Will Pucovski has announced he is retiring from all cricket, effective immediately.
Look: Houston basketball practices go viral for gritty, physical drills
Houston basketball is known for its toughness. Videos of the Cougars' practices make that obvious, just as much as watching them play:
Bucky McMillan will ‘have to get to work immediately’ as he takes over Texas A&M basketball
The Bucky McMillan era kicked off at Texas A&M with a lofty promise from the coach who raised Samford basketball to new heights. “For me to leave that place, it would only be for some place that I know I could not just win championships, but was a great place with great people,” McMillan said at his introductory press conference in A&M’s Reed Arena on Monday. Texas A&M's men's basketball team has never advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, much less won a national championship.
Lee embracing Oracle Park, Giants fans' quirks on, off field
Lee embracing Oracle Park, Giants fans' quirks on, off field originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — Oracle Park is just as quirky and unique as the city it occupies.
Giants fans not only embrace a player’s individuality, but celebrate it in a fun, cult-like manner only they know how. Long gone are the days of Pablo Sandoval panda hats and Brian Wilson beards filling the stands at Third & King – although you still will see some every now and again — but that same quirkiness has manifested itself again with one of the Giants’ most exciting and marketable players: Jung Hoo Lee.
The 26-year-old’s rookie 2024 campaign was cut short due to a serious shoulder injury he sustained in May last year, but through 10 games in 2025, Lee has picked up right where he left off and is playing like the do-it-all star he was in the KBO before he signed a six-year, $113 million contract with San Francisco in December 2023.
And Giants fans are champing at the bit to embrace him.
Lee made two impressive sliding catches in the first and fifth innings of San Francisco’s 2-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday at Oracle Park, which excited a group of Giants fans that call themselves the “Hoo Lee Gans,” a play on “hooligans.”
Webby and the Jung Hoo fans were loving this catch by Lee 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lAcMINFOnM
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) April 8, 2025
Jung Hoo Lee did it again 👏 pic.twitter.com/UvmMJCS4V2
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) April 8, 2025
The new fan club, along with the “Jung Hoo Crew” in section 142, are not alone in expressing their support for Lee, whose name has been turned into a loud chant every time he walks to the plate.
Lee still is just 46 games into his Giants career, and while he felt the love immediately upon his arrival last season, he has appreciated even more support in his sophomore campaign.
“I didn’t play too much [last season], but coming in here right now, I can feel that the love from the fans is amazing right now,” Lee said through interpreter Justin Han postgame.
The Giants, and their fans, likely are just scratching the surface of finding ways to celebrate the former KBO star, and Lee’s teammates are loving every minute of it.
“It’s great. I keep seeing the thing about the fight song. Hopefully everyone learns that. I haven’t learned it yet. Hopefully they play it in the crowd,” Giants pitcher Logan Webb told reporters postgame.
“It was kind of the same thing before Jung Hoo got here, we saw Ha-Seong Kim kind of be embraced in San Diego and when they started yelling ‘Ha. Seong. Kim.,’ it got loud.”
Oracle Park, as many have learned over the years, both can giveth and taketh away, and Lee still is adjusting to his new ballpark’s frustrating quirks.
Lee was a modest 1-for-4 at the plate on Monday night, but the box score did not tell the complete story. Three of the four balls Lee hit had exit velocities of at least 102.3 mph, with the hardest-hit ball of the night, a fly-out in the bottom of the sixth inning that nearly left the yard and gave the Giants a 2-0 lead, registering an exit velocity of 103.7 mph.
Lee, and just about everyone at Oracle Park, thought the ball was headed for the right-center field seats. As did the Korean broadcast, which produced a hilarious call that even non-Korean-speaking Giants fans can relate to.
They thought it’s a homer for Jung Hoo #Lee (Korean call😂) pic.twitter.com/RolQlKvpDW
— Joseph Kim (@blackwings2011) April 8, 2025
“Yeah, I felt it was going to go over, but the wind was blowing in, so we can’t do anything about the environment,” Lee said postgame.
That, as Lee is learning the hard way, is called getting “Oracle’d.”
It’s one of the ballpark’s multiple quirks that both Giants and visiting players are aware of, but still bemoan every time a hard-hit ball dies on the warning track.
“Offensively, defensively, I’m still getting used to Oracle Park,” Lee said of his adjustments to the ballpark. “I didn’t get to play a lot last season, so I’m still at that progression where I’m getting more used to it right now.”
While Lee’s adjustment period remains ongoing, that wouldn’t appear to be the case just by watching him play.
“Jung Hoo is playing great baseball, he’s running well, he’s getting good jumps, he’s playing great defense, he’s swinging the bat,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said postgame. “He’s playing really well.”
“He’s only scratching the surface of his abilities,” Webb added. “It’s fun for all of us to watch, because it’s a pleasure to see him keep getting better.”
If Lee really is just “scratching the surface,” Giants fans should have no issues finding ways to embrace and celebrate one of the game’s most unique players this season and for years to come.
Prospect Notes: Mets ‘still believe’ in Kevin Parada, the plan for Matt Allan
President of baseball operations David Stearns discussed two of the Mets’ young talents while speaking to reporters prior to Monday’s series opener at Citi Field…
Mets ‘still believe’ in Parada
Kevin Parada has gotten off to a bit of a dreadful start during his pro career.
The young backstop was a force for George Tech and he was viewed as one of the top hitting prospects in the 2022 Draft before landing with New York at the 11th overall pick -- but he hasn’t quite been able to carry over that production with the organization.
Parada’s been brutal at the plate the past three seasons, and he was even worse last year -- hitting just .214 while popping 30 extra base-hits and striking out 153 times for Double-A Binghamton.
He’s also been brutal defensively, throwing out just 20 percent of attempted base stealers.
The 23-year-old worked this offseason to get into better shape and make some changes to his swing and he saw some better results in a small sample size at big-league camp, reaching base three times across eight at-bats.
Parada will begin the year back with Binghamton -- and while he isn’t viewed as big-league depth just yet -- Stearns insists that they have faith in his potential moving forward.
“Kevin’s had some ups and downs since he’s been drafted, but we still believe in the player — he worked really hard over the offseason and came into camp in really good shape. We still like the player and we’re looking forward to seeing how his year goes.”
The plan for Matt Allan’s return
Allan has had incredibly tough luck since joining the organization.
The right-hander was viewed one of the Mets’ top pitching prospects after falling into their laps in the third round of the 2019 Draft -- but he’s battled numerous arm issues and hasn’t taken the mound in game action since then.
Allan worked this offseason and is finally back and ready to roll.
He made his first appearance in nearly six years on Sunday afternoon with the Single-A St. Lucie Mets and fared extremely well -- allowing just two hits while walking one and striking out five across 2.2 innings of work.
The results are certainly encouraging, but more importantly, the Mets are happy to see the 23-year-old back out there on the mound.
“Given everything Matt’s gone through, every time he takes the ball we’re happy,” Stearns said. “He deserves to be happy and he deserves to enjoy it. He threw the other night, let’s get to the next one and then after that let’s get to the next one and we’ll go from there.
“What I will say is what he is doing right now is really impressive. He is demonstrating why he was so sought after in the draft, and why he has kept pushing so hard for the last five years to get back to this point.”
Given his age, Allan could be moved through the system relatively quickly based on how his performances go, but the biggest focus will be on keeping him healthy.
Florida tops Houston 65-63 to win third NCAA basketball championship
The Florida Gators came back to beat the Houston Cougars 65-63 in the men's NCAA Tournament championship game on Monday.
How Celebrini made Sharks franchise history vs. Flames
How Celebrini made Sharks franchise history vs. Flames originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The 2024-25 NHL regular season might not be going well on paper for the league-worst Sharks.
But there’s a clear silver lining in rookie center Macklin Celebrini.
With his first-period assist — his 35th of the season — against the Calgary Flames on Monday, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft set a franchise rookie record for San Jose.
Nikolai Kovalenko and Macklin Celebrini tally assists on the score. With his 35th assist of the season, Celebrini has set a #SJSharks rookie record. https://t.co/nWfFsE6Aqi
— San Jose Sharks PR (@SanJoseSharksPR) April 8, 2025
Will Smith buries one in front of the crease to put the Sharks in front 😤 pic.twitter.com/5QgHT7HOEK
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 8, 2025
Celebrini overtook former winger Pat Falloon, who tallied 34 assists in the Sharks’ inaugural 1991-92 season.
The 18-year-old finished Monday’s 3-2 loss at SAP Center with two assists, both on goals by fellow promising youngster Will Smith.
That second point for Celebrini gave him a season total of 57 in his quest for the Calder Trophy. As a result, he moved ahead of Logan Couture for No. 2 on the Sharks’ all-time leaderboard for points by a rookie; Celebrini has five more games to eclipse another Falloon franchise record at 59 points.
Will Smith's second of the night brings the Sharks within one 👀 pic.twitter.com/v5UxB3m4Nr
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 8, 2025
NCAA championship: Florida stuns Houston with late rally to secure program’s third national title
Florida rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to deny Houston its first NCAA title.
Former Duck Reflects on Time in Anaheim
Monday marks Corey Perry's 11th time facing his old team and his fifth time coming back to Honda Center. Perry is 2-2-0 in his career against the Ducks at the arena he called home for 14 seasons.
He's seen and done a lot since being bought out by the Ducks during the summer of 2019. He's appeared in 97 Stanley Cup Playoffs games––including four consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances––and played alongside some of the best players in the world, all while continuing to play that classic Corey Perry-style of hockey.
"The Worm," as he is known by many in the hockey community, is just a couple of months shy of his 40th birthday. Perry has said in the past that he would like to play until age 40, at least. Beyond that is just a question of whether he feels his body can keep playing––or if the offers will keep coming from NHL teams.
"I said last year in the playoffs, five more years, so (this season) puts this (at) four more," Perry said. "One season at a time, one game at a time. I still love every single day being a part of the team, being around the guys, being in the dressing room, on the ice. Just that camaraderie that you bond with as a team, it's still special."
14 years and a day ago, Perry scored his 50th goal of the season, a campaign which concluded with him winning the Hart Memorial Trophy, the NHL's version of the MVP award. His 50th goal was a hat trick marker, the cherry on top for an eventual 6-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. While Perry remembers that season going well for himself, the Ducks did not make it past the first round of the playoffs, falling to the Nashville Predators in six games.
"The second half of the season was pretty good," Perry said. "It was kind of like everything I was shooting was going in the net. It was a good feeling, but at the end of the day, you don't get it done. The goal is to win a Stanley Cup and that didn't happen. But, personally, that's a season that I'll never forget."
Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks' longest-tenured captain in franchise history and Perry's longtime friend and linemate for many seasons, will be eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame this upcoming summer. In Perry's mind, there is no doubt that Getzlaf will be a first-ballot choice.
"He was one of the best two-way forwards in the game for a long, long time," Perry said. "Over 1,000 points, played many games for one organization. The things he's done for the game of hockey and the style he played, you don't see that too often. He was my running mate for a long time and I benefited off of him for sure."
Perry's first NHL game was nearly two decades ago now. His career is coming to a close, but Olivier Rodrigue's is just beginning. The 24-year-old will make his first NHL start against the Ducks after his first NHL appearance came in relief on Mar. 27. What does Perry remember about his first NHL "start"?
"(I was) a little nervous," Perry said. "But, once the puck drops, it's just hockey. It's what you do, it's what you're born to do. Everything just comes back to you. You're gonna have some butterflies and some excitement, that's the whole experience of it."
It's been seven seasons since Perry called Honda Center home, but to him, it's still special to come back every time. 14 seasons and nearly 1,000 games played will do that.
"Every time I walk in, get in the arena, see all the signs, the accomplishments... it was home. 14 years played here, almost over 1,000 games. It's a special place and always will be."
Canucks' Lankinen To Receive Special Budweiser Can To Celebrate Alex Ovechkin's Record-Setting Goal
Over the weekend, Alex Ovechkin became the NHL's all-time leader in goals. The Washington Capitals captain scored his 895th on Sunday against the New York Islanders, breaking Wayne Gretzky's record. Over his 20-year career, Ovechkin has scored on almost every goaltender he faced, except a select few, who are now being recognized.
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In honour of Ovechkin's record-setting goal, Budweiser Canada will be sending commemorative cans to the 28 goaltenders who have denied Ovechkin goals. The zero alcohol cans will have the number of shots each goaltender faced, along with the phrase "The Greatest Goal Scored Of All Time Couldn't Score On You". Among the list of goaltenders are plenty of familiar names for Vancouver Canucks fans, including Kevin Lankinen, who has stopped all 14 shots Ovechkin has fired on him.
All Of Alex Ovechkin’s Goals Against The Vancouver Canucks The NHL officially has a new leader in all-time goals scored. On April 6, 2025 Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th career NHL goal, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record nearly 26 years later. The goal scorer has won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy nine times in his career and has now surpassed the 40-goal mark 14 times. Of his 895 NHL goals, 16 were scored against the Vancouver Canucks. Here’s a list of all of Ovechkin’s goals against the Canucks.
Lankinen is one of nine goaltenders who has stopped at least ten shots from Ovechkin and not allowed a goal. Overall, he ranks tied for fourth, with the only goaltenders ahead of him being Mike Condon, Mathieu Garon, and Vítek Vaněček. Over his career, Lankinen has faced the Capitals three times, posting a 2-0-1 record and a .940% save percentage.
As mentioned, the list features a few other goaltenders who have suited up for Vancouver. Braden Holtby has stopped all two shots he faced against his former teammate, while Collin Delia has also gone two for two. Over his career, Ovechkin has scored 16 times against the Canucks, but was held off the scoresheet in each of the two matchups this season.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
Kelvin Sampson career wins, highlights: Cougars coach searching for win No. 800 in NCAA finals
Houston basketball coach Kelvin Sampson enters Monday's national championship game looking for win No. 800. Here's a look at his resume, highlights and more.
3 observations after Sixers' losing streak grows to a dozen in Miami
3 observations after Sixers' losing streak grows to a dozen in Miami originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers finished winless for the full duration of March Madness.
Their losing streak grew to a dozen games Monday night in Miami with a 117-105 defeat to the Heat.
Lonnie Walker IV and Quentin Grimes scored 29 points apiece for the 23-56 Sixers.
Duncan Robinson was the Heat’s leading scorer with 21 points off the bench on 7-for-8 shooting. Tyler Herro added 20 points and rookie center Kel’el Ware had a 19-point, 17-rebound double-double.
The Sixers’ many sidelined players included Justin Edwards (rib contusion) and Guerschon Yabusele (personal reasons). Miami’s injury list included Bam Adebayo, who sat because of back spasms.
The Sixers will face the Wizards on Wednesday night in their final road game of the season. Here are observations on their loss to the Heat:
Bagley joins the starters
Marcus Bagley made his first career start and the Sixers extended their record-setting number of starting units this season.
The team’s 53rd lineup was Jared Butler, Grimes, Walker, Bagley and Adem Bona.
Bagley gave the Sixers a 4-0 lead when he nabbed a steal and turned it into a fast-break layup. The Sixers capitalized on Miami’s early sloppiness and forced the game’s first five turnovers.
Bagley had another nice play on the Sixers’ final possession of the first quarter when he slipped behind the Heat’s zone defense and slammed in a Grimes lob. He’s had some good moments as a cutter and offensive rebounder his last few outings.
Seven games in, Bagley has yet to break the three-point ice. He went 0 for 2 from long range in Miami, which puts him at 0 for 15 overall in the NBA. He posted six points, six rebounds, a block and a steal in his 23 minutes.
More early shooting woes
As a team, the Sixers’ shooting start was again very poor. They missed 16 of their first 18 three-point attempts.
Outside shooting is one of the areas where the Sixers have ranked among the league’s worst this season. Entering Monday, they were 26th in the NBA at 34.3 percent from long distance.
Walker was literally the only Sixer knocking down threes in the first half.
He was 3 for 7 beyond the arc and his teammates were 0 for 12. After an 18-point game Saturday night in the Sixers’ loss to the Timberwolves, Walker remained aggressive, decisive and low-turnover. His confidence certainly grew as he kept seeing shots drop.
Though the Sixers used a 10-man rotation, Walker, Bona and Grimes all logged at least 18 minutes in the first half. Long-range shooting isn’t part of Bona’s game, but he showed plenty of other strengths in a bright, bouncy start.
Bona tallied 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting, 11 rebounds and three blocks. The rookie’s first block was an impressive, well-timed rejection of a Herro driving layup attempt. Over his last 12 games, Bona’s swatted 31 shots.
Closing in on top-5 lottery odds
Miami led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter and held an eight-point halftime edge.
A third-quarter Grimes scoring flurry erased the Sixers’ deficit completely. He drained four triples in the third period and the Sixers took the lead with an 11-0 run.
Grimes eventually cooled off a bit and the Sixers couldn’t secure the necessary stops in the fourth quarter. Davion Mitchell’s step-back jumper over Bona stretched the Heat’s lead to 13 points. Grimes missed three consecutive free throws with 2:04 left.
On paper, Wednesday’s matchup with the 17-61 Wizards looks to be a winnable game for the Sixers. Whatever the result, they’re now nearly locked into top-five NBA draft lottery odds:
- Fourth-best odds: Pelicans (21-57)
- Fifth-best odds: Sixers (23-56)
- Sixth-best odds: Nets (25-53)
‘Celtics City' beyond the episode: The Len Bias tragedy
‘Celtics City' beyond the episode: The Len Bias tragedy originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics expierienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in June of 1986.
Just over a week after defeating the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals to secure Banner 16, the C’s selected highly-touted Maryland forward Len Bias with the second overall pick in the draft. Two days later, Bias died from cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose.
The tragedy was the subject of Episode 6 of Max’s Celtics City docuseries, titled “Untenable Toll.” Longtime NBA reporter Jackie MacMullan covered Bias’ death and shared her reaction to the emotional recall of Bias’ passing.
“It was the worst story I’ve ever covered, bar none,” MacMullan said on NBC Sports Boston’s Keys to the City show recapping Episode 6, as seen in the video player above. “It was the worst story, because by all accounts he was a great kid, a gregarious kid. And by the way, that can be true and you can still do cocaine. They’re not mutually exclusive. That was just a tragedy of epic proportions for that family.”
Bias’ death marked the begininng of a dark era in the franchise’s history. The Celtics battled and beat the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons in a heated 1987 playoff series before ultimately falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. After dominating the decade, they wouldn’t win another title until 2008.
“After Len Bias died, nothing went right. Nothing,” MacMullan added. “(Bill) Walton trips on (Robert) Parish’s foot, he never plays again. (Kevin) McHale breaks his foot, (Larry) Bird starts having back problems. That day set off an unprecedented period of time, including the death of Reggie Lewis. It was like that one thing cast a pall over that franchise that was not lifted for the longest time.”
More Celtics City ‘Beyond the Episode’
- Episode 1: “Founding Fathers”
- Episode 2: “No Final Victories”
- Episode 3: “All Swept Up”
- Episode 4: “Great Hope, Period”
- Episode 5: “F**k the Celtics”
Check out our footage of moments from “Celtics City” Episode 6 below:
Celtics legend Robert Parish had enough of one of the biggest villains from the 1980s Pistons, Bill Laimbeer. After Laimbeer used his elbows a little too aggressively when going up for a rebound, “The Chief” clobbered him:
After missing the final seven games of the regular season and being questionable for Game 1 of the first round vs. the Indiana Pacers in 1991, Larry Bird put on a show for the Celtics faithful. Bird finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists and 3 steals in 41 minutes while besting Pacers rival Chuck Person:
Watch the full “Keys to the City” episode below:
Is Thompson’s Pursuit Of 50 Within Reach?
The Buffalo Sabres have six games remaining after a 6-3 comeback victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday, and in spite of playing much better over the last few weeks, the players’ pursuit of personal goals has taken precedence over the club’s near-impossible chances of making the postseason.
Sabres leading scorer Tage Thompson reached the 40-goal mark for the second time in his career on Saturday with a tally against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and on Sunday, the big forward notched his second hat trick of the season and moved within range of his career-high 47 goals and possibly with a chance of his first 50-goal campaign.
"He's 6'7", with the poise of a Norris candidate and the hands of a little skill guy, and it's awesome to see, and obviously the shot is like none other I've ever seen." Sabres winger Alex Tuch said after the game. "It's been awesome to see how far he's come and how much of a complete game he's been playing. The goals are happening right now, but I think he's been playing really well all season, and his production is jumping."
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Thompson played most of the season up the middle, but after the Four Nations break, he has primarily played on the wing. Head coach Lindy Ruff believes playing the right side and gelling with linemates Zach Benson and rookie Jiri Kulich has freed him up.
"I really think he's skating well right now. I think that line has had some good chemistry. I think that Kulich's game is really back toward where needs to be. It's freed (Tage) up to take off." Ruff said. "You don't get a breakaway like that if you're playing center on your own end. There's a lot of pluses to being on the wing, and (Jiri's) done a really nice job, and I thought the other part is Benson had a heck of a night with the puck down low."
The Sabres finish up their three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes before heading out for three straight on the road in Columbus on Thursday, and back-to-back weekend games in Florida against the Panthers on Saturday and Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo
Blackhawks Youth Is Starting To Lead Them To Success
The Chicago Blackhawks won a big game on Sunday night over the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a strong performance by the young Blackhawks, who have had trouble holding a lead late in games.
The Penguins played a night prior, which had them fatiguing a bit but they did beat an elite Dallas Stars team on the road. Stars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson bring it every night, but they were outskated hard by the Hawks on the second half of a back-to-back.
The context of the situation is important to keep in mind when evaluating, but it is becoming more clear every day that the young players on the Blackhawks are taking charge now.
Connor Bedard, the most important player in the organization, earned his 60th point, which made some NHL history. He became just the 11th player to ever have two 60+ point years as a teenager.
On the same goal that Bedard earned the assist on, Sam Rinzel earned his first career NHL point. To say he’s been playing well would be an understatement. He finally has his first of many career points, which will go well with his great defensive play.
"He’s mature," Interim head coach Anders Sorensen said of Rinzel after the game. "We really like the fact that he wants to have the puck."
Sorenensen went on to talk about how Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov both "take control in shifts". He compared it to what Karlsson and Letang (two future Hall of Famers) do with the Penguins.
That's just what you want from these young defensemen as they develop. Their ice time is going to increase as the season winds down and their level of play seems to be rising to the occasion.
Rinzel spoke about feeling "snakebitten" when talking about finally getting his first career point despite having a ton of good chances. He's a guy that likes to stick with it knowing that good habits will lead to production on the ice.
The first goal of the game was a short handed goal scored by Frank Nazar. This was the first shorty of his career and his speed/motor allowed it to happen. He seems to be a player who will play a big role on the team going forward.
Spencer Knight, although he is a Stanley Cup champion from his time with the Florida Panthers, is still just 23 years old. He fits in with all of the young guys that are starting to make up Chicago’s core.
"You just have to stick with it and bring your good attitude and good work ethic every time." Knight said of his play. For being 23, he has a winning attitude, which is incredibly important to see from the young guys.
"I really look at every game as an individual set". Knight said when asked about feeling relief getting the win. "For me, each game is different. You're going through stretches of good and bad throughout the season. It doesn't matter if you're in first place or last place. That's just the way it is."
This is a guy who knows what it takes to win despite his young age. He will be one of the players relied on to be a leader.
Against Pittsburgh, Knight made 28 saves on 29 shots to win the game. He would have had a shutout if it weren’t for a bad penalty taken late in the game that led to a Penguins power play goal.
"We just kind of stuck with it. No one pouted. Everyone just kind of stuck to the script and battled. You got the nice empty-netter and a nice win." Knight continued when talking about letting up that late goal and still holding the lead. That mentality will go a long way with this group going forward.
The Blackhawks are not going to be a contender or anything next season but they should see a significant climb in the standings if these young players continue to evolve. They need more depth at forward but from the goalie out, something special is brewing. You can feel the youth changing the vibes around the room.
Chicago will battle Pittsburgh again on Tuesday in the second half of a home-and-home. Each team will be on equal rest, so it will be interesting to see if the Hawks can outskate the Penguins again the way they did in Chicago. With all of those young players, they should be able to.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.