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Rockies 3, Astros 2: Streak No More

Apr 16, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander (32) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies entered their series finale in Houston against the Astros needing a win in the worst way. Losers of six straight on the road, the Rockies could have ended their road trip with seven consecutive losses with a daunting match-up against the Los Angeles Dodgers quickly approaching.

The Rockies got the memo. Despite a shaky start from opener Juan Mejia, the Rockies pitching was largely excellent. They held the strong Astros offense to just two runs on their way to a victory that no doubt resonated in the clubhouse.

Cold Open

With the Rockies scuttling to get the most out of their pitching staff due to injuries and heavy bullpen use during this road trip, righty Juan Mejia was begged as the opener. Mejia threw just over half of his 30 pitches for strikes and recorded two strikeouts, but three singles and a hit by pitch helped the Astros jump head to an early lead. Mejia was pulled after recording just two outs.

Cut to the Chase

Chase Dollander turned in one of the best performances of his young career operating in bulk relief of Juan Mejia. Dollander consistently dialed up high velocity on his fastball—regularly hitting 100 MPH—and induced a 44% whiff rate on the pitch. He also made strong use of his slider and changeup (with 40% and 43% whiff rates, respectively) as he struck out a career high nine batters in 5.1 scoreless innings.

Dollander held the Astros hitless until his final inning of work. In the sixth inning a leadoff walk to Isaac Paredes and a double deflected off the glove of third baseman Kyle Karros had runners on second and third with no outs. Dollander proceeded to bear down with a gutsy finish. After getting noted Rockies killer Christian Walker to ground out without advancing the runners, Dollander struck out the next two batters to end the inning with no damage done.

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See what happens when you don’t strike out 15 times?

Tonight was one of the Rockies’ most disciplined games at the plate so far this season. The Rockies struck out just five times against the combined Astros bullpen—including the opener Ryan Weiss—while chasing significantly less than previous games over this road trip. They also drew six walks.

Unfortunately, that didn’t necessarily equate to runs. The Rockies scored just three runs on nine hits, going 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and leaving nine men stranded.

Tyler Freeman, Hunter Goodman, and Brenton Doyle were the Rockies’ heroes at the plate. Freeman went 3-for-5 with an RBI without striking out—though he did ground into a momentum-killing double-play—while Hunter Goodman both went 2-for-3 with a walk. Doyle put his speed to good use with two stolen bases while Goodman hit his fifth home run of the season.

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Bend, but don’t break.

Dollander gave way to Jaden Hill, Jimmy Herget, and Victor Vodnik. All three relievers faced traffic but kept the Astros off the board. Hill walked two and gave up a hit, but managed to navigate the inning unscathed while Herget also gave up a walk. Vodnik also issued a walk, and a towering fly ball off the bat of Isaac Paredes gave Rockies fans flashbacks as it looked like they were about to be walked off yet again. However, the ball fell into Mickey Moniak’s glove at the wall and Vodnik earned his second save of the season.

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Coming Up Next

The Rockies are heading back to what might be a chilly and snow-touched Coors Field tomorrow to start a four-game series against the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers. Tomoyuki Sugano 菅野 智之 will make the start for the Rockies, looking to continue building on his excellent start.Tyler Glasnow will go for the Dodgers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PM MDT.

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McDavid has 4 assists in Oilers' finale to take NHL scoring title with 138 points

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid had four assists to take the NHL scoring title with 138 points and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-1 on Thursday night to finish second in the Pacific Division and open the playoffs at home.

Edmonton will host Anaheim on Monday night in Game 1. The Oilers were 7-2-2 in their last 11 to finish 41-30-12, while Vancouver was last in the NHL at 25-49-8.

McDavid won his sixth Art Ross title as the NHL scoring leader to tie Mario Lemieux and Gordie Howe for second — four behind Wayne Gretzky. McDavid reached 1,220 career points, passing Jeremy Roenick, Larry Murphy and Jean Beliveau to advance to 47th on the NHL list. McDavid entered the season 71st.

Rookie Matthew Savoie had his first hat trick, Josh Samanski, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Colton Dach also scored and Evan Bouchard had three assists. Connor Ingram made 11 saves, allowing only Ty Mueller's first career goal.

Edmonton was buoyed by the return of forward Zach Hyman and is expecting star forward Leon Draisaitl back during the opening series.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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It might be now or never for the Hurricanes’ current core to make a Stanley Cup run

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 22: Rod Brind'Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes looks on against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 22, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes are potentially approaching a crossroads entering the 2026 playoffs. On one end, they have been undoubtedly one of the most dominant teams in the NHL over the better part of the last 10 years. On the other end, though, they don’t have much to show for it. 

Since 2018, Carolina is fourth in regular season wins with 414 and sixth in playoff wins with 47 according to StatMuse.

Four of the top five teams in regular season wins have made a Stanley Cup within that time frame, with three of the four having gone on to win it. The Canes are the only ones who haven’t made an appearance. Of the top eight teams in playoff wins since 2018, the Canes are also the only team to not make a Stanley Cup.

This should be the year that changes, but if not, the Canes might not get a better chance.

One big reason for that is their potential path to the Stanley Cup, as this is may be the easiest route they have had.

The Florida Panthers and New York Rangers, who have knocked Carolina out of the playoffs each of the last four seasons, both aren’t in. While the Buffalo Sabres have shot on to the scene, they have no playoff experience. And the Tampa Bay Lightning should be past their glory days. 

Not only that, the Canes will avoid facing either the Sabres or Lightning until the Eastern Conference Finals at the earliest.

It’s been eight straight years of playoff hockey and multiple years of being a true Stanley Cup contender for the Canes, with no success past the second round.

They have done everything to make this core work. Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Jaccob Slavin have all been difference makers over the past eight seasons. They traded for Jake Guentzel at the 2024 deadline. They traded for Mikko Rantanen in 2025. They signed the biggest UFA deal of the offseason to add Nikolaj Ehlers and traded for K’Andre Miller before the season.

This needs to be the year it all comes together, with the Canes possibly having the strongest roster they’ve had over the past eight seasons combined with the easiest path to the Stanley Cup.

If it doesn’t work this year in the playoffs, meaning the Canes don’t at least go six or seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals, something will have to change towards the top.

Whether it’s shaking up the coaching staff or trying to land a true superstar talent or acquiring a franchise goaltender, it’s almost inconceivable to keep running it back with the same core expecting different results. 

All it takes is one run to win a Cup, and this Canes team has proven they have the talent to do so. It’s just about putting it all together when the lights shine brightest — something they haven’t shown the ability to do yet. 

Right now, Carolina should be the favorite to represent the East in the Stanley Cup. But if they don’t, and fall short unconvincingly again, big changes might have to be made. 

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Draymond Green’s lockdown defense on Kawhi Leonard was unreal

Inglewood, CA - April 15: Forward Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors steals the ball from forward Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers in the second half of a NBA play-in tournament basketball game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images

I had to crack up laughing when I saw the Gil’s Arena crew post a video about Draymond Green’s lockdown defense on Kawhi Leonard entitled, “How A Podcaster ENDED Kawhi’s Dream Season”. Green is arguably the greatest defender of his generation, so him playfully being referred to by his side gig dropping hot pods on YouTube is a nod to just how versatile Green is as a human being.

In a season where he’s had to endure swirling trade rumors, a wounded roster, and the looming shadow of Father Time creeping over his shoulder, this was the game he had to have.

He was the primary defender on the legendary Kawhi Leonard, a guy with rings and NBA Finals MVP in his trophy case, and put on a performance that was absolutely phenomenal.

You know how some guys like Steph Curry are trusted in late game situations offensively to deliver the killshot? We call ‘em closers, guys who carry that Jordanesque swagger to deliver with the game in the balance. Green is the epitome of that on the defensive end, the equivalent of a brick wall at the end of a one way street. You don’t wanna go his way to try to score for game. But don’t take my word for it, ask Mr. Leonard!

Green was fighting through pain from a stiff leg, consistently smothering Leonard like a wet blanket. When he stole the inbound pass to Leonard with 49 seconds left and the Warriors up 120-117, it felt like the Dubs might be able to exhale. That brilliant move by Green to force Leonard out of position for the pass along the sideline led to the high IQ reflex to knock the stolen ball to his streaking teammate Brandin Podziemski who scored on his layup attempt and drew the foul.

To salt the game and the Clippers’ season away, Green then ripped Leonard’s dribble move, a fantastic and perhaps even stunning sight. We don’t often see the Klaw get his cookies taken in the clutch. Don’t let that closing sequence distract you from the fact that Green was also practically unscreenable when navigating the floor covering Leonard.

The awareness, the feel, the competitive dog inside of Green just stifled Leonard’s plans when the Clippers needed him most. Leonard’s final statline: 21 points on 17 shots in 40 minutes, with 5 turnovers and only 4 free throws. Per NBA.com, Leonard shot 3-for-7 from the field when Green was guarding him, with two turnovers. It doesn’t get any better than what Green and the Warriors did to keep Leonard from finding scoring momentum that can sometimes feel inevitable.

This is why you don’t trade Green; even though he’s an OG now, he is still absolutely invaluable on the floor to keep the other team from being their best selves. You remember how he shut the door on Alperen Sengun and the Rockets last year? It’s what he does.

We haven’t even mentioned how he led the Dubs in assists last night with nine dimes, continually directing the offense like a QB and then setting the tough screens that got his guys open. Enjoy this guy while he’s here, Dub Nation!

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Ducks beat Predators 5-4 to clinch the Pacific’s third seed

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Troy Terry scored on a power play with 2:54 left, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Nashville Predators 5-4 on Thursday night helping them clinch the third seed in the Pacific Division for the postseason.

The Ducks came into the regular-season finale third in the Pacific with five different scenarios still possible to lock down the final playoff matchups This win, combined with Edmonton beating visiting Vancouver, means Anaheim starts the first round Monday at Edmonton.

Anaheim also took the season series against Nashville 2-1, though the Ducks go into the postseason 2-6-2 over their final 10.

Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe, Alex Killorn and Tristan Luneau scored for Anaheim. Mikael Granlund had three assists.

Steven Stamkos scored twice and had an assist for Nashville, giving him 42 goals this season. Filip Forsberg scored two goals, giving him 40, and the Predators a pair of 40-goal scorers. Luke Evangelista and Ryan Ufko added two assists apiece.

BLUES 5, MAMMOTH 3

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Logan Mailloux scored the go-ahead goal with 2:57 left to play and Robert Thomas had a hat trick as St. Louis beat Utah in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Mailloux scored unassisted on a backhand shot from 20 feet out to make it 4-3 in a back-and-forth game. Thomas’ third goal, an empty-netter with 38 seconds left, capped the scoring.

Pavel Buchnevich had the other goal for St. Louis and Joel Hofer made 20 saves.

Michael Carcone, Lawson Crouse, and Kailer Yamamoto scored for the Mammoth. Karel Vejmelka and Vitek Vanecek combined for 24 stops.

Clayton Keller assisted on two Utah goals to become the third NHL player this season with at least one assist in 10 straight games.

SHARKS 6, JETS 1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Macklin Celebrini had a goal and two assists to break Joe Thornton’s San Jose record for points in a season with 115, helping the Sharks rout Winnipeg in the finale for both teams.

The 19-year-old Celebrini had 45 goals and 70 assists in 82 games in his second NHL season. Thornton had 114 points in 2006-07, also playing 82 games. Last season, Celebrini had 63 points in 70 games, with 25 goals and 38 assists.

San Jose missed the playoff for the seventh consecutive season, finishing 39-35-8.

The Jets were 35-35-12 to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22. They are the fifth NHL team to win the Presidents’ Trophy for the best regular-season record and not qualify for the playoffs the following season.

William Eklund also had a goal and two assists for San Jose. Will Smith had a goal and an assist, Collin Graf, Igor Chernyshov and Michael Misa also scored, and John Klingberg added three assists. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25 shots.

OILERS 6, CANUCKS 1

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid had four assists to take the NHL scoring title with 138 points and Edmonton beat Vancouver to finish second in the Pacific Division and open the playoffs at home.

Edmonton will host Anaheim on Monday night in Game 1. The Oilers were 7-2-2 in their last 11 to finish 41-30-12, while Vancouver was last in the NHL at 25-49-8.

McDavid won his sixth Art Ross title as the NHL scoring leader to tie Mario Lemieux and Gordie Howe for second — four behind Wayne Gretzky. McDavid reached 1,220 career points, passing Jeremy Roenick, Larry Murphy and Jean Beliveau to advance to 47th on the NHL list. McDavid entered the season 71st.

Rookie Matthew Savoie had his first hat trick, Josh Samanski, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Colton Dach also scored and Evan Bouchard had three assists. Connor Ingram made 11 saves, allowing only Ty Mueller’s first career goal.

Edmonton was buoyed by the return of forward Zach Hyman and is expecting star forward Leon Draisaitl back during the opening series.

FLAMES 3, KINGS 1

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Arsenii Sergeev made 27 saves in his first NHL start, Zayne Parekh broke a third-period tie and Calgary beat playoff-bound Los Angeles to end the season.

The Kings learned during the game that they’d be the second wild-card in the Western Conference and face NHL regular-season champion Colorado in the first round — with Game 1 on Sunday in Denver.

Los Angeles finished 35-27-20. Earlier Thursday, Edmonton took second place in the Pacific Division with a 6-1 home victory over Vancouver, and Anaheim won 5-4 at Nashville to finish third.

Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee also scored for Calgary. The Flames finished 34-39-9.

Kings star Anze Kopitar appeared in his final regular-season game, finishing with the seventh-most career points by a born and trained European player with 1,316. The leader of the category is Jaromir Jagr with 1,921.

Quinton Byfield scored for Los Angeles, and Anton Forsberg made 18 saves.

AVALANCHE 2, KRAKEN 0

DENVER (AP) — Nick Blankenburg scored a second-period goal, Scott Wedgewood made 22 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and Colorado Avalanche beat Seattle to break the franchise’s single-season points record.

The Avalanche won the Presidents’ Trophy with 121 points, eclipsing the total of 119 points set by the 2021-22 squad that went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Colorado hosts the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday to begin the playoffs. The last time the teams played in the postseason was the 2002 conference quarterfinals when the Avalanche won in seven games.

The Kraken missed the playoffs with a final record of 34-37-11.

Blankenburg broke a scoreless game with a late second-period goal. He had a goal in the opening period overturned after Seattle challenged for offside.

Parker Kelly scored in the third period, while Valeri Nichushkin added a pair of assists. Wedgewood won his 31st game of the season. Colorado rested several key players in the season finale, including Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and captain Gabriel Landeskog.

MacKinnon finished with a career-high 53 goals to win the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league’s goal-scoring leader.

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Tony Bradley believes Hawks need to hit Knicks ‘in the mouth first’

Michael Bradley (left) defends Mitchell Robinson during the Knicks' win over the Hawks on April 6, 2026 at the Garden.
Michael Bradley (left) defends Mitchell Robinson during the Knicks' win over the Hawks on April 6, 2026 at the Garden.

Tony Bradley hadn’t played much for the Pacers in the postseason at that point last year, and he wouldn’t play in the Eastern Conference finals until the second game, but he still watched as Tyrese Haliburton’s last-second heave stunned the Knicks by forcing overtime in Game 1.

And Bradley saw how that draining result — the Knicks’ double-digit lead late in regulation evaporated completely — carried over into the next game that Indiana won, too.

That’s why Bradley, now a backup center for the Hawks facing the possibility of an expanded role this series, knows the importance of stealing that first game to “set the tone,” which Atlanta will have the chance to do at the Garden when the first-round series opens Saturday.

“I think it’s very important to hit them in the mouth first,” Bradley told reporters in Atlanta on Thursday, while adding that the Knicks were “for sure” demoralized by Haliburton’s shot.

Michael Bradley (left) defends Mitchell Robinson during the Knicks’ win over the Hawks on April 6, 2026 in Atlanta. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Bradley, a first-round pick by the Lakers in 2017, was waived by the Pacers in January before his contract became guaranteed, and after a pair of 10-day deals with Indiana that followed, he remained unsigned until the Hawks picked him up earlier this month after an injury to backup center Jock Landale.

With Landale now sidelined for at least the start of the series — the Hawks said Thursday that he’ll be re-evaluated in 1-2 weeks — with a right ankle sprain, it’s unclear just how sizable of a role Bradley could have against the Knicks.

In three regular-season games with Atlanta, Bradley averaged 11.3 minutes, 3.7 points and three rebounds per game.

For the season, he’s averaging 4.0 points and 2.8 rebounds across 10.9 minutes per game.

But Bradley has experienced what it takes to topple the Knicks. And he knows the impact that a devastating blow at the Garden, especially at the start of a series, can have.

“Their crowd is, it can be intimidating,” Bradley said. “But it’s fun at the same time.”

Josh Hart didn’t hesitate. Asked what the Knicks can take from their three regular-season matchups with the Hawks, he said, “None.” They didn’t have Karl-Anthony Towns for one of the games. Hart didn’t play in two of them, either.

“The regular season honestly doesn’t really matter when you look at it in terms of a scope like this,” Hart said, “because you never know — regular season, there’s a lot of things that you have. I don’t know if they were back-to-backs, you know, who’s in, who’s out, whatever it is.

“So, you know, you throw those out the window and you just focus on the team and the personnel that they have right now.”

Knicks head coach Mike Brown, tasked with navigating against the Hawks’ Quin Snyder — who was on Brown’s staff with the Lakers in 2011-12 — over the next two weeks in a coaching chess match, opted to not look too far ahead with how he’ll approach the challenge.

“Just one day at a time,” Brown said. “More than anything else, it’s my job to make sure we as a group, starting with me, stay present, and, you know, you go through the hypotheticals, but you can’t dwell on them because if you do, you’ll lose focus at what your strengths are.”

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Kings' First Round Playoff Opponent, Schedule Revealed After Loss Against Flames

Despite the Anaheim Ducks nearly coming up short against the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, they hung on and won, and the Edmonton Oilers did as well, leaving the Los Angeles Kings as the second wild-card team who will face the Colorado Avalanche. 

The opening game between the teams will be on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 PM PT on TNT. 

Entering the final game of the season, LA was tied with Anaheim for the third seed and one point behind Edmonton for the second spot in the Pacific Division. Edmonton and Anaheim took care of business, defeating their opponents and playing their full squads to avoid dropping in the standings. 

As a result of the Oilers and Ducks winning, the Kings will now face the Presidents' Trophy winners for the first time since 2002. The Avalanche won both meetings in the 2001 and 2002 playoff series, and this season swept the season series 3-0. 

The Kings have struggled with Colorado in all of their matchups this season, losing by more than two goals in each game. In the three meetings, LA struggled to keep up with Colorado's high-powered offense, which amped it up and took the game. 

Los Angeles is going to be viewed as the underdog in this contest, and it’s certainly going to be an uphill battle. But, if the Kings' defense can show up and make it tough like they've done in this final week with its impressive goaltending by Anton Forsberg and the offense gives production, it can be a competitive series, but it will be a lot to ask for the Kings to compete against the best offense in Hockey. 

Game Recap

Now, let's go through how the Kings secured the final wild-card spot and their first-round playoff matchup. 

The Kings closed their final regular-season game with a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. 

Even if LA had won, their playoff seeding would remain the same, since the Oilers and Ducks both defeated their opponents on Thursday. 

The team played the entire game at full strength, recognizing that playoff seedings were at stake. Even then, LA came up short with its full squad out on ice, playing with no threat on offense all game long. 

Both teams struggled to score in the opening period, and the game was very slow, showcasing little to no offense. LA outshot Calgary 10-2 in the first period, but couldn't get a goal up despite getting more opportunities. 

It would all change in the second period. Calgary drew first blood at the 14:39 mark, scoring the power-play goal. Over a minute later, the Kings would respond, followed by a beautiful team-up led by Alex Laferriere and Trevor Moore, setting up Quinton Byfield to score his 24th goal of the season, a new career high.

The scoreboard remained tied after 40 minutes. An even period with both teams getting 10 shots on goal, but Calgary was turning the puck over, and the Kings couldn't capitalize on their mistakes. 

We opened the third period with Calgary at the 13:52 mark, converting on the top glove snipe from the left side to retake the lead. All night long, the Kings were doing their best to get a shot up, but couldn't score. 

At this point in the third period, the Kings' best decision would've been to rest its starters and get ready for Sunday, with the playoff matchups already set, but LA continued to play its full squad. 

The final 40 seconds saw the Flames capitalize on the empty net goal to secure this victory at home, 3-1. 

Key Stats

Quinton Byfield finished with one goal and one point, scoring the only goal for the Kings all night. It wasn't a productive offensive night for the Kings at all, despite playing its entire squad for nearly 60 minutes. 

The Kings will travel to Colorado in the first round of the playoffs, with Game One being Sunday at 12:00 PM PT on TNT. 

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Mamdani jokes Trae Young is reason for expensive Garden playoff tickets — but Knicks nemesis claps back

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani is pictured at City Hall Blue Room on Thursday, April 16, 2026, during a press conference, Image 2 shows Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young reacts while on the court in the second half
Zohran Mamdani Trae Young

Zohran Mamdani tried to dunk over the Knicks’ longtime arch-nemesis.

But Trae Young wasn’t going to sit idly by and not at least contest the jam.

The New York mayor was asked on Thursday about the high ticket prices at Madison Square Garden for the Knicks’ first-round series against the Hawks compared to the get-in price at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.

Before getting into his more extended answer, the democratic socialist wanted to place the blame on Young, a former member of the Hawks.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is pictured at City Hall Blue Room on April 16, 2026, during a press conference. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post

“First, I would say that I blame Trae Young,” Mamdani said jokingly, leading to some laughs. “And I think it’s always important to blame Trae Young.”

Hizzoner then gave a more extended answer about how he believes sports are now more of a “luxury commodity” and wished tickets were “far more affordably priced.” As of Thursday night, the cheapest ticket — on Tickmaster — to get into MSG for Saturday’s Game 1 is $353; Game 3 prices for next Thursday in Atlanta are $84.

The Post’s request for comment from the Knicks and Madison Square Garden was not immediately returned.

All the while, Young, the former Hawk who was traded in the middle of the season to the Wizards, clapped back at New York for what went down in 2021 — and how then-Mayor Bill de Blasio joined the fray.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young reacts while on the court in the second half at MSG during a 2022 game. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

“Remember what happened the last time the Mayor of that City had my name in his mouth during a time like this…. #DontBlameMeWhenItHappensAgain,” Young wrote in response on X.

During those playoffs, Young became a thorn in the side of Knicks — and their passionate fans — when he dropped 32 points, including the final-second game-winner, in the opening contest.

De Blasio, during a press briefing shortly after Game 1, specifically called out Young.

“This is very serious, want to get this message to Trae Young on behalf of the people for New York City and anybody that cares about playing basketball the right way: Stop hunting for fouls, Trae,” de Blasio said.

The message really didn’t work, as Young finished the series by averaging 29.2 points and 9.8 assists as the Knicks were eliminated in five games. Memorably, though, Knicks fans continually chanted “F–k Trae Young,” something that still continues to this day.

During the 2024-25 season, Young further entrenched himself as a villain when he helped close out the Knicks in the NBA Cup quarterfinals before stepping on New York’s logo at midcourt before mimicking rolling a dice, meaning his team advanced to Las Vegas and the Knicks had not.

The Wizards did not qualify for the playoffs, so Young’s next chance to play the Knicks will come next season, whether he remains with the Wizards (he has a player option for 2026-27) or not.

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Ducks to Face Oilers in Round One of 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

It came down to Game 82, but the Ducks now know their first playoff opponent since 2018. They’ll be heading north of the border to face the Edmonton Oilers, the first time these teams have faced each other in the playoffs since 2017.

That series went to seven games, with the Ducks vanquishing their Game 7 demons and advancing to the Western Conference Final. The iconic “Comeback on Katella” also occurred during that series, when Corey Perry scored in double overtime of Game 5 to give the Ducks a 3-2 series lead. They had scored thrice in the final 3:16 of the third period to send the game to overtime.

The Ducks no longer have any remnants from that series after goaltender John Gibson was traded to the Detroit Red Wings this past summer. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse all remain from that Oilers team.

Edmonton is attempting to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the third consecutive time. Both times resulted in a loss to the Florida Panthers. However, the Panthers were stricken by injuries for most of the season, losing their captain Aleksander Barkov to an ACL and MCL tear in September, and missed the playoffs entirely. Could this be the year that the Oilers reach the summit? They’ll have to get past the Ducks (and two more rounds) first before they can think about that.

“I think for us, it’s just being ready,” Ducks forward Ryan Poehling said to local media before Thursday’s game in Nashville. “We know what’s coming and we’ve got to get prepared for it so I think just giving our best tonight is going to be big for us.

Related: Anaheim Ducks Clinch Playoffs for First Time in Eight Years

“If we end up with Edmonton or we end up with L.A., or we end up with Colorado, they’ve got high-end skill. If you don’t play a full 60 minutes, they can make you pay. Even if you play great for 40-50 minutes, that 10 minutes spare there can bite you. So, for us to kind of work on that is the biggest thing.”

Anaheim entered the final week of the season with a chance to grab the Pacific Division title. But consecutive losses to the Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild squashed any hope of that possibility. A win on Thursday against the Nashville Predators, coupled with an Oilers regulation loss to the Canucks, would have seen Anaheim get home ice. Instead, the Oilers hold on to their home ice advantage and will host Anaheim for Game 1 on Monday, Apr. 20 at 7 p.m. PST.

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Canucks Close Out 2025–26 Season With 6-1 Loss To The Edmonton Oilers

The Vancouver Canucks’s 2025–26 season has officially come to an end. Vancouver took a 6–1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers in their final game of the season, bringing their final record to 25–49–8. Ty Mueller scored his first NHL goal in the Canucks’ loss, while Kevin Lankinen stopped 29 of 36 shots sent his way. 

Lankinen was tested early and often in tonight’s game, with the Oilers firing seven shots on the Canucks goaltender by the time the first TV time-out occurred (though that count was later decreased to five). Edmonton managed to score two goals during these sequences, taking a quick 2–0 lead seven minutes into the first period. Vancouver exited the first frame down 4–1 with 13 shots faced from the Oilers. 

While tonight was Vancouver’s last game of the season, it did feature a first for one particular player. Skating in his eighth career NHL game, Mueller managed to snag an excellent pass from Curtis Douglas while sneaking into the O-zone, settle the bouncing puck, beat Edmonton to the net, and tuck the puck past Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram. This was not only Mueller’s first NHL goal, but his first NHL point as well. 

Vancouver continued their recent three-game streak of fights, as defenceman Elias Pettersson and Drew O’Connor both dropped the gloves to come in defence of their teammates. This marked the fifth fight that the Canucks have registered during their streak; Douglas and Teddy Blueger fought on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks, while Filip Hronek dropped the gloves with Mathieu Joseph against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. 

Ultimately, the Canucks dug themselves into a hole after surrendering a hat trick to Oilers forward Matt Savoie and were unable to generate a proper amount of offence to mount a comeback. While they only allowed one goal against during the second period, Vancouver only ended up registering three shots during this same stretch of time. They finished the game with a grand total of 11 shots on goal, making this the second time in the past two weeks that they have done-so.  

This season has understandably been a long one for both the Canucks and their fans, as Vancouver went from playoff-hopefuls at the start of the year to a bottom-of-the-league rebuilding team by the end of it. The 2026 off-season will be a big one for a Vancouver team that will look to build on the young talent in their organization, starting with the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26 and 27. 

Oct 11, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) looks to make a pass in front of Vancouver Canucks defensemen Filip Hornek (17) during the third period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Oct 11, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) looks to make a pass in front of Vancouver Canucks defensemen Filip Hornek (17) during the third period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Stats and Facts: 

  • Drew O’Connor registers his first NHL fight 
  • Ty Mueller becomes the 509th player to score a goal for the Canucks 
  • Marcus Pettersson, Filip Hronek, and Drew O’Connor are the only players to skate in all 82 games for Vancouver this season 

Scoring Summary: 

1st Period: 

1:58 - EDM: Josh Samanski (2) from Colton Dach and Evan Bouchard

6:48 - EDM: Matt Savoie (16) from Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid 

12:10 - VAN: Ty Mueller (1) from Curtis Douglas and Kevin Lankinen 

14:35 - EDM: Matt Savoie (17) from Connor McDavid (PPG)

19:02 - EDM: Matt Savoie (18) from Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard 

2nd Period: 

16:46 - EDM: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (20) from Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid (PPG) 

3rd Period: 

8:20 - EDM: Colton Dach (5) from Connor Murphy and Darnell Nurse 

Up Next: 

Year End Media - Friday, April 17, 2026

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Mike Trout and Aaron Judge put on an ‘unreal’ power show

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Mike Trout belts a solo home run in the seventh inning of the Yankees' 11-4 blowout loss to the Angels on April 16, 2026 at the Stadium, Image 2 shows Aaron Judge belts a solo home run in the seventh inning of the Yankees' blowout loss to the Angels

Two heavyweights went toe-for-toe in a sideshow to the Yankees-Angels series this week before Mike Trout came out on top.

Trout out-homered fellow three-time MVP Aaron Judge 5-4 in the four-game set that the teams split, homering in each game (two in one game), including a solo shot in the Angels’ 11-4 win over the Yankees on Thursday afternoon in The Bronx.

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“It’s unreal,” said Giancarlo Stanton, who also homered in the loss. “Cool showing from him and Judgey all series. Obviously you don’t want that against us, but you got to acknowledge the greatness. It was a deciding factor today. Not what we want, but obviously a great talent.”

By homering off Yankees reliever Angel Chivilli in the seventh inning Thursday, Trout became the first visiting player to homer on four consecutive days at Yankee Stadium.

The 34-year-old outfielder, whose talent has been hindered by injuries in recent years, went 6-for-16 with five home runs, eight runs, nine RBIs and three walks in the series.

“He’s not chasing and he’s deadly in some certain parts of the zone,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Chivilli really the entire at-bat was executing pretty well against him and then all of a sudden goes back to that changeup and [Trout] hammers it. 

“He’s clearly healthy and he’s an all-time great. Hurt us this series.”

Mike Trout belts a solo home run in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 11-4 loss to the Angels on April 16, 2026 at the Stadium. Corey Sipkin for New York Post

Judge had homered in the top of the first inning Thursday — his fifth home run in his last five games — to temporarily even the tally with Trout during this series.

They both went deep twice in Monday’s series opener, while the Angels kept Judge in the ballpark Tuesday.

The Yankees wish Trout had looked like his former self against a different team, but they tipped their cap across the way.

Aaron Judge belts a solo home run in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ blowout loss to the Angels. Corey Sipkin for New York Post

“Obviously he’s been one of the best in the game from the time he came up,” said Max Fried, who walked Trout twice. “He’s very patient and he knows the zone. I was trying to throw the ball over the plate and for whatever reason, was just missing. Frustrated because I wanted to be able to go after him but obviously didn’t.”

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Messick is Special in Guardians’ Win

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 16: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Parker Messick (77) and Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges (27) celebrate following the Major League Baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians on April 16, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

By now, you have probably heard that Parker Messick threw 8 n0-hit innings against the Orioles. What more is there to say?

Messick is such a special competitor. And, at this point, I find myself wishing Austin Hedges could catch all our pitchers because he seems to get them all to dominate. Messick kept hitters guessing all game long. 36% of Messick’s four-seamers were either called-strikes or whiffs, and 29% of his cutters. And, with that said, I don’t understand how anyone ever makes contact on his changeup.

Now, with 106 pitches, manager Stephen Vogt rightly let Messick try to get a no-hitter, but Leody Tavares got a 103.5 mph single past Juan Brito and then Blaze Alexander hit another ball hard for a single. Vogt got Cade Smith at that point, who continues to make things interesting in the 9th. He allowed a single, a sac fly to Gunnar Henderson that was very close to a grand slam, and a double to Pete Alonso, before getting a pop fly and a groundout. The final groundout was the hardest struck ball of the game at 107 mph, and Juan Brito made a nice sliding play and throw from a seated position. Hopefully that helps the young infielder flush the memory of his atrocious play in the bottom of the 9th in St. Louis that cost the Guardians a game.

Cade Smith needs to begin locating his secondary stuff more consistently or we may be in for a Joe Borowski year in the Guardians’ closer position. Cade, no one wants to go full Borowski. Reel it in, buddy. IN CARL WE TRUST.

Jose Ramirez smoked a two-run homer in the first on the first pitch he saw of the night. That was good to see. Jose also got a single and a walk as his OPS climbs steadily back toward .800 plus. Brayan Rocchio had a double, Steven Kwan and George Valera both had two hits. It has been nice to see the Guardians win some games as Chase DeLauter goes through a hitting adjustment period.

This was a great win. I hope the Guardians can figure out a way to beat the Orioles three times this week and help me shake the bad taste that Cardinals’ series left with me. Watching Parker Messick absolutely carve up other teams already went a long way to helping in that effort.

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You’ll Never Believe This Top Hitter!

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 12: LuJames Groover #91 of the Arizona Diamondbacks walks across the field during a Spring Training game against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 12, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Sometimes you need a clickbaity title for fun, and sometimes the extreme title is actually justified. This might be one of those times.

In the early going, there aren’t a tremendous amount of statistics that mean much of anything, or at least that mean enough to re-evaluate what we think about a player.

As an example, here are the statistical leaders by various metrics:

  • wRC+: Danny Serretti (200)
  • BA: José Mejía (.406)
  • OBP: Kayson Cunningham (.533)
  • SLG: Manuel Pena (.778)
  • Line Drive Percentage: Jose Alpuria (58.3%)

With the exception of Alpuria (who has 30 plate appearances) none of these players have reached 50 plate appearances yet, and it takes at least 60 plate appearances for any of the available stats at lower levels to mean anything. So hats off to Cunningham, getting on base more than half of the time, but it’s probably unsustainable.

Only four hitters (all at Reno, of course) have reached the requisite 60 plate appearances for their stats to mean anything, and it isn’t all of their stats.

The first stat that means anything is bat speed, for the simple reason that bat speed has nothing to do with results or luck. Unfortunately, we don’t have bat speeds for hitters in AAA. The next stat to becoming meaningful is hard hit rate and exit velocity, and by the time 60 plate appearances are reached, strikeout rate becomes meaningful. BABIP, when combined with the exit velocities and hard hit rates, has a meaning, but the meaning lies in the interpretation, as BABIP is a stat which varies widely from year to year and really tells us nothing other than how lucky or unlucky a player has been.

There’s two more stats that are ancillary to these, one of which is fairly well known and the other of which is not as well known. Launch angle is the average angle at which the ball leaves the bat; ground balls have negative launch angles, statcast defines line drives as batted balls with a launch angle between 10 and 25 degrees, but an ideal launch angle is probably in the 15-35 degree range, depending on exit velocity. Too high a launch angle and the batted ball is a harmless fly out or pop up; too low a launch angle and there’s no chance at a home run.

Not as well known are various permutations of exit velocity. Tom Tango (the brain power behind a lot of Baseball Savant) views average exit velocity as a useless stat, for the simple reason that it is measuring a lot of useless data. Baseball Savant provides a stat called “adjusted exit velocity” which measures batted balls in relation to a cutoff point of 88 MPH, below which velocity means practically nothing. Tango prefers EV50, an average of the 50% hardest hit balls. That’s what I have here (only easily available on prospectsavant.com) but keep in mind as well that batted balls below 88 MPH are regarded as valueless in terms of exit velocity. It will be important later

As mentioned above, four players have reached 60 plate appearances and some preliminary conclusions can be drawn. I’ll cover them without names at first, because our opinions of these players certainly cloud our perceptions.

OPSK%Hard Hit %EV50BABIP
Player A.82526.126.884.9.429
Player B.97429.633.389.6.447
Player C.81026.748.694.4.303
Player D.8931230.988.7.400

Before going further, please quickly vote on which of these players is having the best season so far.

Now to provide a little bit of context for these stats. Players A-C have all been top-100 prospects at one time or another, but their history on the one stat that means something and can be compared throughout their career is quite different. Player A has carried a strikeout rate of just under 20% through his career prior to this season. Player B has been even lower, at about 15%. Player C, on the other hand, had a sky high 30% strikeout rate prior to this season. And Player D, the lone player among these who has never been a top-100 prospect, posted a 13.5% strikeout rate prior to this season.

Unfortunately, we do not have the numbers for hard hit rates or exit velocity at previous levels, nor do we have bat speed numbers at any level.

Player A is Tommy Troy. He’s got a slash of .317/.408/.417, which are some good numbers, but not eye-popping for Reno. He’s only hitting the ball hard a quarter of the time, and his EV50 is below the cutoff point for value of 88 MPH, and not by a little bit. Despite that, he’s managed to post a BABIP of .429, which is partially attributable to his speed, but is mostly a function of luck.

Player B is Ryan Waldschmidt. That incredible .311/.417/.557 slash line is being upheld by high BABIP despite three problems. His strikeout rate is close to 30%, which is basically double what he’s done in his career previously. His average launch angle is 24 degrees, and while the average is a good number, having that high of an average indicates a lot of high fly balls or pop-ups. And his EV50 is in the bottom half of minor leaguers with Statcast data. In order for the top 50% of his batted balls to average out to 89.6 MPH, he has to hit a lot of balls below the dreaded 88 MPH. Note that I am not saying that he’s not playing well; he’s having a great season in many ways. I am saying that a player who is expected to be a key part of the franchise for years to come does not need to be called up to the major leagues when experiencing struggles he’s never dealt with before, regardless of how gaudy the numbers are. He’s going to figure it out and be fine, but people really need to pump the brakes on calling for his promotion.

Player C, and the most surprising for me, was Kristian Robinson. His slash of .240/.350/.460 doesn’t look like much, but remember his BABIP is 100 points lower than any of the other three. He still strikes out too much, but it’s at least come down to respectability (and he’s striking out less often than Waldschmidt, something I never thought I’d type in a million years) and walking more than any of the other three, although walk rate isn’t really predictive at this point. He’s the only player in this group who would be expected (based on his quality of contact) to post better numbers than he is posting. He’s smashing line drives the other way, and despite concerns about his speed diminishing, he’s still got quality wheels. While his EV50 is in the 88th percentile, that is either among all batters or all qualified batters; among players with at least 50 plate appearances, he has the fourth best adjusted exit velocity.

Player D is LuJames Groover. His .359/.440/.453 slash may be more sustainable than other hitters with his underlying numbers simply because of the type of hitter he is, but given his lack of speed (sprint speed is not available at AAA, but his Fangraphs speed score is catcher level) he needs to hit for more power. But he makes a ton of contact and isn’t striking out. But he’s also not hitting the ball hard, and it’s been shown time and again that the best predictor of a successful big league career is how hard a player hits the ball.

It’s hard (or perhaps impossible) to have much faith in Robinson at this point. But it would be proper to note that his stint in AAA last season saw a similar reduction in strikeout rate (it actually started in Amarillo) but that was combined with lower exit velocities. He still swings and misses a ton. Still, according to the statistics that mean something at this early point, he’s the hitter in Reno who looks the most big league ready, with Groover close behind.

Hopefully the Diamondbacks will not need any position players called up in the near future, especially with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. nearing a return. But if they do, I believe that they would be better served calling up Robinson at the moment (depending on positional needs, of course) than they would be breaking the glass on Waldschmidt.

One final note: this was written prior to the games on Wednesday, and I’m not going to update all the numbers, although they have changed somewhat. Waldschmidt walked twice, while Robinson struck out twice, meaning that Waldschmidt’s strikeout rate has dropped below Robinson’s. But Robinson also hit two balls over 105 MPH, both for singles, and given that he hit no other balls, his EV50 has increased even further and his hard hit rate likely reached 50%. Groover and Troy both failed to pick up a hit.

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8-12: Chart

Apr 16, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth (9) tosses the ball to first base during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

All systems nominal: Cal Raleigh (=.09 WPA)

Scrub the launch, we’ve got a problem: Luis Castillo (-.25 WPA)

Game Thread Comment of the Day:

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Macklin Celebrini breaks Sharks single-season scoring record

San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini wrapped up his tremendous sophomore season by setting a franchise record.

The 19-year-old had a goal and two assists in the season finale against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, April 16, to give him 115 points this season. That broke the franchise record of 114 set by Hall of Famer Joe Thornton in his first full season in San Jose in 2006-07.

Celebrini set up goals by Igor Chernyshov and Will Smith in the first period. He scored from the slot with 1:14 left in the third period to set the record. He played all 82 games and finished the season with 45 goals and 70 assists.

The 2024 No. 1 overall pick had 63 points as a rookie. He nearly doubled that in his second season and was named to Team Canada at the Olympics, where he had 10 points in six games for the silver medalists.

The Sharks, who finished last overall the past two seasons, were in the playoff hunt until the last week. There was talk that Celebrini would be in the running for the Hart Trophy, but since the Sharks missed the postseason, another player is likely to win.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Macklin Celebrini breaks Sharks scoring record