Jordan Henderson is a great English leader. But he has been encouraged and applauded for the very same acts for which minority ethnic players are castigated and stigmatised
How shall I lead thee? Let me count the ways. I lead thee by stepping up and being vocal, around the dressing room, setting standards in training. I lead thee quietly by example, you know, the not-much-of-a-shouter‑and-a-screamer-but-when-he-speaks-people-listen kind. I lead thee by having been there, done that, won everything in the game. I lead thee by never backing down from a challenge. I lead thee by sheer gravitas.
By any of these measures, Jordan Henderson is a leader. He was a leader for Liverpool, raising standards and setting the tone for 12 golden years. He was a leader for the NHS and the LGBTQ+ community off the field. He was still a leader when he left Liverpool and moved to Saudi Arabia in an attempt to create – in his words – “positive change” in the country for his beloved LGBTQ+ constituents.
The New York Rangers couldn’t salvage an opportunity to gain ground in the playoff picture as they lost 3-1 to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.
Through the first 20 minutes of play, the Kings dominated possession time and the Rangers only recorded two shots, but the score remained 0-0.
J.T. Miller opened up the scoring in the second period to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for the Blueshirts, they did not take advantage of that lead.
The Rangers committed three penalties in the second frame, resulting in two goals for Los Angeles.
The Kings won the special teams battle and that’s what ultimately led to the Rangers’ downfall.
Igor Shesterkin displayed yet another valiant effort, recording 30 saves on 32 shots, which is why his teammates feel like they let him down in a way.
“He was spectacular, kept us in the game,” Vincent Trocheck said of Shesterkin. “It almost goes unappreciated since you almost expect every night out of him, but he’s obviously a world-class goalie and shows it night in and night out.”
The Rangers feel like they did enough to win the game. However, there’s a sense of frustration with the losses continuing to pile up, especially at this point of the year when every point is critical.
“It gets tiring because I feel like over the last few weeks we’ve been playing some good hockey, but we are still losing,” Mika Zibanejad said. “Find a way to lose. It’s hard to look at the positives.”
The Rangers will be back in action on Friday night against the Anaheim Ducks.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin Fiala scored twice, Darcy Kuemper stopped 22 shots, and the Los Angeles Kings beat the New York Rangers 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Phillip Danault also scored as the Kings extended their home point streak to 15 games (12-0-3). Los Angeles is the second team in the NHL to have a home streak of at least 15 games, joining Washington (11-0-5).
J. T. Miller scored for New York, and Igor Shesterkin finished with 30 saves. The Rangers have lost four of their last five games.
Miller put New York ahead 1-0 at 2:10 of the second period with a goal awarded after a review. It initially appeared a sprawled Kuemper kept the puck out with a sweeping right pad. However, it was called a goal by the situation room in Toronto after replays showed the puck crossed the line before the goalie’s right skate swept it away.
Danault, playing in his 700th NHL game, put the Kings ahead on their second power-play goal of the night as he put in the rebound with 2:12 to go in the second.
Fiala added an empty-netter for his second of the night with 15.1 seconds remaining.
Takeaways
Rangers: New York has lost eight of 11 (3-6-8) to remain one point out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Kings: Los Angeles won for the ninth time in 10 games and moved two points ahead of Edmonton for second place in the Pacific Division.
Key moment
Kuemper made a point-black save on the Rangers’ Will Cuylle from the right doorstep with about 7:47 to go. He then slid across to pounce on the loose puck after Vincent Trocheck’s shot was blocked by Adrian Kempe seconds later, preserving the Kings’ 2-1 lead.
Key stat
The Kings, 28th on the power play at 15.7% coming in, converted on multiple chances in a game for the first time since Oct. 14 when they went 3 for 5 in an 8-7 overtime loss at Ottawa in their third game of the season.
Up next
Rangers visit Anaheim on Friday, and Kings play at Colorado on Thursday.
Calgary, AB - The Seattle Kraken concluded their road trip with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Nazem Kadri played a pivotal role in the Flames' victory, scoring both the game-winning goal and his second goal of the night. This win was crucial for Calgary, as it secured them two points, bringing their total to 79. The Flames are now just four points behind the St. Louis Blues, who sit in second place in the wild card standings with 83 points.
In goal, Joey Daccord defended the net for Seattle, while Dustin Wolf did the same for Calgary. Both teams celebrated milestones, with Seattle’s Ryker Evans and Calgary’s Matt Coronato each playing in their 100th NHL game.
The game began with a goal from Adam Klapka, who scored his second of the season to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. The Kraken answered in the second period, with Jaden Schwartz scoring his 21st goal of the season on a power play, followed by Tye Kartye’s fifth goal, which gave Seattle a 2-1 lead.
Calgary responded with two goals of their own. First, Kadri capitalized on a power play to score his 27th of the season, tying the game at 2-2. Then, Rasmus Andersson fired a snap shot past Daccord, assisted by Matt Coronato, putting the Flames ahead 3-2.
With less than two minutes on the clock Jordan Eberle tied things up 3-3 with a wicked wrist shot past Wolf, forcing the overtime.
The Kraken return home to host the final contest of the season with the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday at 7PM PST.
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It's been a long road for Knicks rookie Kevin McCullar Jr.
The 2024 second-round pick out of Kansas had his collegiate career end early due to a knee injury that had him miss the NCAA tournament. After undergoing a knee procedure, the 24-year-old finally made it onto a professional court this month with the Westchester Knicks, the team's G League team.
McCullar Jr.'s potential began to show in White Plains where he averaged 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 27 minutes across 11 games (seven starts). He even posted consecutive triple-doubles a week ago, showing the full arsenal the 6-foot-6 guard has.
So when McCullar Jr.'s injury status was upgraded from questionable to available ahead of Tuesday's game with the Dallas Mavericks, there was some excitement. The potential for McCullar Jr. to get on an actual NBA court was there, but thanks to Josh Hart and Karl Anthony-Towns' own triple-doubles putting the game out of reach for the Mavs in the fourth quarter, coach Tom Thibodeau signaled for the rookie to get his first taste of NBA action.
In three minutes on the floor, McCullar Jr. scored two points on 1-of-2 shooting, his first NBA points. When his first bucket went in, the Knicks bench cheered him on, recognizing the enormity of the moment.
"Kevin’s worked extremely hard and has been through a lot. His rehab has been long, arduous and he’s worked his way through that," Thibodeau said of the bench's reaction. "Then he made his way into the G League and put together some good games. This is his first opportunity but I think there’s an appreciation for the work that he’s put in. He’s a great kid. We're happy for him. The team is always first to everybody. We're proud of him."
"It felt amazing. It felt good," McCullar Jr. said of his first NBA points. "As a kid that's what you dream of doing, so to go out there and finally get in the game and be able to score my first bucket was big."
Tuesday night was notable not just for McCullar Jr.'s debut but the history both Hart and Towns made with their triple-doubles. Hart, especially, deserved the game ball after the win because he broke the Knicks' record for most triple-doubles in a season. Despite that, the third-year Knick made sure the rookie got the game ball, something McCullar Jr. said he appreciated.
"For me, that’s an easy decision," Hart said of the gesture. "For me, that record is cool and a blessing, but it's gonna get broken at some point. Hopefully later rather than sooner but getting your first NBA points, no one can take that away from you. It’s important he got the game ball for that. That’s an easy decision for me."
McCullar Jr. is on a two-way contract with the Knicks, and is not expected to see much court time -- especially with how Thibodeau uses his bench -- but Tuesday night was a huge first step for the former third team All-American.
Josh Hart was on giving Kevin McCullar Jr. the game ball even though he broke the Knicks triple-doubles in a season record
"That record is cool and a blessing, but it's gonna get broken at some point. Getting your first NBA points, no one is going to take that away from you" pic.twitter.com/yHmLAxoCZw
Well, that one was a doozy for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In fact, it was one of their worst losses of the season.
On Tuesday, the Penguins were outclassed by the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 6-1 rout, pretty much being outplayed after the first few minutes of the game. Pittsburgh registered four of the first five shots on goal, and after that, the Lightning completely took over the game.
Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry was pulled after allowing four goals on the first six shots. Anthony Cirelli opened the scoring a little more than 12 minutes into the opening frame, picking up a rebound off a Ryan McDonagh shot in the low slot area and sneaking it past Jarry. McDonagh got a goal of his own just over a minute later, as he threw the puck at the net from a sharp angle on the left wall that hit Penguins forward Rickard Rakell's skate and went in.
But the Lightning just kept coming. Cirelli potted his second goal of the game - and 26th of the season - less than two minutes later, and Brayden Point put one home 48 seconds after that to chase Jarry from the game and put the Bolts up, 4-0.
All four goals happened in a span of less than four minutes, and it pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game, in which the Lightning outshot the Penguins, 27-15.
"We just didn't play well enough," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "Most of the first, I didn't think it was all that bad, but it just seemed like every chance went in the net. It was one of those nights."
Nikita Kucherov added insult to injury within the last five minutes of the second period, as he capitalized on a Lightning power play resulting from a Ryan Graves interference penalty that sent him crashing into Alex Nedeljkovic, who had relieved Jarry in the first. And before the middle frame was over - with less than a minute remaining - Brandon Hagel put home his 33rd goal of the season to give Tampa Bay the 6-0 lead.
But all of it was too little, too late, and the Penguins know they can't let games get away from them early on. The good news is that they will get right back at it against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, and they have a chance to wipe this one from memory pretty quickly.
"We just gotta reset," Rakell said. "Look at the next game, learn from our mistakes today, and just restart. It's a new game for us, a new chance for us to respond."
At first, it was a bit of a joke. It was the West Australian picturing him in Eagles-branded chef whites with the tagline, “Superstar teen sensation reveals sandwich based lunchtime ritual”. It was the 52 back pages in 60 days. It was the “Harley Judd” and “Prince of Perth” headlines. It was, mostly, all in good fun.
Then, it was all about his football. It was Nine’s Kate Halfpenny, in a rare deviation from complaining about Harry and Meghan, writing a column titled, “Watching Harley Reid play footy has made me feel hopeful again”. And yes, he really was a wonderful player to watch in his debut season. He was straight off the peg. To watch him on his hands and knees, seizing a dead ball, standing up like a surf life-saver in a flags race, skating away from seasoned footballers and taking a nonchalant bounce was to see the sport at its best.
Despite reaching the 40-goal mark for the third consecutive season during the Maple Leafs’ dominant 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night and becoming the second Swedish player in NHL history to record three consecutive 40-goal seasons, the star winger made it clear that his priorities are elsewhere.
“That’s pretty cool, but my focus is on the playoffs right now. That’s obviously fun to accomplish that, playing with great players, but what matters is the playoffs,” said Nylander.
His sentiment speaks to the 28-year-old’s mindset. Since entering the NHL in the 2015-16 season, he’s won just one playoff series and has been vocal about his desire to change that. Last postseason, the Leafs suffered another first-round exit, and Nylander was forced to miss time due to migraines.
He knows that his success only means so much if it doesn’t translate to the playoffs.
On Tuesday, that was on full display at Scotiabank Arena as the forward registered a season-high four points (2G, 2A) while tying his career-high in goals (40). His linemates, John Tavares and Bobby McMann, also had standout performances – Tavares posted two goals and two assists, while McMann added a goal and an assist.
The trio combined for 10 points on the night, but Nylander’s eyes are on the bigger picture.
“Just trying to do what I’m paid to do. That’s it,” said Nylander post-game.
With the victory, the Leafs reclaimed first place in the Atlantic Division, improving to 43-25-3 on the season with 89 points. Again, Nylander downplayed the possibility of winning the division, noting that the goal is to be successful in the post-season.
“I think that would be fun, but playoffs – that’s what the goal is, to be successful there. If we win on the way to having a good playoffs, that’s a nice little plus,” said Nylander.
The Swede’s third straight 40-goal season places him in elite company. He became just the fourth player in Maple Leafs history to record three consecutive 40-goal seasons, joining Auston Matthews (5), Lanny McDonald (3), and Rick Vaive (3).
“He’s a lot of fun to play with,” said Tavares. “Such a unique talent, and the way he’s elevated his game the last number of years and just becoming a perennial all-star. One of the top wingers in the game. Such a game breaker, one of the ultimate game-breakers in our league and certainly we’re thrilled to have him, and he’s having a great year. 40 is difficult to get, so he’s done a lot of good things, special player.”
“I think his work ethic is pretty exceptional. His desire to be the best player on the ice and make an impact is extremely high, he’s very driven that way. We’re certainly seeing it. Thrilled with the way he’s been playing for us all year,” he added.
Tavares and Nylander have developed a strong on-ice connection, with both players enjoying standout seasons. Tavares has been particularly hot of late, tallying five goals, three assists, and eight points over his last three games. Despite their contrasting personalities, has Nylander's laid-back approach – and perhaps even his goal-scoring touch – rubbed off on Tavares?
“Maybe a little bit. It’s just fun to laugh at him and chuckle and things like that,” said Tavares. “You appreciate someone with his drive and skillset, and that’s why I’ve always said he is built to play in Toronto and be a Maple Leaf. His ability to deal with all the attention and all the questions all the time, not taking things too seriously in the right way.”
Nylander had his fingerprints all over this game, helping the Leafs earn their 11th win of their last 12 meetings against the Flyers. Their second-period dominance – an area they’ve succeeded in for much of the season – was on display again Tuesday, as they registered four goals in the middle frame as the forward collected a goal and an assist to break the game open.
His knack for taking over games has only grown as he continues to evolve into a dynamic, all-around superstar on the wing, his teammates say.
“He’s awesome. I love watching Will play; he’s one of one, for sure,” said Max Domi. “The way he plays the game, and I mean that as a really huge compliment. He makes everyone around him better, hangs onto the puck, and he can just make guys look silly out there.”
“Just his ability to generate when you think there is nothing there. I think he sees the ice so well,” added linemate McMann. “He’s always working on his footwork and his puck handling. He always knows where the puck is on his stick. He can make heads-up plays all over the ice and generates a lot of offense.”
It was a commanding victory for the Leafs, one that was much-needed following a disappointing finish in Nashville on Saturday. The club now heads out for a California road trip, with their stars and squad carrying plenty of momentum.
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Those in attendance at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night were treated to Knicks history. Twice. Courtesy of Josh Hart.
Hart, who is having a career season in his third year with the Knicks, posted his ninth triple-double of the season after his 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists lifted New York to a 128-113 win over the Dallas Mavericks. The significance of nine is it puts Hart as the top triple-double getter in Knicks single-season history after his performance Tuesday night broke Walt "Clyde" Frazier's record of eight.
The former Knick great, and current broadcaster, posted those eight triple-doubles back during the 1968-69 season. A record that stood for more than 55 years until Hart's all-around play this season put him in the record books.
"Any time you get a record, it's pretty special because of the greatness of this league," coach Tom Thibodeau said of Hart's record after the game. "To do what he’s doing, is a testament to what he's put into it. Also, his teammates and feeding off each other."
“It’s just a blessing. I got a great group of guys, great, high-character group of guys," Hart said of his record. "Means I at least played nine good games so far out of 60-whatever [games]. It’s just a blessing, can’t say more than that."
Hart is never one to make personal accomplishments about himself, no matter how great they are. A humbling character for a player who is a bulldog on the court while doing it all without the accolades -- he's never been named to an All-Star game -- or the name recognition of some of his teammates.
And yet, you ask his coaches and teammates what Hart means to this team and they won't be able to stop singing his praises.
"It’s hard to describe what he is to the team," Thibodeau said of Hart. "At times he’s a facilitator, a rebounder, a pace guy, he’s a hustle guy. And at the end, he’s done a number of things to help you win. The effort plays, that unites and inspires the team."
"The way he’s doing it is special," Karl-Anthony Towns said of his teammate. "I'm just happy that Josh gets stats on the sheet that show the impact he's making on the game.
"There's much more stats that don't show up on the stat sheet that he does for our team. I’m happy he’s having this moment where the effort, the sacrifice and the work he puts in for our team to be the best version of ourselves is showing up…so he can get his respect and accolades. He deserves it."
Towns, one of those recognizable names on the Knicks, was a big part of Hart's second record-breaking night. The duo became the first Knicks teammates in their history to record a triple-double in the same game. It's also only the 17th time in NBA history that it's happened.
Hart has witnessed that sort of history in the past while a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Back in 2018, he was on the team that saw LeBron James and Lonzo Ball have that special night.
"Now full circle, I’m in the same situation with KAT," Hart said of the parallels from that night.
But in classic Hart fashion, his thoughts are on the Knicks' next game. The second of their back-to-back, this time against the Los Angeles Clippers.
"Just hope we can carry that for tomorrow," he said.
There will be more than one Pitino in the Big East next season. Xavier hired Richard Pitino, the son of St. John's coach Rick Pitino, as its basketball coach on Tuesday night. The school had an opening after Sean Miller left to accept the Texas job on Monday.
Tuesday's eight-game slate offered a number of quality performances, and injury updates shed some light on valuable waiver wire pickups.
Here are five guys to grab off your waiver wire.
PG/SG/SF Gary Trent Jr. (11% rostered in Yahoo! leagues), Milwaukee Bucks GTJ has been hot over the last week, averaging 17.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 4.3 triples while shooting 48.5% from the field and a perfect 100% from the charity stripe.
Damian Lillard will be out indefinitely with a blood clot in his calf, and Trent Jr. should continue to pick up the slack in his extended absence.
He's a top 25 per-game fantasy player over the last week, and he has eligibility at three different positions, making him a must-add in leagues of all sizes.
PG/SG Scotty Pippen Jr. (29% rostered), Memphis Grizzlies SPJ has been stuffing the stat sheet with regularity, and his full range of skills was on display in Tuesday's blowout win over the Jazz in which he delivered 16 points, five rebounds, 10 assists and a steal in just 24 minutes.
PG/SG Anthony Black (7% rostered), Orlando Magic Black posted a 17/5/6 line in Monday's win over the Lakers, and he followed it up with a 20/5 line on Tuesday.
Black has recorded five stocks across those two games, only adding to his surging fantasy value. Orlando - a team that has struggled mightily on offense this season - should consider giving him more minutes, and fantasy managers should take a long look at him on the waiver wire.
PF/C Al Horford (30% rostered), Boston Celtics Big Al sat out Monday's win over the Kings, but he'll be back in action for Wednesday's tilt with the Suns. With Jayson Tatum listed as doubtful, Horford should take his place in the starting five, making him worth streaming in this favorable matchup.
PG Tyler Kolek (0% rostered), New York Knicks Kolek has seen a significant bump in playing time and production across his last two games, logging 37 total minutes due to the absences of Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride.
McBride has a chance to return Wednesday, but if he doesn't, expect Kolek to see meaningful minutes again. Over his last two, Kolek has averaged three points, one rebound, two stocks and 8.5 dimes. He's worth a look if McBride is out and you need assists.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 25: Jimmy Butler #10 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game against the Miami Heat on March 25, 2025 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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There was no love from Jimmy Butler for the Miami Heat organization on Thursday, especially team president Pat Riley. "I have nothing to say to Pat, and Pat better have nothing to say to me," Butler told TNT Sports’ Taylor Rooks.
The fans were a different story — there was a mix of boos and cheers after a tribute video to Butler and then when he was introduced pregame. Although the booing fans let Butler know what they thought every time he touched the ball early in the game, this was not one of the more hostile returns we have seen.
As for the game itself, Jimmy Butler is no Stephen Curry.
Curry was out for the second consecutive game with a pelvic contusion, and for the second straight game, the Warriors' offense struggled to score — their starters missed the first 14 shots they took on the night. Meanwhile, the Heat came in fired up and behind 27 points from Bam Adebayo and 24 off the bench from Kyle Anderson, the Heat blew Butler and the Warriors out of the building 112-86. Tyler Herro added 20 for Miami.
That loss has the Warriors just half-a-game ahead of the Clippers and Timberwolves for the No. 6 seed in the West and avoiding the play-in.
But the story of Tuesday night was Butler returning to South Beach — the fans may have shown Butler some love but the Heat showed no mercy.
McMann has 20 goals and 13 assists for 33 points in 63 games with the Maple Leafs this season.
Bobby McMann hit another career milestone on Tuesday in the Maple Leafs' 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
The 28-year-old scored in the second period off a great feed from William Nylander behind Philadelphia's net. The goal, which put the Maple Leafs up 3-1, was McMann's 20th goal of the season.
It's the first time he's hit the 20-goal mark in the NHL.
"It's great. If you told me at the start I'd get that, I'd be happy," he said following the game." But just happy we won more than anything and feeling good about our team game."
McMann's story is few and far between. An undrafted forward who signs an AHL deal, starts his career in the ECHL, and works his way up to eventually getting an NHL contract and opportunity with the Maple Leafs.
There wasn't much known about McMann when he showed up in Toronto in 2021, but it's clear he's used every chance to grow his game.
"There's many different ways to get [to the NHL] and continue to believe in yourself and trust yourself. Sometimes you just need the right opportunity, the right break, and like I said, continue to believe in yourself, enjoy the game, and appreciate the journey," John Tavares said on Tuesday night.
"Everyone's different, but thrilled for Bobby and what he's become for us as a player and his impact, not just on the scoresheet, which is obviously phenomenal and a great accomplishment by him, but certainly how he can be counted on in so many different areas and make an impact for us.
"His journey is a great one for a lot of young kids to learn from."
McMann's career started to take off during the 2021-22 season, where he broke the Marlies' rookie goal record with 24 goals in 61 games. He filled the back of the net in the AHL again the following season with 21 goals in 30 games before getting a shot in the NHL.
The Wainwright, Alberta, native lauded former Marlies head coach Greg Moore as someone who helped him unlock his potential at the next level.
"I think my decision-making, as far as when to carry the puck and when to dump and try and go get the puck back. I think that's a skill that's sometimes overlooked and I think there's guys that I've watched previously trying to break into the league that do that really well," McMann said.
"That was something I worked on with the Marlies a little bit. Understanding how you can be effective and how I can carve a role for myself in the NHL. I think that was something that was really big for me. And then, it's watching video and then try to get the reps every game and every practice."
That process has helped McMann. And now, he's on the Maple Leafs' second line, producing alongside players like Tavares and Nylander. Even Max Domi, who, at moments, has played alongside McMann, offered praise for the 20-goal scorer on Tuesday.
"He's a really good skater. He can score. He knows where to go, goes to the dirty areas, and has got that knack [for goal scoring]. He's playing great hockey right now."
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has rotated McMann between Toronto's second and third lines this season. There was also a point in the year when the forward played alongside Auston Matthews on the team's top line.
When asked about McMann following their win against the Flyers, Berube mentioned how he "quietly goes about his business" while being a consistent player for the Maple Leafs.
"I think you get pretty consistent play out of him in terms of what he needs to do to be successful. He does a lot of things right every game and they go unnoticed a lot of times," Berube said.
"But his skating, he really does a great job of pushing D back all the time with his speed and he's very consistent at it. He skates extremely well and he's a big, strong guy and he's on top of pucks all the time."
McMann has never played a postseason game in the NHL, though it's trending like he will in a couple of weeks. He's been able to produce consistently in the regular season, and the next step will be doing so in the playoffs, when Toronto will need it most.
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