The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder open their Western Conference finals series. Oklahoma City, the defending NBA champion, has yet to lose a game in these playoffs, sweeping the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers in the first two rounds. San Antonio beat the Portland Trail Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games and six games, respectively, to advance to the West finals.
How to watch San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Moneyline: Oklahoma City Thunder -241 (67.7%) / San Antonio Spurs +196 (32.3%)
Over/Under: 219.5
Series schedule
Game 1: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Monday May 18, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) Game 2: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Wednesday May 20, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) Game 3: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (Friday May 22, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) Game 4: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (Sunday May 24, 8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) Game 5: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Tuesday May 26, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)* Game 6: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (Thursday May 28, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)* Game 7: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Saturday May 30, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)*
May 14, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Juan Soto (22) and center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) celebrate after defeating the Detroit Tigers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Mets’ offense continued to struggle during the beginning of this meter period on their West Coast road trip with the notable exception of the one ten-run game the Mets put together at Coors Field. But the Mets righted the ship at Citi Field last week, taking series from both the Tigers and their crosstown rival Yankees. There is still a lot of red on this meter to be sure; the Mets are very banged up (and have a new injury to add to the tally this week) and there are a few players on the roster who are depth guys who shouldn’t be seeing regular big league at-bats. However, with the notable exception of Bo Bichette, the regulars that remain in the lineup have mostly turned things around and Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing are providing a much-needed injection of youth and energy.
Player
Last week
This week
Francisco Alvarez, C
Brett Baty, UTIL
Carson Benge, OF
Bo Bichette, 3B
Vidal Bruján, INF
—
A.J. Ewing, OF
—
Andy Ibáñez, INF
MJ Melendez, OF
Marcus Semien, 2B
Hayden Senger, C
—
Austin Slater, OF
Juan Soto, OF
Tyrone Taylor, OF
Luis Torrens, C
Mark Vientos, 1B/3B
We’ll start with the new injury since it seems like we can’t have a meter without an injury report these days. Francisco Alvarez became the third Met this season to tear his meniscus and he will be out for quite awhile. He was replaced on the roster with Hayden Senger who is hitless in his first six plate appearances but does have an RBI. Luis Torrens, fresh off a brand new contract extension with the Mets, now finds himself assuming the role of starting catcher once again and has done better with the bat lately, putting up a 95 wRC+ in 31 plate appearances over the past two weeks, which is a number you certainly put up with given his defense. He’s been getting most of his hitting done with men on base and has six RBIs, which is the same number as Juan Soto over this stretch despite far fewer at-bats.
We’ll also peel Band Aid off early and address the glaring poop emoji next to Bo Bichette’s name. For awhile when the whole offense was struggling, his shortcomings did not stick out as much. But with so many regulars sidelined with injuries, especially the starting shortstop Francisco Lindor, the Mets need Bichette’s bat to heat up and it just…hasn’t. He has just five hits—all singles—in 52 plate appearances over the past two weeks, good for an abysmal 2 wRC+, which is the lowest on the team among players with double-digit plate appearances. The one thing you can say about Bichette is that he is taking his walks. His six walks are tied with Juan Soto for the second-most on the team. But walks and the occasional single is not good enough from Bichette, who was brought here to be one of the commanding presences in the Mets lineup and has thus far failed to be that.
The team leader in walks is rookie A.J. Ewing, who has been a revelation. With the bats floundering, Ewing was the one card the Mets had left to pull. They did so and he has rewarded them for it with a 1.088 OPS in his first six games. Because he came up in the middle of this meter period, he has far fewer plate appearances than the other regulars and yet leads the team in walks, as I mentioned, with seven, and has already racked up five hits, five runs scored, and three RBIs. He has also been solid in center field and shown off his speed on the base paths to boot, with two stolen bases in three attempts.
When Ewing was promoted, Andy Ibáñez was designated for assignment. Ibáñez was hitless with an RBI and a couple of errors in five plate appearances across two games. Ibáñez’s departure leaves Vidal Bruján as the sole backup infielder, retaining his roster spot because of his ability to play shortstop with both Francisco Lindor and Ronny Mauricio still out. Bruján is hitless in four plate appearances since joining the team and is mostly a “break glass in case of emergency” player who is serving as a pinch runner and potential defensive replacement.
The reason for this turnaround over the past week is that the rookies are getting it done. Carson Benge has been great of late as well, putting up a 157 wRC+ in 50 plate appearances over the past 12 games. He’s also had a walk-off hit and a walk-off fielder’s choice in the past five days alone. He leads the team in hits with 17 and is tied for the team lead in runs scored with nine. Of course, despite being Mr. Pulchritudinous, he has made a couple of miscues in the field, but has made up for them with his bat.
Marcus Semien is second to Benge in the hits department with 12 hits in the past 12 games and also matches Benge’s team-leading nine runs scored over that span. Semien isn’t hitting for much power; eight of the 12 hits were singles, though he did go deep twice in the past two weeks. But the Mets will certainly take a 130 wRC+ from Semien, who had been struggling mightily at the plate and is now contributing consistently of late. In addition to the nine runs scored, Semien drove in four runs, walked five times, and stole a base in the past two weeks.
Brett Baty has quietly turned his season around as well, posting a 131 wRC+ over his last 44 plate appearances and keeping himself in the green for the second meter in a row. Baty, now playing third base pretty much every day, racked up 11 hits—7 singles, 3 doubles, and a home run—five runs scored, five walks, and five RBIs. Unfortunately, Baty also leads the team in strikeouts with 11 in the past 12 games.
Unfortunately MJ Melendez struck out as many times as Baty did in 15 fewer plate appearances and it seems like the lightning in a bottle the Mets captured with Melendez is finally running out with a little overexposure. In 29 plate appearances since our last meter, Melendez holds a 51 wRC+ with just three hits. With Jared Young the only injured Met due back any time soon, Melendez is likely the first in line to lose his roster spot when he returns, especially given the fact that he has options. Austin Slater isn’t doing much better with his two singles in 12 plate appearances over the past 12 games, but Slater is right-handed and Young, like Melendez, is a lefty.
Juan Soto is back to playing the outfield despite his various minor ailments he is playing through. He had been struggling at the plate, but has gotten hot just in the past week or so, pushing his wRC+ up to 116 for this two-week period, which isn’t normal Soto production, but still positive. Soto has gone deep three times over the past 12 games, including against his former team. Those long balls were three of his ten total hits. He also walked six times, drove in six runs, and scored eight runs. It looks like the three hole has been kind to him.
Mark Vientos has been hitting behind Soto most days and the RBIs have been pouring in; he leads the team with ten runs batted in over the past 12 games, despite a mediocre 81 wRC+. Of his 11 hits, four went for extra bases, including two home runs. He also walked once and scored five runs.
Tyrone Taylor was heading straight for a poop emoji, but then he logged the single biggest hit the Mets have had all season yesterday in the form of a game-tying three-run homer against the Yankees in the ninth that helped break the Mets’ long streak of losses when losing after eight innings. Still, I couldn’t in good conscience give him a good grade for a 33 wRC+ overall over the past two weeks. But with Luis Robert lacking a timetable for his return and Juan Soto needing regular DH at-bats to keep him healthy, Taylor should continue to see plenty of playing time in the outfield.
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 16, 2026: Malcolm Moore #6 of the Texas Rangers bats during a minor league spring training game against the Cleveland Guardians at Goodyear Ballpark on March 16, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Texas Rangers catcher Malcolm Moore has been named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week for the week of May 11-17, 2026. Moore, who is repeating at high-A Hub City after his injury-shortened 2025 campaign, slashed .520/.571/1.160 with four homers.
Moore, the Rangers’ first round pick out of Stanford in 2024, is currently on an interesting trajectory. Drafted 30th overall as a bat-first catcher with questions about whether he would stick behind the plate, Moore slashed just .209/.298/.374 in 25 games at Hickory in 2024 after signing. He played just 62 games in 2025 between Hub City and (while rehabbing) the ACL due to a broken finger, and was not impressive either offensively (slashing .195/300/.276) or defensively. Sent to the Arizona Fall League to help make up for some of his lost playing time, Moore slashing .213/.275/.328 in 17 games there.
Moore didn’t seem to turn any heads in spring training, and he appeared to be one of those late first rounders who fizzles out early on, especially after starting 2 for 22 to begin 2026 in his return to high-A. Moore’s offense picked up after that, though, and he finished the month of April with a .231/.324/.400 slash line, and 7 walks against 15 Ks in 74 plate appearances in the month. Nothing spectacular, but a decent month, especially given the slow start.
Moore has been on fire in May, though. He has a 9 game hitting streak, has hits in 10 of 11 games he’s played in this month, and has at least two hits in each of his last seven games. For the month he’s slashing .444/.528/.822 in 53 plate appearances, with six walks and nine Ks.
All of which means we may need to be re-evaluating Moore’s prospect status.
Now, on the one hand, Moore put up those insane numbers last week in Asheville, an extremely hitter-friendly park. On the other hand, he went 6 for 14 in four games at Wilmington prior to the Asheville series.
Also on the one hand, Moore is a college player taken in the first round three years ago, and is still at high-A, a level he is repeating. Also on the other hand, he did miss substantial time in 2025 due to the broken finger, catchers due tend to take longer to develop than other positions.
Moore obviously isn’t going to continue putting up a 1351 OPS, but if he continues to hit well, one would expect to see him at Frisco sometime towards the end of June. His 2023 draft classmate, Dylan Dreiling, taken in the second round, is currently having a solid season with the Roughriders, slashing .299/.417/.486 while playing center field.
Romano will join Tomas Poletin, whose ticket was already secured since Kelowna is the host of this year’s four-team tournament. The fun kicks off Friday.
Other Islanders items:
Matthew Schaefer thanked the fans for his incredible Calder-winning season and Long Island love story. [NHL]
And he celebrated by visiting kids at Cohen’s Medical Center, because he’s Matthew Schaefer. [Isles]
Gross: Schaefer loves the Island, and the feeling is mutual. [Newsday]
Islanders Anxiety: On the Calder, surgery for Ryan Pulock, Josh Bailey HOF, and overdue Selke consideration for Brock Nelson. [LHH]
Simon Holmstrom and Emil Heineman discuss their growing bond…for the Islanders and for Team Sweden. [Isles]
Here’s a running list of how those two are doing at the Worlds, as well as Danny “The Next” Nelson. [Isles]
Nelson isn’t signed yet, as he’s returning to Notre Dame for one more year and the chance to play with two brothers. The Isles invited the elder, Henry, to development camp. [THN]
Elsewhere
Monday night playoff action: Game 7 for a pair of upstarts, Canadiens vs. Sabres. Buffalo dominated Montreal while coming back (and switching goalies again) in Game 6. Now the pressure’s on…whomever.
The Canadiens hope they don’t lay an egg again. [NHL]
The Sabres claim to be unphased by the goalie carousel. [Sportsnet]
The Avalanche are healthy and rested as they prepare to meet the Knights Who Say We Don’t Talk To The Press. [NHL]
The Oilers have permission to speak with former Leafs coach Craig Berube. [Sportsnet]
The Leafs have also parted with long time cap guru Brandon Pridham. [Sportsnet]
The NHL got tired of John Tortorella and Vegas skirting media commitments, fined him $100,000 and made them forfeit a second-round pick. [Yahoo]
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 25: The Kansas City Royals mascot Sluggerrr waves a flag prior to the game between the Oakland Athletics and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on June 25, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After taking just one game against the Atlanta Braves (boy that missed opportunity Friday hurts) the Boston Red Sox head to Kansas City at 19-27. The Royals, winning a game to snap a six-game losing streak, enter at 20-27. Most would agree the Royals are struggling. So whatever the Red Sox are doing…yikes.
The Royals entered the season in the large group of teams hoping to be in the hunt for a Wild Card. The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians were the division favorites, the White Sox and Twins were taking steps back, but the Royals could dream. As it would happen, Bobby Witt Jr. wouldn’t homer until April 26 (though he’s done it six more times since!), Jac Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino couldn’t recapture the Team Italy magic. The ageless catcher Salvador Perez would start slow. And the pitching would be a bit of a mess. Wouldn’t the Sox know it though, the strong part of the rotation is ready and waiting to take on the league’s weakest offense.
Sonny Gray kicks things off on Monday. Gray, likely second after Chapman in trade interest as the deadline approaches, is coming off a fine start. His second outing since an IL stint, the veteran tossed six one-run innings while striking out six, a season high. The Red Sox have won five of his seven starts this year. In his third year with the Royals, Seth Lugo has settled in for them as a contact guy with fewer Ks (20.8%) and a higher walk rate (8.6%) than his reliever days. But if they can get 200 innings out of him like in 2024 the Royals won’t complain. He’s been hit hard twice – by the Angels and White Sox – in his last 5 starts yielding 7 and 5 runs, respectively. He also had a four-inning, four-run outing against the Guardians. Over his first five starts, Lugo had a 1.15 ERA / 2.27 FIP and over the next four it’s a 7.59 ERA / 3.28 FIP. So maybe he’s working through a little something right now.
2026 ace, non-Tolle division, Ranger Suárez takes the second game of the series. He was absolutely cruising last time out against the Phillies until a disaster inning got him off track. But he didn’t allow any runs and struck out 8 over 5.1 in his first start since leaving after four innings against the Astros on May 3rd. Southpaw Kris Bubic has made 9 starts this season. Seven have been at least 5.0 innings. And he’s given up more than 3 runs just three times. Those were against the Detroit Tigers on April 21 and the Chicago White Sox last time out. He’s really struggles with walks this year. After three years of single percentage walks his BB% has ballooned to 12.6% against a 24.6% strikeout rate, which is comparable to 2025’s 24.4% mark.
Connelly Early finishes things up on Wednesday. The Red Sox most consistent starter, Early has allowed 3 runs or fewer in seven of his nine starts. He held the Braves offense to two runs on two hits in game the Red Sox would lose. Old friend Michael Wacha finishes the series for the Royals. He’s reach the seventh innings four times in nine tries this year, really giving the Royals innings. Pitching with reverse splits, righties have hit .231/.294/.462 against Wacha while southpaws are struggling: .169/.254/.274. Although as perspective, Caleb Durbin is slashing .165/.247/.245, so Wacha can’t turn lefties into the worst hitter in baseball.
Bobby Witt Jr has 7 home runs and is hitting .309/.383/.503 after a slow start.
The Pasquatch is at just .201/.286/.341 while his Italian-American copatriot Jac Caglianone is at .246/.318/.425 with 5 dingers.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Monday, May 18: Sonny Gray (3.18 ERA / 4.18 FIP) vs. Seth Lugo (3.76 ERA / 2.68 FIP)
Tuesday, May 19: Ranger Suárez (2.44 ERA / 2.83 FIP) vs. Kris Bubic (4.11 ERA / 3.71 FIP)
Wednesday, May 20: Connelly Early (3.21 ERA / 4.56 FIP), vs. Michael Wacha (2.83 ERA / 4.14 FIP)
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 29: JR Ritchie #92 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Truist Park on April 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves had a solid 4-2 homestand, winning both series and will now take a quick 4 game road trip to Miami before returning home. This would be a nice time to get greedy and take 3 or 4 from this series against the offensively challenged Marlins.
For game 1 today, they will send JR Ritchie to the mound, facing Max Meyer from the Marlins. JR has gotten pretty lucky to have not been crushed so far this season, as he’s struggled with walks. He has been a bit caught up with the Braves’ bullpen depth issue and been left in too long a few times. He hasn’t really done much impressive on the whole over his four starts, although he has done decently to prevent hard contact. For Ritchie to be viable longer term, the strikeouts will have to increase and the walks will have to dramatically decrease. He has a sub-par offense to deal with today, so hopefully he can build on a decent 4.1 inning outing last time out and give the Braves a solid start with some length.
Max Meyer on the other side is a former #3 overall pick from 2020, but has yet to make much of that talent at the major league level, posting three replacement-level seasons before having the beginning of what may be a breakout this year. Meyer has also struggled to remain healthy, but that shouldn’t mean anything to us today. Meyer has made things work with a 78th percentile K% and a 55th percentile BB%, despite somewhat below average contact metrics. He has a mid-90s fastball that is diminished by poor extension, but pitches primarily off of his slider and sweeper, which have been devastating this season. He’ll also mix in a changeup and sinker to fill out his five pitch mix. The sweeper has been a major development for him this season, only really introducing it last year and seeing a big jump in effectiveness this year. Braves hitters would do well to take advantage of his fastballs when he throws them, because those breaking balls are no joke. His sweeper in particular is thrown pretty hard and is a bit slurvy, but has impressive movement, while his hard slider is a fairly flat pitch, but an effective one.
DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 27: Devon Toews #7 of the Colorado Avalanche advances the puck against Shea Theodore #27 of the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime at Ball Arena on November 27, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the final four teams set, the matchups become even more magnified. As the Colorado Avalanche are set to take on the Vegas Golden Knights to earn a ticket into the Stanley Cup finals, here is a closer look at whose defense is stout enough to win a championship.
Colorado Avalanche
Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Extra: Nick Blankenburg, Jack Ahcan, Alex Gagne?
To end the regular season head coach Jared Bednar experimented with his defense testing out Brett Kulak on the top pair with Cale Makar and then Devon Toews on the second pair. That’s mostly been reversed as the trusty duo of Toews-Makar has played an extraordinary amount of minutes this postseason and have had great success at 61.50% of the expected goals together. Toews leads the Avalanche defense core with eight points and Makar hasn’t been quite as productive with five points, though four are goals.
For the rest of Colorado’s defense pairings it has been pretty mix-and-match especially due to the injuries. First to Josh Manson and then when he returned in Game 4 of the Wild series suddenly Sam Malinski was a surprise scratch with an upper-body injury. Brent Burns and Josh Manson played a lot together in the regular season and Brett Kulak saw the most time with Sam Malinski through the first seven playoff games, which are seemingly the ideal pairings.
With practice resuming ahead of the Vegas series, all eyes have been on the collection of Avalanche defensemen at practice, or lack thereof. Cale Makar only skates in games at this point, as expected. Now Brent Burns is suddenly absent and both Josh Manson and Sam Malinski have been limited in skates. Most, if not all four, should be available for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals according to Bednar. Still, there appears to be plans in case one of the aforementioned defenseman can’t suit up as Jack Ahcan was never sent back to the AHL and Colorado Eagles rookie Alex Gagne was a recent practice participant despite never having played in the NHL. This Avalanche defense core has already been stretched thin with just one absence the dominoes are set to tumble.
Vegas Golden Knights
Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin – Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton – Dylan Coghlan
Extra: Kaedan Korczak; Injured: Jeremy Lauzon
The big story on defense for the Golden Knights was the one-game suspension to Brayden McNabb but he’s expected back in the lineup for round three. Colorado fans know well of McNabb’s physical reputation and ill-advised hits but he’s grown into a large role with Vegas as part of their top pairing. He is also the top penalty killer for Vegas and scored shorthanded in the Anaheim series.
As the other portion of Vegas’ top pairing, Shea Theodore is also their leader on defense with nine points and four goals. He is the top power play quarterback and has scored a goal and three assists on the man advantage. Together with McNabb expect to see Theodore play a lot against Colorado’s top forwards.
On the second pair for Vegas is a due of defensemen for Vegas both acquired in trades from the Calgary Flames, first Noah Hanifin in 2024 and Rasmus Andersson just recently in January of this year. Hanifin has been the more productive one with six assists but both chip in on occasion. Even as a second pair these two play well over 20 minutes a night and figure to do so in this upcoming series with Colorado.
Veterans Dylan Coghlan and Ben Hutton round out the depth with 25-year-old graduated former prospect Kaedan Korczak filling in as needed. Another depth option, Jeremy Lauzon has been sidelined since early May after taking a puck to the head. All will have their hands full containing Colorado moving forward.
The 2025-26 season came to an end for the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, in Game 6 of the second round, at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Ducks defeated the defending, back-to-back Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers in the first round. It was a series in which the Ducks and their coaching staff baited the Oilers into playing the Ducks’ preferred brand of hockey, and a series where the Ducks’ coaches played the right cards and made the right adjustments at the proper times.
In the first round, Anaheim had a clear and direct game plan against two of the world’s top centermen, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Specifically, against McDavid, the coaching staff hard-matched defense pair, Jackson LaCombe and Jacob Trouba, and as a five-man unit, pressured him the entire 200-foot ice surface, focusing on the backcheck and eliminating his ability to attack laterally.
After dropping Game 1 of the series, a game the Ducks felt was winnable, head coach Joel Quenneville made a sneaky last-minute lineup adjustment, swapping Chris Kreider and Cutter Gauthier on their respective lines just before puck drop. He went on to swap the two again at the last minute, after a Game 5 loss, going on to secure a Game 6 victory.
Every time now-former Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch made an adjustment of his own, Quenneville was there to match and eclipse. As the series progressed, Anaheim became more stingy defensively, doing well to keep Edmonton to the perimeter in the defensive zone and simplifying their breakout approach, electing to high-flip a higher percentage of pucks to the neutral zone, where forwards could win puck battles against retreating Edmonton defensemen.
The Ducks series against the Golden Knights played out nearly identically early on, but it was John Tortorella and the Vegas coaching staff that got the better of the Ducks as the series wore on.
After dropping Game 1, a tight affair where the Ducks could have easily been seen as the better team, both by eye test and underlying numbers, Quenneville made another cheeky surprise lineup change just before Game 2 puck drop, but this time, the adjustment was far more dramatic.
Quenneville scratched young $7 million AAV forward Mason McTavish and rookie defenseman Ian Moore, who had been slotted as a fourth-line forward for Game 2, in favor of energy fourth liners Ross Johnston and Jansen Harkins.
The Ducks won Game 2 handily, but dropped Game 3 decidedly. Quenneville reinserted Moore and McTavish for Game 4, along with Olen Zellweger, who made his NHL Playoff debut. Quenneville stuck with his Game 4 playing roster (minus Ryan Poehling, who exited Game 5 early with an upper-body injury) for Games 5 and 6, both of which the Ducks lost, ending their season.
The Knights saw the return of their long-time, middle-six, two-way center, William Karlsson, for this series against Anaheim. Tortorella tried him on the third line, but quickly found he was better suited for the second, and kept him there for the duration of the series.
Other than Karlsson’s return and fit, the only adjustments Vegas had to make were tinkering with their third defensive pair and navigating top-pair defenseman Brayden McNabb’s Game 5 ejection and Game 6 suspension.
Though Quennville’s lineup adjustments found some success in the second round against Vegas, they didn’t have quite the impact that they did in their opening series against Edmonton.
Tactically, Quenneville and the Ducks’ staff didn’t have an answer for the waves of the Knights’ offensive pressure and sound, stingy zone defensive structure.
Vegas was able to do to Anaheim what Anaheim did to Edmonton: force them to play their brand of hockey. Vegas is a cycle-heavy team on the offensive side of the puck, valuing possession time and using that time to break down opposing defensive structures and open dangerous lanes.
Defensively, Vegas plays contained. They keep opponents to the perimeter, block shots, and force mistakes, to which they aim to capitalize. The Ducks made those mistakes, and the Knights capitalized in abundance.
Anaheim failed to adjust, and their only answer offensively was to funnel more pucks and bodies toward Carter Hart and the Vegas crease. Those pucks were predictably blocked and cleared along with any semblance of traffic in front of Hart.
Hart showed vulnerability during Vegas’ first-round series against the Utah Mammoth when he was forced to defend rushes and when he was forced to move laterally. Anaheim wasn’t able to force him into doing either and made his job infinitely easier.
Vegas’ puck management negated Anaheim’s rush attack. Ducks’ defensemen were far less active and involved offensively than they had been during the season or their first-round series. Even if their ability to join rushes had been negated, activating defensemen down the halfwalls and having them jump to soft ice could have, in theory, been a factor in chipping away at Vegas’ seemingly impenetrable slot.
The Ducks have, for all intents and purposes, kicked their contention window open and will be aiming to at least return to the second round of the playoffs and contend for Stanley Cups for the foreseeable future.
These playoffs provided some unexpected success, and perhaps more valuable, offered a chance to learn what it takes to battle on a nightly basis and defeat the same opponent four times in seven games.
They also learned that each opponent offers vastly different styles from the previous, and they have to walk the tightrope of being willing to make tweaks to their approach without sacrificing their identity and what brought them to where they are.
The Ducks will have a long offseason of reflection. They will expect their young core pieces to take further leaps in their development and hit the ground running in October in a volatile Pacific Division.
Samuel Ersson had a very rough 2025-26 season. Due to this, it would not necessarily be surprising if the Flyers looked to bring in another goalie this off-season to form a tandem with starter Dan Vladar.
Due to this, let's look at four goalies who the Flyers could consider targeting during the off-season.
Joseph Woll, Toronto Maple Leafs
If the Maple Leafs make Joseph Woll available for trade due to their surplus of NHL-caliber goalies, the Flyers would be wise to target him. The 27-year-old would have the potential to form a strong tandem with Vladar if acquired. In 117 career NHL games, he hasa 63-43-9 record, a .906 save percentage, and a 3.34 goals-against average.
Stuart Skinner, Pittsburgh Penguins
If the Flyers want to go the free agency route, Stuart Skinner stands out as a potential target. The 27-year-old has a ton of playoff experience and has shown in the past that he can make an impact when playing at his best. In 224 career NHL games, the former All-Star has a .902 save percentage and a 2.77 goals-against average.
Connor Ingram, Edmonton Oilers
If the Edmonton Oilers do not re-sign Connor Ingram, he could be an interesting backup option for the Flyers. The 29-year-old goalie had a solid bounce-back year with the Oilers this campaign, posting a 16-10-3 record and an .899 save percentage in 32 games. He also had a .907 save percentage in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, which adds to his appeal.
Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers
Could the Flyers look to make up for a big past mistake and try to bring back Sergei Bobrovsky? The 37-year-old had an ugly 2025-26 season but also led the Florida Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner is a star when playing at his best and would have the potential to be an excellent short-term addition for Philly in a tandem with Vladar.
MONTGOMERY, AL - MARCH 31: Austin Overn #6 of the Montgomery Biscuits poses for a photo during the Montgomery Biscuits photo day at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Photo by Ethan Lowe/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
This was the 6th week of full minor league play (stats are entering play on Monday, May 18th).
According to FanGraphs (which factors in age and proximity to the big leagues), 19-year old Caden Bodine has regained his spot as the top hitter spot in the Rays system. The backstop was recently added to Baseball America’s top 100 prospect rankings and is up to 4th in the Rays system.
Meanwhile, Aidan Cremarosa is still the team’s top minor league pitcher and among the top performers in all of minor league baseball and is also now ranked 27th in the Rays system by Baseball America. The 22-year old was taken by the Rays in the 8th round of the 2025 draft out of Fresno State. Thus far over seven starts in Single-A, Cremarosa has a 2.54 ERA | 2.33 FIP with a 37.7 K% & 4.1 BB% over 39 IP.
RUMBLINGS
Baseball America has updated their top 30 prospect rankings, I will feature the statlines of the updated top 10 going forward.
OF Brailer Gurrero has been placed on the Injured List
1B Tre’ Morgan began a rehab assignment
TEAM LEADERS
Must currently be assigned to that team
Baseball America’s top ten prospects are featured below each team they’re currently assigned to.
(minimum of 70 TBF & PA)
Tampa Bay Rays
Top 10 Prospects
None currently on active roster
Durham Bulls
Team Offensive Leaders: AVG: .323, Victor Mesa Jr (hasn’t played since 4/15) OBP: .417, Victor Mesa Jr (hasn’t played since 4/15) SLG: .565, Victor Mesa Jr (hasn’t played since 4/15) HR: 6,Blake Sabol wRC+: 152, Victor Mesa Jr (hasn’t played since 4/15) SB: 17, Jacob Melton (Placed on the IL on 4/23)
Team Pitching Leaders: ERA: 2.37, Evan Reifert FIP: 2.99, Trevor Martin (promoted to MLB on 5/15) K%: 34.6%, Joe Rock BB%: 6.4%, Jonathan Heasley WHIP: 1.21, Evan Reifert AVG: .164, Evan Reifert WHIFF%: 14.4%, Jonny Cuevas
4/23: Suffered sprained ankle. Expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
Montgomery Biscuits
Team Offensive Leaders: AVG: .341, Cooper Kinney (promoted to AAA on 5/5) OBP: .432, Cooper Kinney (promoted to AAA on 5/5) SLG: .612, Xavier Isaac HR: 11, Xavier Isaac wRC+: 168, Cooper Kinney (promoted to AAA on 5/5) SB: 27, Austin Overn
Team Pitching Leaders: ERA: 1.67, Michael Forret FIP: 2.70, Alexander Alberto K%: 33.3%, Alexander Alberto BB%: 1.4%, Gary Gill Hill WHIP 0.93, Michael Forret AVG: .156, Michael Forret WHIFF%: 15.6%, Michael Forret
Team Offensive Leaders: AVG: .327, Theo Gillen OBP: .454, Tony Santa Maria SLG: .645, Theo Gillen HR: 9, Connor Hujsak wRC+: 168, Theo Gillen SB: 15, Tony Santa Maria
Team Pitching Leaders: ERA: 3.49, Anderson Brito FIP: 4.42, Anderson Brito K%: 30.2%, Jacob Kmatz BB%: 6.4%, Garrett Gainey WHIP: 1.33, Garrett Gainey AVG: .217, Trevor Harrison WHIFF%: 13.6%, Anderson Brito
Victor Wembanyama is fast becoming the biggest international star in the NBA — if he's not already the biggest draw outside the USA, he's close.
Which is why the NBA is sending the French star Wembanyama and the Spurs for two games in Europe, including one in Paris, reports Marc Stein at The Stein Line.
The NBA schedule for next season will not come out until August, but it will include two international games in January for the Spurs, one in Paris and the other in Manchester, England (a city that is expected to be part of NBA Europe when it launches, planned for the fall of 2027). The Spurs will face Zion Williamson and the Pelicans (unless Zion gets traded this offseason).
The Spurs played two games in Paris in January of 2025, splitting the games against the Pacers.
Those will not be the only two international games next season; the NBA is expected to return to Mexico City for a game, as it traditionally does. In the preseason, the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets are scheduled to play in the NBA China Games 2026, scheduled for Oct. 9 and 1, at The Venetian Arena in Macao.
There is a 14-game slate across MLB tonight, and that means lots of opportunities for baseballs to leave the yard.
Shohei Ohtani will start seeing better results for his efforts as he steps in against San Diego Padres starter Michael King. He joins Corbin Carroll and Drake Baldwin to round out our MLB home run predictions.
Corbin Carroll has been red-hot lately. He's batting .421 over the last seven days, and he just smoked two home runs in the series finale against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. While Carroll only has seven bombs overall this season, he's clubbed three this month, and tonight's matchup is an intriguing one for the outfielder.
The San Francisco Giants send Robbie Ray to the hill, who is HR-prone at times. He's already given up 10 long balls in 2026. Although he only has one homer versus southpaws, Carroll is batting .414 vs left-handed hurlers.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSBA, DBACKS.TV
Home run pick: Drake Baldwin (+434)
Drake Baldwin is emerging as one of the top power-hitting catchers in the big leagues. The 25-year-old is hitting .301 with 13 home runs, which ranks eighth overall across the Majors. Baldwin has smacked three bombs across his previous five games, and he also has four hits in his last three appearances.
The Atlanta Braves are on the road tonight to take on the Miami Marlins, and Baldwin has cracked seven HRs away from home. He's just 1-for-5 lifetime against Max Meyer, but the righty just gave up two long balls in his last outing.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Braves.Vision, Marlins.TV
Home run pick: Shohei Ohtani (+304)
Shohei Ohtani is off to a bit of a slow start at the plate, hitting only .258 with seven home runs. But there are signs of him heating up. Ohtani has five hits and seven RBI across his last two games, finishing 3-for-5 on Sunday, and 2-for-4 on Saturday with a double and a triple. He's jumping on everything at the moment.
Ohtani will be licking his chops ahead of tonight's matchup. The Los Angeles Dodgers take on the San Diego Padres, who hand Michael King the ball. That's a welcome sight for Ohtani, who is 6-for-14 lifetime against him with three bombs.
And in spite of the underwhelming results (for him), Ohtani ranks in the 90th percentile or better in barrel rate, average exit velocity, and expected slugging.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SportsNet LA, PadresTV
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 6-36, -5.08 units
Today’s HR parlay
Corbin Carroll
Bet Now +15432
Drake Baldwin
Shohei Ohtani
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
May 17, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers Chayce McDermott (62) delivers during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images
In the last eight days, three different pitchers made their Dodgers debut.
Twenty-three pitchers is a lot through 47 games, but it’s part of a trend in baseball in recent years, with roster churn at an all-time high. Five major league teams have used more than the Dodgers this year, for instance.
The Dodgers in 2021 set a franchise record with 39 different pitchers used, then matched it two years later. They got to 40 pitchers in 2024, and used exactly 40 pitchers in 2025 as well. Here’s how many pitchers those teams used through 47 games:
A slice of pizza from Joe’s, a bagel from Zabar’s, a dirty water dog — only in New York. Getting gouged $100,000 for a ticket to a basketball game — also, only in New York. Knicks fans who are dying to see their team return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 are facing some of the most astonishing prices imaginable on the secondary market. Prices for the first home game of the finals at Madison Square Garden have gone through the stratosphere, and even nosebleed seats are selling for an eye-watering price.
Tickets for the Eastern Conference Finals are going for upwards of $500 in the upper deck against the Cavaliers, but <a href="https://www.stubhub.com/new-york-knicks-new-york-tickets-6-3-2026/event/160286427/?backUrl=%2Fnew-york-knicks-tickets%2Fperformer%2F2742that’s chump change compared to a prospective NBA Finals game.
The sickening prices are a product of the secondary market gone mad, which has become all too common for, well, everything. Sites that once existed as a way for fans to re-sell tickets to games they could attend have become the breeding ground for grifters, working as part of large computer farms to buy up tickets as soon as they go on sale to everything and then re-list at a higher price. It’s all well and good to enjoy the schadenfreude when a game’s value collapses and they have to eat a loss, but unfortunately, this is the exception and not the rule.
The volume with which resellers operate at means that in the long run, they come out ahead, especially when it comes to the courtside seat example, which would have sold at approximately $7,000 when first listed, ridiculous in its own right, but who cares when someone is willing to re-buy at $100K due to FOMO.
It’s just nice to know that amidst rampant inflation, food insecurity, soaring housing prices, and families struggling to afford childcare, there are people who can spend $100,000 on a ticket to a basketball game. It’s truly the glorious future the founding fathers envisioned for us.
The Detroit Tigers look for just their third win in 13 games when they host the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night.
Cleveland leads the AL Central thanks to picking up five wins in a six-game span. However, my Guardians vs. Tigers predictions and MLB picks are fading the visitors withSlade Cecconi taking the bump.
Who will win Guardians vs Tigers today: Tigers moneyline (-145)
Slade Cecconi is getting pummeled by opposing hitters. His 5.60 ERA and 5.05 FIP rank among the worst in the majors for pitchers with at least 40 innings pitched.
Opponents have posted a .595 xSLG vs. Cecconi's fastball this year. He’s also performed far worse on the road, with a 6.60 ERA vs. a 3.60 home ERA.
Framber Valdez has put up quality numbers in seven of nine starts. He’s facing a Cleveland Guardians lineup ranked 21st in hard-hit rate and eighth in ground-ball rate vs. RHP over the past two weeks.
COVERS INTEL: Slade Ceconi has posted an astronomical 19.96 ERA against hitters facing him a third time this season.
Guardians vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-128)
Once the starters give way to the bullpens, scoring will get much more difficult.
Over the past two weeks, the Detroit Tigers rank 29th in hard-hit rate, and dead last in HR/FB rate and wRC+. Cleveland’s pen ranks second in K-rate in that span.
Detroit’s pen has forced a league-high 55.2% GB rate during that timeframe. That’ll come in handy, seeing as the Guardians have posted the fourth-highest GB/FB rate while ranking 25th in BABIP.
Cleveland punished the poor-pitching Reds this weekend, but will regress to the mean today for another Under.
Jason Ence's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 6-10, -4.67 units
Over/Under bets: 11-5, +5.74 units
Guardians vs Tigers odds
Moneyline: Guardians +138 | Tigers -144
Run line: Guardians +1.5 (-156) | Tigers -1.5 (+150)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+117) | Under 8.5 (-122)
Guardians vs Tigers trend
The Tigers have cashed the Under in seven of their last 10 games for +3.70 units and a 34% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. Tigers.
How to watch Guardians vs Tigers and game info
Location
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Date
Monday, May 18, 2026
First pitch
6:40 p.m. ET
TV
FS1
Guardians starting pitcher
Slade Cecconi (2-4, 5.60 ERA)
Tigers starting pitcher
Framber Valdez (2-2, 4.32 ERA)
Guardians vs Tigers latest injuries
Guardians vs Tigers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Corbin Carroll
Drake Baldwin
Shohei Ohtani
COVERS INTEL: Slade