Sep 24, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics second baseman Jeff McNeil (22) hits a three run home run during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Fighting for the division title and a playoff spot, the Houston Astros tallied five home runs, three from rookie outfielder Lucas Spence, to defeat the spoiler-minded Athletics 7-5 in a back-and-forth opener to their season-ending four-game series.
Astros In Front Early
Both starting pitchers, Mason Barnett and Peter Lambert, tossed scoreless first innings. A’s center fielder Henry Bolte made a stellar diving catch for the second out of the game.
In the second inning. Spence hit his first major league home run against Barnett to give the Astros a 3-0 lead. Seeking an immediate response, A’s first baseman Jeff McNeil doubled to open the bottom of the second. Zack Gelof then drew a walk to put two runners on with no outs. The Athletics failed to capitalize on the scoring opportunity as Lambert struck out the next three batters.
Squirrel Power: Tie Game!
Shea Langeliers, who kept his at-bat alive by winning an ABS challenge, hit a two-out single in the bottom of the third inning, bringing McNeil to the plate as the potential tying run. McNeil’s ninth home run of the season, a three-run shot to right center off Lambert, made it a brand-new ballgame.
Donovan Walton singled for the Athletics fourth consecutive two-out hit, knocking Lambert out of the game after just 2 2/3 innings. The Astros right-hander was one pitch away from ending the inning before suffering that two-out collapse. Left-hander Bryan King replaced him and got that elusive third out.
Athletics catcher Jonah Heim hit a one-out double in the bottom of the fourth inning, giving the A’s an opportunity to extend their lead. The hosts did not cash in on that scoring opportunity as King struck out two straight to strand Heim at second.
Barnett One Mistake Too Many
Pitching with the lead for the first time, Barnett pitched two straight scoreless innings, retiring eight in a row. In the sixth inning, Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes tied the game with his 24th home run of the season, a solo shot to left on a fastball down the middle.
The A’s right-hander rebounded to retire the next three hitters, completing a career-high six frames. Barnett will want those two home run pitches back, but otherwise it was a much-improved outing. He walked two while tying his career-high with eight strikeouts.
A’s Bullpen’s Struggles Continue
The A’s turned the game over to their bullpen as right-hander Scott Blewett entered for the seventh inning. With one out, Spence put the Astros back in front 5-4 with his second home run of the night. Houston had a chance to add on, but Blewett retired Paredes to strand two runners.
While the Astros surged ahead, rookie right-hander Miguel Ullola kept the A’s offense quiet with three scoreless innings of long relief. A night after recording four hits, Bolte struck out looking in his first four at-bats. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, A’s right fielder Lawrence Butler just missed a game-tying home run, settling for a double off the right-field fence. Ullola stranded the tying run at second by getting Langeliers to fly out.
Right-hander Chris Roycroft pitched the eighth inning for the A’s, looking to keep it a one-run game. With two outs, first baseman Christian Walker hit his 27th home run of the season and the Astros’ fourth of the game, extending their lead to 6-4.
Gelof On Fire
The Athletics got a run back in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Gelof hit his second home run of the night, a solo shot to left against Astros left-hander Bennet Sousa to cut the hosts’ deficit to one. On a night when he received the Catfish Hunter Award, Gelof recorded his second career multi-home run game.
Astros reliever Bryan Abreu replaced Souza and retired Heim to end the inning, stranding the game-tying run at second base. Tommy White put together another useless three-pitch at-bat as a pinch-hitter that inning.
In the ninth inning, A’s right-hander Elvis Alvarado gave up Houston’s fifth home run of the game. Spence hit his third home run of the night, restoring the Astros’ two-run lead. The unheralded rookie became the third player in MLB history to hit his first three career home runs in the same game.
In the bottom of the ninth, Butler collected his third hit to bring the tying run to the plate. The game ended one pitch later as Abreu got Langeliers to ground into his second double play of the game.
The Athletics will look to bounce back Friday. Left-hander Jacob Lopez will start for the Green and Gold, while the Astros will counter with right-hander Hunter Brown.
Mike Babcock iced a lineup heavy with AHL talent Thursday night, and the Edmonton Oilers still walked away with a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks, who, in contrast, iced all of their big guns. The Oilers outworked their much more experienced opponent on the road and improved Babcock's preseason record to 3-0.
Babcock said, "Coming in, obviously we were undermanned and obviously outmatched, but our guys played with determination." He added that when you come in with the lineup they did, and you're not sure what's going to happen, it can go a number of ways. In this case, it was good to get through the opening five minutes, pick up the pace, and eventually the win.
Playing with pace is the Oilers' mantra. They've focused on it in practice and on-ice sessions. It's clear they're starting to work that pace into their games.
A Steady Jarry Thought "The Kids Played Great"
In net, Tristan Jarry looked sharp, stopping 25 of 26 shots and moving fluidly in the crease. Despite his poise, he credited the young guys. "I thought the kids played great tonight; they worked their butts off," Jarry said after the win. "Everything we've been going through in practice, they really implemented tonight."
When asked what it's like to play behind a group that's putting in that kind of effort, he responded, "It's awesome to stand back there and see that effort... They were working hard."
With Jarry, Max Jones, Spencer Stastney, and Ty Emberson the only established NHL regulars in the lineup, the group still showed a clear defensive identity. It was genuinely an encouraging sign, even in a preseason game.
Edmonton pressured the puck throughout the game, especially on the penalty kill. The kill was aggressive, pouncing on the puck carriers from multiple angles. It's a bit of a gamble if not done properly, but this is the style the Oilers want to play. The goal against showed where things can go wrong, but the non-NHLers did a solid job applying the coach's teachings, and you can see what they're trying to do. The veterans will have to keep that trend going on Saturday.
Isaac Howard Had Himself a Game
While Jarry had a solid game in goal, Isaac Howard was the standout of the night. After a quiet start to camp as he pushed for a top-six role, Howard opened the scoring by pouncing on a bouncing puck, then added an assist. His game visibly shifted after the goal, as if a weight had been lifted, and he played much stronger over the final 50 minutes.
This was the kind of game he needed to have as the jury was out on him thus far in camp. Babcock said earlier in the day that they liked how Howard had been preparing, but they wanted to see him in a game where he got to possess the puck.
As for why he's the only player to play all of the team's preseason games, it's about opportunity. As a player trying to cement himself on the roster this season, Howard needs the looks.
Vancouver pushed for the equalizer in the third period and controlled more of the puck late, but Edmonton's counterattacks generated the better scoring chances down the stretch. Vancouver did not look strong. The fact that such a loaded lineup struggled to generate anything remotely dangerous is not a good sign for a Canucks team that had no excuses.
Meanwhile, this was the last game that most of Thursday's lineup will play this season. Babcock said of the guys who the team will send down, "The hardest thing about this league is that no one is giving their job to you." He said they should all feel good about themselves.
Now, the roster will be narrowed down to an exclusively NHL roster and the team will be get ready for their final exhibition game on Saturday.
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SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 24: Lazaro Montes #99 of the Seattle Mariners makes a catch in the outfield during the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Eric Hiller/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Angels 6, Mariners 4
The guy I saw wearing a NOTHING IS REAL GO LET LOVE DESTROY YOU hat at the park: Julio Rodríguez, .19 WPA
The guy I saw wearing an Angels hat at the park*: Bryan Woo, -.52 WPA
ST. LOUIS -- Sure,
it’s the preseason. Sure, these games don’t count.
But
they actually do. They count to those trying to win a job.
And
if Adam Jiricek doesn’t win a job right out of training camp, it’s
not because the first-round pick (No. 16) in the 2024 NHL Draft isn’t
good enough or isn’t ready. It’s more because it’s a numbers
game, and it’s because the St. Louis Blues can afford to allow the
talented Czechia-born right-hander to simmer in the American Hockey
League and build minutes – huge minutes.
But
boy oh boy, did the 20-year-old really step to the plate and show
Blues management and coaching staff that
he’s putting his best foot forward to make the decision on a
seventh defenseman as arduous as possible.
Tyler
Tucker was all but locked in as the seventh D-man, but his recent
right knee injury, a knee tweak that coach Jim Montgomery called,
opened the door for Jiricek and Calle Rosen, who scored the lone goal
in a 1-0 preseason win over the Chicago Blackhawks at Enterprise
Center on Thursday.
Jiricek,
who has battled injuries in his young career but was able to have a
healthy season last year and play a ton, has played in preseason
games before. Last year, to be exact. But Thursday’s performance
was his best yet.
“I
would say I’m a step ahead,” Jiricek
said.
“I have like a whole year, almost like 100 games (playing) last
year. If you play 100 games, you just (are) building your confidence.
I’m like more experienced, I’m older, I’m heavier and just
everything together comes. I feel like I’m a couple steps ahead
than I was last year.”
On
Thursday, he
played 17:04 and was a plus-1 with four shots on goal (six total),
which was second on the team behind Aleksanteri Kaskimaki’s six; he
finished with two takeaways, including one that sprung Oskar
Sundqvist and Kaskimaki for a 2-on-1 that Blackhawks goalie Arvid
Soderblom made a terrific save on Kaskimaki, and Jiricek had zero
giveaways.
“I
felt good all over,” Jiricek
said.
“It’s great to play here. We have great players. When the great
players are also like good teammates, it feels good and I feel good
out there. Trying to do my best to play my best hockey and I think
it’s going good. I feel pretty good out there.”
Jiricek
played with Rosen, and it was evident how he demanded the puck,
craved the puck and made things happen with the puck when he got it;
whether it be moving it up ice, putting shots on goal, running the
second power play unit or making a pass setting someone else up for a
quality opportunity.
“His
ability make plays with time, without time, just his brain
offensively,” Montgomery described Jiricek’s game. “Thinks at a
high level. His deception. The move he made at the blue line to walk
in, let that wrist shot go. Just an exciting, young player.
“He
has a zest for the game. He loves the game. He looks at the game like
it's almost like he's an artist and the ice is his canvas. It's fun
to watch.”
Is
it fun enough to watch from the start of the season? The NHL deadline
for 23-man rosters is Monday 4 p.m. (CT) and Jiricek could be – and
the way he’s playing, should be – on it for the Blues. But is it
wise to do so? Only if he’s playing.
Depending
on the severity of Tucker’s injury, Jiricek could be here just to
soak up the NHL player life and get acclimated and go to Springfield
if Tucker’s injury is short-lived. Otherwise, it’s probably best
to have Rosen here as the insurance policy as the extra D. And Jiricek is waivers-exempt, meaning the Blues can send him to the AHL without waivers. It's the part of the business that stinks, but it's reality.
But
it’s been up to Jiricek to make this decision as difficult as
possible. Thursday’s performance all but certainly made sure that decision would be a difficult one.
The Blues traded for Brandon Carlo as an insurance policy in case Jiricek wasn't ready. Not only does he look ready, but they have depth with a solid addition in Carlo.
“It’s
my dream,” Jiricek
said.
“I’m doing everything I can do to do that as soon as possible.
It’s just to play my best hockey and the decision is not on me
anymore. I’m doing everything I can. It’s all I can manage.
That’s all I can do.”
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Well, the Pittsburgh Penguins are down to their final pre-season game, and given that Friday's practice has been narrowed down to one session - and the AHL opens its pre-season on Saturday - it's safe to assume that yet another small wave of roster cuts is coming in the next 24 hours.
Not every prospect will be cut quite yet, as injuries and veteran rules for the pre-season have resulted in necessity to keep a few extra bodies for the team's final pre-season tilt against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
However, when the rest of the roster is trimmed down to 23 or less, there is one name that absolutely deserves to be left on it.
And that's defenseman Owen Pickering.
Pickering, 22, has been put through the wringer in the past 24 months. After an impressive start to the 2024-25 season, his play began to wane a little bit, and he was ultimately sent back down to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins after 25 games. He was called on again after an early-season injury to Caleb Jones last season, but he only stayed for four games after a less-than-ideal showing.
He didn't see another NHL game during the 2025-26 season, but by all accounts - including the accounts of GM Kyle Dubas, director of player development Tom Kostopoulos, and WBS assistant GM Amanda Kessel - Pickering experienced substantial growth in the latter half of the AHL season. He developed more consistency in his game and finally became the steady, shutdown blueliner the organization hoped he would be. This continued into the Calder Cup Playoffs, when he played on an injured foot.
Pickering finished the AHL season with seven goals and 28 points - as well as a plus-16 - in 68 regular season games, and he got better and better as the season progressed and the stakes rose.
So, he came into training camp this season with the same purpose as everyone else in the locker room: To earn a spot on the NHL roster. After all, Dubas has said in the past that young guys would have to earn spots but that veterans would also have to earn keeping them.
"If [the young guys] continue to push all the way - and it's very clear that they should be on the team - they'll make the team, and we'll deal with whatever the ripple effects of those are on some of the more veteran guys," Dubas said in his pre-season press conference prior to the 2025-26 season.
In that same presser, he added: "The message to the veteran guys is that, with where we're at, the young guys are coming, they're going to get opportunity, they're going to have to earn everything... but it's been very clear to them what the expectation is. And it's up to them to hold onto their jobs and hold onto their spots and their places with the Penguins and in the NHL."
Flash forward a year later, and Pickering has certainly earned it with his camp.
Not only does he look like a different player than the one who stepped foot into camp last season, he looks confident and poised. He's finally learned how to utilize his 6-foot-5, 213-pound frame to his advantage, using his long reach to disrupt plays and being hard to move at the net-front and in positional battles along the walls and in mid-ice.
His skating has vastly improved, and he actually looks relatively fast out there. His gap control is remarkably better, as is his defensive posture. He's making the right decisions. He's making good defensive reads. He knows when to join the play and when to stay back. He's not getting beat to pucks nor beat in many puck battles.
Credit where it is due, Owen Pickering is looking very solid and sound out there. He has been very noticeable with making well timed, smart defensive plays. I like what I have seen so far.
By almost all accounts, he looks NHL-ready right now. Even if Harrison Brunicke - his regular defense partner this pre-season - has had a nice camp, Pickering has had a better one.
Kaedan Korczak has looked perfectly fine in game action and in practices. Pickering has looked better.
Declan Carlile has shown his knack for physicality, which is a good trait to have, and he's been good defensively in his one pre-season game and alongside Erik Karlsson in practices. Pickering, though, has been better all-around.
Ilya Solovyov has put together a great camp, has improved his footspeed marginally, and excels on breakouts and in defensive positioning as usual. Pickering has, at least, equaled his camp.
And herein lies the problem: Pickering has outperformed presumed NHL regulars during this camp, even if the others have been fine. He has made himself stand out among them. But, there is a decent chance he will not be on this roster, barring injuries, when the season opens against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sept. 30.
Even assistant GM Jason Spezza's words regarding the youth push at the dawn of this year's camp sounded a fair bit different than Dubas's words one year ago — even if prospects like Pickering are a year older and a year better.
"What we would love to see is for the young guys to really push their way in," Spezza said on Sept. 18. "Everybody always wants finality at the end of training camp, that, 'This is the team. This is what it's going to be all year.' And I think there's going to be plenty of opportunity for young guys to establish themselves as NHL players as the year goes on. Whether that's on opening day or not, that will kind of sort itself out here over the next couple of weeks.
"We know we want to inject youth into the lineup. We know we have to. But, we have to make sure we do it when the guys are ready and when they're going to help the team."
Well, it appears a guy has proven he's ready, he's deserving, and that his play will probably help the team. So, what's next? What happens when a guy like Pickering - who happens to be waivers-exempt and who happens to be glued to Brunicke as if they're bound for the top pairing in WBS - exceeds expectations and outplays some of the guys who are supposed to be on the roster?
Yes, situations change. At this time last year, the Penguins were talking about rebuilding, not about making the playoffs again. Sure, it's not the worst thing in the world if Pickering and Brunicke begin the season in the AHL, getting top-pairing minutes, being deployed in key situations, and setting themselves up to be the first call-ups when injuries inevitably occur. No, the training camp roster is not the whole-year roster, and Pickering will most certainly have some opportunities this season. Exercising patience is equally as important as showing urgency with development.
But that's not the issue here. The problem is the precedent it sets for Pickering and the rest of the young players who truly do earn spots but fail to make the team: If they put everything they have on the line, perform at a high level, and are told they can earn or overtake spots but then don't get rewarded by actually securing those spots, what is the point of all of it?
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) February 9, 2025
Yes, players have to earn their spots, and yes, they have to overtake NHL players and placeholders in order to do so. But, if and when they actually do it, it's important for their development and for their psyche to be rewarded for those efforts. It's one thing to hand players spots when they haven't necessarily taken them with authority, but it's another thing to prevent deserving players from the NHL roster because of logistics like contracts, acquisition cost, NHL seniority, and waivers eligibility.
Because, if they're not rewarded - and that starts to become a theme - that could foster frustration and feelings of resentment, which is not something you want from your more promising young talent. The worst possible outcome for this organization is the possibility of deserving younger players wanting out because they don't feel they have a legitimate path.
Not every young player has been good enough in this year's training camp to force the organization's hand and actually take an opportunity. But Pickering has earned a spot on the NHL roster this season - from the start - because his performance has said so. The Penguins have an opportunity to show their young players that the door is, in fact, open to them if they actually go out and accomplish the tall task of stripping a spot in the NHL lineup from someone else.
With Pickering, let's see if they take it. If they don't, the potential ripple effects for other cases of similarity might leave a sour taste in the mouths of the very players the future of the franchise is supposed to start with.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: Ian Seymour #61 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The bad news? The Rays lost again. The good news? Well, it didn’t matter and they leave the Bronx healthy with three games remaining in the regular season. At the end of the day, what really matters at this point in the season is that the Rays stay healthy and rest up for October.
On Thursday night, they did just that and held a four-run lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning. Then, the Jake Woodford entered the game and it was downhill from there. In return, the Rays used none of their high leverage arms and got them some much needed rest. This is the benefit of clinching the East and the top seed in the playoffs five games to go.
Facing soon-to-be AL Cy Young award winner Cam Schlitter, the Rays jumped out to an early lead in the third inning, scoring a pair of runs on singles from Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero. Walls crossed the plate first, scoring from first on a throwing error by outfielder Heliot Ramos. Yandy later scored on the single by Caminero.
Schlitter only went three innings as the Yankees looked to get him some rest as well and line him up for the Wildcard series. Michael Fulmer followed and the Rays tagged him for another run in the fifth inning. Again, Caminero singled home Yandy.
In the sixth inning the Rays added on again the following inning when Vilade scored on a groundout by Liam Hicks.
After five scoreless innings from Ian Seymour, the Rays B-Bullpen took over and the rest is history. So, lets focus on Seymour for a second. Over five innings, he allowed just one hit, walked none, and punched out three. He threw 58 pitches and 41 of those for strikes.
Back to the pen… Woodford, who is up to eat innings, was tagged for three earned runs over 1.1 innings of work. He walked a pair and allowed three hits. The always electric but wild Hopkins entered in the bottom of the seventh with one out and a man on second who quickly advanced to third on a wild pitch. Hopkins then walked Volpe and Wells, recorded one out on a Jose Caballero ground out and allowed a game-tying single to Goldschmidt before being lifted for Matz.
With two outs in the eighth and the game tied 4-4, Matz allowed a single to Rosario and then a two-run go-ahead bomb to Lombard Jr. The 6-4 final score would hold and with the loss, the Rays record moved to 96-63.
The Rays will face the Phillies in their final regular season series of the season. Expect more of the same out of the Rays over the final three games — tune up appearances for the arms, some shortened appearances for Yandy, Caminero, Aranda, Hicks, etc. But, the Rays will also look to finish the season on a high note before heading into a five day break as they await their ALDS opponent.
The 2026 season was nothing like Juan Soto envisioned for himself or the Mets, and he put a lot of the team's woes this year on himself.
Speaking with Mike Puma of the NY Post prior to the Mets' 3-1 loss to the Rangers on Thursday, the slugger said he needed to play better to get the team where they need to be.
“It’s definitely not what I imagined in my head,” Soto said. “There is nothing I can do other than blame myself. I have got to be better. I have got to be at the level to take us forward.”
The slugger boasts formidable numbers despite playing in just 108 games (with three still left to play), but two stints on the IL due to separate calf injuries played a part in the Mets missing out on the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Following Thursday's game, Soto is slashing .274/.393/.522 with an OPS of .915 to go along with his 27 home runs and 68 RBI.
But Soto missed a couple of weeks in April for his first calf injury, and then a month for the second in July/August. By the time he returned, the Mets sold at the trade deadline and the team was on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention.
Despite missing the postseason, Soto told The Post he likes the direction the Mets are headed, especially with its young core of Carson Benge, Nolan McLean, A.J. Ewing and more.
“We have a young core, and we have got to maintain that young core and encourage them to the right way, the right path for the future,” Soto said. “I think we are going in the right direction.
“Look at the young core and what they have been doing their first year in the big leagues. I think it’s real special. It’s always the first and second years are probably the toughest ones of your career, so what they’re doing, I think is very special.”
But with expectations being high in 2027, Soto hopes the organization is active this offseason to add to the core of veterans that includes him and Francisco Lindor -- and potentially Bo Bichette if he opts in -- and the aforementioned young core so that Soto sees playoff baseball for the first time as a member of the New York Mets.
When Soto was asked about Tarik Skubal, a pending free agent and a fellow Scott Boras client, as a potential addition, the perennial All-Star said he wants to see the Mets bring in anyone who can help the team.
“We should go and get as much as we can,” Soto said. “We need as much help as we can get. It was a real tough year for us, so I think we have got to go out there and grab as much as we can.”
Vancouver Canucks forward Filip Chytil is dealing with another injury after a fluke collision during a Thursday, Sept. 24 preseason game against the Edmonton Oilers.
Chytil was forechecking in the first period when his skate blade got tangled with the skate of referee Riley Brace. Chytil went crashing into the boards shoulder first and appeared to hit his head on the ice. Brace also went flying.
Both got up, Brace slowly, though Chytil later went to the dressing room. The Canucks announced that Chytil wouldn't return to the game, and coach Manny Malhotra told reporters after the game that the forward is being evaluated for a shoulder injury.
Here's what to know about the injury to Vancouver's Filip Chytil:
Filip Chytil and referee Riley Brace clip each other in the corner. Scary moment, but both appear to be fine. #Canuckspic.twitter.com/7D9oDY5oeE
Chytil left the bench for the dressing room and didn't return.
"It's never good to see a guy leave the game," Malhotra said. "We're having his shoulder looked at and we'll know more (Friday) after the imaging."
Filip Chytil injury history
Chytil has been limited to 27 games over the past two seasons and to 10 games in 2023-24 because of injuries. He has suffered multiple concussions and dealt with migraines. He also suffered a facial fracture when hit by a puck in practice last season.
He was part of the return when the New York Rangers acquired J.T. Miller from the Canucks in January 2025.
The Chicago Blackhawks paid a visit to Missouri to take on the St. Louis Blues in their third preseason game of the year. They decided to bring a mix of their NHL lineup and AHL players for this one. That includes Patrick Kane, who played in his first and only exhibition game.
It wasn't a great game for the Chicago Blackhawks. They lost 1-0, and it would have been worse if it weren't for Arvid Soderblom. Chicago's goalie made 35 saves on 36 shots. The only goal he allowed was an early 3rd period tally to Calle Rosen.
Rosen's goal was the result of a Blackhawks turnover. Connor McMichael and Pavel Buchnevich made a nice play and then found Calle Rosen, who blasted it past Soderblom.
If Arvid Soderblom can play the way he did in this one and in the first preseason game he played, he will earn the full-time backup role and be more than competent throughout the year. Soderblom playing well behind Spencer Knight will be one of the keys to the team taking a jump in the standings.
Patrick Kane and his line with Frank Nazar and Roman Kantserov had some nice moments, but they were never able to solve Jordan Binnington. If this group stays together, they will produce in the regular season, but they are still working off some rust.
On the other hand, the rest of the lines were not at their best. Specifically, Anton Frondell's line with Nick Lardis and Ryan Greene was suspect. It's not a likely trio when things start to count, but those three individuals will all admit they have to be better.
During the 3rd period, Blackhawks prospect AJ Spellacy was ejected with a game misconduct (and a five-minute major) due to a headbutt. We'll find out later if the league is going to take a look at it.
Once again, Kevin Korchinski was one of the better-looking defensemen on the team. If he isn't one of the seven who make the team out of camp, he probably never had a chance to begin with. Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov haven't been bad by any means, but it's hard to say they've been better than Korchinski.
Did the management group learn anything from this game that will impact their roster decisions? It's hard to say because the Blackhawks were outplayed for most of the night, but Soderblom and Korchinski didn't hurt their cases.
Watch Every Chicago Goal
The Chicago Blackhawks did not score a goal in this game.
What’s Next For The Blackhawks?
The Chicago Blackhawks will wrap up the preseason with one final home exhibition game on Saturday night. This will mostly be an NHL-loaded lineup, with the exception of Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks are saving that excitement for the home opener.
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New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson greets fans during the Roommates Show Block Party live podcast at Randalls Island in New York, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026.
Jalen Brunson started his live podcast Thursday with an injury update.
Brunson, who played through the injury in the playoffs — earning NBA Finals MVP in the process — spent much of his summer in a cast but is ready for when it matters.
New York’s title-defending training camp starts Tuesday in Tarrytown.
“I was told that I am cleared,” Brunson said when asked if he can play five-on-five. “Just in time for training camp.”
The news sent the crowd into “MVP” chants at Icahn Stadium in Randall’s Island, where Brunson and Josh Hart hosted their third annual Roommates Show Block Party.
Much of the discussions on the stage — which included guests Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet and Spike Lee — were happy trips down recent memory lane.
After all, the Knicks won the title and the celebration turned NYC into chaos even though the Game 5 clincher was in San Antonio.
Jalen Brunson greets fans during the Roommates Show Block Party live podcast at Randalls Island in New York on Sept. 24, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“I’m really happy we didn’t clinch it here,” Brunson admitted. “Because I probably wouldn’t have gotten home that night.”
It was also the first time Alvarado and Shamet discussed their free-agent re-signings with Knicks. Alvarado took a three-year, $14 million deal this summer, while Shamet inked a four-year, $24 million contract.
Both had pivotal moments in the playoffs.
Jalen Brunson (left) speaks with Jose Alvarado (center) and Josh Hart during the Roommates Show Block Party live podcast at Randalls Island in New York. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“The Knicks changed my life,” said Alvarado, who was acquired by New York via trade in February from the hard-luck Pelicans.
A rise in demand and popularity for the Roommates Show podcast — boosted, undoubtedly, by the Knicks championship run — pushed the block party to bigger venue. After two years at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park — including a rain-soaked but enthusiastic crowd last year — Icahn Stadium represented a much bigger, albeit less intimate, space.
Ticket prices grew, too. Thursday’s standing-room-only get-in ticket was $135 on the event’s website, with VIPs going for $600 a pop.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 24: Eduardo Rodríguez #57 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Arizona Diamondbacks stayed alive this afternoon as they were able to complete the 3-game sweep at Coors Field. This marks the first time since 2018 that the Dbacks have been able to complete a sweep at Coors, and it could not have come at a better time.
The story of the game was the offensive explosion to the tune of 6 runs in the first inning as the Dbacks first 6 hitters all reached. This was capped by a 3 run HR by the red hot Gabi Moreno and a 2 run shot by the veteran Nolan Arenado. Both guys have really broke out in the late season for this team and really put this offense on their back. I believe Arenado deserves a special shoutout in this one for really bouncing back from a couple of rough seasons to put up this kind of season at 35. Well done!
Eduardo Rodriguez was excellent today to cap off a steller 2026 regular season. ERod was able to put aside his traditional first inning struggles in this one and put up a 0 in the bottom of the first and get the Dbacks right back in the dugout after that big first inning outburst which at the time you felt like was the key to the game. Keep the momentum on the Dbacks side and get the Rockies pitching right back onto the mound and that is exactly what he was able to do for his team.
ERod would go on to allow just 2 ERs over 6 innings earning his 16th win of the season and finishing the year with a sparkling ERA of just 2.89. What an incredible bounce back season from ERod and someone who should certainly get many votes for Dbacks MVP of the 2026 season. Especially considering all of the injury they had earlier in the year. What an incredible way for him to step up.
The Dbacks offense was able to continue tacking on runs in just about every single inning. Worth noting Lars Nootbaar, Perdomo, and Arenado all picked up 3 hits. In addition, James McCann continued to hold his own collecting 2 hits of his own including a HR and an RBI single.
Everything was cruising pretty nicely up until the Rockies offense started making things a little bit too interesting in the 7th inning. In the 7th, the Rockies were able to jump all over Dennis Santana for 4 runs, and then continued to make things interesting in the 8th with 2 more runs against Taylor Clarke. Fortunately for the Dbacks, the veteran Kevin Ginkel was able to come in in the 9th and slam the door shut on the pesky Rockies offense with 3 strikeouts. Perhaps what was even more important about Ginkel being able to come in and shut them down was the fact that the Dbacks were able to save Garcia, JMart, Morillo, and Loaisiga for the Padres series.
The Dbacks have now won 5 consecutive games and will look to keep their season alive Friday night in San Diego. It has all come down to this! No matter how things wind up for this team, I think we can all be thankful we get so many fun meaningful games this late in the season. And the fact that they continue to fight continues the mantra this team has lived by all season long. They are the comeback kids, the never say diemondbacks… It shouldn’t come to anyone’s surprise that they aren’t going to go away without a serious fight.
With the Yankees set to host a best-of-three AL Wild Card series next Tuesday, it's time to take a detailed look at their most likely opponent - who also happens to be their most hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox.
With this in mind, the most recent news coming out of Boston certainly shakes up the outlook for their potential playoff series in New York.
All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras, who was hit on the right hand against the Texas Rangers on Sep. 17, is still unable to swing a bat due to the pain.
"I tried to swing the bat yesterday, and couldn't swing, I tried to swing the bat today, and couldn't swing," Contreras lamented. "It's really concerning... I couldn't hit because my hand hurts, my right hand just feels weaker. It's not a good sign."
"I know Tuesday's [Wild Card opener] is going to be a really important game, the start of a really important series," the slugger continued. "I'm an honest guy, so if [on Tuesday], the game comes around and I don't feel confident in my hand to play, if I'm not feeling good, I'm not taking [a teammate's] spot."
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy commented that the team is "still working through" Contreras' injury, but has "the goal of getting him to the postseason."
Following the team's 1-0 loss to the Guardians on Thursday, Contreras leads all qualified Red Sox batters in home runs (27), RBI (81), on-base percentage (.387), and OPS (.905).
The Red Sox will conclude their season with a three-game home stand against the Chicago Cubs, with Friday being a doubleheader due to Sunday's game being postponed due to inclement weather.
Unless the Boston Red Sox (85-74), Cleveland Guardians (83-76), and Chicago White Sox (82-77) all finish the regular season with identical 85-77 records, the Yankees will face the Red Sox in that playoff series.
For anyone interested in that extremely unlikely scenario where all three teams finish 85-77, here's the breakdown: the White Sox would win the AL Central on a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Guardians, and the Guardians would earn the higher AL Wild Card seed due to their superior interdivisional record compared to that of the Red Sox.
In that (and only that) scenario, the Yankees would host the Guardians rather than the Red Sox in that series.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras was the first preseason victim of the NHL's version of the tuck rule.
Zegras was given a two-minute minor penalty for delay of game in the Flyers' 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night for “improperly wearing equipment.”
Zegras' fashion faux pas was having his jersey tucked into the back of his pants.
The NHL is cracking down this season on how players wear equipment, including jerseys, neck guards, visors and helmets.
Jerseys are required to be untucked at the start of a player’s shift and a warning is expected to be given before a penalty is assessed.
“My jersey was tucked in before the shift,” Zegras said. “So after a warning, they said that's an automatic penalty. I started the game obviously with it tucked because that's how I usually play.”
According to the NHL website scoutingtherefs.com, the last tucked jersey penalties on record came in 2013.
Zegras signed a four-year extension with the Flyers in the offseason with an average annual value of $9.125 million. Zegras had a career-high 26 goals and 67 points last season, the second most on the team. He added two goals and four assists in the playoffs.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: Will Cuylle #50 of the New York Rangers scores during the shootout in the National Hockey League Preseason game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers on September 24, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Regulation
The New Jersey Devils struck first when Vladislav Kolyachonok drew a penalty a little under nine minutes into the game, bringing the power play out. The Devils set up on the right side with Lenni Hameenaho working the wall, and he set up Seamus Casey for a point shot that was deflected over Joonas Korpisalo by Stefan Noesen for the first goal of the game! Noesen, who has been fighting for a roster spot, got off to a good start in making his case tonight.
In the second period, Amadeus Lombardi was checked in open ice by Marc Del Gaizo, and Marc McLaughlin came to Lombardi’s immediate defense. On the replay, it looked like Del Gaizo mostly got Lombardi’s head with the elbow, but the Devils naturally got the extra penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct for McLaughlin’s instigation. The Devils killed the penalty, and Colin White had a great shorthanded chance early in the penalty kill that helped set the tone for the two minutes. Not too long after the penalty expired, Ben Steeves drew a tripping call, sending Cole Beaudoin to the box and the Rangers to another kill of their own. The Devils did not do as well here as their first opportunity.
A few minutes after Seamus Casey hurt himself throwing what looked to be a poor hip check attempt at the blueline, Ethan Edwards expanded the Devils lead with an outstanding one-timer from the faceoff circle! Putting the team up two, Edwards read the cycle very well and skated low for the pass from Matyas Melovsky, wiring the puck off the iron and into the net.
A little over three minutes into the third, the Rangers finally got on the board. Gabriel Perreault went to whip a pass around through the slot, but the puck bounced off Matthew Robertson’s skate, Will Cuylle’s hip, and past Nico Daws. The first goal against was a fluke play, but the second was tough. The Devils were down on a delayed penalty that they somehow didn’t touch up, maybe, and Daws was beat at the side of the net with the extra man on when he dove over the puck, allowing Anton Blidh to tap it in.
At the halfway point of the period, the Devils ran themselves into trouble with lazy cycling. When Topias Vilen was taken into the boards int he offensive zone, Colin White was left alone with Matt Rempe in Nico Daws’s crease, and Vladislav Kolyachonok came rushing down to prevent a pass across to Will Cuylle, deflecting the puck into the net and giving the Rangers a 3-2 lead. Scott Morrow got the credit for the goal.
With just over three minutes to play, Stefan Noesen backhanded the puck from the end boards to Jesper Boqvist at the side of the net, and Boqvist rang the puck off Korpisalo’s shoulder and the crossbar. After the Rangers iced the puck, the Devils pulled Nico Daws. The Boqvist-Lombardi-Noesen line stayed out quite awhile with Hameenaho, with Noesen continuing to make good plays on the wall to keep possession. The puck eventually got out to Amadeus Lombardi, who caught the Rangers tired and lapsing. As he was being hooked and slashed, Lombardi took the puck around and beat Korpisalo five hole, tying the game with 1:44 to play!
Overtime/Shootout
The Devils started overtime with Lombardi with Matyas Melovsky and Vladislav Kolyachonok, facing off against Noah Laba, Gabriel Perreault, and Scott Morrow. The Devils took possession off the draw, and Lombardi skated up ice into the Rangers’ defensive zone before retreating for a second attempt. On the second, Lombardi turned from his backhand and took a weak shot on goal, giving the Rangers possession. Laba drew a slash by Lombardi at the other end, hitting the hands as Daws saved an easy shot from Laba. The Rangers kept their original three with Cuylle on the ice, while the Devils killed with McLaughlin, Edwards, and Silaev. After the first minute was killed, Ethan Edwards found Noesen with a long pass for a one-on-one. Noesen turned wide on the chance to kill time behind the Rangers’ net rather than take a shot, eventually losing possession to a third Ranger. The Devils killed the penalty.
At four-on-four, Ben Steeves set Lombardi up for what would have been a two-on-one tap-in, but the pass was just a bit too hard for Lombardi to redirect into the net, and play went back to three-on-three for the final 38 seconds before the game went to a shootout.
Lenni Hameenaho shot first. Hameenaho went wide and slow, but could not pick the five-hole.
Gabriel Perreault followed for New York. He approached with more pace, but Daws brought the right leg down over the slide shot.
Topias Vilen somewhat bizarrely went second for New Jersey and was stuffed on the lower pad.
Will Cuylle went second for New York and rang a shot in off the bar.
With the Devils needing to score, Amadeus Lombardi got up. He went wide and slow, and was denied by a shoulder save.
Nico Daws allowed three goals on 23 shots tonight. In total, he faced 3.12 expected goals against. So, in strictly mathematical terms, Daws played a fine game despite a not-so-fine .870 save percentage. But we have to look at things a little more deeply than that: I was hoping that the Rangers playing more NHLers might mean he faced 25, 30, or even 35 shots, but the Devils really shut the Rangers down early. And once the Rangers did break through in the third period, these were the shots that beat Daws:
A pass across the middle of the slot that was deflected by a skate towards the net, where it deflected off another player’s leg and into the net
A tap-in after the Devils’ defense broke down against an extra attacker — Daws could have had this, but he dove over the puck when Glenn Gawdin had the puck at the side of the net, leaving the puck in the crease for Blidh to score.
An own-goal by Vladislav Kolyachonok when Scott Morrow used a largely uncontested screen in Matt Rempe (“covered” by Colin White) to slide a pass across to Will Cuylle. The pass did not make it through, and it’s hard to tell whether Cuylle even could have scored on it had Kolyachonok not done it for him.
I remain disappointed that the Rangers did not dress many NHLers tonight, because I wanted Daws to be tested and not beaten by AHL-level team breakdowns.
Noesen, Lombardi, and Boqvist
I think that all of Stefan Noesen, Amadeus Lombardi, and Jesper Boqvist showed again tonight that they belong in the NHL. This makes the above point really annoying to me, as one of them could still be waived if David Rittich makes the opening night roster. Noesen scored a power play goal. Lombardi scored the game-tying goal. Boqvist was very active on the ice and continued to skate very well. But ultimately, from a polish standpoint, I still think that Stefan Noesen plays the best NHL hockey of those three. At the very least, he played the cleanest hockey. His passing decisions were good, his puck management decisions were good, and there were times the other two were a little more lacking. Lombardi had a bad shot and bad penalty in overtime, while Boqvist made a terrible pass to center ice from the offensive zone (during the four-on-four sequence) that almost led to a chance against in overtime. By comparison, I trust Noesen to play a responsible game while still sneakily creating chances below the goal line and getting out to the front of the net to deflect pucks past the goalie.
Noesen led the team with 0.52 individual expected goals, while Boqvist had 0.25 and Lombardi had 0.24. While Noesen does not have the best physical tools at his age, everyone could stand to learn a lot from how little waste there is in his game. He takes good, direct routes on the ice, still managing to get to pucks when he needs to. This is the Noesen way: move the puck up, get it below the net, and screen for point shots if the play by the net isn’t there. It’s a very efficient model of high-danger offense.
Casey’s Injury and Other Notables
Seamus Casey is hurt again. He has only played 75 games over his first two professional seasons, but he threw a bad check attempt at the blueline and hurt himself tonight. Given the early reports from Sheldon Keefe, it is not looking good for him.
Brutal injury for Seamus Casey. Definitely an awkward collision.
I admittedly find myself frustrated here. I believed a couple years ago that Casey could be a big part of the Devils’ future, but he simply gets hurt too easily. I struggle to fathom how anyone could have promoted, say, moving on from Dougie Hamilton over the last several months because the Devils have Casey. It sucks: he looks good on the ice, but he just cannot stay on it. Maybe defense just wasn’t the right position for him if he can’t hit on a zone entry without getting hurt. And I’ll say again: it sucks. You could really see how much worse the team played after he left the game.
Since Casey can now no longer make the opening night roster, it frees up the seventh defensive position. After tonight’s game, I would give the edge to Ethan Edwards. Edwards was all over the ice tonight, and probably underutilized in overtime if I were to be honest. I have no clue how Kolyachonok, who has been more limited with the puck, got out there first. Anton Silaev would be my close second. His skating ability is unreal for a guy his size, but I still would not play him in the NHL unless I was certain he was getting top four minutes. I have less of a problem with sitting Edwards for a game or three between some third-pairing opportunities.
Matyas Melovsky was also outstanding for the Devils tonight. When compared to the other AHL centers in this game in Colin White and Marc McLaughlin, Melovsky is head and shoulders above the competition. If the Devils ever need a center call-up this year, Melovsky has to be the guy over the other two. White has his moments, but I still struggle to see what McLaughlin offers other than replaceable penalty killing. Melovsky can actually create with the puck and do so consistently while making good decisions in all three zones. I don’t see a path for him right now, and I’ve never been disappointed by him before, but this was another good mark for him.
Your Thoughts
What did you think of tonight’s game? Do you think some of these guys will get back out there for the final preseason game on the Island? What do you think of the roster decisions? What do you think of Casey’s injury? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
To satisfy their long-suffering fan base, the Buffalo Sabres need to build on their pretty terrific 2025-26 season, in which they won the Atlantic Division, beat the Boston Bruins in the first round of their Stanley Cup playoff series before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round.
Here at TheHockeyNews.com, we’re analyzing the Sabres’ Eastern Conference foes in a series called “Know Your Enemy”. As part of this annual web series, we’re focusing on how Buffalo fared against each East team, and how they’ll probably fare against the 15 other Eastern teams in the East this season. In this file, we’re turning the spotlight on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins are still built around their aging core, and for good reason – Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson are all still delivering the goods. But they’re all much closer to the end of their careers than they are to the beginning of it. And the Penguins are desperate to get back into the playoffs and not waste another year of Crosby and Malkin’s career.
If healthy, the Pens have the high-end skill to be back in the playoff picture -- but they probably won't stay high in the Metropolitan Division standings and will instead be battling for a wild card berth.
With that said, here’s this columnist’s perspective on how the Penguins shape up as a Sabres opponent this season:
BUFFALO SABRES VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
NEW PENGUINS PLAYERS: Andrei Kuzmenko (RW), Nick Robertson (LW), Hendrix Lapierre (LW), Trevor van Riemsdyk (D), David Gustafsson (LW), Kaedan Korczak (D)
2025-26 SERIES: Sabres 1-2-0, Penguins 2-1-0
2026-27 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER: November 27 at Buffalo; December 22 at Pittsburgh; March 2 at Buffalo
CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM? Every time you look at the Penguins, you cannot escape looking at their core talents’ advanced age, and wonder how much gas Pens icons Crosby, Malkin, Karlsson and Kris Letang have left in their competitive tank. Crosby is now 39 years old. Malkin 40. Letang is 39, and Letang is the youngest of the group at…36 years old,
This Pens team is trying to soak every last drop of juice they can get out of their players — and given that they finished second in the Metropolitan Division last year, the Penguins got above-average performances from their core.
All this is to say the Sabres have to stomp the Penguins into the ground, because there’s going to be an air of urgency for Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas to use whatever cap space he has left – and he does have $10.9-million to spend. So help is coming for Pittsburgh, and that help will make it harder for Buffalo to deal with.
The Sabres take on the Penguins twice in a three-week period starting in late-November. That should juice up the bad feelings the two teams have for one another. But after that, Buffalo and Pittsburgh won’t play again for about three months – more than enough time for them to make significant acquisitions that could hurt or help their bottom line.
Will the Sabres take care of business against the Penguins? We believe they will. Pittsburgh’s core talent is defying their age, but the Sabres are deeper than the Pens, their goaltending is better than the Pens’ goaltending, and they should be taking advantage of Pittsburgh core’s advanced age.
It’s always going to be tough when you have not just one, and not just two – but four players en route to the Hockey Hall of Fame who are on your opponent’s roster. And you’re going to have to operate at your level best if you want to beat them. That’s where Buffalo is with Pittsburgh, and that’s why it’s crucial the Sabres put a foot down on them and earn the full six standings points.
Seeing the Penguins now mean you you're looking at surefire Hall-of-Famers near the end of their incredible careers. Thus, if the Penguins are coming to your town, you need to see them while you can. And if you’re a Sabres fan, you know Buffalo could be fighting the Penguins tooth-and-nail for a wild-card playoff berth.
Ultimately, the Sabres underwhelmed against Pittsburgh last year. And they need to turn around those results and get beyond the Pens in the NHL’s regular-season standings. A playoff spot is not assured for the Penguins, and if the Pens are winning with Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Karlsson, the Sabres need to figure out ways to turn the tables on them and lock up a playoff spot.
