The Pittsburgh Penguins were a great surprise this season. After many expected them to be among the worst teams in the NHL, the Penguins instead finished second in the Metropolitan Division standings and made the playoffs.
Sidney Crosby was one of the biggest reasons for the Penguins' major turnaround this season. This is because the 38-year-old center was once again dominant for the Penguins, posting 29 goals, 45 assists, and 74 points in 68 games. With this, Crosby averaged more than a point per game for the 21st season in a row.
Due to how wonderfully Crosby played this season, he has earned himself a nice shout-out.
The Hockey News had Crosby at the No. 12 spot for their top 100 players of the 2025-26 season rankings. Given how well Crosby played yet again this season, it is easy to understand why he has been named as one of the NHL's best players for this campaign.
Crosby just continues to thrive as his career carries on, and he is showing zero signs of slowing down. It is going to be fascinating to see what kind of season he will put together for the Pens in 2026-27 from here.
Jun 5, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks to move the ball past San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the fourth quarter during game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
As the Spurs head into Game 3, they have some positives to build on defensively. In Games 1 and 2, they utilized a similar defensive stratagem on Jalen Brunson that worked in the Western Conference Finals against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. So far, they have limited the Knicks star point guard from taking over. In San Antonio, the Spurs stayed within striking distance but came up short.
During the regular season, Brunson averaged 26 points on 46.7% shooting. During this postseason he has stayed consistent. In the last two games, he’s averaged 25 points on 33.9% shooting. Against the Spurs, Brunson has to work harder to get his points. And with all that extra ball-handling comes an increase in turnovers, from two-and-a-half in the regular season to four per game in the Finals.
What is working for the Spurs? Simply put, Stephon Castle has been brilliant. In the first two games, Castle covered Brunson for 9:24, by far the most time by any member of the Silver & Black. During that time, Brunson has scored 8 points on shooting 2 of 10, or 20%.
After Game 1, Castle stated, “I thought we did well. We kept him off the line, for the most part. He made some tough shots late. I feel like a lot of his buckets were loud because they were back-to-back. The shots he did get to go were consecutive, so it hurt a little bit more. But looking at the box score, looking back on it, I think we did a pretty good job on him.”
The only player limiting Brunson to a lower shooting percentage is De’Aaron Fox. On his watch spanning 4:25, Brunson did not score, going 0 for 6 with two turnovers.
After Game 2, Fox echoed Castle’s sentiment from Game 1, “I think we’ve had a good defense majority of the year. We’re just trying to make it difficult on him. I think we’ve done a good job both games. He’s made big shots at the end of games. He’s a hell of a player. Even when you make it difficult on good players, they’re talented so they’re going to end up making shots. He’s done that, especially at the end of the games. I don’t know if I would say just change much of what we’re doing. He’s made timely shots.”
Dylan Harper, guarded Brunson for 5:49 and held him to 2 points on 1 of 3. After Game 2, Harper said of Brunson, “He’s a great player. I feel like he kind of likes moments like that. He steps up in those big moments. I think for us we have to keep doubling down on our game plan, kind of just seeing what works and just keep going to that.”
Victor Wembanyama also boasts some good defense on the Knicks guard. The Defensive Player of the Year has held Brunson to just just 25%, 3 of 12 shooting, in the first two games. Most of Victor’s 2:53 covering him has come after switching onto him while defending the pick and roll. In those situations, Brunson is 1 of 7.
Where Brunson has found success, and where the Spurs will need to make a more concerted effort, is when Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell, and Carter Bryant end up on him. Champagnie has allowed Brunson 22 points on 9 of 13 shooting, or 69.2%, in 4:54. Meanwhile, Vassell has allowed 5 0f 9, or 55.6%, over 2:59, yielding 10 points. Carter Bryant, who’s only been on Brunson for 2:05, has allowed 6 points on 3 of 5 shooting.
Vassell spoke on Sunday about covering him when he’s made those clutch shots, stating, “Yeah, it feels like those are the moments that he lives for, especially in the fourth quarter, clutch. I feel like we’re doing a really good job on him, making him shoot some tough shots all throughout the game. Even those clutch shots are very tough shots that he’s been hitting.”
The Spurs lost by ten in Game 1 and by a single point in Game 2. In Game 1, Brunson scored 30 points. 12-31 38.7% going 4 of 4 from the charity stripe, By comparison, the Spurs did better in Game 2, limiting him to 20 points, 7-25, 28%, 4 of 5 free throws.
Overall, there have been stretches where Brunson struggles to get the ball through the hoop. After hitting the opening shot of Game 1, he didn’t score again until the halfway point of the second quarter. In fact, he scored 3 in the first, 8 in the second, and 6 in the third. It wasn’t until his 13-point fourth quarter eruption that the Knicks separated from the Spurs for the win. It’s key to why Brunson came in fifth for Clutch Player of the Year this season, and exactly where the Spurs must lock in if they hope to take Game 3 in New York.
The Mets dropped a tough one on Saturday night, falling to the Padres on a Freddy Fermin homer in the late innings, despite receiving an encouraging outing from Nolan McLean.
Austin Warren allowed a go-ahead blast in a rare hiccup thus far this season, then Mark Vientos' struggles continued as he went down easily on three pitches to end the game with the tying-run on-base.
Instead of sitting and sulking in the finale on Sunday, though, the Mets were able to come back and put together a complete effort from top-to-bottom to secure the series victory.
“It was a really good team win,” Carlos Mendoza said.
The offense was terrific after being held in check on Saturday, putting men on-base in all nine innings as they broke through for seven runs on 13 hits and four walks.
Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette stayed hot, but it was Carson Benge who led the way with a solo homer and RBI triple as part of his first-career 5-for-5 day.
“It was really cool to see,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Rockets pretty much everywhere, using the middle of the field, staying short and on top of the ball -- he set the tone for us.”
Benge is the third youngest player Met to go 5-for-5, and their first rookie since Pete Alonso (2019).
And he wasn’t the only youngster to shine, as A.J. Ewing showcased his outstanding range once again with a running grab in left-center to rob the Padres of extra-bases in the bottom of the eighth.
Ewing also drove in a run, and extended his hitting streak to five games with a ninth-inning single.
“I’m loving him out there,” Benge said.
“I feel like something cool or special is going to happen every day,” Sean Manaea added.
Manaea was terrific as well serving as the bulk reliever, holding the struggling Padres offense to just two runs across four innings of work to lower his ERA to 3.28 over his last four appearances.
Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams put the finishing touches on the victory.
After starting the road trip with a pair of tough losses in Seattle, the Mets were able to rebound nicely to finish it off 3-3, and winners in seven of their last 10.
They now head home for a big six-game stretch with the Cardinals and Braves.
“We just have to continue to win series,” Mendoza said. “Bouncing back after a tough one last night, they showed up today and set the tone early -- that’s what you want to see -- now enjoy the day and be ready for our homestand.”
The Buffalo Sabres finally took a major step forward this season. This is because they not made the playoffs for the first time since 2011 but also had the best record in the Atlantic Division and made it to the second round of the post-season.
Rasmus Dahlin was a major reason for the Sabres' success this season. The 26-year-old defenseman had a monster season, scoring 19 goals and setting new career highs with 55 assists and 74 points in 77 games. He was also named a finalist for the Norris Trophy, but Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski ended up taking it home.
Still, it was a spectacular 2025-26 season for Dahlin. Due to this, he has now received some major praise.
Dahlin was given the No. 15 spot in The Hockey News' top 100 NHL player rankings for the 2025-26 season. When looking at how dominant he was this season for the Sabres, it is not difficult to understand why he has been ranked as one of the best players in the NHL this season.
Dahlin jumped up pretty significantly from last year rankings, too, as The Hockey News had him at the No. 33 spot for the 2024-25 season.
Overall, it was undoubtedly a great year for Dahlin. It is going to be fascinating to see what he does as an encore for the Sabres during the 2026-27 season from here.
It was on this day in 1997 that the collective euphoria of the first Stanley Cup victory in 42 years washed over the city of Detroit in a sea of confetti and champagne.
Boosted by goals from Nicklas Lidstrom and Darren McCarty, the Detroit Red Wings swept the Philadelphia Flyers four games to none, capturing the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1955.
Goaltender Mike Vernon, who had won the Stanley Cup earlier in his career with the Calgary Flames, caught a leaping Steve Yzerman in his arms as the final horn sounded at Joe Louis Arena, sparking a celebration that everyone in attendance would remember for the rest of their lives.
Vernon would be named the recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while Yzerman soon received the Stanley Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
As Yzerman lifted the Cup into the air for the first time, the collective weight of over four decades of frustration melted away.
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Victorian trio Todd Murphy, Ollie Peake and Matt Short have been added to Australia’s squad for the ODI series against Bangladesh starting Tuesday as Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head were ruled out of the three-match series.
Adam Proteau recently ranked the top 10 pending restricted free agents in the NHL for the 2026 NHL Off-Season. Philadelphia Flyers star forward Trevor Zegras made the cut, as he was given the No. 7 spot by Proteau.
When looking at the season Zegras just put together for the Flyers, it is certainly fair that he has been named one of the top pending RFAs by The Hockey News. The 25-year-old not only bounced back during his first season as a Flyer but together the best campaign of his career so far. In 81 games this season with the Flyers, he set career highs with 26 goals and 67 points.
With how well Zegras played this season for the Flyers, there is no question that he has set himself up for a nice raise for his next contract. Given how perfectly he has fit into the Flyers' system, he is a player that Philadelphia should be looking to lock up on a long-term deal as well.
It is going to be interesting to see what kind of contract Zegras gets from the Flyers. Getting him re-signed is easily one of the Flyers' most important tasks of the off-season.
Nelly Korda won the US Women’s Open on Sunday for her second consecutive major victory, holding off Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez by one shot when her final putt curled perilously around the cup and dropped in.
Korda’s first US Open win is the fourth major victory of her career, and she claimed it with a steady two-under 69 in the final round – but only after her second putt on the 18th green – from a little over 2ft – caught the edge and toured half the circumference of the hole before falling.
It takes 12 players, multiple coaches, a medical staff, front office and much more to win a championship, but to the general public, most of the credit falls on the big stars. For the Knicks, now two wins away from their first chip in over half a century, that’s Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, but their roster of unsung heroes runs much longer.
One player who can’t be ignored is Landry Shamet -- now on his second consecutive veteran's minimum deal, Shamet's been a major part of their run to the championship, despite the bumps and bruises on the way.
Last year, he suffered a shoulder injury in preseason and agreed to rehab in the G-League before rejoining the team midseason. While he returned to action, he fell out of the rotation when the playoffs rolled around, until the Knicks desperately turned to him facing elimination in the Conference Finals.
He provided a nice spark, but New York had limited roster spots going into 2025-26, and he had to compete for another minimum deal. Shamet made the cut, but this year began to look like Déjà vu.
Shamet suffered another shoulder injury early this season, sidelining him for a third of it. He’d come back again, but wasn’t a major rotation piece early in the postseason.
Things turned around in New York’s second round, when Shamet popped for 15 and 12 points in Games 3 and 4 on the road in Philadelphia. His performance helped close out the Sixers, as he shot 6-of-9 from three in the two contests.
But the real magic came in Game 1 of the Conference Finals. With Josh Hart struggling down 22 and just seven minutes to play, head coach Mike Brown subbed in Shamet with the starters for spacing, and the Knicks rolled.
Shamet hit some of the biggest threes of the season: one to cut the lead to 17, another that bounced in with under a minute to play that tied the game, and finally the clincher in overtime. He finished with just these nine points, but they were crucial to one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Playoffs history.
He followed up with another pair of big road games, scoring 14 in Game 3 and 16 in Game 4, contributing to another dominant sweep. He finished the Conference Finals shooting a stellar 11-of-12 from downtown.
New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) reacts in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers during game three of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena / David Richard - Imagn Images
If these performances weren’t enough to cement his legacy in this playoff run, his early start to the Finals might put #44 in the rafters. Shamet’s been a big boost off the bench in a series Brunson’s struggled and the Knicks haven’t played to their best offensively as a team.
Shamet scored 13 in Game 1 on 3-of-6 shooting from three, and another 13 on 3-of-7 three-point attempts in Game 2, as the Knicks won two tough road games to take control of the championship round.
Throughout his appearances, he’s defended hard and attacked the mid-range and paint to keep defenses honest.
It’s no exaggeration that the Knicks wouldn’t be in this spot without Shamet’s contributions. Miles McBride is averaging under seven points this postseason and Jordan Clarkson slowly fell out of the rotation as the competition stiffened.
With limited offensive help from the pine, Shamet’s been a major lift, providing double-digit scoring in single-digit victories. All on a prove-it contract that’s likely to now be aggressively outbid in the summer.
The Knicks are still two wins away from their ultimate goal, and Shamet will need to continue his pace to secure them. If that happens, he goes from heartwarming story to local legend, and no matter where he ends up, New York fans will be eternally, deservingly grateful.
Francisco Alvarez was back behind the plate as he continued his minor league rehab assignment on Sunday afternoon with Triple-A Syracuse.
The 24-year-old backstop enjoyed himself a much-needed strong day with the bat after going hitless in each of his last two appearances with the team.
Alvarez was retired his first two times up, but then drew walk before being stranded in scoring position.
He then ripped a third-pitch fastball right back up the middle in the top of the eighth, and came in to score a few batters later on a Matt Rudick homer.
Before that, Syracuse regained the lead on a Ryan Clifford RBI sacrifice bunt.
Alvarez finished 1-for-3 with a walk, and caught a runner too far off first on a back-pick.
The Mets don’t have an exact day for his return, but as long as things continue progressing as planned, he could be back in the lineup at some point during the upcoming six-game homestand.
On the mound for Syracuse, prospect Zach Thornton delivered a bounceback performance, allowing just two walks and walk hits while striking out five over five scoreless innings.
Tobias Myers followed that by only giving up an unearned run while striking out one over two innings of work in his second appearance following his demotion from the Mets.
Dylan Ross was called upon to get the final out after Syracuse ran into trouble in the ninth, and he allowed an RBI double and two walks before striking out George Lombard Jr. to end the game.
Ross took home his first save, but he’s now issued 16 walks over 18 outings this season.
Former NBA guard Jameer Nelson is taking on a significantly larger role within the 76ers organization following a dramatic front-office shakeup.
With Daryl Morey no longer the team president, the 76ers have also removed Elton Brand from his role as general manager — a position he held since September 2018.
Taking his place will be Nelson, the Philadelphia native and former NBA All-Star who has been the team’s assistant general manager since May 2025 and has been in the team’s front office since 2020.
Elton Brand, Daryl Morey, and Nick Nurse pose for a photo during the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery on May 12, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois, at McCormick Convention Center. NBAE via Getty Images
The changes for Philadelphia follow yet another disappointing postseason exit, as Philadelphia’s hopes of a deep run ended, once again, in the second round of the playoffs.
Coming off the high of a seven-game series win against the Celtics, which included three straight victories to end the first round, the 76ers were swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Nelson has steadily climbed the organizational ladder since transitioning from his playing career.
The former Magic star has worked in player development, scouting and executive roles, leading to his promotion to the general manager seat.
His promotion signals a new direction for a team attempting to regroup after another second-round exit.
The 76ers haven’t reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, and since becoming a perennial playoff team again, they’ve been eliminated in the second round in six of their last nine seasons.
Jameer Nelson and VJ Edgecombe talk during Round 2, Game 2 on May 6, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NBAE via Getty Images
Philadelphia enters the offseason with major roster questions, too.
Joel Embiid, 32, is going to make a combined $120 million for the next two seasons, with a $67 million player option in 2028-29.
Paul George, 36, will enter the third year of a four-year deal, earning $54 million next season with a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28.
Tyrese Maxey, 25, has three years remaining and will make over $40 million next season.
Jameer Nelson starred on the Magic alongside Dwight Howard. NBAE via Getty Images
The 76ers, who own the No. 22 pick in the draft, will also have free agency decisions to make on Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre.
With this hiring, Nelson now becomes one of the most influential figures in shaping Philadelphia’s future.
Before enjoying a successful NBA playing career, Nelson starred at Saint Joseph’s University, where he became one of the most accomplished players in program history.
After being the No. 20 pick in the 2004 draft, Nelson played with the Magic for 10 seasons, and starred on the 2008-09 team, which reached the NBA Finals and lost to the Lakers for Kobe Bryant’s first ring post Shaquille O’Neal.
Nelson, an All-Star that season, averaged 16.7 points and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 45 percent from three and 89 percent on free throws.
He retired following the 2018 season after stints with the Nuggets, Pelicans, Celtics, Pistons and Mavericks.
Carson Benge just continues to progress at the big-league level.
The youngster has settled in nicely after a bit of a slow start to his career, and Sunday was easily one of his most impressive showings to this point.
Benge led the way for the Mets’ offense, becoming the third-youngster player in franchise history to enjoy a 5-for-5 day in a series-finale win over the Padres.
He’s also the first Mets rookie to reach that mark since Pete Alonso in 2019.
“Pretty impressive, it was really cool to see,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Rockets pretty much everywhere, using the middle of the field, staying short and on top of the ball -- he set the tone for us and it was a good team win.”
The 23-year-old certainly set the tone, lining the fourth pitch of the game right back up the middle before coming in with the opening run just two batters later.
Benge also singled leading off the top of the third, then again to open the fifth, with the second sparking another rally which chased Vásquez from the ballgame.
The damage wasn’t done there, as Benge lifted a homer in a left-on-left matchup in the sixth then ripped an RBI triple down the right-field line with two outs in the top of the eighth.
Benge scored three runs, drove in two, and finished just a double shy of the cycle.
“Today was definitely nice,” the slugger said. “It’s always nice to get two hits let-alone five, so being able to do that today was definitely pretty special.”
With the Mets’ offense extremely shorthanded Benge has slid seamlessly into the leadoff spot, hitting an impressive .316 with five homers and 20 RBI since the beginning of May.
“I’m not surprised,” Mendoza said. “We’ve seen the type of player and the talent and just the things he can do on a baseball field -- he’s settling in, is comfortable, and is just going out and playing his game.
“We’re going to see a lot of games like that moving forward where he’s just totally locked in and he's doing a lot of things to help us win baseball games -- he’s just a special player.”
