broke Hanse in the sixth game and took the set in 37 minutes.
The Slovenian dominated the final set, breaking Hanse in the third game. While he was broken in the sixth game for 3-3, he broke back immediately to lead 4-3. Sesko had two championship points on Hanse's serve in the ninth game and conceded only one point in his last service game to take the final on his third match point.
Hanse and Sesko are close friends on tour and have warmed up together all week. Both were playing for the first time on the Rod Laver Arena, the roof of which was closed against the possibility of rain.
“I'd like to congratulate Ziga on an amazing tournament and really well-deserved win,” Hanse said. “I hope I can get revenge on him somewhere in the future.”
Sesko is the third Slovenian to reach a Grand Slam junior singles final and the first since Katarina Srebotnik won the Wimbledon and US Open titles in 1998.
“Keaton is an amazing man, an amazing tennis player,” Sesko said. “I hope we will play many more times and I hope you don't get the revenge.”
Junior Girls
Ksenia Efremova of France beat Ekaterina Tupitsyna of Russia 6-3, 7-5 in the junior girls final, which was the first meeting of the pair.
She’s a very, very good player,” said Efremova, who is the first French girl to reach a Junior Grand Slam final since Elsa Jacquemot won the Roland Garros girls’ title in 2020.
“You maybe don’t hear a lot from her but I know that she’s practicing a lot in Russia and she’s competing there. She doesn’t really travel much," Efremova said ahead of the final. “It’s going to be a very great and interesting match between us because she’s an aggressive player."
Tupitsyna showed that aggression in hitting 21 winners agaisnt 45 unforced errors in the final. But Efremova was steadier, put 72% of first serves in play and won 58% of first serve points.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — David Fuchs scored 30 points to lead San Francisco to an 87-82 victory over Pacific on Saturday night.
Fuchs made 11 of 18 shots with a 3-pointer and 7 of 9 free throws for the Dons (14-10, 6-5 West Coast Conference), adding nine rebounds.
Tyrone Riley IV added 16 points and six rebounds for San Francisco, which led 35-32 at halftime. Junjie Wang and Legend Smiley both scored 11. Ryan Beasley had 11 assists to go with eight points.
Elias Ralph scored 23 points to pace the Tigers (15-9, 6-5). TJ Wainwright had 15 points, Justin Rochelin scored 14 and JJaion Pitt added 10 points and six rebounds off the bench.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nate Ament had 22 points, Jaylen Carey came off the bench to score 13 and Tennessee beat Auburn 77-69 on Saturday night.
Ament made only 4 of 16 shots with two 3-pointers for the Volunteers (15-6, 5-3 Southeastern Conference), but he went 12 for 15 at the free-throw line, adding eight rebounds. Carey hit 5 of 9 shots and 3 of 4 free throws and also grabbed eight rebounds.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie added 11 points and five assists for Tennessee, while DeWayne Brown II totaled 10 points and seven rebounds.
Keyshawn Hall had 21 points to pace the Tigers (14-8, 5-4), who saw a four-game winning streak end. Tahaad Pettiford had 11 points and seven assists.
Ament and Carey both had 11 points as Tennessee jumped in front 13-4 on its way to a 41-31 advantage at halftime.
Sebastian Williams-Adams and Kevin Overton both had three-point plays in the first 1:46 as Auburn quickly cut it to 43-37 to begin the second half.
Hall hit a 3-pointer and Elyjjah Freeman followed with a dunk to cut it to 53-49 with 11:19 remaining. Evans made two free throws and J.P. Estrella and Bishop Boswell had back-to-back baskets as the Volunteers pushed the lead to 59-49 with nine minutes left.
Freshman Filip Jovic turned an offensive rebound into a three-point play and Auburn trailed 59-56 with seven minutes to go. Gillespie scored the final four points as Tennessee answered with a 6-0 run and maintained a two-possession lead to the finish.
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Quinn Hughes had a goal and an assist to set a franchise record for defensemen by extending his point streak to eight games in the Minnesota Wild's 7-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.
Joel Eriksson Ek, Mats Zuccarello and Brock Faber also had a goal and an assist apiece for Minnesota, which won its third straight game and now has points in five straight games. Kirill Kaprizov, Vladimir Tarasenko and Tyler Pitlick rounded out the scoring for the Wild, while Jesper Wallstedt stopped 39 shots.
Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jack Roslovic scored for the Oilers, who had their three-game win streak halted.
Edmonton's Tristan Jarry gave up five goals on 20 shots before getting the hook midway through the second period. He was replaced by Connor Ingram, who made seven saves in relief.
Penalty killing has been a problem for Edmonton recently and the Oilers gave up two power-play goals to Minnesota and have surrendered six goals on 14 penalties over the last four games.
The game was tied at 2-2 after one period but the Wild took control in the second period with three straight goals.
The Wild took the lead 35 seconds into the second period and never looked back. Ryan Hartman won a faceoff, sliced a pass to Zuccarello and the winger sent a shot soaring over Jarry’s glove to put Minnesota up 3-2.
Draisaitl left the bench for several minutes early in the second, but returned and finished the game. Evan Bouchard extended his point streak to four games with four goals, eight assists across the stretch.
Minnesota swept the three-game season series against the Oilers.
Up next
Wild: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night.
Oilers: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kaapo Kakko scored the go-ahead goal 3:18 into the third period and the Seattle Kraken held on for their fourth straight victory, 3-2 over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night.
Eeli Tolvanen and Jared McCann scored in the first period for the Kraken and Joey Daccord made 27 saves. Chandler Stephenson had two assists.
Ivan Barbashev and Mitch Marner tied it at 2 with goals in the second period for the Golden Knights, who have lost four in a row and six of seven. Jack Eichel had two assists and Akira Schmid stopped 20 shots.
With the game tied at 2, Kakko backhanded the rebound of Adam Larsson’s shot past Schmid to put Seattle back on top. The Kraken have won five of their last six.
Tolvanen scored at 6:50 of the first period to give Seattle a 1-0 lead. McCann made it 2-0 at 13:04 on the power play when he took a pass from Vince Dunn and put it over Schmid for his 200th career goal.
Barbashev cut it to 2-1 at 8:52 of the second period. Marner tied it with 12 seconds left in the period on the power play with a wrist shot past Daccord.
CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 30: Luke Travers #33 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on before the game against the Boston Celtics on November 30, 2025 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
That trend continued as ESPN’s Olgun Uluc reported late Saturday evening that the team is also waiving former second-round pick Luke Travers.
As part of this three-team trade, the Cleveland Cavaliers are waiving Australian forward Luke Travers, sources told ESPN. He had been on a two-way deal with the Cavs. https://t.co/fBvabEeD11
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The Cavs selected Travers with the 56th pick in the 2022 draft. He spent the next two seasons playing in Australia’s NBL before signing a two-way deal with Cleveland in August 2024.
Travers spent the majority of the last two seasons playing with the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate. This season, Travers averaged 18.1 points, nine rebounds, and 5.1 assists on .430/.284/.636 shooting splits with the Charge in 14 games.
Travers has struggled to make the transition to the NBA game. He’s a good team defender and rebounder, but hasn’t found his role on the offensive side. Travers doesn’t have the handle or athleticism to continually get to the basket, so he needed to develop as an outside shooter. So far, that hasn’t happened. Travers shot just 28.4% from three this season with the Charge and shot 26.2% the year before.
The offensive limitations kept him from getting meaningful minutes with the Cavs. He played just 24 games and 191 minutes in two seasons combined with the Cavaliers. Most of which were in garbage time.
With the move, the Cavaliers currently have one open two-way spot with Enaruna and Nae’Qwan Tomlin currently occupying the other two. Tomlin will likely not be in that role for long. He’s eligible for just six more games with the Cavaliers under his current contract, which will presumably be converted to a standard deal after the All-Star break.
Baseball player insurance concerns potentially could cause one country to drop out of the World Baseball Classic.
On Saturday, officials from Team Puerto Rico said they might withdraw the team from the tournament after learning eight of their 10 players would be denied coverage, according to The Athletic.
“That option is on the table,” said Joey Sola, Team Puerto Rico’s operations manager told The Athletic. “It obviously will depend upon if we can figure out the substitute players.”
Former Mets closer Edwin Díaz, now with the Dodgers, is helped off the field after suffering a right knee injury during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, costing him to miss the entire season. Getty Images
Mets captain Francisco Lindor was one of the big-name players who had to withdraw from the tournament Friday because he was denied coverage after undergoing two surgeries on his right elbow in the past three seasons.
Fortunately for Mets fans, Lindor is expected to be ready for spring training.
According to The Athletic, those injuries from the last tournament caused insurance for big leaguers to grow considerably more expensive, forcing the league’s insurer to become more stringent on which players it approves.
Jose Altuve broke his right thumb after being hit by a pitch during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Getty Images
Astros third baseman Carlos Correa, Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos and Twins catcher Victor Caratini are among the other Puerto Rican players who were not cleared to play — though the cases of Correa, Berríos and several others are under review, Sola told the website.
Team officials fear if some of those reviews aren’t overturned, they will be unable to get enough substitutes to field a quality team.
If Puerto Rico can’t field a team it would be especially harmful because it‘s scheduled to host the first round of the WBC in San Juan from March 6-11.
Puerto Rico is in a pool that also includes Canada, Colombia, Cuba and Panama.
MLB declined comment as the statuses for many players in different countries are still to be decided. National Financial Partners, an official partner of the league that brokers insurance policy did not immediately respond to request for comment, according to The Athletic.
MLB and the Players Association, co-owners of the tournament, are lobbying the insurer to change some decisions before the rosters are due Tuesday.
The Cavaliers and Kings were involved in a three-team trade Saturday night.
The Cavaliers acquired some depth ahead of what they envision being another chance at a postseason run.
They traded De’Andre Hunter to the Kings — the last-place team in the Western Conference — on Saturday in exchange for guards Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis, with the Bulls also joining the deal as a third team who ended up with a pair of second-round picks and forward Dario Saric, according to ESPN.
The move also reportedly freed up around $50 million in salary and luxury tax space, while also allowing them to get under the second apron next season, the outlet added.
De’Andre Hunter goes up for a dunk during Cavaliers’ blowout win over the Lakers on Jan. 28, 2026. AP
Ellis, a 26-year-old, has averaged 5.6 points per game this season while also carving out a key role defensively for the Kings.
Schröder, a former Net for 52 games who will play for his 11th different team when he officially suits up for the Cavaliers, has contributed 12.8 points and 5.3 assists per game in Sacramento this season.
He also has logged 74 postseason appearances throughout his career — including last year, when he and a pesky Pistons team took the Knicks to six games.
During that first-round showdown, Schröder averaged 12.5 points while playing over 27 minutes per game.
Dennis Schröder drives to the basket during the Kings’ blowout road loss to Jan. 30, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Those additions cost the Cavaliers the presence of Hunter, who started 23 of the 43 games he logged for them while averaging 14.0 points per game — down from the 17.0 he averaged with the Hawks and Cleveland last year en route to finishing fourth in voting for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Though this deal didn’t serve as a blockbuster by any means, it still served as a domino to fall ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline Feb. 5.
Keon Ellis attempts a 3-pointer during the Kings’ blowout road loss to the Pistons on Jan. 25, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
The Cavaliers sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and are tied with the fourth-place Raptors in winning percentage, with the path to the NBA Finals still wide open in a year that hasn’t featured the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton and the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum as they recover from torn Achilles.
Another major domino that could fall before the deadline features Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who reportedly indicated that he’s ready for a trade from the only team he has ever played for.
The Knicks are expected to make a bid for Antetokounmpo and serve as one of his preferred destinations, according to The Post’s Stefan Bondy — but it’s unclear if they possess enough to out-bid other teams and win the sweepstakes.
For now, though, the smaller deals will continue to happen.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 20: Framber Valdez #59 of the Houston Astros pitches in the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park on September 20, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The offseason may almost be over, but the Braves have widely been rumored to still be looking to add a starting pitcher and there are plenty left on the open market, as well as some presumably available via trade. The biggest fish in free agency is Framber Valdez and there has been some buzz about him and the Braves for months now. This connection was reaffirmed on Saturday by Mark Feinsand. Valdez is a good pitcher getting into his mid-30s and would cost a draft pick to sign. Perhaps his availability this late into the offseason could result in a bit more team friendly of a deal, combined with those other factors, making it a more palatable signing for this front office. If not, there are plenty of other options available.
SYDNEY (AP) — In a masterful performance, as he’s done so many other times, Alexander Volkanovski successfully defended his featherweight title with a unanimous decision over Diego Lopes at UFC 325 on Sunday afternoon.
New South Wales native Volkanovski (29-4-0) won on all three judges’ scorecards 49-46, 49-46 and 50-45, much to the delight of the crowd inside Sydney Olympic Park.
With precision punches and stellar footwork, Volkanovski looked even more dominating than he did during his unanimous decision victory over Lopes (27-8-0) at UFC 314 on April 12 in Miami.
“We were ready for him to make the right adjustments; his team did a good job,” Volkanovski said. “Last (fight), we moved to the right, he did a great job of cutting that off. But that just means I’m going to use all my other tools.”
Which he did, dominating nearly all 25 minutes of the fight, something the 37-year-old admitted he would have rather not needed against his younger foe.
“I wanted to grab a hold of him and put him down, but he was strong; I didn’t want to stand for 25 minutes, I’ll be honest,” Volkanovski said. “But we got the job done.”
After an uneventful first round that was littered mostly with layered feints from both fighters, the action picked up in the second round.
Volkanovski even attempted a jumped guillotine that Lopes slipped out of before attempting a rear-naked choke at the end of the round.
Both fighters landed massive right hands in the third round, the champion with a double-right that staggered Lopes and the challenger with a quick strike that briefly dropped Volkanovski to his knees.
Volkanovski, who tied Jose Aldo for the most title fight wins in UFC featherweight history with eight, was methodical over the final two rounds to seize the win in front of his hometown fans.
“I almost had my moment in Perth,” Volkanovski said, referring to his lightweight championship loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 on Feb. 12, 2023. “But I got my moment here in Sydney.”
In the co-main event, No. 8 lightweight Benoit Saint Denis (17-3-0) got his fourth-straight victory when he scored a technical knockout of No. 6 Dan Hooker (24-14-0) at the 4:45 mark of the second round.
Saint Denis, who hasn’t seen a third round since his UFC debut in 2021, began a ground and pound with several brutal elbows before finishing with a bevy of punches.
In a lightweight bout, No. 14 Mauricio Ruffy (13-2-0) used a flurry of punches that began with a thunderous right hand to score a technical knockout of No. 9 Rafael Fiziev (13-5-0) at the 4:30 mark of the second round.
In what culminated with a bloodied slugfest in the third and final round of their heavyweight battle, No. 15 Tallison Teixeira (9-1-0) earned a unanimous decision over No. 12 Tai Tuivasa (15-9-0).
Quillan Salkilld (11-1-0) opened the main card by making quick work of Jamie Mullarkey (18-9-0) with a rear-naked chokehold in the first round. It was Salkilld’s fourth-straight win.
ST.
LOUIS – A
chance to take five of a possible eight points on a four-game
homestand with the Olympic break on the horizon was on the table for
the St. Louis Blues.
A
team that has no margin for error was, in the words of coach Jim
Montgomery, “we wanted it to come easy,” in the first two
periods, and it proved costly.
The
Columbus Blue Jackets won their season-high fifth straight and
seventh in eight games since Rick Bowness took over as coach on Jan.
13, winning on the second of back-to-back games, 5-3 against the
Blues at Enterprise Center on Saturday.
The
Blues (20-26-9), who were coming off an entertaining 5-4 win over the
two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Thursday,
fell into some bad habits in a game that closed out a four-game
homestand seeing them go 1-2-1.
Jimmy
Snuggerud had a goal and an assist to extend his point streak to four
games, Jonatan Berggren also had a goal and an assist and Brayden
Schenn had two assists. Jordan Binnington fell to 2-11-1 in his past
14 starts after making 18 saves.
“I
think in the first two periods, we wanted it to come easy,”
Montgomery
said.
“We were not skating, working, hitting like we have the last
handful of games. And then in the third, we did. We pushed and it
ended up being too little, too late.”
Here
are the game observations:
*
Fourth straight loss facing opponent playing second of back-to-back –
The Blues have had the good fortune, or so it should wind up being
that way, of facing a team that should be lower on energy.
The
Blue Jackets played on Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks, a 7:38
p.m. puck drop mind you. They didn’t land in St. Louis until
shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, probably didn’t get into
their hotel until around 2 a.m., then turn around to play less than
24 hours later in a 6:08 p.m. puck drop.
The
Blues got the start they wanted, grabbing the early lead when
Snuggerud scored in his second straight game, working a nice
give-and-go with Schenn before beating Jet Greaves in alone at 7:11
for a 1-0 lead:
“I
just think we're hoping for things to go right and when they don't,
we wait for a push and the reality in this league, that's not good
enough,” Schenn
said.
“We have to find ways to dig in for one another. Realistically, you
can't come back every third period. If
you
actually play the right way for the first 20-30 minutes of the game
when you've got a team on a back-to-back, you will eventually tilt
the ice and hem them in, like we did (in the third), but we're always
chasing games. We just don't have enough drive to come out and push
teams out early on.”
They
held the lead for a whole 37 seconds before Isac Lundestrom tied it
1-1 off a fortuitous bounce initially that led to a blown coverage
after a good stick lift by Boone Jenner on Pavel Buchnevich.
Columbus
led 2-1 after the first and outshot the Blues 10-7 after initially
being outshot 6-2.
*
Blues didn’t protect the front of the net – It’s an area that
had seen some improvement of late, but the net front coverage and
allowance of ice between the hash
marks was off the mark, if you will.
All
three of the remaining Columbus goals either came off missed plays
that ultimately led to goals with net front traffic.
Denton
Mateychuk gave Columbus their first lead 2-1 at 12:54 of the first
when the Blue Jackets cycled the puck cleanup up high, then the
defenseman’s shot from the top of the left circle made it through
with Dmitri Voronkov providing the net front coverage in front of
Binnington and getting through the Blues goalie when Colton Parayko
tipped the puck through:
Kent
Johnson’s goal at 8:30 of the second period made it 3-2 when Ivan
Provorov’s clean wrister from the left point found its way towards
Binnington and Johnson was there without any resistance to tip it
home:
And
what turned out to be the game-winner, Damon Severson’s high slot
blast that made it 4-3 at 16:01 of the second came off a Dalibor
Dvorsky giveaway just inside the O-zone blue line, and when Parayko
tried pushing the puck up the lefthand boards, it was picked off by
Zach Werenski, who fed his partner, and Severson’s shot came with
traffic in front again:
“That
Columbus team, by good friend Rick Bowness is doing a really good
job, they’re really big and they play a heavy game; they go to the
net front,” Montgomery said. “We’ve played them twice and
they’ve scored three goals in both games, rebound tips, just
mucking it up. Something that we’ve been trying to preach to do a
little more of ourselves, and I think we’ve gotten slightly better
at it but not at their level.”
*
Berggren finding his niche – Yes, Berggren went through a nine-game
stretch without putting up a point, but he now has three in two
games, including goals in back-to-back games, and it’s not for a
lack of creating.
he
Swede, claimed off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 16,
tied the game 2-2 with a power-play goal at 3:15 of the second, a
nice shot from the inner portion of the right circle:
Berggren
is being given top-six minutes, but in the past two games has played
on the third line, so he’s a regular in the top nine. He’s been
creating plenty of opportunities, and there’s been a lack of finish
by his teammates by his creativity, but there’s something about
this kid I like.
“The
guys have done an easy job for me to come in and play my game,”
Berggren said.
“I feel like even if I haven’t produced these couple games, I’ve
created a lot, and that’s all I can do. Lucky now, the puck goes
in. Hopefully it keeps going like that.”
*
Blues
didn’t build on momentum of scoring – All three times the Blues
scored on Saturday, they had the opportunity to build and add to the
fatigue of an opponent that played the night before.
But
each time that the Blues scored, Columbus found an answer.
They
tied it 37 seconds after Snuggerud gave them the lead; Johnson’s
goal came 4:45 after Berggren tied it in the second, and when Tyler
Tucker’s goal tied the game 3-3 at 13:35 of the second, Severson
put Columbus ahead 2:26 later.
“I
feel like this is a game we probably should have won,” Berggren
said. “… We lacked execution. We didn’t move our feet and stuff
like that. I think the last 10 games, we’ve done a really good job
doing.”
*
Blues had a good push in the third period, needed more close-in range
attempts – Down a goal, the Blues were going to have to get on the
hunt, and they did. The shot clock read 15-4, and at one point it was
14-1, but it seemed that many of the chances that were heading
towards Jet Greaves, the Columbus goalie was seeing well or shots
dented the logo in the middle.
“Good
comeback in the third and we probably should have scored,” Berggren
said.
“There
were some good looks,” Montgomery said. “I would like them to be
closer to the net. I didn’t like, especially on the power play,
they were shooting from the top of the circles instead of the hash
marks. We’re not attacking the goal line, having someone on the
back door trying to bang it home, or we’re not executing the play
when it’s there. I thought we had good looks, but I would have
liked them to be a little more dangerous.”
*
Schenn, Snuggerud with Dvorsky line has been humming well – The
trio combined for a nice first goal, and the
trip has combined for 16 points the past five games.
It’s
a situation with the older vet and the two young pups linking up
well.
“Just
enjoying playing with them,” Schenn said. “For me personally, I
remember in a situation, I had Danny Briere on my line and guys like
Wayne Simmonds and Vinny Lecavalier (with the Philadelphia Flyers).
If I asked them questions, they were always giving me an answer, be
hard on me sometimes, and that’s how you learn. They’re both
playing really well right now, they both have a bright future,
they’re both very receptive to getting better and that’s what you
want.
“Lots
of chatter on the bench and what we can do better rather than I’m
not the yeller and screamer at my linemates, never have been. I think
it’s more dialogue of finding ways to be better as a three-man
group whoever you’re playing with that night. Both of – I don’t
want to call them kids – but both young guys are playing well right
now.”
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Prior to their game on Saturday against the New York Rangers, the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrated their 2016 Stanley Cup champion team, as 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the championship run.
Many of the members of that 2016 team were in attendance for the ceremony, including former GM Jim Rutherford, former head coach Mike Sullivan, Conor Sheary, Patric Hornqvist, Carl Hagelin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Nick Bonino, Trevor Daley, Eric Fehr, Tom Kuhnhackl, Pascal Dupuis, Chris Kunitz, Jeff Zatkoff, and Ben Lovejoy, in addition to current Penguins' players that were part of the squad in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Bryan Rust.
After the ceremony concluded - it was moving and emotional enough to make Crosby and others tear up - the Penguins capped off their sixth-straight win by defeating the Rangers, 6-5, sending everyone but New York home happy. They held down their spot at second in the Metropolitan Division, and they have the sixth-best points percentage in the NHL.
As special as this year's Penguins feel, that 2016 group had a lot of special moments to offer during their quest for the Stanley Cup. Here are the top-five moments from that 2016 Cup run.
Perhaps the most memorable moment from the 2016 run was not even necessarily the the most memorable goal from the Stanley Cup playoffs. But it was certainly the most memorable goal call.
Of course, Nick Bonino's game-winning goal against the San Jose Sharks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final wasn't the first time that Hockey Night Punjabi play-by-play announcer Harnarayan Singh gave the iconic "BONINO BONINO BONINO!" call, as he also did so during Bonino's overtime game-winner in Game 6 against the Washington Capitals (which, we'll get to later).
But this particular call was the one that went viral and is the most memorable of the bunch, and Singh recreated the call during the Victory Parade, as the Penguins fully embraced it.
5. Zatkoff's W, Patric's hat trick
The intrigue of the 2016 run started right from the jump in Game 1 of the first round against the Rangers. With both Fleury and Matt Murray unavailable to start Game 1, the Penguins turned to Zatkoff, who had never before appeared in a playoff game and had only 14 regular season appearances for them that season.
Well, Zatkoff shined, allowing just two goals on 37 shots and beating Henrik Lundqvist in his playoff debut. He did start Game 2 as well but dropped that contest, allowing four goals on 27 shots.
And the other story in Game 1? That was Hornqvist, who recorded a hat trick and added an assist on a second-period Crosby goal to give the Penguins the 5-2 win and go up 1-0 in the opening-round series.
4. Set-up for Sheary
Sheary's big overtime goal in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Sharks put the Penguins up 2-0 in the series and helped set the stage for them eventually going on to win the series in six games.
Speaking of set, it was revealed afterward that it was a set play devised by the captain just before the drop of the puck in the faceoff dot. Crosby instructed defensemen Letang and Brian Dumoulin to switch spots so he could win the faceoff back to Letang, who would find Sheary with a pass near the slot area.
And, well, the play transpired exactly how Crosby had drawn it up.
This guy isn't one of the five best players of all time by accident.
Crosby had a few moments of his own on the way to his first Conn Smythe trophy. And the most memorable was his overtime game-winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final.
With the Penguins trailing in the series, 1-0, a loss would have put them in a precarious position. But Crosby wasted no time when the game shifted to the extra frame, as he took a pass from Bryan Rust in the low slot area and wristed a "curveball" top-shelf over Andrei Vasilevskiy's shoulder, tying the series.
The Penguins went on to win in seven games and go to their first Cup final since 2009, when they beat the Detroit Red Wings.
Perhaps the biggest story of the 2016 playoffs was the HBK Line, which consisted of Hagelin, Bonino, and Phil Kessel. The trio combined for 20 goals and 56 points in 24 games, and there was no one play bigger than Bonino's overtime goal in Game 6 against the Capitals.
The third line gained the zone, and Bonino got the puck to Hagelin in the right corner. Hagelin then got it to Kessel in the left corner, who fed Hagelin in the low slot area. Bonino was there to pick up the loose change in front, and the Penguins celebrated a second-round win.
This was also one of the more legendary calls by Doc Emrick.
Well, we'll cheat a little bit here and make this a bit of a double moment, as one does not happen without the other.
Near the midway point of the second period in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final - and with the Penguins up in the series on the Sharks, 3-2 - Letang took a feed from Crosby, who was behind the net, low in the right circle. He found the gap between Sharks' goalie Martin Jones and the post, putting the Penguins up, 2-1, and providing the eventual Cup-clinching goal for the Penguins.
They went on to win, 3-1, after an empty-net goal by Hornqvist, taking home the fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history and capping off a dominant run.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Ryan Weathers #35 of the Miami Marlins delivers a pitch in the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 24, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
SNY | John Flanigan: A couple of weeks ago, the Yankees sent four prospects to the Miami Marlins to acquire exciting, yet injury-prone lefty Ryan Weathers to fortify their rotation. Weathers, who posted a 3.99 ERA in 38.1 innings last year with 37 strikeouts, still hasn’t hit his ceiling according to pitching coach Matt Blake.
“This is an exciting arm,” the pitching coach said on Yankee Hot Stove, per SNY. “It’s a kid who I’ve been following since high school when we were scouting him in the Amateur Draft, he’s done a nice job of growing into a major league version of himself. The biggest thing is just keeping him on the field. We have to do a good job of having a nice onramp for him this spring and keeping him healthy, but an electric arm with a nice arsenal — there’s definitely a ceiling for him he hasn’t touched yet.”
The 26-year-old southpaw possess a big fastball that averaged about 97 mph last year, so if Blake and the Yanks can optimize it and improve his consistency with his breaking stuff, he could have some untapped potential. The coach even discussed a plan for Weathers, involving more two-seamers “to help open the zone for his four-seam fastball and sweeper.” For more on Weathers, check out my colleague Peter’s analysis of Weathers from shortly after he was acquired.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty ($): On Friday, Jon Heyman reported that the Yankees were interested in some free agents, including right-hander Nick Martinez and Michael Kopech, plus outfielders Austin Slater and Randal Grichuk. He also said that Paul Goldschmidt was willing to return to the organization (Jack Curry had previously noted that the Yankees had discussed a Goldy return as well).
Well, on Saturday, it was revealed that the Yanks had already sent an big-league offer to Slater, a right-handed hitter who has fared well against lefties and whose potential arrival would theoretically force Jasson Domínguez out of the picture for semi-regular playing time. That being said, it isn’t known at the time whether or not the offer to Slater is still on the table (Cody Bellinger’s now-official contract could’ve change plans), and it’s also unclear when it was submitted. Slater had a .726 OPS against southpaws in 2025, encouraging New York to acquire him from the White Sox midseason, but a hamstring injury sidelined him almost immediately and he was a nonfactor in 14 games for the Yankees.
MLB.com | Theo DeRosa: Yankees reliever Camilo Doval has been added to the Dominican Republic roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, joining a fantastic collection of talent lead by players such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Julio Rodríguez, Fernando Tatis Jr., and others. Doval took part in the 2023 edition of the tournament, pitching 2.1 scoreless frames with three punchouts back then. The 6-foot-2 righty is expected to be a key cog in the Yankees’ late-inning mix come Opening Day.
For the Pittsburgh Penguins, Saturday was a special night for a plethora of reasons.
Prior to their late afternoon tilt against the New York Rangers, the Penguins honored the members of their 2016 Stanley Cup champion team, as this year marks its 10th anniversary. Many of the players on that team returned, too, including Pascal Dupuis, Carl Hagelin, Patric Hornqvist, Ben Lovejoy, and others. Even the Rangers brought two returnees in forward Conor Sheary and former Penguins' head coach Mike Sullivan, now bench boss of the Rangers.
The ceremony was special enough to make captain Sidney Crosby shed tears. But, to top it all off, the Penguins came away with yet another victory at the end of it.
Sidney Crosby has all the feels looking back at the 2016 @penguins team that won the #StanleyCup 🏆
Despite a late push by the Rangers, the Penguins emerged victorious by a score of 6-5 to earn their league-best sixth consecutive win. Once again, Pittsburgh got contributions from up and down their lineup, with Anthony Mantha and Noel Acciari reach registering two goals en route to the win.
Mantha kicked off the scoring two and a half minutes into the game when he tipped a shot by linemate Rutger McGroarty from near the left point. Acciari one-timed his first on a feed from Blake Lizotte less than four minutes later after a hard-working shift by the fourth line, as Lizotte forced a turnover and made a nice play to keep the puck in the zone, Connor Dewar made a diving play to get the puck deep, and Connor Clifton had another zone keep prior to the goal.
The Penguins controlled most of play in the second period as well. At the very end of a power play, Rickard Rakell failed to put the puck in the net on a shot from the low slot, but he pounced on his own rebound and fed a perfect, behind-the-back backhand pass to a waiting Mantha at the net-front, who put it in right after the man advantage expired to give the Penguins a 3-0 lead.
However, the Penguins took a late penalty for too many men near the end of the second, and Alexis Lafreniere made them pay with his 11th of the season to cut the Penguins' lead to 3-1.
But the Penguins responded early in the third on a power play of their own, as Rakell put one in at the net-front to give Pittsburgh back the three-goal lead, with Erik Karlsson registering his 700th assist on the play. Acciari scored his second of the game and sixth of the season - surpassing his goal total from last seaosn - just 20 seconds later to make it 5-1.
Things got a bit hairy after that, though. Approaching the midway point of the period, the Penguins got another power play, but Vincent Trocheck capitalized on a shorthanded breakaway opportunity to bring the score to 5-2. Then, with less than five minutes to go, Vladislav Gavrikov scored to cut the Rangers' deficit to only two.
With goaltender Jonathan Quick pulled, Ben Kindel did put the puck into the empty net to make it 6-3 with two and a half minutes remaining, scoring his fourth goal in the last three games. But with more than a minute remaining, Lafreniere scored another one, and then Will Cuylle scored with 10 seconds left to bring the game to within one.
The Penguins iced the puck after the center draw with a little more than three seconds left on the clock, but Acciari won the defensive zone draw to give the Penguins the narrow 6-5 victory.
Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this one:
- Let's start with the 2016 ceremony because this was a really cool moment.
Sullivan got a nice ovation from the crowd. So did Hornqvist and Hagelin. But, of course, none other than Marc-Andre Fleury got the biggest ovation, as he usually does when he steps foot in the city of Pittsburgh these days.
But the tribute video itself was moving and emotional, so much so that it brought Crosby to tears. And Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Fleury. And others. Even Penguins' head coach Dan Muse admitted he got chills during the video.
The Penguins always do these things right, and in front of a sellout crowd, boy, they got it right. The 2016 squad joined the team in the locker room after the game and went to dinner afterward. Just a really nice evening that was made better with a win.
Even if the Penguins came away with the win, it wasn’t a perfect game. A few defensive lapses led to goals against late in this one, and their first power play unit was, once again, largely struggling.
Most things have been going right for this team in the month of January. But they're still surrendering a lot of third-period goals, and their power play is a bit dysfunctional right now, as it only has one goal in its last 15 opportunities.
Those are both things they need to clean up if they expect to keep winning hockey games in the stretch run of the season - especially during their gauntlet in the month of March.
- Mantha is on quite the tear right now. And, coincidentally, so is Kindel.
Mantha has five goals and eight points in his last four games and 10 points in his last six. Kindel has four goals and five points in his last three games. That third line has been the Penguins' best for the past three games, and it's largely because these two have developed some legitimate chemistry - even if they didn't directly connect on a goal Saturday.
With 19 goals and 40 points, Mantha is well on his way to a career-best season, and Kindel is on his way to more production in what has already been a wildly impressive rookie season. These guys give them so much depth in their lineup, and the Penguins need them to continue putting up numbers for them.
- Let's not forget the third guy on that line right now, either.
McGroarty has had himself two really nice games since being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS). He's been good defensively, he's been forcing turnovers, hanging around the net front, and - quite simply - working his behind off.
He looks like a much different player than he was a few weeks ago. I asked McGroarty if he'd be going back to WBS over the break, and he confirmed he would be to get more games in because he's missed so much time to injury this season. This will definitely benefit him.
But it really is a shame that there is not room for McGroarty in the NHL lineup when Bryan Rust returns from his suspension. This is a guy that probably belongs in the NHL, but there is no one that can be pried from their current lineup.
Without a doubt, he'll be the first player they call on when they need a player. But he's earning himself a bigger look with his play right now.
- As great as Stuart Skinner has been for the Penguins lately, this was not his best outing.
He surrendered five goals on 20 shots, and he was very shaky late in this one, even if the Penguins' defense wasn't doing him any favors. He did look good early on, when the Rangers pressed early in the game, and he made a few nice saves. But he also didn't really get much of a workload until the end of the game, either.
Skinner himself admitted that he didn't like his warm-up, and he wasn't happy with what transpired late in the game. However, if there was a game for Skinner to be off his game, it was this one, as the Penguins' offense gave him that cushion.
- Acciari deserves flowers for his play this season. Not only has he shown some legitimate offensive prowess akin to his 20-goal campaign with the Florida Panthers in 2019-20, he has continued to be a key part of that fourth line's ability to both drive play and be reliable on defense.
It's not an exaggeration to say this fourth line is hockey's best. As good as Lizotte and Dewar have been, Acciari has been equally as good. And he deserves credit for that.
- The Penguins will play the Ottawa Senators at home Monday before facing the New York Islanders Tuesday and the Buffalo Sabres Thursday to close out their pre-Olympic schedule.
These are important games, particularly the one against the Isles. The Penguins would be wise to take at least two out of three here in order to give themselves some cushion, once again, for their gauntlet in March.
