It wasn't that long ago that Tage Thompson was part of the long term plans for the St. Louis Blues.
But on Sunday, the No. 26 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Blues helped end a lengthy drought for the United States at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.
Thompson scored the overtime goal, the lone goal of the game, a golden goal in the gold medal game to give Team USA its first gold medal in 92 years with a 1-0 win against Switzerland on Sunday at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
It was the first gold medal for Team USA since 1933, and it's a full 20-minute period and teams play the NHL's style of 3-on-3 until a winner is determined.
Thompson skated through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone before wiring a wrist shot from the top of the right circle past Switzerland goalie Leonardo Genoni at 2:02 for the winner:
Blues fans will remember Thompson was a key piece to the trade in 2018 that brought Ryan O'Reilly to the Blues from the Buffalo Sabres along with Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, a 2019 first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick.
Of course, the Blues will call the trade a win since they went on to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history that very next season, defeating the Boston Bruins in seven games in 2019.
Thompson, 27, has gone on to have a very nice career with the Sabres, reaching more than 40 goals twice in the past four seasons, including 44 this past season and a career-high 47 in 2022-23.
Thompson spent one season with the Blues in 2017-18, playing in 41 games (three goals, six assists).
Chesterfield native Clayton Keller, captain of the Utah Mammoth, who grew up in Swansea, Il. was also part of Team USA.
The Yankees almost let another one slip away against the Colorado Rockies, but they did just enough to win 5-4 on Sunday and win the series.
Here are the takeaways...
- After a 3-for-4 day from the leadoff spot in Saturday's blowout win, Paul Goldschmidt kept his hot bat going with another multi-hit game in the series finale. Hitting leadoff once again, Goldschmidt got things started with a single and came around to score the game's first run in the first inning. The first baseman added another hit in the fifth and scored again on Aaron Judge's run-scoring double that broke a 2-2 tie.
In his first season in New York, Goldschmidt has been fantastic with a .347/.401/.492 slash line in 52 games. The 37-year-old has mostly split his time between leadoff and his more traditional cleanup spot in the batting order this season and while he's had success either way, he's really taken to leading off for the first time in his career, amassing 22 hits in 61 at-bats so far.
- Along with Goldschmidt, Judge also finished with multiple hits as he continues to love his first time hitting at Coors Field. The right-fielder went 2-for-4, including the aforementioned go-ahead double off Jake Bird.
- However, the player with the best day at the plate was No. 7 hitter J.C. Escarra. The backup catcher led all Yankees with three hits, including a double, and two RBI. Escarra's first hit came in the second which scored Anthony Volpe who tripled to lead off against Antonio Senzatela. He also singled in the fourth and drove in an insurance run in the eighth to make it 5-3 after the Rockies got a little closer. Making his MLB debut at 30 years old, Escarra is hitting .244.
- Will Warren got the start for New York and pitched four innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits and two walks while striking out seven. Both runs surrendered came in the first inning after he loaded the bases with nobody out, but the 25-year-old did well to escape the jam without further damage.
The right-hander was well on his way to go deeper into the game with his pitch count at only 57 pitches, but a lengthy rain delay in the top of the fifth inning -- right after the Yanks re-took the lead -- knocked him out of the game.
After a rough April where he pitched to a 5.63 ERA in six starts, Warren has enjoyed a much better May (2.38 ERA in five starts) and has 41 strikeouts in 26.2 innings.
- Following the rain delay, Jonathan LoĂĄisiga entered the game and went 1.2 innings. Mark Leiter Jr. followed with 1.1 scoreless innings before Devin Williams also had a clean outing in the eighth, featuring three strikeouts, to set up Luke Weaver.
With a two-run lead, Weaver was ambushed by Mickey Moniak who homered to lead off the frame and made it a 5-4 game. Things got interesting after back-to-back one-out singles put the tying and winning runs on base, but the Yankee closer steadied himself and retired the next two hitters to give New York a series win over the hapless Rockies.
Game MVP: J.C. Escarra
In addition to leading the offense with his three-hit performance, his third and final hit to give the Yanks a two-run lead turned out to be the difference as Colorado attempted a ninth-inning comeback.
Highlights
J.C. Escarra brings home Anthony Volpe to tie the game!
The Yankees continue their West Coast road trip with a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels starting on Monday night. First pitch is scheduled for 9:38 p.m.
New York has yet to announce its starter, but the team will face RHP Jack Kochanowicz (3-5, 5.03 ERA).
The Buffalo Sabres have a lot of salary cap space to spend this summer -- and a Vancouver Canucks star should be firmly in the sights of Sabres management.
We're speaking about Canucks winger Brock Boeser, who earned $6.65-million this past season. Boeser produced 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games with Vancouver this year -- well below his 40-goal, 73-point season with the Canucks in 2023-24. But the 28-year-old is still in his prime, and you'd better believe there will be many teams lining up to secure his services this summer.
With that said, how much is Boeser worth? Speculation that his next contract will come in between $8-to-$9-million per year should be sobering for Sabres management. But look at it this way: with the cap ceiling set to rise to $95.5-million next year, teams have to be prepared to outbid opponents to land proven veterans like Boeser. The alternative -- being the runner-up, or being well out of the final teams bidding for Boeser -- is not going to sit well with Sabres fans. At some point, if you can't figure out how to attract free agents to your city, you probably shouldn't be the one in charge of attracting free agents to your city.
We've noted before that Buffalo needs to be realistic in their UFA targets. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't try to swing for the fences and set a new tone for a new era. And if that means overpaying for someone like Boeser, the Sabres should be fully ready to pay that price.
In this case, that might not mean paying top-dollar (although let's be real here -- it almost certainly will mean paying top-dollar). It could mean tacking on one or two years of contract term that other teams aren't prepared to pay for Boeser. And if Boeser proves to be not worthy of a sixth-or-seventh-season in a new contract, you can look at buying him out in the final season or two of a new contract. That's what big-market teams do all the time, and there should be no unease from Sabres management that they need to step up that way to be a winner when it comes to attracting free agents.
It's the cost of doing business in hockey's top league, and it's why Buffalo needs to take an aggressive stance at luring free agents into a Sabres uniform. When you're a team that's missed the playoffs for 14 straight seasons, you have to go a little bit harder than other teams go when it comes to improving your roster.
Free agency is only five weeks away, so the Sabres need to get their house in order to appeal to stars like Boeser. Because no Buffalo fan wants to hear excuses anymore. They want results, and they want them now. And if the Sabres can't figure out how to improve -- be it via free-agency or via trades -- there's going to be more bad news on the horizon for this franchise.
It's a cold-blooded world out there for teams seeking to improve, and past failures in Buffalo aren't reason enough to justify future failures in Buffalo. Sabres brass has to go the extra mile to attract top players, and nothing less than that extra mile will suffice in efforts to improv this franchise.
The Angels' Tim Anderson, left, is tagged out by Miami Marlins second baseman Javier Sanoja while trying to steal second during the first inning Sunday at Angel Stadium. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
It wasnât just handling the 40-man roster general manager Perry Minasian assembled. The 73-year-old skipper, in his second season leading the Halos, identified a characteristic missing from last yearâs Angels. Washington said his goal was for the Angels to become a family.
Looking back on two weeks ago, when the Angels stumbled to a 17-25 record after a hot start to begin the season, Washington said he felt the buy-in to the family ideology already seeped into the walls of the clubhouse â featuring a roster makeup mixing veterans with postseason success along his young starters across his infield. The results, however, were yet to come.
âMy clubhouse was already jelled,â Washington said. âWe just had to start playing good baseball.â
The Angels didnât just play good baseball. They were the best in baseball across the last two weeks. With seven of eight victories coming on the road â a three-game sweep of the Dodgers and a four-game sweep of the Athletics â the Angels riddled off an eight-game winning streak. The run was the franchiseâs best since 2014 when the Angels won 10 straight and clinched a postseason berth (their most recent playoff appearance).
"We're not going to win them all,â said shortstop Zach Neto, referring to Saturday's loss to the Marlins that broke the Angelsâ streak. âIt was a matter of time. But we've been playing really good baseball. It's another day today. We get to come out, play, play the game we all love.â
After falling to the Marlins (21-30) in 6-2 fashion on Saturday, the Angels (25-27) couldn't respond Sunday, falling 3-0 to Miami to lose the weekend series. Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera sailed through 5 2/3 shutout innings, striking out 10 as the Angels' offense struggled to produce for back-to-back days and tallied just three hits.
Saturday and Sunday's offensive production featured the opposite of the Angels' winning streak.
Players such as veteran outfielder Taylor Ward were hitting the cover off the ball. The 31-year-old former first-round pick tallied a hit in each game of the eight-win run, hitting a home run in five of the contests amid a 10-game hitting streak and franchise-tying nine-game extra-base hit streak. On Sunday, both streaks came to a close.
The Angels, as a whole, socked 19 home runs across the eight games â the power appeared to help them surge to third place in a division more than up for grabs.
âEveryoneâs whacking homers all the time,â said Jack Kochanowicz, the Angels' second-year starting pitcher who shut down the Dodgers for 6 â innings of one-run ball on May 16. âItâs just good vibes in here right now."
As Angels first base coach Eric Young Sr. put it, last yearâs team featured young upstart talent â Neto, catcher Logan OâHoppe and first baseman Nolan Schanuel â trying to make a name for themselves on a roster circling the drain of the American League West.
âThey're playing better baseball than they did last year,â Washington said. âThey are more consistent right now than they were last year. Are they a finished product? Not by a long shot, but we like the progress. And that's what the game of baseball is â progression."
OâHoppe (.272 batting average, 14 home runs and 30 RBI) is slugging almost .100 points higher than a year ago to a .543 clip. Neto (.284 batting average, eight home runs and 19 RBI) is hitting close to .300 for the first time in his career, coming back from a right-shoulder surgery that kept him out of action to begin the season. Schanuel (.281 batting average, .382 on-base percentage and has walked just as much as heâs struck out with 26 apiece) has developed into the Angels' surefire everyday first baseman in his second full season at Angel Stadium.
The trio has year in, year out All-Star potential should the Angels play their cards right. OâHoppe is under team control until 2029, while Neto and Schanuel are under team control until 2030.
âWe realize, the veterans realize, that those guys are going to be the leaders of the Angels in the future, if not now,â Young said. âThey probably have more leadership than they know, because we can't let them know too much right now because they are still young, but they are learning and processing.â
And despite the eight-game turnaround turning into a two-game skid to end the weekend against the Marlins, Young knows the Angels could turn it back around on a dime.
âI don't remember in my major league career going on an eight-game winning streak,â he said. âAnd you know, you always say, 'Hey, we're gonna start a new one today.' Well, you never know, it's got to start somewhere.
The Toronto Maple Leafsâ season ended only a handful of days ago, but such is life with Leafs Nation that fans are already setting their sights on next year. And one of the more fascinating Maple Leafs prospects is current London Knights left winger Easton Cowan. The 20-year-old is going to get a bona-fide solid shot to earn an NHL job next season â and for reasons weâll explore below, Cowan will have pressure on him to produce right out of the gate.
The Leafs are now expected to part ways with superstar right winger Mitch Marner, and while weâre going to be clear here that weâre not in any way suggesting Cowan will be as big a star as Marner has been, there are some parallels between Marner and Cowan.
For one thing, Marner and Cowan are about the same size physically, with both players right around six feet tall. And like Cowan, Marner also was a terrific player for the London Knights in his junior hockey career, producing 44 goals and 126 points in 2014-15. Now, Cowanâs regular-season totals on offense took a dip this year, but he still generated 40 assists and 69 points in just 46 games â and Cowan had his best post-season performance yet, with 26 assists and 39 points in 17 playoff games, helping the Knights win the OHL championship. Those numbers donât automatically translate into surefire NHL success, but by raising his game, Cowan is raising expectations among Leafs fans for next season.
The same way the Maple Leafs have benefited from youngster Matthew Knies thriving in the early stages of his NHL career, Toronto is going to be hoping to get a terrific rookie showing from Cowan. Not only will he potentially produce offense to help replace Marner if and when he leaves the Leafs as a UFA this summer, but Cowan will provide some much-needed financial help as the Buds balance out their lineup between high-priced veterans and bargain-basement performers.
That said, nothing is going to be handed to Cowan next year. This isnât to say heâs going to be a healthy scratch a la Nick Robertson (another player the Leafs may move on from next year), but Cowan may have to start his pro career the same way most NHLers do â at the American League level. Playing for the AHLâs Toronto Marlies may be a blow to Cowanâs ego, but rather than playing him third or fourth-line minutes with the Leafs, it could be best for his development to start out with the Marlies and wait for a better opportunity with the Leafs down the line.
When youâve got the draft pedigree that Cowan has â as someone drafted 28th overall in 2023 â youâre going to have to live up to it by adapting to the NHL game, or youâll quickly be discarded for the next prospect du jour. So yes, there will absolutely be pressure on Cowan as soon as NHL training camp begins next fall. But with the ripple effect of Marnerâs projected departure on the Leafsâ depth chart of forwards, Cowan might just be able to step in right away and earn an NHL job.
Cowan has spoken out recently about having Marner as a mentor of sorts, but that professional relationship may be severed if Marner does move on. However, Leafs fans have had Cowan on their radar for a couple of years now, and if he can develop into an upper-tier NHLer the way Knies and Marner have, Toronto fans and management are going to be elated to have Cowan in Blue and White.
Before too long, the world could well be Cowanâs oyster. And weâll learn soon enough if heâs ready and able to seize the moment and carve out a space in Leaf Land for a very long time to come.
South Africaâs Heinrich Klaasen struck his second IPL century on Sunday as he powered Sunrisers Hyderabad to a mammoth 278-3 and a 110-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders.
Welcome to The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live, streaming nightly during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs.
After
the big game of the night, our experts go live to react to the match
that was, break down the key moments and storylines and read your
opinions.
On tonight's show, Mike Augello, Adam Kierszenblat and Stephen Kerr react to the Edmonton Oilers beating the Dallas Stars 6-1 in Game 3 of the Western Conference final to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Share your thoughts in the comments, and the hosts may discuss your message during the stream.
The London Knights won their opening game at the Memorial Cup in overtime, beating the Moncton Wildcats 3-2 in overtime. Edmonton Oilers prospect Sam O'Reilly scored the game-winning goal in overtime.
While the Knights are widely considered the favorites at the tournament, this was a close game from beginning to end.
Moncton went blow for blow with London through the opening period. After 20 minutes the shots were 15-14 in favor of the Wildcats and the score was tied at one.
O'Reilly, who eventually scored the game winner, also scored London's opening goal of the match just a minute and a half into the game. He redirected Sam Dickinson's blast from the point past Mathis Rousseau to take the early lead.
Moncton stuck with it, avoided London's potent neutral-zone forecheck and gaining significant time in the offensive zone. with just over 13 minutes left in the first period, Etienne Morin fired a well placed shot past Austin Elliott to tie the game at one. It wouldn't be the last goal the London goaltender surrendered from the point.
London took control of the game in the second, nearly doubling Moncton's shots on goal in the period. The teams once again exchanged goals, with San Jose Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen scoring for London while Dyllan Gill scored for Moncton.
Though there was no scoring in the third period, London dominated the final frame, outshooting the Wildcats 16-3. Rousseau had a fantastic game for Moncton, stopping multiple grade-A scoring chances for London.
You could feel London warming up into the game as time went on. Period by period they took over, eventually dominating the Wildcats in the third period, however, it was not enough to escape overtime.
The two teams exchanged chances in overtime before Sam O'Reilly, who started the scoring in this one, tipped home Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan's backhand pass in front of the net.
O'Reilly had a fantastic season in the OHL after being selected at the end of the first round by Edmonton at the 2024 NHL Draft. In 62 games this season, he recorded 21 goals and 71 points with London.
The two goals he scored in game one at the Memorial Cup mark is progression as a player while simultaneously vindicating the Oilers' faith in the young prospect.
A win in their opening game of the tournament sets London up for success. They will move on to play their second game tonight against the hosting Rimouski Oceanic. Puck drop for that game is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Penguins just wrapped up their 57th season, missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season. Despite their recent lack of success, the franchise has appeared in the playoffs 37 times and won five championships.
Our newest series will reflect on how the Penguins performed on specific days leading up to the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
Today, May 25, Pittsburgh has compiled a 2-0 record in two games on this date.
1991 - Game 6 Win vs. Minnesota North Stars (8-0)
2017 - Game 7 Win vs. Ottawa Senators (3-2 OT)
Notable Penguins Performances On This Day
May 25, 1991 - The Penguins win the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history in Game 6 by defeating the North Stars 8-0 at the Met Center. As of 2025, this game remains the largest goal differential in a championship-clinching game in NHL history.
With 44 points in 23 games, captain Mario Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. In Game 6, he had four points with a goal and three assists. Meanwhile, Joe Mullen (two goals and an assist) had three points, while four other players had two points, including Larry Murphy, Ulf Samuelsson, Kevin Stevens, and Peter Taglianetti.
In the Cup-clinching game, the Penguins got points from Bob Errey, Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr, Jim Paek, and Bryan Trottier.
May 25, 2017 - Chris Kunitz scores his only two goals of the 2016-17 playoff run by tallying the first goal of Game 7 in the first period before advancing the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Final with an overtime winner at 5:09 of the second overtime.
As Pittsburgh's sixth leading scorer during the championship run, Kunitz had a three-point contest in Game 7 against the Senators, assisting on Justin Schultz's third-period power-play goal. Schultz returned the favor in overtime, setting up Kunitz for the winner.
PITTSBURGH â Pittsburghâs Oneil Cruz had the hardest-hit ball since Statcast started tracking in 2015, a home run off Milwaukeeâs Logan Henderson on Sunday that left the bat at 122.9 mph and splashed into the Allegheny River.
Cruzâs leadoff drive to right in the third inning on a 92.2 mph fastball traveled 432 feet and cut the Piratesâ deficit to 3-1.
Cruz had the previous hardest-hit ball, a 122.4 mph single on Aug. 24, 2022. Miamiâs Giancarlo Stanton had the prior hardest-hit home run at 121.8 mph, a drive off Gio Gonzalez at Washington on Aug. 9, 2017.
Cruz has hit six of the 83 home runs hit into the river since PNC Park opened in 2001. He leads the Pirates with 11 homers this season, including three in his past three games.
NEW YORK â Shohei Ohtani faced hitters Sunday for the first time since elbow surgery, throwing 22 pitches at Citi Field before the Los Angeles Dodgers played the New York Mets.
With dozens of reporters watching from the stands more than 4 1/2 hours ahead of gametime, the two-way superstar pitched to five batters in a simulated setting â including teammates Hyeseong Kim and Dalton Rushing.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior watched closely from the field. Prior said Ohtaniâs fastball ranged from 94-97 mph, and the right-hander also threw off-speed pitches.
Working out of the windup, Ohtani fielded a comebacker, struck out two batters and walked his final one in a session that lasted about 10 minutes. Kim lined a ball into the right-field corner that likely would have gone for a double or triple.
A three-time MVP, Ohtani isnât expected to make his pitching debut for the Dodgers until after the All-Star break in mid-July. He is recovering from surgery on Sept. 19, 2023, the second major operation on his right elbow since he arrived in the majors from Japan, and hasnât pitched in a big league game since Aug. 23, 2023, for the Los Angeles Angels.
He returned as a hitter last year after signing a then-record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers as a free agent and won his third MVP award by batting .310 with 54 homers, 130 RBIs and 59 stolen bases.
Following left shoulder surgery on Nov. 4 to repair a labrum tear sustained during the World Series, Ohtani threw four bullpens at spring training from Feb. 15-25, then paused to prepare for opening day as a hitter. He resumed bullpen sessions on March 29.
The designated hitter went into Sunday nightâs series finale against the Mets batting .302 with 17 homers, 31 RBIs and a 1.040 OPS. He has 11 stolen bases and leads the majors with 53 runs for the defending World Series champions.
Ohtani is 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings during five seasons as a big league pitcher. He had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Oct. 1, 2018, and returned to a major league mound on July 26, 2020, though he was limited to just two starts during the pandemic-shortened season.
Ohtani is one of several high-profile Dodgers pitchers coming back from injuries. Clayton Kershaw made his season debut May 17 after recovering from foot and knee operations, but Blake Snell hasnât pitched since April 2 and Tyler Glasnow since April 27, both due to shoulder inflammation.
"Not yet," Mendoza said whether he has an update on Nimmo. "I'm waiting. Hopefully -- because he didn't do any baseball activities (Saturday). So, hopefully, he does something (Sunday) and we'll see if he's available off the bench."
"This morning, my neck tightened up on me," Nimmo, who is slashing .212/.274/.397 with eight home runs and 27 RBI through 49 games, said after Friday's loss. "It's from 2019 when I ran into the wall and we've been really good with the training staff and myself about keeping it under control and at bay.
"Sometimes with the travel and just everything, it pops its ugly head and it takes a few days to deal with it."
The Mets start an outfield of Jeff McNeil (left), Tyrone Tracy (center) and Juan Soto (right) in Sunday's rubber match with Los Angeles.
Heading into the Eastern Conference final of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes were in a very good place. They demolished the New Jersey Devils in five games in the first round, then eliminated the Washington Capitals with relative ease by sending them home in a five-game second-round victory. And the âCanes did it with defense, allowing only seven goals to the Caps, and just 11 goals to the Devils.
With that in mind, it was fair to presume the Hurricanes would put the squeeze on the defending Cup-champion Florida Panthers in the Eastern final. But instead, the opposite has happened, with the Panthers generating 16 goals in the first three games against the Hurricanes, and Florida staking out a commanding 3-0 series lead over Carolina after romping to a 6-2 win in Game 3.
While you canât pin down just one reason for the Canesâ struggles against the Panthers, weâve already seen Carolina coach Rod BrindâAmour changing up his goaltending picture, pulling starter Frederik Andersen after two letdown games, and going with backup Pyotr Kochetkov, to no avail, in Carolinaâs Game 3 loss.
The disappointment has put Andersen in a particularly bad spot, as he had signed a one-year contract extension at the start of May. The 35-year-old looked terrific against the Devils and Capitals, posting a save percentage of .905 or higher in seven of his nine games in the first two rounds. But the bottom fell out of Andersenâs game against the Panthers, as he posted an a save percentage of .750 in both Games 1 and 2 before BrindâAmour put him on the bench in favor of Kochetkov in Game 3.
Small wonder, then, that the Hurricanes have lost all three games against Florida thus far in their Eastern final series. Kochetkov has put up a save percentage of .886 or worse in three of his four playoff appearances this year, and he had nothing going for him in Game 3, as the Panthers hung up six goals on 28 shots on him for a bleak .786 SP.
The Panthers were always going to be a tough opponent for Carolina, but when their goaltending hasnât been up to snuff, the Hurricanes have been on the wrong end of three blowout games. If the âCanes are swept by the Panthers, it would be a letdown of the highest order for a team many believed would be significantly better this season. But theyâre now on the verge of being swept in the Eastern final for the second time in the past three seasons, and they still havenât won even a single Eastern final game since they won a Cup in 2005-06.
Meanwhile, BrindâAmour sure sounded like a coach who is seeing his season sunk before his eyes because of sub-par goaltending.
âI donât blame Freddie on any of the goals that went in,â BrindâAmour said after the Game 2 loss. âObviously, save percentage is not great, if you look at that. We do need some saves, but I canât blame him on any.â
Clearly, BrindâAmour was engaged in some mixed messaging there. He doesnât blame Andersen, but his save percentage is ânot great." Carolina does âneed some savesâ, but BrindâAmour isnât blaming him for any of the goals he allowed. If that sounds like a coach desperate to not totally jump all over his goalie despite plenty of evidence heâs not doing his job between the pipes, thatâs because it is. But that doesnât mean Andersen and Kochetkov donât have to own their role in three straight losses to the Panthers.
If and when the Hurricanes are eliminated by Florida, Carolina GM Eric Tulsky is going to be faced with some very difficult decisions about his goaltending next season. It doesnât matter how good the âCanes look at forward and on âDâ if Carolinaâs goalies canât outperform their opponent's netminder when they get to the Eastern final.
It also doesnât matter that Andersen and Kochetkov are relatively underpaid next season, with Andersen set to make $2.75 million, and Kochetkov signed at a salary cap hit of $2 million. When the games have mattered most in this series, Andersen and Kochetkov have failed in their duties. Thatâs not a criticism, thatâs a fact, and absent some miracle turnaround against the Panthers, the Hurricanes need to make some serious changes to their lineup next year.
DETROIT â Tarik Skubal gave up two hits and matched a career high with 13 strikeouts in his first professional complete game, Zach McKinstry had a two-run homer in a five-run fourth inning and the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-0 Sunday to avoid a four-game sweep.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was perfect through five innings and finished with a nearly flawless performance. He had a baserunner for the first time after Will Wilson doubled on the second pitch of the sixth.
Skubal (5-2) gave up only one more hit and hit one batter with a pitch in a masterful, 94-pitch outing that included just 22 balls. It was the eighth complete game in the major leagues this season and fifth individual shutout.
Logan Allen (2-3) allowed a season-high five runs â four earned â five hits and four walks over 3 2/3 innings.
Justyn-Henry Malloy hit a leadoff single and scored on McKinstryâs third homer. Javier BĂĄez followed with a double and came home on Gleyber Torresâ double. Allenâs throwing error allowed Detroit to take a 5-0 lead.
Cleveland kept leadoff hitter Steven Kwan out of the lineup for the first time this season. First baseman Carlos Santana was scratched with tightness in his left leg.
Key moment
McKinstry provided a much-needed homer for a team that lost the first three games in the series against the defending AL Central champions who eliminated them in their AL Division Series.
Key stat
Skubal became the first in franchise history to have 10-plus strikeouts in four straight home games.
Up next
Detroit RHP Keider Montero (1-1, 5.28) and San Francisco RHP Hayden Birdsong (2-0, 1.91) are the probable pitchers in their series opener at Comerica Park on Monday afternoon before Cleveland starts a homestand with RHP Gavin Williams (4-2, 3.94) and RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5-3, 1.86) scheduled to start.
ATLANTA â San Diego right-hander Michael King, who was scratched from Saturdayâs scheduled start, was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday with right shoulder inflammation.
The Padres said Saturday that King had stiffness after sleeping on the shoulder. The team announced the inflammation on Sunday and said the right-hander would be sidelined for at least two weeks.
The Padres recalled right-hander David Morgan from Triple-A El Paso before Sundayâs game at Atlanta.
The Padres did not say how Kingâs spot in the rotation would be filled. Morgan has worked only in relief at El Paso, posting a 6.91 ERA in 14 games.
On Saturday, the Padres used a bullpen game and lost to the Braves 7-1. Sean Reynolds got the start and allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings. Wandy Peralta, Alek Jacobs and Yuki Matsui also pitched.
King is 4-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 10 starts. He was 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA in 2024 and finished seventh in the NL Cy Young Award voting.
The Padres have not announced their starters for a three-game series against the visiting Miami Marlins that begins on Monday night. Right-hander Dylan Cease was Sundayâs starter against the Braves.
