Cengiz Under, Jeremy Ebobisse, Denis Bouanga and Yaw Yeboah score for LAFC in a 4-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders.
Carlton, Fitzroy and Brisbane great Robert Walls did it his way – in life and in death | Jonathan Horn
Walls, who has died aged 74, will be remembered as a teacher, a competitor and a hard but fair man after he chose voluntary assisted dying over a second cancer fight
The Walls family statement was succinct: “Robert did it his way and chose to end a fight that had seen him spend more than 250 nights in hospital in the past two years.” He always did it his way. But there were other influences that shaped the way he played, the way he coached, the way he lived and ultimately, the way he died. It was the uncompromising ways of Ron Barassi. It was the imperial Carlton of the 1970s. It was the pitiless, often violent sport of that era. It was the wretched death of his wife, Erin, who succumbed to lung cancer in 2006. It was the Brunswick he grew up in. It was the French village he retired to.
As a 15-year-old, he was gawky, gangly and nervous as hell as he rode his bike to training at Princes Park. But he had good timing. It was the summer of 1966 and Carlton was poised to be a powerhouse. Ron Barassi – much like Walls himself as a coach later on – was not a man to be trifled with. He demanded perfection and total commitment. He had some of the greatest footballers of the generation at his disposal. But he also had young players like Walls – players who were malleable, who would run through brick walls for him and who could be relied upon on the big stage.
Continue reading...NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-05-16 11:58:49
Rockies fall 8-3 to Rangers, become first team to start season 7-36 in modern era
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Colorado Rockies lost 8-3 to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night to become the first team in baseball’s modern era to lose 36 of their first 43 games.
Wyatt Langford and Adolis García hit opposite-field, two-run home runs and Patrick Corbin struck out six consecutive batters among a season-high nine for the Rangers.
The Rockies became the first team to start 7-36 in the modern era (since 1901). They were swept for the seventh time and are 0-3 under interim manager Warren Schaeffer, who replaced Bud Black on Sunday.
The Rangers (23-21) have won five consecutive games to match a season-best winning streak.
Langford homered in a four-run first inning. García homered in the sixth.
Texas’ other first-inning runs scored on Josh Jung’s bases-loaded walk and Evan Carter’s fielder’s choice.
Jake Burger doubled home two runs for the Rangers in the fifth inning.
Corbin (3-2) pitched six innings for his first win since April 22. He allowed Michael Toglia’s second-inning solo homer and Kyle Farmer’s two-run shot in the sixth.
Antonio Senzatela (1-7), tied for the major league lead in losses, gave up six runs in 4 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .381 against him.
It was Rangers manager Bruce Bochy’s 2,194th career win, tying him with Sparky Anderson for sixth place overall.
Mets Notes: Juan Soto ready for Bronx cheers, 'unfortunate' rain hurts Clay Holmes
For the first time since Game 5 of the World Series last fall, Juan Soto will play a game at Yankee Stadium.
During the weekend’s Subway Series, the ex-Yank will run out to right field in front of The Bronx’s Bleacher Creatures for the bottom of the first with the Mets. And he’s excited about making his return.
What excites him most? “The crowd,” he said after Wednesday’s game at Citi Field, via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.
Even if the Yankees fans boo? “I don’t mind,” Soto answered.
Manager Carlos Mendoza anticipates the slugger, who was given the finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates off ahead of Thursday’s off day, will experience “a lot of emotions.”
"He’s going back, he’s gonna go in there and [remember] good memories,” Mendoza said. “He had a really good year with them, went to the World Series with them, it'll be exciting."
As a team, Mendoza said they are “ready to go.”
“It will be an exciting series, two teams playing well, two really good teams, pretty sure it will be fun,” he said.
After a Yanks-Mets matchup during spring training, Soto let slip what he anticipates happening. “You know, Yankees fans, they can surprise you with anything, so I'm expecting the worst," he said with a laugh.
After signing with the Mets in December, Soto thanked Yankees fans for showing him “all the love” in his lone season in The Bronx during his introductory news conference at Citi Field.
“They were there day in, day out. They really have a spot in my heart at the end of the day,” he said. “Tough we couldn’t get it together and try to be back, and stuff like that, but always going to appreciate what they did for me in 2024.”
Blame it on the rain?
The rain was always going to play a factor on a wet Wednesday at Citi Field. Unfortunately for Clay Holmes, the biggest cloudburst of the game came at a critical moment.
After a nine-pitch first frame, Holmes got two quick outs to start the inning before Isiah Kiner-Falefa yanked a sweeper on the outside corner to left for a single. And that is when the rain went from falling lightly to a bit steadier. Back-to-back sweepers landed in the zone to get ahead of Matt Gorski, before the intensity of the rain increased again.
On the next two pitches, the rain was not the issue, but home plate umpire Carlos Torres called a slider that appeared to be entirely in the zone a ball, and a 1-2 sweeper that was a bit higher was called out of the zone, as well.
“Two calls that we didn’t get there,” Mendoza said. “A full ball in the strike zone and we didn’t get that one, and then another one that clipped the strike zone and we didn’t get that one.”
“Some tough hops here,” Holmes said. “Losing grip on the ball there, trying to make pitches.”
The heavens opened up before Holmes could throw his next pitch. And when he did, the righty uncorked a fastball that went over the batter’s head and hit the backstop on the fly, bouncing all the way back to him.
“At that point, it’s in the umpire’s hands, it's nothing we could do there,” Mendoza said about getting the game stopped. “Other than create the awareness and get it to their attention, but… it's their call.”
And after fouling off a sweeper toward the corner, Holmes hung his second 3-2 slider and it was clocked for a 407-foot home run to left through the driving rain.
“I think I went to the slider too many times there, but I thought it was probably the best thing I could control. I ended up getting beat with it,” Holmes said.
“He lost the feel for the ball there,” the manager said. “I’m not trying to make excuses here for him.”
To add insult to injury, after Holmes got the final out, the field was in such a state that the grounds crew needed 10 minutes of work to fix the infield and mound before the home half of the second could begin.
“It was one of those things where you gotta compete through and try to make pitches,” Holmes said. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t make one there.”
The Panthers Are Playing Like Champs. The Maple Leafs Are Playing Like Chumps
When a team goes to the Stanley Cup final in successive years and captures it once, you'd have to believe it has learned a thing or two about winning in the playoffs.
And when a team consistently underperforms and loses in the most crucial situations, it's probably a safe bet it has learned how to accept defeat.
How else do you explain what has happened in the second round of the playoffs in the series between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs?
This is a series in which the Leafs were leading 2-0 in games and 2-0 in Game 3 and, since then, look as though they've hit a brick wall. Their stars are not only not scoring, but their play is leading to goals against. Their power play has gone south, goaltending has been a problem, and they might have to look up depth scoring in the dictionary to find out what it is.
The Panthers, on the other hand, got goals in a 6-1 win in Game 5 from Niko Mikkola, Dmitry Kulikov, Jesper Boqvist and A.J. Greer.
They're harder and faster on pucks, they're more determined, they're playing with a sense of purpose, and their goaltending is trending upward.
"They outskated us, they had the puck, they won the races, and we just played slow," said Leafs coach Craig Berube. "They were fast, they were honest, they were hungrier."
And they're going to be Atlantic Division playoff champions Friday night unless the Maple Leafs can be much, much better and the Panthers much, much worse.
Watch Game 5's post-game video column for more, and share your thoughts.
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Knicks' defensive lapses lead to 'terrible' third quarter, Game 5 loss
It was a quarter to forget for the Knicks on Wednesday night.
With the chance to close out their series with the defending champion Celtics in Boston, the Knicks laid an egg in the second half en route to a 127-102 loss. Boston turned defense into offense and forced their way onto the foul line to outscore the Knicks 32-17 after both teams went into halftime tied at 59 apiece.
"We played terrible. From the top down, it was a terrible quarter," Josh Hart said of his team's performance after the game.
Jalen Brunson,who scored 22 points but fouled out with seven minutes left in the fourth,was to the point when he saidthe Celtics "came out with such an urgency that we need."
Mikal Bridges scored seven points in the first quarter but scored just two more the rest of the game, put it on the team's defense.
"The first half, we just defensively wasn’t there, especially in transition," he explained. "They were making shots and they brought that to the third as well. We just kept fighting and they just kept going. We can’t keep putting ourselves in that situation, especially when it was close at the half."
Although the focus was on that lop-sided third quarter, many may forget the Knicks were up by as much as nine points in the second quarter. However, a massive 16-3 run put the Celtics in front briefly before the Knicks came back to go into halftime tied.
Coach Tom Thibodeau was asked what disappointed him the most about Wednesday's game and he brought it back to what he said in the pregame. The Knicks needed to play a complete game to beat this team, and that's not what they did in Game 5.
"We didn’t play for 48 minutes," he said. "The start of the second quarter, we didn’t play well, had a lead, didn’t play tough with the lead. Came out to start the third, didn’t play well there. Can’t afford to do that."
Although the Celtics shot just 44 percent in the third, they made twice as many threes as the Knicks and forced four New York turnovers. Boston was also able to get to the line 18 times in the third to the Knicks' eight, but no one blames the officiating for what happened. Every Knick who spoke after the game talked about the lack of communication on defense, especially in transition. The Celtics outscored the Knicks 9-4 in fastbreak points and scored 12 points off turnovers in the game.
Derrick White torched them for 13 points while five other Celtics scored at least three points in the frame.
"You've got to sprint back, you've got to communicate and we've got to be matched up," Thibodeau said. "If one guy is slow, you're going to give him an open shot. You can't do that against this team."
"We didn't get back on defense, didn't communicate at all," Bridges added.
The always-honest Hart was asked why the Knicks continue to have lapses in communication, and he could not come up with an answer.
"I wish I could tell you. I wish I could pinpoint it because then if it did, we can address it," he said. "That third quarter, there was a lot of frustration and that seeped into everything we were doing. We have to make sure we can control what we can control and that's our communication, that's our effort, that's our intensity and let everything else fall by the wayside. That's not what we did today. We have to learn from it, execute and be better Friday."
The Knicks now set their sights on Game 6 at MSG. New York has not clinched a series at home since 1999, but if they play like they did in Game 5, that streak will continue.
Boston shot 55 percent in the second half while the Knicks shot just 29 percent. They turned the ball over five more times than the Celtics in the second half and were outrebounded 23-19 in the third and fourth quarters.
All a recipe for a disappointing loss, but the Knicks are used to this sort of loss. After getting blown out at home in Game 3, the Knicks had arguably their most complete performance in Game 4.
"It's obvious we're disappointed. Wanted to give a better effort than that," Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 19 points but was hampered by four fouls, said. "Hopefully, the disappointment leads to more motivation, better energy. We'll regroup tomorrow and get ready for the next one."
‘I Don’t Think We Gave Them Much Reason To Stick Around’: Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs React To Boos, Fans Leaving During Game 5 Blowout
By the time the Florida Panthers scored their sixth goal midway through the third period on Wednesday night, Scotiabank Arena had become a sea of empty seats. However, fans began the booing and heading for the exits late in the second period when Florida made it 4-0.
The fans who remained made their displeasure known, showering the Toronto Maple Leafs, the home team, with boos as multiple blue and white jerseys hit the ice. It was a humiliating night for the Leafs and one that has them pushed to the brink of elimination.
ScotiaBank arena is getting pretty empty with many choosing to leave halfway through the 3rd and those choosing to stay are booing @sdpnsportspic.twitter.com/RehA3YxZfC
— Jesse Blake (@JesseBlake) May 15, 2025
“I don’t think we gave them much reason to stick around,” said captain Auston Matthews following the 6-1 loss to the Panthers in Game 5. “Everybody's got to look in the mirror, myself included.”
“Yeah, I mean, 6-1 in the playoffs or 6-0 in a playoff game, I understand them (the fans),” added forward William Nylander. “We could have played better. That's it.”
Auston Matthews, asked what goes through his mind when he see’s fans leaving early and the boos.
— David Alter (@dalter) May 15, 2025
“I don’t think we gave them much reason to stick around”
It was a Game 5 no-show, and Toronto paid the price. The Leafs were outskated, outworked, and overwhelmed from the opening puck drop.
Florida out-attempted them 33-12 in the first period alone and, luckily, only carried a 1-0 lead into the second intermission. Then came the avalanche with three Panthers goals in under eight minutes during the middle frame, turning a one-goal game into a blowout with the Leafs not knowing what hit them.
As a result, Florida would cruise to a 6-1 win, their third straight victory in the series, putting Toronto in a 3-2 hole heading into Game 6 on the road.
“First period, they outskated us, really. They had the puck and won the races. Like, we just played slow. They were fast, they were on us, they were hungrier,” said head coach Craig Berube post-game. “That's the first period. And that sets the tone for the game… We all got to be better, myself included."
Joseph Woll did his best to hold down the fort early but was eventually pulled in the third after surrendering five goals. Matt Murray entered in relief, though by then, the damage had already been done in his first postseason appearance in 1,743 days. The Leafs’ sloppiness and turnovers allowed the Panthers to pounce.
So when members of the Leafs hear the boos, what’s going through their heads?
“Play better,” said veteran defenseman Chris Tanev. “I’ll take responsibility. I need to be better.”
“It is what it is. I'm not focused on that. You focus on the team and what you can do out there. Like I said, it wasn't good enough from our standpoint. That's what happens,” added Mitch Marner.
'What Are They Going To Do?': Maple Leafs Dismiss Panthers’ Retaliation Threat After Emotional Game 4 FinishToronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi was not in the mood to discuss the $5,000 fine he received from the NHL for his hit on Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov at the end of his club's 2-0 loss to the Florida Panthers at the end of Game 4.
We’ve seen jerseys thrown onto the ice before, but it’s more of a rare sight in a Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and one that underscored the frustration of a fan base that had watched its team go from up 2-0 in the series to the verge of a second-round exit in under a week. What should’ve been a rowdy home-ice atmosphere instead turned into a quiet, half-empty building by the midway point of the final frame.
It was a letdown.
An Auston Matthews jersey was just thrown on the ice at Scotiabank Arena. pic.twitter.com/lLP1pfpRFl
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 15, 2025
“I don't think anyone's happy about it. Time to reset, refocus, and be ready… You realize that it wasn't close to good enough. You flush it down the toilet,” said Marner.
The Leafs head back to Sunrise for Game 6 on Friday, needing a win to keep their season alive. If they can extend the series, they’ll return to Scotiabank Arena for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday and a chance to redeem themselves in front of their home crowd.
“We've been a great road team all season long. There's always going to be a belief in this group and the confidence in this group from what we built off throughout the year,” Matthews explained. “So we've got to go into this game with confidence, and it's going to be our best game of the year.”
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Celtics vs. Knicks Game 5: Too much Jaylen Brown and… Luke Kornet? Celtics win, force Game 6
Through the first four games of this series, Kristaps Porzingis struggled with his health and game. He was shooting 27.8% (and 20% from 3), was not a defensive presence in the paint, and was generally just a step slow while playing through a respiratory issue.
Shorthanded without Jayson Tatum, Joe Mazzulla tried to stick with him and started Porzingis next to Al Horford in Game 5, but by the middle of the second quarter Porzingis was -14. That's when Mazzulla essentially benched him — and Luke Kornett was everything Boston needed. He was a defensive force with seven blocked shots, plus he scored 10 points.
KORNET WAS KEY
— NBA (@NBA) May 15, 2025
Watch all SEVEN of his blocks... to go along with 10 points (5-5 fgm) and 9 rebounds in the @celtics W https://t.co/66dzWG3Uj2pic.twitter.com/40ryJ9WWAG
Combine Kornet with the Jaylen Brown from last playoffs — 26 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds — and the Celtics pulled away in the third quarter and cruised to a 127-102 win.
That win extended the Celtics' season and forced a Game 6 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. New York still leads the series 3-2 and can earn its first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years with a win.
The game changed in the third quarter when the Celtics didn't just settle for 3-pointers and started getting downhill in the paint and started drawing fouls. Boston got to the free-throw line 18 times in the third quarter, and Jalen Brunson picked up four fouls, limiting his impact. Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were in foul trouble and on the bench watching Boston get out and run off the 16 missed Knicks shots that quarter (4-of-20).
Boston was moving the ball, not settling for isolation shots in a crowd, and getting downhill. This was the Celtics offense their fans had been waiting to see — Derrick White finished with 34 points, Brown 26 and Payton Pritchard 17 off the bench.
CELTICS FIGHT BACK AT HOME TO KEEP THE SEASON ALIVE ☘️
— NBA (@NBA) May 15, 2025
Derrick White: 34 PTS, 7 3PM, 3 BLK
Jaylen Brown: 26 PTS, 12 AST, 8 REB
NYK leads 3-2 | G6: Friday, 8pm/et, ESPN pic.twitter.com/MSHu1gYiCh
The Celtics shot the rock well all night — they shot 50% overall in the first half and were 12-of-25 on 3s, with White and Brown leading the way with a combined 36 points. The concern was that despite all that, the game was tied at halftime and the Knicks had been the better team down the stretch this series.
Not on Wednesday. Even without Tatum — who is out for the series after rupturing his Achilles in Game 4 — the Celtics played their best game of the series.
Now they have to do it two more times to advance. Whether Boston can sustain that level of execution without Tatum is the question.
Clay Holmes allows pair of two-run homers, Mets' bats silenced in 4-0 loss to Pirates
Clay Holmes surrendered a pair of two-run home runs, and the Mets' bats got blanked by the Pirates in a 4-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night at Citi Field.
On a dreary, rainy spring night, Holmes never really looked comfortable on the hill, and his teammates couldn’t pick him up in the batter’s box as New York went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base.
The Mets (28-16) took two of three from the Pirates (15-29) and had chances to make the visitors sweat, but managed just six singles in their fifth home loss out of 22 games. This was the second time they had been shut out this year.
Here are the takeaways...
-Holmes, making his first start on four days' rest of the year, retired the first five he faced before allowing a bloop single to left in the second. And after getting ahead 0-2 to Matt Gorski, the rain went from falling lightly to a downpour. Holmes, who was leaving some offspeed pitches up in the inning, had a 3-2 sweeper hang right over the plate and Gorski cranked it 407 feet to left for a two-run homer.
In addition to the rough luck on pitching through a tremendous cloudburst of rain, Holmes may have gotten squeezed by home plate umpire Carlos Torres on two off-speed pitches at the top of the zone to Gorski.
Holmes rebounded for a streak of six-straight retired before a pair of two-out singles in the fourth brought Gorski to the plate. But Luisangel Acuña was able to make a fine play at second on a slow roller up the middle to end the threat.
Pittsburgh doubled the lead in the fifth on Ji Hwan Bae's beautifully executed drag bunt (38.9 mph off the bat) and Jared Triolo smacking a sinker that was up in the zone to left for a two-run shot (104.7 mph). A bloop single and walk gave them two on with one away, but Holmes got Joey Bart to bounce into a 5-4-3 twin-killing to avoid further damage.
Holmes saved his best inning for last, getting a pair of strikeouts in a perfect sixth. His final line: 6.0 innings, four runs, seven hits, one walk, four strikeouts on 90 pitches (60 strikes). His average velocity was down on his sinker by nearly a mph, and his spin rate was down on his slider and sweeper.
- The Mets had chances to get the starter a cushion early off Pirates starter Bailey Falter as Mark Vientos singled and Pete Alonso worked a 10-pitch walk with one out. Starling Marte worked an eight-pitch walk with two outs to load the bases, but on the left-hander’s 32nd pitch of the inning, Luis Torrens went down swinging on a high slider.
New York, down pair, had the chance to get back into it with singles by Brandon Nimmo and Torrens in the fourth. And after Acuña worked a two-out walk, the bases were loaded again. New Pirates skipper Don Kelly summoned right-hander Chase Shugart from the bullpen and Carlos Mendoza decided to stick with José Azócar rather than an early pinch-hitter. Azócar hit a first-pitch lazy fly to center to leave ‘em loaded again.
- Alonso yanked a ball to left with two down in the fifth and was smelling a double, but while he beat the throw, he slid off the bag and Adam Frazier maintained the tag to end the inning. He finished the day 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Génesis Cabrera notched two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 seventh, getting five whiffs on eight swings. The eighth inning was less easy as a leadoff walk and back-to-back one-out singles loaded the bases. But he blew a fastball past Isiah Kiner-Falefa and got Gorski to pop out to second.
Dedniel Núñez needed 13 pitches (seven strikes) for a clean ninth with a strikeout.
- Brett Baty entered as a pinch-hitter for Tyrone Taylor, who is in a 0-for-9 funk, to start the seventh and lined a ball 106.1 mph directly into the glove of Pittsburgh reliever Tanner Rainey. It was that kinda night.
Jeff McNeil, pinch-hitting for Azócar with two down in the inning, rocketed the Mets’ fifth hit (all singles) through the right side of the infield, but moved no further.
As a result of those moves, Acuña moved out to center for his first taste there in the majors after playing there 35 times in the minors. Of course, he did not get tested by anything hit his way. (Baty went to second, and McNeil to right.)
- In the last of the ninth, Marte pulled a leadoff single to left, but after Torrens popped out in foul territory to first, Baty clobbed a ball two steps in front of the wall in center and Acuña hit one to the warning track to end the game with a pair of loud outs.
Baty’s drive (401 feet, 105.9 mph) would have left seven ballparks. Acuña’s (391 feet, 104.8 mph) would have left just one.
- Vientos, the night after an adventure at third, was back on the horse and made a good play cutting across Lindor and making a running throw in the first, and dealt with the wet conditions very well, handling several balls hit to the hot corner.
He finished 1-for-4 with a strikeout at the plate.
- Juan Soto was given the day off to give him an added day of rest ahead of the Weekend’s Subway Series game in The Bronx. Azócar got the start for him in right, worked a walk his first time up, but got picked off by the lefty. He finished the day 0-for-1
- The start of the game was delayed 15 minutes by rain, and rain fell throughout the game. The bottom of the second was delayed by nearly 10 minutes as the grounds crew tried to remove numerous wet spots on the infield from a deluge during the top half of the inning.
What's next
The Mets have Thursday off before they open up the first Subway Series of the season on Friday night in The Bronx.
Right-hander Tylor Megill (3.10 ERA, 1.254 WHIP in 40.2 innings) gets the ball for the visitors and left-hander Carlos Rodon (3.29 ERA, 0.970 WHIP in 54.2 innings) will start for the Yankees.
Former Penguins Goaltender Makes First Playoff Appearance Since 2020
It's safe to say that things did not go well for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their lackluster 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
But there was a small treat for Pittsburgh Penguins fans.
Former Penguins' goaltender and two-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray entered the game in the third period to replace Leafs starter Joseph Woll, who surrendered five goals on 25 shots. It marks Murray's first playoff appearance since Aug. 5, 2020 as a member of the Penguins during the play-in round against the Montreal Canadiens that year.
Murray allowed a power-play goal to Panthers forward Sam Bennett and stopped six of seven Florida shots in relief of Woll.
The 30-year-old Thunder Bay, Ontario native was selected by the Penguins in the third round (83rd overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. He stormed onto the scene for the Penguins just prior to the 2016 playoffs, filling in for an injured Marc-Andre Fleury during Pittsburgh's final 13 games of the regular season.
In those 13 games, he posted a 9-2-1 record and a .930 save percentage, which earned him the starting nod for the Penguins during the postseason. During the 2016 playoffs, he went 15-6 with a .923 save percentage and one shutout to lead the Penguins to a Stanley Cup championship.
Former Penguin Marc-Andre Fleury Named To NHL Quarter-Century TeamTwo days after Pittsburgh Penguins' forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were named to the NHL Quarter-Century Team, another longtime former teammate will be joining them.
Technically still a rookie in 2017, Murray helped the Penguins go back-to-back in 2017. After an injury kept him out in the earlier rounds, he came back strong for the remainder of the playoffs, starting 10 games with a 7-3 record and a whopping .937 save percentage en route to his second Cup as an NHL rookie.
Murray saw his fair share of struggles in subsequent seasons, which led to his eventual trade to the Ottawa Senators during the 2020 NHL Draft. He was later traded to the Leafs in 2022 and re-signed to a one-year contract for the 2024-25 season after missing the entirety of 2023-24 to double-hip surgery.
Over the course of his 274-game NHL career, Murray is 147-87-24 with a .910 save percentage.
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Two-Time Cup Champ Matt Murray Subs In For Leafs In First NHL Playoff Game Since 2020
Matt Murray is back in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The 30-year-old played for the Toronto Maple Leafs in relief of Joseph Woll during the third period of Game 5 against the Florida Panthers. Woll allowed five goals on 25 shots in an eventual 6-1 Panthers win.
This is Murray's first NHL post-season game since Aug. 5, 2020, when he was part of the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the qualification round during the COVID-19 bubble playoffs. Murray's last playoff game under the regular 16-team format was on April 16, 2019, against the New York Islanders.
Murray emerged as a key part of the Penguins' Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017 at the beginning of his NHL career.
In 2015-16, Murray only played 13 regular-season games but had a 9-2-1 record, 2.00 goals-against average and .930 save percentage. He got starting duties for most of the playoffs, winning 15 of the 16 games needed to win the Cup in 21 games and recording a 2.08 GAA and .923 SP.
In 2016-17, Marc-Andre Fleury was the starter until midway through the Eastern Conference final against the Ottawa Senators. Murray replaced Fleury during Game 3 of that series and had a 1.70 GAA and .937 SP for a 7-3 record en route to back-to-back championships.
But since Murray's last post-season game, the Penguins traded him to the Senators in the summer of 2020. He played 47 games for the Sens across two seasons, winning 15 games in that span.
The Senators then traded Murray, a third-round draft pick and a seventh-rounder to the Maple Leafs in July 2022 in exchange for future considerations.
Murray has dealt with numerous injuries during this time, including to his head, neck, abductor, ankle and hip. He only played three games in the 2023-24 season, which came in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies.
But in 2024-25, Murray appeared in 21 games for the Marlies, going 10-5-4 with a 1.72 GAA and .934 SP. On Dec. 20, 2024, he played his first NHL game since April 2, 2023. He stopped 24 of 27 shots for a win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Murray's return to the post-season came under less-than-ideal circumstances for the Leafs, however.
Bobrovsky, Panthers push Maple Leafs to brink with dominant Game 5 victoryThe Florida Panthers just completed a pretty successful business trip.
The Maple Leafs advanced to the second round for the second time since 2004 when they eliminated the Senators in six games. They then won their first two games against the Panthers.
In Game 1 of the series, Anthony Stolarz left the game shortly after taking a shot and an elbow to the head, and he's been out since with an undisclosed injury. Woll took over starting duties, while Murray backed up for Games 2, 4 and 5.
With a chance to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, the Leafs lost Games 3 and 4 to the Panthers. And with the series at 2-2, Florida scored five unanswered goals in Game 5 in Toronto. When Murray replaced Woll, he conceded another goal to make the score 6-0 for Florida but stopped six of seven shots.
Regardless of the score, Murray's return to the playoffs required a lot of recovery and work. That made his appearance one of the few positive points of the Maple Leafs' night.
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Bobrovsky, Panthers push Maple Leafs to brink with dominant Game 5 victory
The Florida Panthers just completed a pretty successful business trip.
Florida picked up their third straight win, taking down the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5 of their second-round series by a final score of 6-1.
Now the Panthers head back to South Florida with a 3-2 series lead and a chance to eliminate Toronto on Friday night in Sunrise.
There were no shots on goal and only one whistle in the game’s first five minutes as the teams appeared to be trying to feel one another out.
Both goaltenders would be called upon to make big saves in the shifts that followed, though.
First it was Sergei Bobrovsky stopping William Nylander on a breakaway that Gus Forsling may have helped with on the backcheck, then Joseph Woll made a snappy glove save on Sam Reinhart about a minute later.
Florida picked up the first goal of the game on a great shift by their top line.
After Woll made a couple strong saves on Jesper Boqvist and Sam Reinhart, the puck found its way to the stick of Aaron Ekblad.
He fired a shot over Woll’s blocker and into the top corner of the net, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead with just over five minutes left in the period.
It was six minutes into the middle frame that Florida doubled their lead.
After killing off a Maple Leafs power play, the Panthers slowly began to take control of the pace again.
A point shot from Dmitry Kulikov hit Leafs’ forward Scott Laughton as it bounded past Woll at the 6:08 mark of the second period.
Less than four minutes later, Jesper Boqvist finished off a perfect cross-ice pass from Sam Reinhart to expand Florida’s lead to three.
Another Panthers defenseman picked up his first goal of the playoffs about four minutes after that, as this time it was Niko Mikkola blasting a shot under Woll’s glove.
With just under six minutes left in the second period, Florida was suddenly up by four.
Joining the mix of players picking up their first goal of the playoffs was A.J. Greer.
He found a loose puck at the top of the goal crease and slammed it past a sprawling Woll, pushing Florida’s lead to 5-0 and sending Woll to the showers early.
He was replaced by veteran goaltender Matt Murray for the remainder of the night.
A Sam Bennett power play goal with 10:50 to go gave Florida a 6-0 lead, leading to an even louder chorus of boos than we heard after the Greer goal.
Nick Robertson runed Bobrovsky's shutout with just over a minute to go, not that it's going to bother Bob at all.
The Cats clearly have all the momentum on their side, and now head home with a chance to advance to their third straight conference final if they can pick up a victory on Friday.
On to Game 6.
QUICK THOUGHTS
Bobrovsky's shutout streak lasted 1:47:58, stretching from the end of Game 3 to the end of Game 5.
Ekblad is riding a five-game point streak, with two goals and four assists during the run.
Reinhart’s pair of assists gave him ten points in 10 playoff games.
Filling in for an injured Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist picked up his first point of the postseason on Ekblad’s goal. Then he scored his first goal of the playoffs about an hour later.
Kulikov has two points over his past three games.
Matthew Takchuk has assists in three straight games after dishing out a helper on Kulikov’s goal.
Picking up an assist on Greer’s goal, Nate Schmidt has three points over his past five games.
Bennett has four goals and five points over his past six outings.
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Knicks fail to close out Celtics after poor second half, fall 127-102 in Game 5
The Knicks were flat in the second half as the Celtics beat New York, 127-102, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Boston, without Jayson Tatum, forced a Game 6, still down 3-2 in the series, heading back to New York. They are 10-2 this season with Tatum. The Knicks' five-game road winning streak was snapped as they will look to close out a series at home for the first time since 1999 on Friday.
Here are the takeaways...
-With Tatum out with a ruptured Achilles, the Celtics put Kristaps Porzingis in the starting lineup, looking for offense from their big man. However, he had just one point on 0-for-3 shooting in the first quarter -- and saw a combined 12 minutes on the court for the rest of the game. Derrick White pulled his weight, though, hitting four three-pointers en route to scoring 14 points in the opening frame. Boston was 7-for-15 from three in the first quarter, which helped them stave off a 7-0 Knicks run with a 10-2 run of their own fueled by defense and offensive rebounding.
For the Knicks, they capitalized on defense by forcing five Celtics turnovers and lived in the mid-range. Mitchell Robinson also provided six points in the first quarter while hitting 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Yes, he was perfect from the line in the first quarter. Mikal Bridges led the team with seven points on 3-of-6 shooting while the rest of the team provided a balanced attack.
There was a stoppage of play with 3:30 left in the first when Josh Hart went up for a layup but Luke Kornet elbowed him above the eye, incidentally, that drew blood. Trainers had to stop the blood and bandage Hart up while he had to change his top and shorts.
-Karl-Anthony Towns scored five quick points to start the second quarter, but would pick up his third foul with 10 minutes to go in the first half. Coach Tom Thibodeau had to relegate his big man to the bench. But Robinson played a huge role in the second quarter -- and the first half. In 15 minutes, the center scored six points and came down with 11 rebounds (six offensive).
The Knicks got major contributions from the bench in the second quarter, going up by as much as nine points thanks to Miles McBride and Cameron Payne while Jalen Brunson was on the bench to start the frame. However, the Celtics would go on a 13-2 run to take a lead of their own before both teams began shooting lights out from all over the court.
New York shot 45 percent in the quarter while the Celtics shot 56 percent, including 5-for-10 from three. Jaylen Brown was the star of the second, scoring 12 of his 17 first-half points. Both teams went into halftime tied at 59-59.
-It was physical and a bit chippy in the first half, but it got really chippy at the start of the third quarter as Hart and Brown got into a shoving match after a Brown foul in the first couple of minutes.
Boston made it a point to drive to the basket and got the Knicks in the penalty with eight minutes and change left. They took 18 free throws in the quarter alone. However, the Celtics were 17-for-26 from the line through three.
But it wasn't just their offense; Boston's defense made the Knicks' offense seem out of sorts. Taking awkward shots and forcing turnovers. Both led to a 16-3 run that gave the Celtics a 14-point lead. Brunson would pick up his fifth foul with three minutes left in the quarter while KAT sat on the bench with four fouls.
Boston outscored the Knicks 32-17 in the frame.
-The fourth started much like the third, with the Celtics making threes and contesting every Knicks shot with relentless defense, pushing their lead to 22 points. Brunson started the frame with the five fouls and consistently drew fouls while driving to the hoop. However, the Knicks' defense was not up to snuff. Allowing open threes and the Celtics to outrebound them.
Brunson's night would be cut short after picking up his sixth foul with a little more than seven minutes remaining in the game. Without their captain, the Knicks slowly but surely wilted away before Thibodeau waved the white flag with less than three minutes remaining and the Celtics up 26 points.
-Brunson scored 22 points in 32 minutes before fouling out, while Hart provided 24 points -- making five threes -- coming down with seven rebounds and dishing two assists. OG Anunoby scored just six points on 1-of-12 shooting, had eight rebounds and two assists. Towns scored 19 points and had eight rebounds while Bridges, after a quick start, scored just nine points on 4-of-14 shooting.
-White had a game-high 34 points and made seven threes, while Brown had the best performance. His 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting, 12 assists, eight rebounds and a steal helped calm the Celtics without their best player. Al Horford (12 points), Jrue Holiday (14) contributed starting while Payton Pritchard (17) and Kornet (10) came up big off the bench. Kornet in particular was huge, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking seven shots.
Boston shot 52 percent from the field and 46 percent (21-46) from three.
Game MVP: Jaylen Brown
With Tatum down, last year's Finals MVP had to step up and he did on both ends of the floor. He was a game-high plus-28 on the court.
Highlights
Mikal Bridges with the first points of Game 5 💪
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/hd9spL2ox3
Mitchell Robinson makes a pair of free throws as the Celtics go to Hack-A-Mitch pic.twitter.com/zP4xEYuzS6
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
DEUUUUUCCCCCCCEEEEEE
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/cki9pM6UKR
Brunson ➡️ Bridges before the buzzer!
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/esSnFjTOwr
Jalen Brunson from deep in the corner 🎯
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 15, 2025
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/R4eZW2O9n8
What's next
The Knicks will look to close out the series at home on Friday night. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.
Halttunen Hattrick Highlights London's Game Four Win
![Kasper Halttunen playing for London [Ian Goodall/Goodall Media].](https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_hockey_news_articles_331/95c7958757102cb5a6252b24aed170e4)
The London Knights won game four of the OHL Final in dominant fashion, defeating the Oshawa Generals 6-2. A pair of San Jose Sharks prospects factored heavily into the Knights' victory.
They say heavy is the head that wears the crown, and yet the reigning J. Ross Robertson Cup champions are cruising through the OHL Final.
After losing game one of the series to Oshawa, London has responded with three emphatic wins. In all three games, they've scored 5-plus goals while averaging 32 shots on goal.
"We played about as close to a perfect 60 as we could," said Sam Dickinson about game four. " We're happy to get the win."
While game three featured an intense pushback from the Generals in the third period, game four was an entirely different story.
London came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. They ended up outshooting the Generals 17-6 in the opening frame, though they were unable to register a goal.
The game went completely off the rails for the Generals in the second period as London scored five goals. The majority of the damage was done by San Jose Sharks prospects Dickinson and Kasper Halttunen, who each recorded a pair of goals during the period.
Halttunen picked up a third goal midway through the third period, giving hattricks in back-to-back games, and seven goals in the series.
"He [Halttunen] has got the best shot in the OHL, he's probably the best goal scorer in the OHL," said Dickinson. "It's a lot easier giving the puck to him knowing he's almost always going to have a good chance of putting it in the net."
Dickinson added a pair of assists to the goals he scored, giving him four points at the end of the night. In doing so, he set a franchise record for most playoff points scored by a defenseman with 50. He surpassed Dennis Wideman, who previously held the record with 46.
What's wild is this isn't even the first franchise record he set this year. By finishing the regular season with 91 points, he also set a franchise record for most points scored by a defender in a single season, beating out the previous record (87) held by Edmonton Oilers blue liner Evan Bouchard.
Between Dickinson and Halttunen, San Jose Sharks fans are sure to be the envy of many NHL franchises in the near future, and that doesn't even get into other prospects like Quentin Musty, who also spent the year in the OHL.
By winning games three and four in Oshawa, the Knights have taken a stranglehold on the series and put the Generals in a very awkward position. For Oshawa to mount a comeback, they would need to beat London three times in a row while winning a pair of games on the road.
For reference, London only lost back-to-back games once during the regular season and never dropped three games in a row. While this is junior hockey and anything can happen, it seems nearly impossible that Oshawa will beat this London team three times in a row.
In an interesting turn of events, London has the opportunity to win the championship on home ice. Last year, they swept the Generals and won the final game of the series on the road, something that has been a bit of a pattern for the Knights.
Game five will take place tomorrow evening with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The Generals will be looking to force a game six back in Oshawa on Saturday.