Mar 28, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) and New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes (43) battle during the third period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | James Guillory-Imagn Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
The Devils scored two goals in 19 seconds to give themselves a third-period lead and then held on to claim a 5-3 win over the Blackhawks on Sunday. [Devils NHL]
A familiar result against the Hurricanes as of late: Three second-period Carolina goals pushed the Hurricanes to a 5-2 win over the Devils on Saturday. [Devils NHL]
“Markstrom ranks 52nd in save percentage (.884), 46th in goals-against average (3.09) and 55th in goals-saved above average (minus-13.02) among goalies with at least 1,000 minutes played this season. Couple that with the Devils’ 27th-ranked offense, and it’s easy to see why the Devils are 11 points out of a playoff spot with 10 games left.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]
“The Devils’ prospect pool is middling to say the least, recently placing 22nd in The Athletic’s ongoing pipeline rankings. The reality is, the Devils’ blue-chip prospects have either graduated to full-time NHLers (Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec) or have floundered a bit since being drafted (Anton Silayev). Outside of a couple of truly projectable talents, the Devils don’t really have a whole lot to offer at any particular position. Most prospects have concluded their seasons at this point, with the exception of a couple of players whose seasons have progressed into the playoffs and the Utica Comets’ players.” [Infernal Access ($)]
Hockey Links
Vegas makes a coaching change out of the blue:
The Vegas Golden Knights have relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach.
A look at the league’s most disappointing players this season: [The Athletic ($)]
“Alex Ovechkin has not given any indication yet of his NHL future, while Anze Kopitar is retiring, and Jaromir Jagr said he is likely not playing pro hockey again. They could make the 2029 Hockey Hall of Fame class very memorable.” [The Hockey News]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
ELMONT, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 03: Ryan Shea #5 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck against Matthew Schaefer #48 of the New York Islanders during the third period at UBS Arena on February 03, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Steven Ryan/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (36-21-16, 88 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division) @ New York Islanders (42-27-5, 89 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and MSGSN, nationally broadcast on NHL Network
Pens’ Path Ahead: Another big one tomorrow back in the ’Burgh against the Red Wings. The games keep coming in quick succession with a trip to Tampa on tap for Thursday night, then a return to Pittsburgh next weekend for two games against the same opponent (Florida Panthers) on both Saturday and Sunday. After that is a three-day break in the schedule to recharge, regroup and get ready for the four final games of the regular season.
Opponent Track: The Islanders have been looking to stay hot, and they have won two in a row (including a 5-2 victory over Florida on Saturday). Then again, they’ve given up seven goals in a loss to Montreal and been defeated in regulation by Chicago recently, so who knows what to expect from a team all over the map. NYI won a 1-0 playoff-like game against Columbus last week, they’ll certainly be in that type of desperation mode for today’s big game.
Season Series: There were only three regular season PIT/NYI games this season, an issue that will be solved next season by moving to an 84-game schedule and allowing all division rivals to play four times in the years to follow. Pittsburgh is 1-0-1 against the Islanders so far this year, beating them 4-3 in regulation on NYI’s opening night and then the Pens dropped a 5-4 OT decision on Feb 3 to the Isles that featured two third period blown leads by Pittsburgh. Today is the final game, though it could be a preview of a first round playoff matchup.
Hidden Stat: Per Pens PR, Rickard Rakell has points in his last five of his last six visits to Long Island (5G-4A).
Getting to know the Islanders
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Anders Lee – Bo Horvat – Emil Heineman
Calum Ritchie – Brayden Schenn – Mat Barzal
Ondrej Palat – J.G. Pageau – Simon Holmstrom
Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb
DEFENSEMEN
Matthew Schaefer / Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech / Carson Soucy
Scott Mayfield / Adam Boqvist
Goalies: Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich
Potential scratches: Maxim Shabanov, Anthony Duclair, Isaiah George
Injured Reserve: Tony DeAngelo, Kyle Palmieri, Pierre Engvall, Alexander Romanov, Semyon Varlamov
Schaefer played his first career game against the Pens, and it was one of those moments from the very beginning where you knew you were seeing a special player. His talent and skill was undeniable from the start, which will be leading to the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year (and he’s got a good case to be a unanimous first place vote).
I found Mathieu Darche’s deadline moves to be fairly uneven. Add a rental in Soucy for a third round pick? OK, you can see how that could be needed and help out while not breaking the bank. Add Palat (who is under contract next season at a $6.0m cap hit) for only a third and sixth coming back? That doesn’t seem like a good price to take on a bad player/contract, though they did clear out the dead weight of Max Tsyplakov and his $2.5m cap hit for next season. Trade a first+third (although being Colorado’s first, it could be very, very late) for 34-year old Brayden Schenn and his $6.5m cap hit through 2027-28? Woof. Darche was a finalist for the Penguin job before Kyle Dubas was fired in Toronto, it’s always interesting to see how his career will go. Overall, Darche has done some good things, while having the incredible draft lottery luck. Could be worse though we’ll see how much these deadline adds actually help considering he’s added players on the wrong side of 30 that have fairly decent future cap commitments.
One Darche move that does look promising was getting Calum Ritchie to the Island in the Brock Nelson trade. Ritchie is a pretty solid NHL player in only his draft+3 season and has a lot of upside to grow into. Other than someone like Barzal it’s been a while since the Isles have developed a talented, young scoring forward (though I guess Simon Holmostrom going on his second-straight 20 goal season might have something to say about that).
Heineman with a 21-9 goal/assist split might be on his way for a Cy Young this season.
Key Matchup: They could also call the sport ‘goalie’ just as easily
Goaltending is an essential part of hockey and no team gets better goalie inputs than the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin has not yet won a Vezina trophy in his career for goaltender of the year (he did finish second back in 2023-24), this just might be the year to change that. His value to the team is basically immeasurable. On the whole, the Islanders might not be a playoff-quality team, except for the fact that they’re in the race anyways in large part due to the superb effort of their goalie. This team (with their 30th ranked power play and 23rd best 5v5 offense) would be heading for the draft lottery if not for Sorokin serving as the rising tide to raise their ship.
Major playoff implications
Tonight is not quite a true ‘must win’ situation for the Penguins or Islanders, but it’s getting mighty close to that territory. A result tonight in regulation would do wonders in the models for the winner’s chances and deal a major blow to whomever losses. An overtime game kicks the can down the road a bit more for the loser, and would be most unwelcome news for the folks in Columbus, Ottawa and Detroit to see the possibility of a three-point game.
Needless to say, this is one that both teams have to have. Doesn’t get much better than that.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby* – Bryan Rust*
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Anthony Mantha
Rutger McGroarty – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Elmer Soderblom – Connor Dewar – Noel Acciari*
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs
Potential Scratches: Evgeni Malkin* (injured), Ilya Solovyov, Blake Lizotte (injured), Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Ville Koivunen
IR: Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin both returned to practice yesterday, in good news. Crosby will travel with the team to NY, coach Dan Muse didn’t know (or wasn’t saying) it Malkin would be on the trip. Both Bryan Rust and Noel Acciari sat out practice yesterday on official maintenance days but they will also be traveling with the team to NY.
Malkin reportedly stayed on the ice for almost an hour after practice, which typically isn’t something that a player planning to play the next day would do. Combine that with the fact that Muse didn’t green light Malkin for travel unlike Crosby is what tips the balance to project him as out again for today. Perhaps if Malkin is feeling way better by today then something will change and get him back out there, for now it doesn’t look like the signs are pointing to Malkin playing tonight though.
The Penguins didn’t alternate goalies and used the same netminder in two consecutive games for the first time in over two months this weekend when Skinner played against Dallas. The gamble didn’t pay off much, being as the Pens got in penalty trouble and eventually fell behind the Stars and dropped a game in regulation. That makes for an interesting decision today, do they go back to Skinner? Or play Silovs in what could be the most important game of the year when Silovs has given up 24 goals over his last six appearances?
Crosby: ‘We’re going to leave it all out there’
Sidney Crosby: "It’s a pretty tested group, and it’s a big stretch here. Regardless of who’s in or who’s out, I know that we’re going to leave it all out there and give ourselves the best chance."
This is go time, the most exciting time of the year in hockey for so many teams competing for the same spots and trying to stake their claim to a playoff position.
After Saturday’s setback, Rust said the team’s next game against the Islanders will be an easy one to get up for, especially with the two clubs battling against each other for a playoff spot. That sentiment carried over to today.
“We know how much that means to us, playing against that team, and how important every point is,” Rickard Rakell said. “It’s truly like a playoff game.”
“They’re all important at this point,” Crosby said. “It’s a big race, a big stretch for us. As a player, these are the ones that you want to be in. These are big games.”
The Penguins knew how challenging their schedule would be in March, with 17 games in 31 days. Now, at the end of the month’s gauntlet, the Penguins have to keep digging deep to stay in the fight.
“I think you have to enjoy it. We have to embrace the situation that we’re in,” Karlsson said. “It’s a fantastic spot to be in. I think with the experience that we have in here, a lot of the guys have been through it before, but for the guys that haven’t, just don’t lose sight of how much fun it is to be playing in these types of games.”
Mar 29, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Boston Celtics forward/guard Jayson Tatum (0) reacts to the crowd after making a basket during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images | Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images
1. Jayson Tatum is Unbelievable
In his 11th game back from a torn Achilles, Jayson Tatum dropped a season-high 32 points with 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 0 turnovers on 12-23 shooting from the field and 5-10 from three. He also scored his 14,000th career NBA Point in this game, becoming the youngest player in Celtics history to reach this mark, passing Paul Pierce.
Tatum scored or assisted on the first 10 points of the game for the Celtics, setting the tone for what was going to be a big night.
He didn’t stop there, finishing with 20 points in the first half. Picking apart an elite Hornets defense with an arial assault from beyond the arc. Any concerns of his jump should be put aside with the he was able to get them off over some pretty great Charlotte contests.
The second half saw Tatum continue to hit some ridiculous shots coming from the midrange and driving to the basket. He went back to the old reliable to ice the game for the Celtics, hitting a three between the eyes of Miles Bridges to punctuate an incredible performance.
This game was the closest he has looked to the old Jayson Tatum. From the explosiveness, the playmaking, and the three point shooting, this was an all around great game. Tatum is averaging 20.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.1 steals in 31.0 minutes per game since his return which doesn’t even sound real. He really has lived up to the nickname as The Anomaly.
2. Hospital Celtics Supremacy
Something I didn’t mention about Jayson Tatum’s incredible performance was that he did it with both Jaylen Brown and Derrick White out with injury. Brown missed his second straight game with Left Achilles Tendinitis and White was out with a Right Knee Contusion.
The Hornets going into this game had been the best team in the NBA since the start of the New Year with a record of 28-13. In a more recent sample size, Charlotte was 7-3 in their most recent 10 games before facing Boston, with wins over the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and New York Knicks, three teams who have a better record than them in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte also dominated Boston in their most recent matchup, beating the Celtics 118-89 on March 4th in TD Garden.
The Celtics were looking for revenge and even without two of their starters, they were able to dominate the Hornets for pretty much the entire game, winning 114-99 in Charlotte. Boston is now 8-1 in games with Jaylen Brown out this year, showing how incredible they are when it comes to overcoming adversity.
3. Payton Pritchard Encore
In the Celtics win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Payton Pritchard had one of his best games of the season, leading Boston with 36 points and 7 rebounds on 12-23 shooting. He followed up this performance with another big game against the Hornets, finishing with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists on 10-18 shooting. He came up huge in this game when Tatum went to the bench as the primary scorer on the floor for the Celtics and Boston didn’t skip a beat.
Pritchard did most of his scoring from beyond the arc against Atlanta, finishing with 6 three pointers in that game. He only had 2 threes against Charlotte but did most of his damage in the paint and in the midrange.
It didn’t matter who the Hornets threw at him, Pritchard was going to get inside on his defender and rise up over them to make the basket. It was giving me shades of prime Steve Nash back in his MVP days with the Phoenix Suns with his ability to score over anybody.
This summer, Neemias Queta represented Portugal in Eurobasket and was essentially the number one option for them. In these games, he was a force inside with an array of back to the basket moves and play finishing that were able to work in international competition.
With the Celtics he isn’t necessarily replied upon when it comes to his ability to create offense but we saw a glimpse of that Eurobasket Queta in this game when he finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds on 8-13 shooting. This is really impressive considering Charlotte have some really good defensive big men in Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Queta was great as a play finisher in this game against the Hornets, getting set up for a lot of great opportunities underneath the basket. There have been times this season where he has had a hard time when it comes to catching these passes, sometimes looking lost and just not putting the ball up. That was the opposite in this game, stepping up big time with the Celtics missing two of their top scorers.
One guy who got a big time opportunity with Brown and White out was Baylor Scheierman and he played a great game. In 28 minutes off the bench he finished with 14 points and 3 assists on 4-11 shooting from the field and 3-7 from three. He might have only made 4 shots but all of them came in some of the most ridiculous ways possible.
Whether it was a floater that touched the sky with the shot clock running down or hitting pull up threes from 30+ feet, Baylor Scheierman hit some big shots for the Celtics when they needed them most in some cases. He played some huge minutes for Boston in this game and his ability to make a positive impact on the game was big when it came to stabilizing the rotations.
Anytime Ron Harper Jr gets a chance to play big minutes for the Celtics it always feels like he makes a big impact. He did that against the Hornets where he only played 14 minutes but had 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and 1 steal on 3-3 shooting and a +10. Harper Jr left the game midway through the second quarter with an ankle sprain but before that it looked like he was going to have another big game.
Overall though I just enjoy watching Ron Harper Jr get a chance to play with the Celtics rotation. Grinding his way through Maine and being able to make a legit impact in sparse minutes isn’t something a lot of NBA players can do. I will be very happy if he ends up with a standard contract with Boston so he can play in the playoffs because he has earned it.
For the first time since January 1st, Jordan Walsh was in the starting lineup for the Boston Celtics. It looked like he was rewarded for his performance against the Atlanta Hawks where he played 27 minutes off the bench and had 5 points and 3 blocks. Against Charlotte, he had another solid game, finishing with 3 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in 34 minutes and a +14.
Although he shot 1-7, his impact was felt the most with his defense on LaMelo Ball. Walsh made Ball work for everything on offense, being a big part in him finishing with only 19 points on 7-19 shooting and 4 turnovers. His constant pressure forced LaMelo into some tough shots and made him miss some pretty good looking three point attempts.
With Brown being out day-to-day, I hope we continue to get to see Jordan Walsh get minutes and get to see him play his hounding defense.
A big reason as to why the Celtics were able to win this game despite the talent disparity was their ability to shoot the lights out against the Hornets. Boston finished shooting 42-83 (51%) from the field and 14-34 (41%) from three point range. In contrast, the Celtics held the Hornets to 36-83 shooting from the field (43%) and 12-43 (28%) from beyond the arc.
Charlotte’s poor shooting night could be explained by the face they were on the second half of a back to back but that discredits the great defense that Boston played. They held Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball to a combined 12-32 shooting, slowing down the main cogs in the Hornets high powered offensive machine.
Celtics Shot Zone Chart (Via NBA.com)
9. Won the Turnover Battle
Boston’s defense is most effective when they can generate turnovers while limiting them on offense. In this game, the Celtics forced 11 turnovers on the Hornets while only allowing 5. Boston finished with 6 steals and 11 points off of the turnovers they generated from Charlotte.
They were super aggressive in the passing lanes, putting pressure on the Hornets’ ball handlers to force their steals. A very impressive performance against a top 5 team in offensive rating this season.
At the beginning of the season it looked like this season for the Boston Celtics was supposed to be what they call a “gap year.” Some people saw the losses the team had plus Jayson Tatum coming back late in the season and just expected the Celtics to take the year off. Well, if 50 wins for the 5th straight season and clinching a playoff spot as the second seed in the Eastern Conference is considered a “gap year,” this has to be the best one in NBA history right?
I predicted Boston to finish with around 45 wins this year and a top 4 seed in the East but I don’t know how many people even thought they were going to finish that high after the 0-3 start to the season. It really is a testament to the culture that Boston has cultivated to be able to always be competitive no matter the roster. There really is nothing better than being a fan of the Boston Celtics.
As expected, Jakub Dobes was back in the net for the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday afternoon as they took on the Carolina Hurricanes in the second game of their back-to-back. However, someone who wasn’t back was Josh Anderson, who must still have been affected by the illness, which made him leave Saturday’s game. With Alexandre Texier still in Montreal, nursing a lower-body injury, Martin St-Louis opted to insert Arber Xhekaj in the lineup as a fourth liner.
Patrik Laine is travelling with the team, and while he is technically still on IR, he’s been a full participant in practice for the last two months. In the run-up to the trade deadline, he hoped to be traded, and in his wife’s blog on deadline day, she said they were happy to stay in Montreal if it meant Laine could get to play. In one episode of the Basu and Godin notebook, Arpon Basu and Marc-Antoine Godin spoke about the big Finn’s predicament and said they believed the Canadiens had agreed to keep him on injured reserve rather than have him be a healthy scratch again.
Whatever the case may be, though, the fact that the coach opted to use Xhekaj in a position he had never played before, with the stakes so high, just tells us everything we need to know.
A Copy-Paste from Tuesday
Just like in Tuesday’s game, the Hurricanes took the Canadiens’ zone by storm in the first period. There were only eight minutes left in the first when Montreal finally got its first shot on goal through Zachary Bolduc, and had it not been for Dobes, the Habs would have been trailing by much more than one goal.
He stopped 12 of the 13 shots he faced, and while Carolina does shoot from everywhere on the ice, the netminder still has to make those saves, and he made them. While he may not look as calm or as in control in his net as Carey Price once was, but he does ooze confidence, and that’s great for the team.
All through the game, he was there and making the big saves, only surrendering that one goal in the first frame.
A Career-High For Suzuki
Despite the Hurricanes dominating puck possession, shots, and the physical side of the game with more hits, the Canes still found themselves trailing 3-1 after the second frame. In that period, the Habs scored three unanswered goal and Nick Suzuki took part in each of them, scoring two and assisting on Cole Caufield’s 46th of the season.
That gave the captain 91 points on the season, two more than he had in 82 games last season. At 26 years old, the centerman just keeps improving year after year, and it doesn’t even look like we’ve seen the best of him yet. After all, both of his linemates are younger and still improving as players; the better they get, the more successful the captain will be.
For the first time since 2017, the Canadiens won a fifth consecutive game in regulation. Given the fact that regulation wins are a tie breaker if there’s a tie in points at the end of the season, this is huge. Montreal now has 30 regulation wins, the same number as the Boston Bruins. The Habs remain two points ahead of Boston, four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and eight points ahead of the ninth-place Ottawa Senators.
With that win, the Canadiens stay four points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning, who also won on Sunday, and as luck would have it, they are their next opponents on Tuesday. Last season, when the stakes were this high and the Canadiens needed a point to qualify for the playoffs, they struggled to get it as if the pressure was too much to handle. This year, with the pressure just as high, they have a five-game winning streak, which says a lot about this young team's progress.
The Celtics clinched a spot following a 114-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
The New York Knicks had an opportunity to clinch a spot, as well, but fell short in a 111-100 loss to the Thunder.
The Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers also secured a spot in the play-in tournament after the Houston Rockets' 134-102 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
NBA standings
*- clinched playoff berth
^- clinched at least play-in berth
e- eliminated from playoff/play-in contention
NOTE: While a team may not be able to fall lower than 10th place in its conference, that does not mean it has clinched a spot in the playoffs. The (* - clinched playoff berth) designation will only be awarded to teams that have already clinched a spot in their conference's top six.
(9) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors
Eastern Conference
(7) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (8) Orlando Magic
(9) Miami Heat vs. (10) Charlotte Hornets
When do the NBA Playoffs begin?
The NBA's play-in tournament begins on Tuesday, April 14 and runs through Friday, April 17. The traditional NBA Playoffs format starts Saturday, April 18, with Game 1 of the NBA Finals scheduled for Wednesday, June 3.
Which NBA teams have been eliminated from the playoffs?
The New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins are currently positioned to play each other in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
But who will have home ice advantage? Monday's meeting will play a big role.
The Islanders will host the Penguins and the Islanders can build on their one-point lead with a victory. The Penguins, however, can move into second place with a victory.
Also on Monday, March 30, John Tortorella will make his debut as Vegas Golden Knights coach. He's taking over a team that has lost six of its last seven games, leading to the firing of Bruce Cassidy.
The Colorado Avalanche (Central) and Anaheim Ducks (Pacific) are in action and will try to pad their division leads.
Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season:
Who's in the 2026 NHL playoffs?
Eastern Conference: None
Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas
Who can clinch today?
No team can clinch a playoff berth today.
NHL games today (Monday, March 30)
All times p.m. and Eastern
Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7, NHL Network
Calgary at Colorado, 8:30
Vancouver at Vegas, 10
Toronto at Anaheim, 10
St. Louis at San Jose, 10
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26
As of March 29. x-clinched playoff spot. z-eliminated
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes (98)
New York Islanders (89)
Pittsburgh Penguins (88)
Atlantic Division
Tampa Bay Lightning (98)
Buffalo Sabres (98)
Montreal Canadiens (94)
Wild card
Boston Bruins (92)
Columbus Blue Jackets (88)
Sitting out of playoff position: Ottawa Senators (86), Detroit Red Wings (86), Philadelphia Flyers (86), Washington Capitals (83), New Jersey Devils (78), Toronto Maple Leafs (75), Florida Panthers (73), z-New York Rangers (69)
NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26
As of March 29. x-clinched playoff spot. z-eliminated
Central Division
x-Colorado Avalanche (106)
x-Dallas Stars (100)
Minnesota Wild (94)
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks (86)
Edmonton Oilers (83)
Vegas Golden Knights (80)
Wild card
Utah Mammoth (82)
Nashville Predators (77)
Sitting out of playoff position: Los Angeles Kings (76), Seattle Kraken (75), Winnipeg Jets (74), San Jose Sharks (73), St. Louis Blues (73), Calgary Flames (70), Chicago Blackhawks (67), z-Vancouver Canucks (50)
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on March 29.
Tampa Bay (A1) vs. Columbus (WC2)
Buffalo (A2) vs. Montreal (A3)
Carolina (M1) vs. Boston (WC1)
N.Y. Islanders (M2) vs. Pittsburgh (M3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on March 29.
Colorado (C1) vs. Nashville (WC2)
Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3)
Anaheim (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
Edmonton (P2) vs. Vegas (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild card
NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?
If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:
Regulation wins
Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
Total wins
Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded.
Goal differential
Total goals
When does the NHL regular season end?
The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are expected to begin on Saturday, April 18.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 08: Erik Karlsson #65 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in action during the game against the Boston Bruins at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 8, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins have had tougher stretches of games during the 2025-26 season in terms of their opponents. They may not have had a more important stretch of games than the one they are facing this week.
They have five games between Monday and next Sunday, and those games will go a long way toward determining their chances of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Get your minds right, because this is about to be a massive week of hockey.
It all begins on Monday night with what might be, to this point, the biggest game of the Penguins season when they visit the New York Islanders.
This is the game that has been circled for some time now, and the winner is going to put itself into a great position when it comes to earning a playoff spot. The Penguins enter the day one point behind the Islanders for the second playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, while also still having a game in hand. If the Penguins can win this game in regulation it would help them put a little more distance between themselves and the teams on the outside of the playoff picture, while also moving them ahead of the Islanders for the second spot in the division (at least for the time being).
Long Island has been an incredibly difficult place for the Penguins to win over the years, and they already lost their first game of the season there this season in overtime.
The Islanders are a difficult team to really get a lock on. They do not have a lot of star power at forward. Their offense is not really great, averaging just 2.86 goals per game, ranking them 22nd in the NHL and near the bottom among playoff contenders. While their goals against numbers are strong, all of their defensive metrics are average at best, and bad at worst. They are 29th in the NHL in expected goals against per 60 minutes. 27th in scoring chances against per 60 minutes and 31st in high-danger scoring chances against per 60 minutes.
They give up A LOT.
The reason it does not show up in actual goals is very simple: Starting goalie Ilya Sorokin has not only played like a Vezina Trophy front-runner, he has played at a potential MVP level. He steals games regularly.
In other words, it is your typical NewYork Islanders team that is annoyingly frustrating to play against. You will get chances. You might tilt the ice on them. But because their goalie is better than most other goalies in the league and can mask all of those issues, it simply never matters.
They also have an immediate superstar in No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer who is running away with the Calder Trophy race. Those two guys have put the Islanders right in the thick of the playoff race. Winner of this game gets the second place spot in the Metropolitan Division. Loser is back on the playoff bubble. It is an absolutely massive four-point game.
As if that game is not big enough, the Penguins follow that on Tuesday night with another massive game in the Eastern Conference playoff race when they return home against the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings enter the week two points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and have really struggled over the past couple of months. They are just 7-10-3 in their past 20 games going back to the end of January, and have dealt with some significant injuries along the way to some of their top centers. They are also an incredibly top-heavy team.
Their top-four players (Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat and Moritz Seider) have been outstanding for most of the season, with Seider playing like a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate. But there is a huge drop-off in talent and production beyond that quartet.
That is especially true on defense.
When Seider is on the ice during 5-on-5 play the Red Wings are outscoring teams by a 64-46 margin with a 56.7 percent expected goals share.
When Seider is not on the ice during 5-on-5 play the Red Wings are being outscored by a 60-93 margin with only a 45.6 percent expected goals share.
Seider can take over a game. The Red Wings are also extremely vulnerable when he is not on the ice.
The Penguins have won the first two games between the two teams this season, including a 4-1 win in Detroit in late December that might have been the Penguins best, most complete defensive game of the season.
On Thursday the Penguins play what is probably their toughest game of the week when they travel to play the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning have an MVP-front runner in Nikita Kucherov (who has missed some time this week), a top-tier goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy and a collection of front-line players that still make up a Stanley Cup contending core.
One player the Penguins may not see in that game is defenseman Victor Hedman who stepped away from the team this past week due to a personal matter.
Their playoff spot is mostly set, but they are playing for seeding.
The Penguins always seem to match up well with the Lightning, and have earned three out of a possible four points against them in their first two games this season, including a 4-3 win in Tampa Bay.
The week then concludes on Saturday and Sunday with a back-to-back, at home, against the defending back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in both games. While that may have looked like an extremely daunting stretch early in the season, or before the season, it does not seem to be as much right now.
The Panthers are not going to the playoffs. They are completely decimated by injuries right now and are playing a ton of AHL call-ups. They have won just seven of their past 20 games entering the week, and were absolutely humiliated on Saturday against the Islanders, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead and then allowing five consecutive goals in the second period on their way to a 5-2 defeat.
Playing the same team two games in a row, and on two days in a row, is a challenge. Especially when it is at the end of a five-game in seven-day stretch with two back-to-backs in that. But that Florida team is not particularly good right now, and the Penguins are getting them at home.
Overall there are 10 points up for grabs this week. I want to see the Penguins get at least six of them. That should be doable. That should be manageable. Anything after that is a bonus. You will hear a lot of talk about how Monday’s game is a must-win given the standings, but I am not going to go that far with it. The Monday game against the Islanders is probably a must-win if you want to secure the second-spot in the Metropolitan Division. It is not a must-win when it comes to securing a playoff spot.
If you can get at least six points this week that puts you at 94 points going into the final week of the regular season where you would have four games against the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues. In my view, 98 points is still going to be enough (the current cut-off line given everybody’s paces is 97 points, and as these teams play each other, and somebody has to lose, I suspect that could even drop by a point or two). You would then need two wins out of that stretch to get there. That is also doable. That is also very manageable.
The big X-factor in all of this will be the potential availability of captain Sidney Crosby and forward Evgeni Malkin. Both players practiced on Sunday, which is a good sign. Both players are making the trip to New York. Which is also a good sign. Until they are both back, however, it is all just guess-work and speculation.
The Penguins have held their own without one or both players so far this season. They could really use them right now in these games given how tight the standings are and how important these games and points are.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — NHL Senior Vice President of Player Safety George Parros is expected to attend the highly anticipated rematch between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks when the two clubs meet at Honda Center on Monday, The Hockey News has learned. It’s not unusual for the player safety boss to attend games that could rack up penalty minutes due to hostilities that carry over from previous incidents.
With the Maple Leafs possibly looking for retribution for what happened to their captain in their previous meeting at Scotiabank Arena, Parros’ attendance is one way the NHL can send a message to both clubs to avoid letting things get out of hand. On March 12, Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas laid a dangerous hit on Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews. Toronto’s captain sustained a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion, effectively ending his 2025-26 season.
“Certainly not happy about it,” Domi said of what happened to Matthews. “We play ‘em in a couple weeks".
The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Gudas five games for the hit. This drew criticism from Maple Leafs fans and Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver, who released a statement criticizing what he perceived to be a light punishment for a player with a history of these types of hits.
“In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am disappointed and shocked the league would allow such a ruling," Moldaver stated. "A phone hearing and five games is laughable and preposterous. While the process is set in our CBA, that this was the discipline is reckless and ridiculous. This decision results in a further loss of confidence in the disciplinary process for all players. Players and fans deserve better. The Player Safety Department should be suspended”.
Asked Auston Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver about his response to the ruling.
Here is his reply:
“In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am disappointed and shocked the league would allow such a ruling. A phone hearing and 5 games is laughable and preposterous.
Parros addressed the media and defended his team’s decision regarding Gudas's punishment when speaking to reporters at the NHL GM meetings earlier this month.
“I feel confident in this decision. We came to it for a good reason," Parros said. "When we evaluate these plays, we look at the play, not the players, right? And then we look at if we determine if that play was worthy of supplemental discipline. We then look at the history of the players involved and if there's an injury or not. This is how we come to make all of our decisions. We made this decision under those circumstances. We felt that this was the appropriate response, and so I stand by it”.
It is still not clear if Gudas will take part in the game after sustaining what appeared to be an ankle injury against the Calgary Flames on Thursday. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday that Gudas is intent on playing, despite missing Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Whether or not Gudas plays, Monday’s game is expected to be penalty-filled. Parros’ presence will serve as a reminder to both sides that the league is watching closely to ensure that emotions do not boil over into unnecessary chaos.
Will Riley challenges a Scoot Henderson shot in the Wizards blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. | Getty Images
The Wizards got utterly blasted by the Portland Trail Blazers, trailing by as much as 39 before finally losing by 34. While the score was close into the second quarter, there was no point where the game felt truly competitive. Once again, it felt like when Portland started making the abundant open looks they were getting, the margin would expand. And it did. Like a mushroom cloud.
At one point in the second quarter, the Wizards were 1-9 from three-point range, and Portland was 0-10. Washington shot 4-13 (30.7%) the rest of the way. The Trail Blazers: 12-26 — 46.2%.
Will Riley of the Washington Wizards- drives to the basket during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers. (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This kind of outcome was mostly to be expected. They started the “Tank Towers” of 6-9 JuJu Reese in the middle with Tristan Vukcevic alongside. Despite pairing two “centers,” the lineup was thoroughly incapable of contending with Portland’s size and athleticism.
That deficit was matched on the perimeter where the Wizards were unable to stay in front of opposing ball handlers or even direct penetration to a spot where they’d at least theoretically have help. Oh yeah, they also missed lots of rotations, over-helped, and ball-watched. All stuff they’re working on, of course, but there are serious talent deficits, even when the roster is at full strength. And they’re not at full strength.
It was one of those “almost no one played well” kind of butt-kickings. The closest guy to “good” was probably Will Riley, and I thought he was only okay.
Leaky Black had what was probably his best game as a pro (8 rebounds, 4 on each end) in 22 minutes, though I was once again appalled by his defense.
Bright side: the Wizards get the Los Angeles Lakers Monday night and then get to go home to take on the Philadelphia 76ers later in the week.
Brighter side: Only eight games left in the season.
Thoughts & Observations
It was an absolute treat to watch the Portland broadcast. Kevin Calabro is excellent on play-by-play, and Lamar Hurd is one of the best analysts around. Tom Haberstroh is a fully integrated provider of meaningful and interesting stats and analysis. Brooke Olzendam is good in the courtside reporter role. They also do some fun things with graphics — putting up numbers and then having them “sticky” on the stands so that they pan to the side as the camera follows the action. The Wizards could do worse than copy the format with good people.
Recurring entry in last night’s notebook: Clingan overpowers JuJu. It happened on the boards and inside. On several possessions in the third quarter, Reese sought to attack inside. Clingan erased the shots repeatedly while barely leaping. He was just that much bigger and stronger.
Yes, that preceding bullet is something of a subtweet who thinks Reese is any kind of roster solution for next season. I like that he’s competitive and plays hard, but he’s not big enough, strong enough, athletic enough, or skilled enough to play in the middle.
One more on Reese: I had some notes in the first half about Bilal Coulibaly having a brutal game. One of the big reasons — Portland bigs didn’t have to defend Reese away from the basket. They ignored him, let him set screens and then waited in the lane for Coulibaly (or whoever) to drive. I think Reese could be an interesting high-post passing hub, but he has to be able to shoot well enough to bring the big out from under the basket. Otherwise, the lane is clogged, and he’s just dishing to teammates for contested midrangers and worse.
Any regular reader knows I’m not a fan of midrange field goal attempts, except when necessary. Bub Carrington is getting close to “exception” range. For the season, he’s inching closer to 50% on two-point attempts outside 10 feet, which is pretty dang good. He’s also around 40% from three this season. I have some issues with his game, but his shooting has become a strength.
At the 6:20 mark of the first quarter, Deni Avdija just trucked Vukcevic on a drive. On the court, the refs called it an offensive foul, which was the correct call. Portland challenged and the officials reversed the call upon review. I think they more or less applied the rule properly, but the rule itself is bad. Vukcevic beat Avdija to the spot, Avdija veered into him and blasted him into the stanchion. Calling what Vukcevic was doing “still in motion” is an absurdity that gives way too much advantage to the offensive player.
Riley was okay overall, but had a lot of trouble attacking when Toumani Camara was defending.
The Wizards needed a three on the final possession to get to 15 points in the 1st quarter. According to Haberstroh, that was the fewest scored in a quarter against Portland this season.
Another cool stat from Haberstroh — he reported on a Damian Lillard workout the previous day in which Lillard shot 1,000-1,090 from three-point range. That’s 91.7%. From three-point range.
One more from Haberstroh — he said Camara leads the NBA in defensive miles covered. Camara is approaching 100 miles for the season, a feat he achieved last season, as well.
The game ended weird. Yang Hansen and Reese got double technicals with 28 seconds remaining and Portland up by 34. The Portland big boxed out Reese, Reese apparently didn’t like it much. He put Hansen in a kind of half nelson, at which point Hansen went limp, at which point Reese dropped him to the floor.
A few seconds later, Sharife Cooper decided he absolutely had to get a steal while Portland was trying to run out the clock and committed a foul instead. And then complained (a lot) to ref Bill Kennedy, whose body language said he just wanted the game to end.
This was Washington’s worst offensive game of the season, by the way.
Four Factors
Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).
The four factors are measured by:
eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORS
WIZARDS
TRAIL BLAZERS
LGAVG
eFG%
39.7%
58.1%
54.5%
OREB%
19.1%
26.8%
26.0%
TOV%
14.8%
13.8%
12.7%
FTM/FGA
0.218
0.267
0.207
PACE
101
99.3
ORTG
87
122
115.6
Stats & Metrics
PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).
PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.
POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.
ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.
USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median so far this season is 17.7%.
ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.
+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
The Islanders close out their five-game homestand tonight, with all the stakes on the line. It’s part of a critical back-to-back — they’re all “critical” right now — that finishes tomorrow in Buffalo. But tonight they can inflict direct damage on a fellow playoff spot contender and potential first-round opponent.
The Pittsburgh Penguins arrive having lost in regulation Saturday to the Stars, but bringing Sidney Crosby along in case he can return to the lineup tonight. They’re a point behind the Islanders but with a game in hand. And thanks to a late Bruins (92 pts., 74 games) comeback and shootout win in Columbus last night, both the Isles (89 pts., 74 games) and Pens (88 pts., 73 games) remain ahead of the Blue Jackets (88 pts., 74 games).
Islanders News
Takeaways from Saturday afternoon’s surging comeback win over the Panthers: “Don’t wait for the third period” like they did against Chicago, says Brayden Schenn. [Isles]
A stunning afternoon turned around another deflating poor matinee start. [LHH]
It was a good time for their best offensive period of the season. [Post | Newsday]
Nice moment for some of the depth pieces to step up, too. [Newsday]
Updating the Islanders’ prospect cupboard and overall ranking (#12), with high praise for Calum Ritchie, Kashawn Aitcheson, Victor Eklund, Cole Eiserman, Dmitri Gamzin and others. [Athletic]
Eklumd The Greater was the shootout hero in his AHL debut, after hitting the post in OT, too. [THN]
The Skinny: “Schaefer now has 195 shots on goal; the last rookie defenseman with at least 200 shots was Dion Phaneuf in 2005-06. Noah Dobson (206 in 2022-23 and 196 last season) is the only Islander defenseman with more shots on goal in the last 20 years.” [Isles]
Enter your personal data for a chance to win the jersey off someone’s back on Fan Appreciation Night. [Isles form]
Speaking of the Bruins (tangentially so), their old coach Bruce Cassidy, who guided Vegas to its only Stanley Cup, has been fired by the Knights and replaced by John Tortorella — a desperate move by a franchise that’s always making “bold” moves as if its owner’s biological clock is ticking. [NHL | Sportsnet]
The Knights have not had a great year in a weak division. But is that on the coach, or is their roster (and particularly their terrible goaltending) not as good as they think it is? [Athletic]
Discussing why save percentages are down and why that trend is here to stay (until the next correction). [NHL]
The Maple Leafs rolled over for the Blues but they can look past that to revenge against the Ducks tonight, even if Radko Gudas is already hurt. [Sportsnet]
The Red Wings are right on the playoff line, in danger of missing yet again. Should that finally put Steve Yzerman on the hot seat? [Sportsnet]
After about a decade in the organization, Rich Peverley is now an AGM in Dallas. [TSN]
It was an honor covering Bruce Cassidy on a daily basis for the last 4 seasons.
I don't think there's a coach in pro sports who puts more effort into explaining intricacies to the media and fans. It didn't matter if he was in a bad mood from a loss, or if the question was worded…
ELMONT, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 03: Bryan Rust #17 of the Pittsburgh Penguins is defended by Matthew Schaefer #48 of the New York Islanders during the game at UBS Arena on February 03, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Steven Ryan/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…
With the regular season nearing its end, the Eastern Conference playoff race remains tightly contested, with about 10 teams battling for eight spots as momentum swings nightly. For the Pittsburgh Penguins, a crucial upcoming stretch—starting Monday night with a back-to-back set against the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings—could significantly define their playoff chances. [PensBurgh]
If the Penguins have any chance of solidifying one of the remaining playoff spots, getting contributions from healthy stars like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will be crucial. Both players returned to practice on Sunday ahead of Monday night’s clash. [Trib Live]
It has been a frustratingly inconsistent season for forward prospect Ville Koivunen, marked by frequent call-ups and demotions between the NHL and AHL, all while trying to manage his development and the challenges of adjusting to the NHL level. Despite flashes of improvement and strong AHL production, he’s still working to translate that success into nightly production with Pittsburgh. [Trib Live]
Indiana Pacers guard and Pittsburgh native T.J. McConnell was seen repping his hometown hockey club on Sunday. The veteran was wearing a gold Crosby jersey on his way into the arena ahead of the Pacers’ game against the Miami Heat. [NHL]
Updates from around the NHL…
A late-season shake-up in Sin City: The Vegas Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy on Sunday and replaced him with John Tortorella. [ESPN]
The Seattle Kraken are interested in re-signing Bobby McMann after his strong start following a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs. [Sportsnet]
The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Porter Martone, the No. 6 overall selection in the 2025 draft, to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced on Sunday. [TSN]
Luc Tardif said on Sunday that he will not seek re-election and will step aside from his role as president of the International Ice Hockey Federation when his current term ends in October. [TSN]
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 17: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks sits on the bench during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 17, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It took some time to memorize the name. The N before the M will get you. Now, it’s muscle memory. Antetokounmpo. Ann-Tito-Kounmpo, or On-Tito-Kounmpo. Anti-Tokounmpo is less helpful.
He’s the best player who isn’t the best player in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic will both stay where they are – likely for their entire careers. The Thunder will win enough championships to secure Gilgeous-Alexander’s permanent fealty, and Jokic doesn’t seem interested in being anywhere but Denver or on a horse ranch.
Victor Wembanyama looms, but a healthy Antetokounmpo is still better right now (in my opinion). That could change as soon as next year, but even still, Antetokounmpo would be the fourth-best player in the league. You know where this leads:
Should the Houston Rockets acquire him?
Rockets linked to Antetokounmpo again
If you think the answer is obvious, you probably haven’t thought about it enough.
Let’s start with the pros. A common argument I’ve heard is “If you think these Rockets are an Antetokounmpo-for-Sengun swap away from title contention, you’re delusional”.
You sure about that?
There’s a tendency to overstate this team’s flaws. They’re aesthetically glaring. Yet, for as unpleasant as the Rockets are to watch, they’re a sixth seed in the West that’s one game behind the fourth seed. The Rockets have the NBA’s 11th-best Offensive Rating (116.3) and 7th-best Defensive Rating (112.3).
There’s no value in a statistical analysis on whether swapping Antetokounmpo for Sengun would improve the defense. It’s self-evident. The more pertinent question is whether the offensive improvement juice would be worth the trade asset squeeze. Before we get any further, let’s talk about the trade particulars.
Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and as many picks as needed to have the best offer on the market should do it, right? Houston has a lot of tradeable, valuable unprotected firsts to offer. If they want to walk away without moving Amen Thompson or Reed Sheppard, it should be achievable. Sengun, Smith Jr., and five unprotected firsts ought to be as good as the Bucks will do.
So, I circle back – why wouldn’t this deal make Houston’s offense better? For argument’s sake, assume Rafael Stone approximates Smith Jr.’s value elsewhere. Maybe Bobby Portis is involved in the trade. Let’s not get hung up on particulars. For argument’s sake, assume that the total roster change is Sengun, Smith Jr. out, Antetokounmpo, a floor spacing big (more on this later) in.
OK. So, the Rockets would run the same stuff they run now, with Antetokounmpo in Sengun’s place. Why wouldn’t the offense climb from 11th to, even 7th or 8th, exactly?
They’re functionally similar in terms of being primarily interior scorers. In 2025-26, Antetokounmpo takes 61.0% of his field goals between zero and three feet, and 16.1% between three and 10. He hits 80.0% (not a typo) from zero to three, and 42.7% between three and ten.
Sengun, somehow, takes just 28.0% of his field goals between zero and three. A whopping 41.6% of his attempts come from three to ten. He hits 72.5% between zero and three, and and 42.5% between three and ten. In the aggregate, Antetokounmpo’s 65.8 True Shooting % (TS%) towers over Sengun’s 56.4%.
Am I missing something?
Why wouldn’t that swap improve the team? Surely the argument isn’t that Sengun’s midrange proclivities open up some space for Amen Thompson. Antetokounmpo can post-up between three and ten to open up space for Thompson to cut. I hope the argument isn’t that the Rockets’ offensive environment makes it harder for Sengun to get in the paint. Antetokounmpo is getting in the paint, which is kind of the point: He’s better.
Someone, in the comments, tell me what I’m missing. If the Rockets have the 11th-best offense in the NBA, why would it be that swapping out a non-shooting big for, in terms of offensive functionality, another, much better non-shooting big not result in sufficient improvement?
By now, it feels close to consensus that Sengun is a talented-but-problematic piece. He doesn’t seem defensively viable alongside Reed Sheppard, or offensively functional next to Thompson. Antetokounmpo readily solves one of those issues. He should moderately improve the other, even if the functionality is still somewhat limited.
I just think the theory is flawed. “The Rockets are more than a Sengun-for-Antetokounmpo swap away from title contention”. Why? The team is already quite good. Why wouldn’t making it much better get them to title contention?
It is fair to say that Antetokounmpo isn’t precisely the first player you’d plug-and-play here. A shooter / ball-handler would more immediately fix the problems. Still, an Antetokounmpo for Sengun and Smith Jr. trade makes a good team better, provided that the Rockets can find at least a nominal starting stretch big.
No, they won’t be the best team in the NBA. That ship has sailed. The Thunder own that spot. Acquiring Antetokounmpo isn’t even likely to help Houston usurp San Antonio. There is nothing that can be done to accomplish either of those goals.
All Houston can hope to do is build a squad that has a chance in the event of injuries. Acquiring Antetokounmpo should do that. That’s not to say they should do it. There are good reasons not to:
They just have nothing to do with the team’s 2026-27 projection.
Rockets would sacrifice flexibility in Antetokounmpo deal
Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and three-to-five first-round picks. Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard, or Amen Thompson, and two or three firsts.
No matter how you slice it, the price will be exorbitant.
It also probably won’t result in an NBA championship. It will give the Rockets a real share in championship equity – something they do not currently have, and likely will not without an (eventual) major change – but they probably still won’t win.
There are a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, Houston would need some type of stretch big. The simplest solution would be to bring Portis in with the same trade – Houston should not sneeze next to Myles Turner’s contract. They could scour the market for a low-cost, nominal starting big under the assumption that Antetokounmpo closes games at the 5.
Either way, you are still pairing two non-shooters in Antetokounmpo and Thompson. Again, I think the assertion that Antetokounmpo doesn’t “fix the Rockets’ problems” is overstated. They’re top-10 in offense or defense, so the path to title-caliber improvement isn’t so perilous. That said, it is fair to say that they’re not plugging Antetokounmpo into an optimal roster. It’s fair to argue that if you’re going all-in, you want to go all-in on an optimized hand.
He’s also injury-prone – although that’s a bit overstated as well. This is the first season in which he’ll play fewer than 60 games, ever. It’s not fair to assume that’s his new baseline, although it’s reasonable to worry at his age.
More than anything, the bar is just prohibitively high. The new-look Antetokounmpo Rockets likely won’t win next year because the Thunder or Spurs will. It’s as simple as that.
So, you’re gutting the future only to build something that likely still doesn’t accomplish the goal. From that perspective, it’s a pretty unattractive proposition.
This “cons” section is going to be shorter, but that’s not because it’s any less salient. It just requires less dissection. The Rockets currently have tremendous flexibility, and after an Antetokounmpo deal, they’d have little to none of it. They’d be truly all-in on a roster that has no case as the best in the NBA.
How could they even consider it?
Rockets’ Antetokounmpo answer is complicated
Ultimately, “build the best team in the NBA” is not a reasonable bar. It’s nearly impossible. The goal is to build a team that has a chance to win an NBA title if luck goes its way. The Rockets do not currently have that, and they would after an Antetokounmpo deal.
Time for the unsatisfying conclusion: It’s a toss-up. The impetus for this piece was, admittedly, to dispel the “It won’t even make us better because Antetokounmpo isn’t a shooter!” argument. The team is already plenty good (if disappointing) with Sengun. You can plug Antetokounmpo into his spot and get a lot better. Smith Jr. is, regrettably, imminently replaceable. It feels intellectually dishonest, unless, again, I’m missing something basketball-related.
Still, it may not be worth the flexibility. That’s the tough thing. What are you preserving this flexibility for? It’s to build a title contender, right?
Yes – but you want as wide a window as possible. Let’s be clear. Pulling the trigger on Antetokounmpo gives the Rockets two or three seasons in which they have significantly higher-than-average odds of winning an NBA title.
By contrast, drafting, say, Jan Cerdan (look into it if you like) with the 2029 first-round pick that they didn’t trade for Antetokounmpo and watching him develop into a superstar could give them a decade of contention.
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 29: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 29, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Ten months ago, the Boston Celtics faced a murky future. Jayson Tatum’s ruptured Achilles and looming payroll cuts cast doubt on how the team would weather the storm. In Sunday night’s 114-99 win over the Charlotte Hornets, the franchise officially returned to business as usual.
Boston secured its 50th win of the season and clinched a playoff berth, doing so with starters Jaylen Brown and Derrick White sidelined and replaced with Payton Pritchard and Jordan Walsh.
Tatum saluted everyone involved and expressed his gratitude afterward.
“It just speaks to the character of the organization, to the coaching staff, front office, to the players,” Tatum told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin postgame. “The standard, the culture that we’ve built since I’ve been here, you don’t take it for granted. It’s just how we approach every single day, and winning is hard in this league. But we’ve had the right mindset — they’ve had the right mindset — for the whole season. I’ve just tried to help. So you don’t take that for granted.”
Tatum finished with a season-high 32 points, leading all scorers in an effort that set a few milestones for the Celtics, including their fifth straight 50-win season and 12th consecutive trip to the postseason — both NBA-leading active streaks. For Tatum, facing a Hornets team that had won seven of its last 10 games and leads the league in threes per game (16.3) and, without Brown, allowed him to take full control offensively.
Charlotte gave Tatum room to step back, settle in, and slowly get back in the driver’s seat. In the first quarter, he got going in transition by splitting past Brandon Miller, Moussa Diabaté, and Miles Bridges for a two-handed dunk to get Boston on the board. Three weeks ago, Tatum missed a wide-open tomahawk dunk in his season debut against the Dallas Mavericks, showing how far he’s come just 11 games into his return.
Pritchard, right by Tatum’s side, delivered in his 50th start of the season. He scored 28 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out six assists as the team’s second-leading scorer. On short notice, Pritchard and the Celtics once again demonstrated their defining trait: their mindset.
“I think of myself as a winner. I think of this organization as winners,” Pritchard told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. “And I just don’t think we ever live in the mindset of a loser mentality. It’s just not something we come to work every day thinking that, ‘Oh, it’s a gap year,’ or anything. We’re coming to win, and that’s the only mindset we have.”
CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 29: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 29, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Apart from Brown’s MVP-caliber run, the Celtics have brought their mindset to life each night. Walsh hadn’t played more than 30 minutes since January, and despite shooting just 1-of-7, he impacted the game with seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Baylor Scheierman came off the bench to provide 14 points, knocking down three 3-pointers, while Ron Harper Jr., who logged only 11 minutes across Boston’s previous four games, shot a perfect 3-of-3 in 14 minutes, playing with a sprained ankle.
Boston improved to 8-1 in games without Brown, and Joe Mazzulla tied Bill Fitch and Doc Rivers for the most 50-win seasons by a Celtics coach — doing so in just four years.
“I think it’s a testament to the alignment of the organization and to the players,” Mazzulla told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. “We’ve shifted players over the last five years a bunch of different ways, but winning still remains the most important thing.
“It’s a minor milestone. I wouldn’t say that it’s a true definition of success, but I think it’s a definition of consistency. And I think that starts with the players that put on the jersey and have an understanding that winning is the most important thing, and how serious they take it. So I think a lot of it has to do with them.”
The Celtics aren’t content with just avoiding the draft lottery or the play-in tournament. They’ve approached this season with as much urgency to win as in the previous three under Mazzulla. Tatum’s nearly 10-month absence forced some tactical readjustments, but it didn’t change their plans. Boston believes it has a legit shot at returning to the NBA Finals, and that confidence didn’t emerge on Sunday. It’s been a shared feeling throughout the organization — from players to coaches, front office members, and ownership — ever since the start of the season.
The expectation to compete each year inherently comes with being a Celtic.
“It’s a culture thing,” Pritchard told reporters.
“Everybody shows up. You’re not gonna have every guy play every game, so that means you’ll need a whole roster, and every guy shows up every game ready to compete and help winning. It’s definitely the culture we built here.”
Not everyone in the county game is optimistic but players should start the season believing performances will be noticed by the England setup
Peter Moores could be forgiven for raising an eyebrow at England’s backing for Brendon McCullum after four years as head coach and that bleak Australian winter. Moores was afforded barely three across his two spells in the job, neither of which included an Ashes series.
But as his Nottinghamshire side begin the defence of their County Championship title away at Somerset this Friday, Moores is keen to look forwards. During his Ashes mea culpa, the England team director, Rob Key, said he wanted better communication with the counties on selection – music to the ears of the leading domestic coach.
Jannik Sinner beat 6-4 6-4 Czech 21st seed Jiri Lehecka in a rain-interrupted Miami final to become the first man since Roger Federer in to complete the Sunshine Double.
Sinner is just the eighth male player to win Indian Wells and Miami and has now won 34 consecutive sets at Masters level, dating back to his triumph in Paris in November. He is just the third man behind Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to win three consecutive Masters events and the first to do so without dropping a set in each of those three triumphs.
