Category: Sports News

Worldwide Sports News

Posted on

Watch Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski make incredible leaping catch into net

Watch Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski make incredible leaping catch into net originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Mike Yastrzemski is one of the greatest Giants outfielders ever to patrol right field at Oracle Park, and he proved that once again during Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

With no outs in the eighth inning of a 1-1 ballgame, Yastrzemski ran what seemed like a mile, leapt into foul territory and into the net to catch a fly ball hit by Pirates outfielder Jack Suwinski.

Yastrzemski put his body on the line — especially poignant considering his comments about Victor Robles earlier in the 2025 MLB season, when the Seattle Mariners outfielder injured his shoulder on a similar play at Oracle Park.

“That was incredible,” Yastrzemski told reporters after that game in April. “It’s one of the best outfield plays I’ve ever seen in my life. Obviously hope that nothing went too wrong and he’s able to bounce back quick, but man, what an unbelievable effort and commitment to his team that says a lot about his character. That’s incredible to see.”

On Wednesday, Yastrzemski made his own incredible play.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

Ranking All 32 NHL Teams' Active Goals Leader

Becoming an NHL franchise’s active leader in goal-scoring often takes a ton of talent, consistency, loyalty and longevity.

Of course, the bar isn’t as high for rebuilding or recently rebuilt squads. We’re seeing young talent forge a new path toward Stanley Cup contention. The same low bar goes for the newest NHL franchises, although enough time has passed for some of them that their all-time goals leader doesn’t play for the team anymore – or hasn’t been active for years.

In fact, only six NHL franchises have one of their active players leading their all-time goals list.

Here are the active goals leaders for all 32 NHL teams, ranked from the most to the fewest goals. If a player is active in the NHL but doesn’t play for that team, they don’t count. It’s no surprise who sits in first.

1. Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin, 897

The Capitals’ captain broke the NHL’s all-time regular-season goals record in April and scored twice more to inch closer to the 900-goal mark. Ovechkin’s just 43 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record for the most in the regular season and playoffs combined, but he has one year left on his contract.

Alex Ovechkin (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)

2. Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby, 625

Crosby’s two-year contract extension kicks in this upcoming season. The captain’s 66 goals away from the Penguins’ all-time goals record set by No. 66, Mario Lemieux. It can be done.

3. Los Angeles Kings

Anze Kopitar, 440

Kopitar is the Kings’ all-time games played leader by a long shot, with 1,454 in the regular season. He’s 110 goals behind Marcel Dionne for second place on the franchise’s goal-scoring list and 117 behind Luc Robitaille.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews, 401

Matthews averages 0.64 goals per game, which is the seventh highest in NHL history among players who scored at least 100 times in their career. Ovechkin’s rate is 0.60, but he’s also played more than double the number of seasons. Nevertheless, the chase is on for the Maple Leafs’ captain.

T5. Dallas Stars

Jamie Benn, 399

One of the NHL’s final four players who don’t wear a visor could become the 111th player in NHL history to score 400 goals in the regular season. Take away the 123 goals Mike Modano scored with the Minnesota North Stars, and Benn is only 36 goals away from passing him for the most in Dallas Stars history.

T5. Edmonton Oilers

Leon Draisaitl, 399

Draisaitl and McDavid both average 0.51 goals per game, but the former has played 78 more games. Draisaitl won the ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy for the most goals in 2024-25, and he also scored the most important goals in the NHL during the regular season, according to Ken Campbell’s Situational Scoring model. 

7. Boston Bruins

David Pastrnak, 391

The Bruins have been around for more than 100 years, and Pastrnak is only 155 goals away from passing Johnny Bucyk and leading the franchise in goal-scoring. I say “only,” because he’s just 29, and he’s scored 151 goals in the past three seasons.

8. Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon, 367

MacKinnon can reach second place on the Nordiques-Avalanche’s all-time assists and points lists in 2025-26. He’s fifth in goal-scoring, and he trails Joe Sakic by 258. In just Avalanche history, MacKinnon is tied with Sakic for first in points with 1,015, sits first in assists 648 and trails Sakic by 24 in goals.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning

Nikita Kucherov, 357

Kucherov leads the Lightning in all-time assists, with 637, but he’s fourth in goals and needs 199 to pass Steven Stamkos for first place. At 32 years old and with a career high of 44 goals, Kucherov could have to play the rest of his NHL career in Tampa Bay to break that record.

10. Winnipeg Jets

Mark Scheifele, 336

Scheifele has the most goals in Atlanta Thrashers and Jets 2.0 history. Jets 1.0 history belongs to the inactive Arizona Coyotes, but if we were to include it here, Dale Hawerchuk would have the most goals, with 379.

11. San Jose Sharks

Logan Couture, 323

The Sharks’ captain hasn’t played since January 2024 and announced this past April that he’s stepping away from professional hockey due to injury, but he has two more years left on his contract. Aside from Couture, the next-highest all-time active scorer on the rebuilding Sharks is William Eklund, who has 35.

12. Nashville Predators

Filip Forsberg, 318

Forsberg already has 118 more goals than the man in second place on the Predators’ franchise goal-scoring list, David Legwand, who scored 210. Nashville acquired Forsberg from the Capitals in exchange for Martin Erat and Michael Latta in 2013.

13. New York Islanders

Anders Lee, 289

After the Islanders traded their longtime center, Brock Nelson, at the 2025 trade deadline, Lee became the team’s active goals leader. If the Islanders’ captain doubled his goals total, he’d have five more than the franchise’s all-time leader, Mike Bossy, and his 573.

Aleksander Barkov (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

14. Florida Panthers

Aleksander Barkov, 286

Barkov is the Panthers’ all-time leader in games played (804), goals, assists (496), points (782), power-play points (243), shorthanded points (23), game-winning goals (52) and shots (2,097). But the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion is only second in plus-minus, with Gustav Forsling’s plus-166 rating leading his plus-124.

15. Carolina Hurricanes

Sebastian Aho, 283

Aho is 100 goals away from passing Ron Francis for the most in Hartford Whalers and Hurricanes history. He’s only 28 years old. It may take three or four seasons to break the record, but expect it to happen eventually.

16. New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad, 250

Zibanejad has many regular-season goals with the Rangers as Mark Messier. Chris Kreider scored 326 times for the Blueshirts but was traded to the Anaheim Ducks this off-season.

17. Detroit Red Wings

Dylan Larkin, 242

If Larkin tripled his goal total, he’d still trail Gordie Howe’s 786 for the most in the near-century of Red Wings history. But the Red Wings’ captain has nearly two-and-a-half times the number of goals of the player in second place on their active list, Lucas Raymond (98).

18. Montreal Canadiens

Brendan Gallagher, 239

Gallagher is tied with Bob Gainey for 15th place on the Canadiens’ all-time list. He has 101 more goals than captain Nick Suzuki.

19. Calgary Flames

Mikael Backlund, 215

Backlund has played the most seasons in Atlanta and Calgary Flames history, with 17 so far. Jarome Iginla played 16 seasons in Calgary but played 153 more games and scored 310 more goals – the Flames’ current captain played 24 NHL games across his first two seasons before making the roster full-time in his third.

20. Philadelphia Flyers

Sean Couturier, 206

The chase is on. That is, Couturier’s chase of new Flyers coach Rick Tocchet’s 232 goals for 13th place on the franchise list.

21. Vancouver Canucks

Brock Boeser, 204

When it looked like Boeser could have headed elsewhere in free agency, he signed a seven-year contract to stay with the Canucks. If he continues his career average of 0.37 goals per game, stays healthy and plays out his contract with the Canucks, he’ll pass Daniel Sedin for the most lamplighters in franchise history.

22. Columbus Blue Jackets

Boone Jenner, 199

Jenner, 32, needs 91 goals to pass Rick Nash for the most in Blue Jackets history. He has the most tipped-in (36) and backhand (19) goals in franchise history since tracking began in 2009-10.

23. Ottawa Senators

Brady Tkachuk, 191

Tkachuk turns 26 in September and is fourth in Senators all-time scoring, trailing Daniel Alfredsson by 227. Shoutout to Cy Denneny, who had 246 goals in 306 games for the original Ottawa Senators franchise that ran from the NHL’s first season in 1917-18 to 1934-35 when it folded after one year as the St. Louis Eagles.

The Countdown: Each NHL Franchise's Best Offensive Playoff PerformancesThe Countdown: Each NHL Franchise's Best Offensive Playoff PerformancesBy Jared Clinton, features writer

24. Minnesota Wild

Kirill Kaprizov, 185

Among players who scored at least 100 times, Wild left winger Kaprizov ranks 13th in NHL history in goals per game, with 0.58. That’s tied with Brett Hull. Expect a big raise on his $9-million cap hit when his contract expires after this upcoming season.

25. Buffalo Sabres

Tage Thompson, 173

Thompson recorded a league-high 106 mph shot this past season. His Sabres teammate appeared to have blocked the one-timer in front of the net. Ouch.

26. New Jersey Devils

Nico Hischier, 171

Hischier is 14 goals behind the Canucks’ Elias Pettersson for the most in the 2017 NHL draft class, but the Devils’ captain scored 20 more goals than Pettersson in 2024-25.

27. St. Louis Blues

Brayden Schenn, 169

Schenn only needs 15 points to become one of the Blues’ top 10 all-time point scorers. But he needs 26 goals to make the franchise’s top 10 goal-scorers list, and he hasn’t scored that many in a season since 2017-18. 

28. Vegas Golden Knights

William Karlsson, 161

One of the ‘Original Misfits’ became the active leader after the Golden Knights didn’t re-sign Jonathan Marchessault in the summer of 2024. Marchessault put up 192 goals with Vegas. As for Karlsson, he scored six goals the season before he joined the Golden Knights and scored 43 the year afterward.

29. Seattle Kraken

Jared McCann, 118

McCann is the all-time leading scorer for the Kraken, which enter their fifth season in 2025-26. Time flies.

30. Anaheim Ducks

Troy Terry, 116

Corey Perry, Rickard Rakell and Adam Henrique are still active NHLers and scored more goals for the Ducks than Terry, but of course, they’re no longer on the squad. Terry scored a career-high 37 goals in 2021-22 and surpassed 20 in the three seasons afterward.

31. Chicago Blackhawks

Connor Bedard, 45

Trust the process. Seven former Blackhawks players who remain active NHLers scored more goals in Chicago than Bedard, but the 20-year-old has plenty of time to climb the rankings and lead his rebuilding team toward success.

32. Utah Mammoth

Clayton Keller, 30

Keller led the way in Utah’s first year. Instead of a traditional relocation, the Coyotes transferred their hockey assets to Utah’s new franchise.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Posted on

Warriors reportedly ‘shutting down' Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade discussions

Warriors reportedly ‘shutting down' Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade discussions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It doesn’t appear the Warriors love their current Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade options.

Golden State currently isn’t interested in proposed trade packages from interested teams like the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported Wednesday.

“The Warriors, as of right now, have shunned all sign-and-trade offers,” Charania said on “SportsCenter” with Slater and Malika Andrews. “Right now, what we see is a stalemate between both sides, as both sides are at a crossroads for a player that clearly believes he has not been given the full amount of opportunity in Golden State. 

“He has a high level of self-belief right now.”

Golden State reportedly has been offered several mixes of draft picks and role players, but nothing has moved the needle thus far. Kuminga and his camp aren’t in any rush to stay in the Bay or find a new home, either.

The 22-year-old forward averaged 15.3 points on 45.4-percent shooting with a concerning 30.5-percent clip from three-point range during the 2024-25 NBA season.

Like Charania, Slater believes the Warriors would prefer for Kuminga to sign a short-term contract with trade flexibility, but understands that the franchise can’t continue to drag its feet with its young forward.

“They’ve been pretty firm in the last few days, saying there’s a reason why it’s called ‘restricted free agency ‘and not ‘unrestricted free agency,’” Slater said. “They kind of hold the leverage on his future. Their preferred path clearly is the offer they put on the table; it’s short-term, it’s tradeable, that’s how they pitched it to Kuminga …” 

“Regardless, they say right now they’re shutting down sign-and-trade talks; they found nothing appealing there. And they believe he is going to be on the roster. Their stance is that he will be on the roster to start next season.”

Kuminga took to social media on Wednesday, emphasizing that he is betting on himself this offseason.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Posted on

Marcus Morris denied bond following arrest, prosecutors say he owes $265,000 to Las Vegas casinos

Marcus Morris Sr. remains in a Broward County, Florida, jail after appearing in court and being denied bond in a case where prosecutors have said he owes $265,000 to two prominent Las Vegas casinos and bounced checks to pay those bills off.

Morris was arrested on Sunday in Florida and made his first appearance in court, where his attorneys asked for a bond, saying that his being out of jail would speed up the resolution of this matter, reports TMZ Sports. The judge denied the request, saying he would only release Morris for extradition to Nevada, or if the arrest warrants were withdrawn (likely because the bill was paid). Morris did not speak during the proceedings; his brother (and fellow NBA player) Markieff Morris was in the courtroom supporting him. Markieff had previously posted on social media supporting his brother.

That amount of money is $265,000, according to court documents reviewed by TMZ. Morris reportedly got a marker for $115,000 from the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in May 2024, and in June of that year got a $150,000 marker from the Wynn Hotel. In both cases, Morris gave the casinos a bad check to cover the money owed, and those bounced checks led to the fraud charge for writing bad checks and the arrest. Because of the sums involved, these are felony counts.

Morris' manager denied there was fraud involved in a social media post.

Nevada is looking to extradite Morris, however, his attorney told Chuck Shilken of the Los Angeles Times that a large payment had already been made to resolve the issue.

Morris played 13 seasons in the NBA after being selected as the No. 14 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. For his career, Morris averaged 12 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Morris most recently played for Cleveland during the 2023-24 season. Last season, Morris was invited to the New York Knicks training camp but was waived before the season started and was never picked up by another team.

Posted on

Red Sox at Twins Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 30

It's Wednesday, July 30 and the Red Sox (58-51) are in Minneapolis to take on the Twins (51-56). Brayan Bello is slated to take the mound for Boston against Zebby Matthews for Minnesota.

Boston took the second meeting, 8-5, to tie up the series 1-1. The rubber match is the final matchup of the season between the two.

Minnesota is 4-7 since the break and head to Cleveland, then Detroit for six road games, while Boston is 5-6 in that same span and heads back home for dates with Houston and Kansas City.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Red Sox at Twins

  • Date: Wednesday, July 30, 2025
  • Time: 1:10PM EST
  • Site: Target Field
  • City: Minneapolis, MN
  • Network/Streaming: NESN, MNNT, MLBN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Red Sox at the Twins

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Red Sox (+110), Twins (-131)
  • Spread:  Twins -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Red Sox at Twins

  • Pitching matchup for July 30, 2025: Brayan Bello vs. Zebby Matthews
    • Red Sox: Brayan Bello, (6-5, 3.32 ERA)
      Last outing: 5.06 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
    • Twins: Zebby Matthews, (2-2, 4.97 ERA)
      Last outing: 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Red Sox and the Twins

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday’s game between the Red Sox and the Twins:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Boston Red Sox at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Red Sox at Twins

  • The Red Sox have won 4 of their last 5 away games against teams with losing records
  • Minnesota is 1-3 in the last four games
  • Minnesota is 4-7 since the break
  • The Red Sox have covered in 4 of their last 5 on the road, profiting 2.45 units

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
Posted on

Diamondbacks at Tigers Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 30

It's Wednesday, July 30 and the Diamondbacks (51-57) are in Detroit to take on the Tigers (63-46). Ryne Nelson is slated to take the mound for Arizona against Chris Paddack for Detroit.

Paddack makes his debut for the Tigers after being traded from the Twins ahead of the deadline. After six straight losses, Detroit has bounced back with three consecutive wins and go for the sweep over Arizona.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Diamondbacks at Tigers

  • Date: Wednesday, July 30, 2025
  • Time: 1:10PM EST
  • Site: Comerica Park
  • City: Detroit, MI
  • Network/Streaming: ARID, FDSNDT, MLBN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Diamondbacks at the Tigers

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Diamondbacks (+114), Tigers (-136)
  • Spread:  Tigers -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Diamondbacks at Tigers

  • Pitching matchup for July 30, 2025: Ryne Nelson vs. Chris Paddack
    • Diamondbacks: Ryne Nelson, (6-2, 3.29 ERA)
      Last outing: 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 1 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
    • Tigers: Chris Paddack, (3-9, 4.95 ERA)
      Last outing: 1.50 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 8 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Diamondbacks and the Tigers

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday’s game between the Diamondbacks and the Tigers:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Arizona Diamondbacks at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Diamondbacks at Tigers

  • Arizona has lost four straight games
  • The Tigers have lost 12 of their last 20 games
  • The Under is 4-1 in the Diamondbacks' last 5 games
  • The Tigers have covered the Run Line in 3 straight games

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
Posted on

German Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier dies after mountaineering accident in Pakistan

  • Former biathlete struck by rockfall at altitude of 5,700m

  • Tributes paid to athlete ‘with heart, attitude and vision’

The German double Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier has died after a mountaineering accident in Pakistan, her management confirmed on Wednesday.

The accident occurred at around noon on Monday, at an altitude of approximately 5,700 metres at Laila Peak, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said on Tuesday. Dahlmeier was climbing with her mountaineering partner when she was struck by a sudden rockfall in the Hushe Valley, part of the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Phillies are going to add bullpen arms, trades or no trades

Phillies are going to add bullpen arms, trades or no trades originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CHICAGO – A couple of bullpen arms are making their way to the Phillies during the upcoming weeks, one the organization hopes will give them some serious help for the rest of the season, the other who will become just a rental for the rest of the regular season.

Recently acquired righthander David Robertson pitched another inning Tuesday for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs and his work was very pleasing to manager Rob Thomson.

“Good. One inning. Nine pitches. Gave up a base hit,” Thomason said. “The velocity was 90-plus. Didn’t touch 91. Threw strikes. He’ll pitch Friday. He wants to do it (back to backs). It might be a little bit early. He’s just building up.”

Robertson was signed by the Phillies on July 20 after sitting out the beginning of the season to be with his wife and kids, with the understanding that if the right opportunity arose, he could always go back and pitch. The 40-year-old got that itch and the Phillies were more than happy to have him join the team for his third stint.

The other reliever is lefthander Jose Alvarado, who was suspended on May 18 after testing positive for a performance enhancing drug. He is eligible to re-join the team on August 18, which could be a huge boost to the club. But his ineligibility for the post-season is a huge loss for the Phillies. The organization has been keeping in touch with Alvarado, who is back in Venezuela. The plans for him when he returns are going to be a little bit up in the air.

“I think when he first gets back you got to see how he’s throwing the ball, what type of command and that sort of thing,” said Thomson. “So maybe you start him off in some lower leverage (situations). If it’s really good you start moving him down towards the end of the game.”

Kepler getting close?

Following Tuesday’s win over the White Sox, Thomson spoke of the hard luck outfielder Max Kepler had in the game when he hit a couple of balls extremely well, only to be caught for outs. “This is going to sound contradictory but he’s getting the head out and staying in the middle of the field,” he said. “He’s getting the head out and finishing his swing. Short to, long through, however you want to call it. But his swing is a lot better.”

Whether the Phillies get a big bat before Thursday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline or not, they are simply going to need more offensively from Kepler, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract in the offseason. Heading into Wednesday’s game, Kepler had a .203 batting average in 305 at bats with 11 home runs and 33 RBI.

Lineup notes

The trade deadline influences many strange things in baseball, like players being traded in the middle of a doubleheader to a team they are playing (see Seranthony Dominguez) or players being pulled from a start at the last moment.

The White Sox were to start righthander Adrian House on Wednesday, but he was lifted in favor of lefthander Tyler Alexander. The Phillies had their lineup posted in the clubhouse, then took it down, then put it back up with no changes, meaning Thomson’s heavy left-handed lineup would face Alexander. The reasoning?

“I’m going to stay with it just cause I don’t know how long this guy is going to go,” said Thomson. “He’s been a starter in the past but he hasn’t had multiple innings. He got up to three innings within the last month and he just pitched the other night.”

Posted on

Which opponents did Nashville Predators have best record against during 2024-25 season?

There wasn't a lot of winning to be had for the Nashville Predators last season. 

Thirty wins during the 2024-25 season was the Predators' lowest 82-game total since the 2002-03 season, where they won just 27 games in their fifth season of existence. 

However, believe it or not, the Predators did win six regular-season series, three of which they went undefeated. Here's which teams Nashville had no issue handling during its infamous 2024-25 campaign. 

Vancouver Canucks 

Jan 3, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy (7) defends against Nashville Predators forward Luke Evangelista (77) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Record: 2-1

Things fell apart for the Canucks toward the end of the regular season. They were a constant Wild Card contender throughout the year, but finished the season six points outside of a playoff spot. 

The Predators picked up a pair of wins over Vancouver in November and January, which included a 3-0 shutout to start the new year. Juuse Saros made 27 saves in the effort for his fourth shutout of the season. 

Steven Stamkos had three goals in two matchups against the Canucks, which included two goals in the 5-3 win on Nov. 17. 

Their final matchup of the season on Jan. 29 in Nashville ended in a 3-1 loss. 

Utah (Mammoth) Hockey Club 

Apr 14, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators left wing Michael Bunting (58) scores past Utah Hockey Club goaltender Matt Villalta (31) during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Record: 2-1 

Scoring was tight between the Predators and the former Utah Hockey Club, now the Mammoth, as Nashville had 11 goals for to its 10 goals against. 

At the team's first-ever meeting on Nov. 9, Saros made 27 saves in a 4-0 victory. Filip Forsberg lit the lamp twice while Roman Josi had two assists. 

The next two meetings between Nashville and Utah came within four games of each other in the final four games of the regular season. 

On April 10, the Predators eeked out a 4-3 shootout win on the road. Despite allowing three goals, Saros made 39 saves on 42 shots and stonewalled Utah in the shootout. Forsberg scored his 31st goal of the season and the shootout winner. 

At this point, going into the final game on April 14, the Predators had an 8-3 scoring advantage on Utah. However, all of that nearly shifted in a 7-3 loss in Nashville. 

The Predators trailed by a goal going into the third period before they were outscored, 3-0, in the final 20 minutes of the game. 

Chicago Blackhawks 

Jan 16, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Justin Barron (20) and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic (72) during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Record: 3-1

The Predators won only one series in the Central Division this past season, and it came against the only other team ranked below them: the Chicago Blackhawks.

Nashville took three out of four games in the regular season, walking away with six out of eight possible points. 

After going down 2-0 in their first meeting on Oct. 25 in Chicago, the Predators rattled off three straight goals in the successful comeback effort. Gustav Nyquist had a goal and an assist in the second period. 

Jan. 16 was another 3-2 victory, but it came in a shootout in Nashville. Stamkos opened the game with a power-play goal and ended it with the winning goal in the shootout. 

Chicago would get its lick-back right before the 4 Nations Face-Off break on Feb. 7 in a dominating 6-2 win. Ryan Donato had four points (2 goals, 2 assists), and Nashville was outscored 5-0 from the end of the first period to midway through the third period. It was the Predators' sixth straight loss. 

However, the Predators ended the series on a high note. They walked away with a third 3-2 victory, this time in overtime on March 8 in Nashville. Stamkos scored all three goals, recording his 14th career hat trick. 

Carolina Hurricanes 

Dec 23, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) celebrates his goal with left wing Filip Forsberg (9) against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Record: 2-0 

The Predators extinguished one of the hottest teams in the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes, this past season. 

Carolina, who made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, struggled against Nashville. In their first meeting on Dec. 23, the Predators opened up a 4-0 lead and the Hurricanes couldn't catch up. Jonathan Marchessault had two goals and an assist in the 5-2 win. 

The final meeting, which took place on March 25 in Raleigh, had fewer scoring points. Nashville built up a 2-0 lead before Carolina cut it in half in the second period. It was a third-period goal by Luke Evangelista that gave Nashville insurance in a 3-1 win. 

Boston Bruins 

Oct 22, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators left wing Zachary L'Heureux (68) steals the puck from Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Record: 2-0 

Nashville outscored the Bruins by a whopping 10-3 margin in two games, with the first meeting coming in shutout fashion.

On Oct. 22, Juuse Saros made 33 saves to snap the Predators' five-game losing streak in a 4-0 victory. Ryan O'Reilly had a goal and an assist in the win.

The next meeting on March 4 in Boston, the Predators put up another big number on the Bruins in a 6-3 win. O'Reilly had two goals and an assist, bumping his season point total against the Bruins to five in two games, and Stamkos had a goal and two assists. 

It was a tight game going into the third period before the Predators outscored the Bruins, 3-1. 

San Jose Sharks 

Jan 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Justin Barron (20) scores past San Jose Sharks goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Record: 3-0

It was goals galore between the Predators and Sharks this season as both teams combined for 28 goals in three games. 23 of those goals came within three days of each other. 

The Jan. 21 meeting in Nashville saw the Sharks build up a wide 5-1 lead before choking it away. Nashville scored six unanswered goals, led by a goal and two assists from Marchessault, for a 7-5 win. 

The next game on Jan. 24 in San Jose had more fireworks. There were 53 combined penalty minutes and 11 combined goals. The Predators had a 5-2 lead before the Sharks came back to tie the game.

It was a power-play goal from Fedor Svechkov that allowed the Predators to escape with a 6-5 win. Forsberg had two goals in the win. 

There were still many penalties but fewer goals in the final meeting of the season on March 11 in San Jose. The Predators logged 14 penalty minutes to the Sharks' 20 in a narrow 3-2 win to close out the season series.

Kieffer Bellows cracked a 2-2 tie in the third period to give Nashville the green light to victory.