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'I Haven't Had That Much Fun In A Long Time': James Reimer Reflects On First Maple Leafs Practice in 9 Years And When He May Play

James Reimer stepped onto the ice in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey for the first time in over nine years on Saturday and the veteran NHL goaltender couldn't stop smiling from ear-to-ear.

"I haven't had that much fun in a long time. And so it's been a special experience to be back here," Reimer said one day after signing with the Leafs on a professional tryout.  "A lot of memories and a lot of good emotions. And really enjoying the moment and just enjoying being back. It's a lot of fun."

Reimer, wearing the No. 47 he had worn with several other NHL teams, had a brand new paint job on his mask and revealed that his agent had been talking to Leafs GM Brad Treliving for a few days before they put pen to paper on the official PTO on Friday.

Treliving kept his eyes peeled on Reimer's performance for most of Toronto's practice on Saturday. With goaltender Joseph Woll on an indefinite leave to tend to a personal matter, Reimer could be a potential No. 3 or No. 2 option behind goaltenders Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby. It sounds like there are no promises made as to where this goes for Reimer, who rose within the Leafs ranks early in his NHL career and played the first 207 games of his 525-game career in Toronto.

'We're All Here For Him': Maple Leafs React To Joseph Woll Taking A Personal Leave of Absence, Lend Support'We're All Here For Him': Maple Leafs React To Joseph Woll Taking A Personal Leave of Absence, Lend SupportThe Toronto Maple Leafs revealed some unexpected news on Tuesday when they announced that goaltender Joseph Woll had stepped away to deal with a personal family issue.

Reimer reflected on what the city and organization mean to him, through the mostly good times, while also joking about the bad.

"This is where the whole thing got going. So, yeah, it's a special city," Reimer said. "It's the greatest game on earth and the greatest city to play the game. I got so many good memories. I'm sure there were some bad memories in there. I don't remember any of them. I'm sure nobody else does either."

Reimer's last year in the NHL was the most difficult of his career. Limited to 24 games, Reimer started the 2024-25 season with the Buffalo Sabres but was waived before the regular season began. The Anaheim Ducks claimed Reimer, and he would go on to play two games before the Ducks waived him and Buffalo reclaimed the goaltender.

After all of the criss-crossing, Reimer certainly took time to contemplate retirement this summer. 

"The way last year ended, I'm really happy with how my career has gone, and I have a lot of contentment with what I've done so far," Reimer said. "Having said that, I took some time after the season to kind of feel it out and kind of see if I wanted to keep playing or not. And it became pretty clear early on in the summer that I still love the game and I still love to compete.

"And so I just ran with that feeling where if I was going to prepare myself and if the right opportunity came, then I was going to get ready to seize it and be prepared and not have prepared for it. So, yeah, I just had a lot of faith and trust that if something was going to happen, it was going to happen. So I just kept training like something was going to, and then until the time when I decided to not. And that time hadn't come yet. So when this came, it felt like something I should jump on and see where it takes us."

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said they haven't figured out a plan for if the 37-year-old goaltender will get into any pre-season games, noting that the goalie has to get up to speed.

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Mets place Brett Baty on IL with oblique injury; status for potential postseason to be determined

The Mets and Brett Baty were hoping for a different outcome, but the team decided to place the young infielder on the IL on Saturday, ending his season.

Baty injured himself on a swing-and-miss in the first inning. He would finish the at-bat and took the field, making an across-the-body throw to first base on a slow grounder to end the inning. That swing and the play in the infield were enough for Baty to speak with the coaches and training staff in the dugout between innings, and he was pulled for Ronny Mauricio to start the second. 

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Baty came to the stadium Saturday and he was tested and even got into the cages to swing a bat. Unfortunately,  Baty still felt his oblique while swinging and the team decided to shut him down.

“We’re looking at a guy who established himself in the everyday lineup, third base, second base. What he was able to provide for us, offensively, defensively," Mendoza said of Baty's impact on the team this season. "It's a big blow, but we've got other guys that are going to get an opportunity and they're going to have to step up."

Mendoza confirmed that Baty will undergo an MRI to see the severity of the injury, which would determine his availability if the Mets make the postseason.

The Mets enter Saturday's game needing a win and some help from the Milwaukee Brewers. A loss and a Reds win will eliminate the Mets from postseason contention. With two games to go, they need to win one more game than Cincinnati to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Baty was asked after Saturday's announcement how it felt not being able to play and help the team in their race for the postseason.

"It hurts a lot," he said. "But I'm going to root on my teammates and we're going to try to go to the postseason today and tomorrow."The Mets recalled Jared Young to take Baty's spot on the team for the final two games.

The 25-year-old infielder has had a breakout season with the Mets. He's slashing .254/.313/.435 with an OPS of .748 with 18 home runs and 50 RBI. All of those are career-highs for the infielder. Baty has also excelled at his natural position at third base and at second, giving him more versatility for Mendoza to use.

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NHL Goalies Who May Be More Important To Their Teams Than Expected

Anything can happen during a season in any sport. In an NHL season, players go through injuries, dips in form, off-ice issues and other instances that can affect their campaign.

All these different situations are all the more sensitive for goaltenders. Everyone understands teams usually can’t win without a great goaltender between the pipes. However, no one can control fate, and it forces others to step up to the plate.

Here are NHL goaltenders who may become very important at work and could be up to the task.

Leevi Merilainen, Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators fans should prepare to see a lot of Leevi Merilainen this season. He’s shown great promise in his young NHL career so far.

Merilainen, 23, has played in 14 career NHL games, starting in 13 of those contests. Last season, he was a key contributor to helping the Senators get into the playoffs. In 11 starts, Meilainen put up a .925 save percentage and a 1.99 goals against average.

While it’s a short sample size, the Finnish netminder had multiple show-stopping performances, including three shutouts.

If Merilainen continues where he left off next season, not only will he put plenty of pressure on Linus Ullmark, but if Ullmark drops in form, he could be at risk of losing games to Merilainen.

While Ullmark is Ottawa’s starting goaltender, there’s a history of the former Vezina Trophy winner underperforming in the playoffs. If playoff-Ullmark leaks into the regular season, it may not be long before coach Travis Green calls upon Merilainen more often than expected.

Could Ottawa Senators Goalie Leevi Merilainen Earn Some Calder Trophy Love This Season?Could Ottawa Senators Goalie Leevi Merilainen Earn Some Calder Trophy Love This Season?It would appear that the Ottawa Senators will begin the 2025-26 season with a legitimate NHL Rookie of the Year candidate. That candidate is goaltender Leevi Meriläinen, who just turned 23 last month.

Jet Greaves, Columbus Blue Jackets

Jet Greaves has been a standout goaltender in the AHL, especially last season, when he recorded a .920 SP and 2.62 GAA in 40 games with the Cleveland Monsters. 

He made 11 appearances for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season and really impressed in his final five outings of the campaign. In that stretch, he recorded two shutouts and never registered a save percentage under .950 percent. In fact, he featured in back-to-back games because of his performances - something that rarely happens in today’s NHL.

At this point, the only goalie in the way of Greaves becoming an outright starter is Elvis Merzlikins. Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason will likely have Greaves and Merzlikins as a tandem and let it play out organically from there.

Merzlikins seems to be happy with the current goaltending situation in Columbus when he spoke to reporters at training camp about being a tandem.

“I think it’s great,” the Latvian netminder said. “I remember myself with (Joonas Korpisalo) together, we were No. 1s, both of us, and that helped us a lot.”

“We were helping each other. There were nights I was taking off and (Korpisalo) was doing great and we were winning, and then (Korpisalo) was taking off, and I was doing good, and we were winning the games. That’s really good on a hockey team to have two solid goalies because the season is long.”

Only time will tell who gets most of the games. Performances and player form can easily swing in any direction. However, it’s worth noting that Merzlikins hasn’t averaged over a .900 SP in the last three seasons, hinting that Greaves could edge him out in 2025-26.

Jonas Johansson, Tampa Bay Lightning

Jonas Johansson hasn’t been the hottest of goaltenders for the Tampa Bay Lightning. But with Andrei Vasilevskiy’s recent injury issues, he might have to get into a groove quickly.

Since Sept. 19, Vasilevskiy hasn’t participated in any Lightning practices as he’s been dealing with an undisclosed injury. Nonetheless, reports say that the two-time Stanley Cup champion is expected to return to practice soon and to be back for opening night of the regular season.

Even if and when Vasilevskiy returns, health will remain a worry. Around this time two years ago, the Russian netminder required surgery for his back to treat a lumbar disk herniation. He was sidelined for 10 weeks and went on to have the worst season of his career, statistically.

He had a huge bounce-back season last year, putting up a .921 SP and a 2.18 GAA, ultimately one of the best campaigns of his 11-year career.

However, with another injury in the air, maybe Johansson should expect the worst and be prepared to feature in more contests than he may have anticipated.

Joel Blomqvist/Arturs Silovs, Pittsburgh Penguins

Last season was a year to forget for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ starting goaltender, Tristan Jarry. He ended the season with a 3.09 GAA and .893 SP, and at one point, he was sent down to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after clearing waivers.

Joel Blomqvist was one goaltender who stepped in for the Penguins, making his first 15 appearances in the NHL as a 23-year-old. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the answer with his .885 SP and 3.81 GAA. 

Nonetheless, he’s still a promising goalie, who still put up an impressive .914 SP and 2.84 GAA in 18 AHL games last year. Although recent reports say he'll be out for at least a month with a lower-body injury.

Nonetheless, alongside Blomqvist is Arturs Silovs, who was traded to the Penguins in the off-season. Silovs spent the last few years in the Vancouver Canucks organization. He made headlines in the 2023-24 playoffs when he suited up for the Canucks for 10 games as a rookie. He was a big reason why Vancouver advanced in the first round against the Nashville Predators.

While Silovs hasn’t really been consistent aside from that post-season, he may still be looked upon to be the main man in the crease for Pittsburgh. The goaltending situation with the Pens is far from solidified, and whoever decides to take the reins will likely keep it for some time.

Kevin Lankinen and Arturs Silovs (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)

Kevin Lankinen, Vancouver Canucks

Thatcher Demko missed a lot of time last season because of a torn popliteus muscle that destabilized his knee. He wasn’t available from the start of the 2024-25 campaign until December. 

In the meantime, Kevin Lankinen came to the rescue for the Canucks. Before Demko could return, Lankinen had already recorded two shutouts and helped maintain a playoff position. Furthermore, on Dec. 1, Vancouver was third in the Pacific Division, ahead of the Edmonton Oilers, and was just four points off the division leaders, the Vegas Golden Knights, with two games in hand.

Lankinen finished the year with 51 appearances, a 2.62 GAA, a .902 SP and four shutouts. It’s no secret that Demko’s health and performance will be watched closely, and if he can’t come through like last season, Lankinen will need to get to work.

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Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu leads South Africa to nine-try rout of Argentina

  • South Africa 67-30 Argentina

  • Feinberg-Mngomezulu bags record 37 points

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored 37 points in a stunning individual fly-half display as South Africa moved to the top of the Rugby Championship table with a 67-30 bonus-point victory over Argentina at Kings Park.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored a hat-trick of tries as he beat Percy Montgomery’s Springboks record for most points in a single Test, to go with scores for the hooker Malcolm Marx, the wing Cheslin Kolbe, the scrum-half Morné van den Berg, the flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit (two) and the replacement back Manie Libbok.

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Letters to Sports: Dodgers just can't get no consistent relief

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki, of Japan, warms up during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki made his return to the mound Wednesday as a reliever with some success. The team might have to count on him in the playoffs with a struggling bullpen. (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)

I hear they are soon releasing the movie "Groundhog Day II" in which Bill Murray portrays a Dodgers relief pitcher named “Tanner Treinen.” Every day he comes into a game in the seventh inning after the starter has pitched six innings of brilliant shutout ball and every day he gives up a combination of a bunch of walks with a couple timely hits to lose the game while his manager sits silently in the dugout with a blank look on his face. Don’t miss it!

Alan Abajian
Alta Loma

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, then Dave Roberts is clearly certifiable. His continued reliance on Blake Treinen in late-inning pressure situations is truly head-scratching.

George Pisano
Rancho Palos Verdes

And just like that Roki Sasaki could become the Dodgers' post season MVP.

Fred Wallin
Westlake Village

Talking to reporters about his bullpen, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, "Our starters can't go nine every night." Fact is, the Dodgers starters haven't gone nine innings any night. To date, they have ZERO complete games in 2025.

Rhys Thomas
Valley Glen

Down memory lane

Great article on Bill Russell by Kevin Baxter. When I watched Dodgers games in the 1970s, my favorite infielder was Steve Garvey, but thanks to Kevin Baxter's very informative article, I am now a Bill Russell fan too. Well done!

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

Stop there ...

Got very excited when I read Lakers GM Rob Pelinka declare, “We’d love if LeBron James retired …” then I noticed the last two words “with Lakers.”

Greg Nersesyan
North Hollywood

Not quite over

Yogi Berra got it right when he said "It ain't over till it's over." This was certainly true on two accounts in the Rams-Eagles game. First, thinking the Rams had it won when they went ahead 26-7 and secondly when the announcers proclaimed Joshua Karty the MVP of the game!

Mark Kaiserman
Santa Monica

Here we go again

Well, Bruin nation is once again suffering through a lost season. AD Martin Jarmond’s continued participation in a selection committee should be canceled and he should be escorted out the Westwood Avenue gates. Enough!

Felipe Hernandez
Glendale

UCLA's Martin Jarmond is more clever than I gave him credit. As is well known, the primary job of the athletic director is to pick the football coach (see Bill Plaschke column Sept 14). Jarmond, who will be paid $1.5 million per year for the next five years, has recruited five individuals who will help him do it for free. And, when it goes south he can blame them!

Jon Udell
Santa Monica

As UCLA embarks on its coaching search, some advice to the powers that be. Avoid a legacy hire at all costs. I can give you three good reasons: Karl Dorrell, Rick Neuheisel and DeShaun Foster!

Jack Wolf
Westwood

Gutty buddies?

Now that Tim Skipper is the interim UCLA football coach, perhaps his players should change their nickname from “the gutty little Bruins” to “the little buddies.”

Don Geller
Irvine

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Email: sports@latimes.com

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Detroit Defense Both Hero and Villain in 3-2 Loss to Penguins

Red Wings defender John Leonard scores twice while defensive miscues from rest of Detroit defense leads to blown two-goal lead in 3-2 loss to Penguins.

The Detroit Red Wings fell short on Thursday as they blew a 2-0 lead, eventually losing 3-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a feisty matchup between two age old rivals as the two teams combined for 32 penalty minutes including a rare preseason brawl between Pittsburgh's Connor Dewar and Detroit's Carson Bantle. The Red Wings look to rebound with their third game in three days on Saturday when taking on the Buffalo Sabres once again. 

The story of their win on Thursday was the offense and the preview of the Red Wings' potential third line for the season with Andrew Copp, Mason Appleton and Michael Rasmussen. Detroit's defense was instead the story of their matchup Friday versus the Penguins as defender John Leonard was responsible for both of the Red Wings' goals. 

The 27-year-old Massachusetts native also had his rough moments like a roughing penalty in the second and a blown coverage on a scoring chance by the Penguins in their end. This was the overarching story for the Red Wings backend on Friday as defensive lapses lead to all three of the Penguins goals. 

Justin Holl struggled defensively, failing to track a Penguins forward who broke free for a power-play breakaway. He also made poor decisions moving the puck in the second period, one of which led directly to a Penguins zone entry and another scoring chance. Antti Tuomisto had his share of trouble as well, losing track of a Penguins forward who slipped behind him for a dangerous opportunity that goaltender John Gibson had to stop. 

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Erik Gustafsson also had a tough night, committing a costly turnover in his own zone after being stripped of the puck, which led to yet another Penguins chance. On a Detroit power play, both Gustafsson and Holl were beaten by a streaking Penguins forward, who cut through them for a solo chance on net. Gustafsson also had difficulty clearing the front of the net, allowing multiple second-chance opportunities that forced Gibson to come up big. 

One of the few bright spots was Alexandre Doucet, who assisted on Leonard's first goal with a nice pass intercept and pushing the puck up to Leonard for a breakaway chance. 

The Detroit defense will look to regroup on Saturday when deploying a more veteran-focused group versus the Sabres with Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Jacob Benard-Docker, Ben Chiarot and Albert Johansson.

Red Wings Play Third Preseason Game in Three Days Saturday on the Road Against SabresRed Wings Play Third Preseason Game in Three Days Saturday on the Road Against SabresThe Red Wings play their third preseason game in three days when taking on the Buffalo Sabres. 

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Justin Verlander still optimistic about 300-win milestone after turbulent season

Justin Verlander still optimistic about 300-win milestone after turbulent season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Justin Verlander is 555 starts into his MLB career, but he has been reminded over and over again this season that the learning never stops. Verlander spent much of his summer working on mechanical adjustments to try and be more deceptive, and the endless tinkering with his slider led to a breakthrough that pushed him to new heights down the stretch. 

But in the ninth inning of his final game of the season, it was a different tweak that needed to be made. With career win No. 266 on the line, Verlander watched nervously as the Colorado Rockies put the tying run on third against closer Ryan Walker. He pulled out all the stops.

“I found a different place to sit in the locker room than I had all season,” he said, smiling. “I had a different brand of beer. I just was doing whatever I could.”

Spencer Bivens entered and got a strikeout before loading the bases. When he induced a popup down the left field line, Matt Chapman chased it down and went into the netting to end the game and clinch a 4-3 win for Verlander and the Giants. This one got him into a tie for 37th on MLB’s all-time wins list, but the Giants and Verlander would have expected a lot more if you told them in the spring that he would make 29 starts. 

When he signed a one-year contract, Verlander made no secret of the fact that he hoped this season could give him a strong shot at pursuing 300 wins. He likely will be the last pitcher to ever have a real chance at it, although that effort has taken a big hit this year. 

The win on Saturday got him to 4-11, and while he was inconsistent early, a lot of this was out of his hands. Verlander finished second in the majors with seven starts in which he left with the lead and didn’t get a win. It didn’t help that he received three or fewer runs of support in 23 of his 29 starts. 

This is the first time in his lengthy career, which reached 20 years of service time recently, that Verlander made more than 20 starts and didn’t reach double-digit wins. He admitted Saturday that his odds of reaching 300 are much lower than they were in March. He currently sits at 266. 

Verlander will turn 43 next spring, but he said he doesn’t think 300 is now “out of the question.” Still, he said, “it’s more difficult, for sure.” 

“If you make 29 starts, you’d like to win 10, 15 games,” he said. “It wasn’t in the cards this year, but maybe this year wasn’t meant to be for wins. Maybe this year was meant to be kind of for health and refinding myself and getting used to taking the ball every five or six days and just kind of going out there and being able to log some innings. Maybe that’ll carry me where I need to go. I don’t know.”

The big question now is whether the pursuit will continue in orange and black. Verlander said that while this year was a struggle at times on the field, he loved being with this group of players and in the Giants’ clubhouse. He was a willing leader, and the Giants believe his impact will be felt for years to come. But he hasn’t given much thought to what’s next. 

Between the chaos of a big league season and the fact that he and his wife, Kate Upton, had their second child this summer, there hasn’t been much time. 

“I’ve been scratching and clawing and just trying to find anything to be successful and pitch well for the San Francisco Giants,” he said. 

If Verlander wants to come back, he still would fit well. The Giants have Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Landen Roupp locked into their rotation for next year, but they need multiple options behind them to bridge the gap to any younger starters who prove ready at some point. They were reminded this season of how easy it is to run out of pitching. 

Before Verlander’s final start, manager Bob Melvin said he’s hopeful a reunion is coming, but he noted that there will be a lot more interest from others this time around. Last year, Verlander was coming off a season wrecked by a nerve issue. This year, he posted a 1.96 ERA in his final seven starts. 

Melvin wondered if Verlander has pitched well enough to get multi-year offers, even as the oldest player in the big leagues. But that might not be something Verlander wants, anyway. He said at this point of his career, he probably prefers to go year to year. 

Whether it’s in orange and black or some other color, Verlander proved in the second half that he can still get big league hitters out. That was a big question in the first half, but Verlander will head into the offseason healthy, coming off a strong month, and hopeful that the chase for 300 can gain some steam in 2026. 

Perhaps, he said, this up and down 2025 season will end up helping in an odd way.

“I’ve always said that I look back at some of the toughest moments of my career — core surgery, Tommy John — and when I look back at those now, I look back at them really fondly,” he said. “I learned so much through those processes to allow me to sustain the success that I did after those instances took place and met people that have helped me along the way. I hope and look back at this first half as the same type of thing. 

“Maybe a few years from now you get that 300th win and it’s like, ‘Man, that first half that I really grinded through in San Francisco really taught me a lot and allowed me to get where I wanted to.’ You’ve got to have that mindset.”

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Blue Jackets At Penguins Preseason Preview: Marc-Andre Fleury Returns To Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Penguins picked up their first preseason win on Friday night against the Detroit Red Wings. 

Forward Philip Tomasino got the game-winning goal with 10:06 left in the third period to lift the Penguins over the Wings. The Penguins were down 2-0 after the first period before rallying late for the win. 

They'll play their fourth preseason game on Saturday night, and it's set to be a special one. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will make his return to PPG Paints Arena in a Penguins uniform and will play the third period after fellow goaltender Sergei Murashov plays the first two periods. 

The rest of the Penguins' lineup will feature a lot of the varsity squad mixed with a few prospects. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, Kris Letang, Anthony Mantha, and Justin Brazeau will all be suiting up. Erik Karlsson, who didn't participate in the optional morning skate, is also available for this contest. 

Ville Koivunen, Avery Hayes, Filip Hallander, Benjamin Kindel, Harrison Brunicke, and Owen Pickering will get to test their mettle with these regulars.

The Blue Jackets will be going with a young lineup, but will still feature a couple of players who Penguins fans will recognize, including Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinakhov.  

Here are their full lines:

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET, and fans can watch the game on SportsNet Pittsburgh+ or NHL Network. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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Championship roundup: Coventry stay unbeaten while Blades seal first victory

  • Lampard hails ‘outstanding’ Coventry after 3-0 win

  • Sheffield United beat Oxford to secure first points

Frank Lampard hailed Coventry’s “outstanding” display after the Sky Blues saw off 10-man Birmingham 3-0 to extend their unbeaten start. Brandon Thomas-Asante opened the scoring in the first half before Jack Robinson was sent off for a second bookable offence just before the break. Coventry took full advantage as a Bright Osayi-Samuel own goal was followed by Victor Torp’s fifth goal of the campaign to round off the win.

“It was outstanding, every part of the game, 11 v 11, 11 v 10, the focus of the group, the work ethic, the desire to compete in challenges and duels against a strong team,” said Lampard. “If you want to succeed in this league you have to have big physicality and capacity. That’s one of the things we’ve worked on a lot and it’s really grown.”

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Manchester City pile misery on Burnley and Maxime Estève after two own goals

With its lightning ball-recycling that swept play left to right and then back into the area for a second Maxime Estève own goal, Manchester City’s third was a picture of their dominance under Pep Guardiola before last season’s decline.

Jérémy Doku raced inside from the left and found Phil Foden, whose instant turn-and-pass to Matheus Nunes scattered Burnley. The right-back’s cross was smacked in at velocity and Oscar Bobb’s attempt rebounded off Estève and past Martin Dubravka.

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Nketiah’s stoppage-time winner ends Liverpool’s perfect start at Crystal Palace

Could things get any better for Crystal Palace? Now the only unbeaten side left in the Premier League having stretched their run to club record 18 matches thanks to this dramatic late victory over champions Liverpool, Palace are about to embark on their first European tour when they face Dinamo Kyiv in the Conference League on Thursday and have a manager that is proving to be a bit of a genius.

Arne Slot’s expensively assembled side thought they had kept up their run of rescuing late points when Federico Chiesa equalised Ismaïla Sarr’s opener. But the winning goal came from another substitute as Eddie Nketiah’s volley in the seventh minute of stoppage time recorded their first victory against Liverpool here since November 2014 and sent the home supporters wild. While Marc Guéhi put in another faultless performance against the club that came so close to signing him earlier the month and even provided the assist for Nketiah’s clincher, above all this was a triumph for the system that has been implemented by Oliver Glasner since he arrived in south London 18 months ago. On this form, Palace are a match for anyone.

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(9-27-25) Blackhawks-Blues Preseason Gameday Lineup

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- It’s time to get a look at the big boys for the St. Louis Blues.

A number of them will make their preseason debut on Saturday when the Blues (0-1-1) play their preseason home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks (0-1-0) at 6 p.m. (stlblues.com, Blues app, ESPN 101.1-FM).

Brayden Schenn, Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, Colton Parayko, Cam Fowler, Jake Neighbours, Oskar Sundqvist and Mathieu Joseph each among those making his preseason debut for the Blues.

“We’re going to start getting more of our veteran players in,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “So we want to start seeing structure, we want to start seeing the habits and details that give us success, building towards our team identity.”

The Blues’ two games against the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets have seen a number of youthful players getting strong looks, including Justin Carbonneau, a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft (No. 19 overall) playing in his third game in as many days.

“(Otto) Stenberg has really caught my eye, (Hunter) Skinner's caught my eye, (Jakub) Stancl's caught my eye, (Juraj) Pekarcik just coming in has caught my eye, obviously the other two young first-rounders (Dalibor Dvorsky and Carbonneau) have caught my eye,” Montgomery said. “And then the other guy is (Adam) Jiricek. He's been really, really dynamic. He's going to be a good one for us.”

Why Jiricek, a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Dtaft (No. 16 overall)?

“He plays the game, doesn’t matter if it’s a practice or a game, he plays it like he’s having fun,” Montgomery said. “He loves being out there. That’s just that youthful energy. The poise he has, he reminds me of (Sergei) Zubov. The energy he has, I can’t pinpoint the defenseman right now, but he plays it more like a forward. He’s excited. He wants the puck. He wants to be a difference maker. And that’s fun to watch as a coach.”

Pekarcik, a 2023 third-round pick, he’s had some catching up to do this past week after missing the start of camp with a shoulder injury sustained at the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase but has caught on quickly.

“I feel really good right now,” Pekarcik said. “A little injury in my shoulder, but now it’s perfect and I’m ready to go.

“I feel really good on the ice. I’m trying to do my best every single day, I’m trying to improve and get something from the older guys. I’m trying to work hard every day.”

It should be a youth line with Pekarcik, who has played in one preseason game previously past season, with the left winger on a line with Dvorsky and Carbonneau.

“I’m very excited for that game; it’s going to be with ‘Dali’ and ‘Carbo,’” Pekarcik said. “I feel like we’re going to be dynamic and really good on the puck, trying our best.

“We need to play a complete game, forecheck, details, good stick on pucks. These small details make (a) big difference.”

“Pekarcik was a little banged up there to start camp, so this is an opportunity,” Montgomery said. “He’s been good this week in practice and then Carbonneau and Dvorsky, it’s another opportunity for them to show us … throughout camp, best players get better through camp. The ones that don’t, don’t end up making the team. We’re starting to see that a little bit, not with those two in particular, but we’re starting to see the difference between the guys who played and the guys who didn’t last year.”

- - -

Blues Projected Lineup:

Pavel Buchnevich-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud

Jake Neighbours-Brayden Schenn-Mathieu Joseph

Juraj Pekarcik-Dalibor Dvorsky-Justin Carbonneau

Nathan Walker-Oskar Sundqvist-Matt Luff

Cam Fowler-Colton Parayko

Corey Schueneman-Logan Mailloux

Michael Buchinger-Adam Jiricek

Jordan Binnington will start in goal and play two periods; Will Cranley will be the backup and play the third period and beyond, if necessary

- - -

Blackhawks Projected Lineup:

Colton Dach-Ryan Greene-Oliver Moore

Nick Lardis-Jackson Cates-Lukas Reichel

Ilya Mikheyev-Jason Dickinson-Sam Lafferty

Dominic Toninato-Martin Misiak-Gavin Hayes

Kevin Korchinski-Nolan Allan

Matt Grzelyck-Louis Crevier

Ethan Del Mastro-Connor Murphy

Ashton Cumby is an extra defenseman

Spencer Knight is projected to start in goal; Stanislav Berezhnoy is projected to be the backup.

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Dahlin, Thompson Listed On TSN’s Top 50

The Buffalo Sabres face the challenge of snapping a NHL-record 14-year playoff drought this season and after a summer in which the club traded away their second-leading scorer in JJ Peterka in exchange for winger Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring and made only depth additions in Justin Danforth, Conor Timmins, and Alex Lyon, the onus will be on internal development and their core players playing up to expectations. 

In TSN’s rankings of the Top 50 NHL players, Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and forward Tage Thompson are listed. 

The 2018 top pick and team captain was ranked 27th on the list after a 68-point season and an impressive performance at the 2025 NHL Four Nations Face-Off. The big Swede is a force at even-strength and tied for the club lead with 21 points on the power play, but the Sabres finished 24th in the NHL with the man advantage and will need Dahlin to be more a force at the point. ,  

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Thompson was ranked 45th on the list after bouncing back from an injury-plagued 2023-24 with a 44-goal performance last season. The main critique of the big forward is at the defensive end of the ice, which is less of a liability when playing the wing, where he was red-hot in the second half of last year. Thompson is now legitimately on the radar for Team USA for the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina after scoring the tournament winning goal in the 2025 World Championships.  

The Sabres at the start of the season appear to be opting to keep the big forward on the wing after adding center Josh Norris, but they may find it necessary to move him up the middle if Norris’s injury history reveals itself again.  

 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

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16 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #16

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 16 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #16. 

Let's take a look.

Mike Sillinger - 2002-2003 - Drafted by Detroit in 1989. 

Sillinger is best known for playing for 12 different NHL teams and being traded nine times. He played 155 games for the CBJ and had 86 points. He retired in 2008 after playing 1089 games for 12 different teams. 

Of course, nowadays, he's best known for being the father of Jackets forwards Cole and Owen Sillinger. 

Alexander Svitov - 2004-2007 - Drafted by Tampa Bay in 2001. 

Svitov played 105 games for the Jackets and had 26 points after being traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning. After playing in Columbus, the former #3 overall pick never played another NHL game.

He returned to Russia, where he would play until 2022. Svitov is now an assistant coach for Avangard Omsk in the KHL. 

Derick Brassard - 2008-2013 - Drafted by Columbus in 2006. 

Brassard was drafted 6th overall in the 2006 NHL Draft. He totaled 169 points in 309 games playing for Columbus. 

After playing over 1000 games for 10 different teams, Brassard retired in 2024. Brassard is a minority owner of the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. 

Max Domi - 2021-2022 - Drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2012. 

Domi played 107 games for the Jackets after coming over from the Montreal Canadiens in the Josh Anderson trade. He had 56 points for Columbus and then was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Since leaving Columbus, he's played for Carolina, Chicago, Dallas, and Toronto. He's played for 7 teams in 10 seasons. 

Brendan Gaunce - 2023-2024 - Drafted by Vancouver in 2012. 

Gaunce played 59 games for the Jackets and had 12 points. He served as the Cleveland Monsters Captain in 23-24 and totaled 85 points for the Monsters over three seasons.

He signed with the AHL's Iowa Wild for the 2024-25 season and recorded 29 points. However, this summer, Gaunce was traded back to the Columbus organization in exchange for Cameron Butler. Gaunce should be one of the first NHL callups should the CBJ need a player. 

There are 16 days left until opening night at NWA. Who's your favorite #16?

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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