78-year-old says he has recently undergone radiotherapy
McGeechan led four British & Irish Lions tours
Sir Ian McGeechan, the former head coach of Scotland and the British & Irish Lions, has urged rugby players and all younger men to get themselves tested after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The 78-year-old, who is the consultant director of rugby at the Championship club Doncaster, led Scotland to the grand slam in the 1990 Five Nations. McGeechan oversaw four series as the Lions head coach, defeating Australia in 1989 and South Africa in 1997. He also led the team on tours of New Zealand in 1993 and South Africa again in 2009.
Forward Reilly Smith's goal with 0.4 seconds remaining in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal against the Edmonton Oilers did more than break a 3-3 tie, it breathed life into the Golden Knights.
After losing the first two games in Vegas, the Golden Knights were in desperation mode with their backs against the wall.
Smith's last-second shot deflected into the net off Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl's stick to give Vegas a shocking 4-3 victory on Saturday night, and cut the Oilers' series lead in half.
đ„ Cassidy: You don't see too many finishes like that. Good for us to get one to go in our favor. pic.twitter.com/fUANrX6Zie
â y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 11, 2025
"You leave it all out there, and fractions of a second can break your heart or do the opposite," Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said.
Corey Perry gave Edmonton an early 2-0 lead, but Nicolas Roy and Smith tied it with goals in 54 seconds late in the first period.
Center William Karlsson gave Vegas a 3-2 lead with 2:55 left in the second frame when he beat goalie Stuart Skinner off a give-and-go play with defenseman Noah Hanifin. Oilers star Connor McDavid tied it with 3:02 left in the game when his centering pass caromed off defender Brayden McNabb's skate and into the net.
Adin Hill stopped 17 shots for Vegas, while Skinner made 20 saves for Edmonton.
Skinner was making his first appearance in the series, as he stepped in for Calvin Pickard, who injured his left leg when Vegas forward Tomas Hertl landed on his left pad in Game 2.
Game 4 is scheduled for Monday in Edmonton.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
IRONMAN MCNABB: Despite being injured during overtime of Game 2, McNabb was a pleasant surprise for the Knights in Game 3. McNabb was considered day-to-day after sustaining a controversial injury in Vegas' 5-4 overtime loss in Vegas. No call was made on what appeared to be tripping, and rather than Vegas skating with a man advantage, Draisaitl ended the game 17 seconds later. McNabb finished with an assist and three hits for the Knights on Saturday night.
STONE INJURED: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone was lost when he left the game with an upper-body injury. Stone, who has been a major contributor for Vegas during the postseason with four goals and eight points, exited in the first period, three shifts after he lost his balance and collided with Corey Perry. Cassidy said he's hoping for better news in the morning, but is considered day-to-day. Cassidy also said Stone has not been ruled out for Mondayâs Game 4.
"When (the captain) goes down, everybodyâs going to elevate their game and step up," Hanifin said. "Weâve always kind of had that in us. No matter what happens, super high or super low moments, I think we do a good job just staying even-keeled and knowing that weâre never out of it."
HILL'S RESPONSE: It was not only a much-needed win for the Knights, but also Hill, who has been one of the least efficient goaltenders during the postseason. Among netminders that have made at least five appearances, he's tied with the second-worst save percentage (.872) while he has the fourth highest goals-against average (3.14). Hill, who led the Knights to the 2023 Stanley Cup title, will need a big game Monday, as the Oilers have scored the most goals out of any team in the postseason so far with 36. They lead the NHL in total shots on goal this postseason (276) and are leading in most shots on goal by a forward group (190) and defensive corps (86). The team is also first in the league in high-danger shots on goal with 81.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 10: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors during Round 2 Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Anthony Edwards hit a baseline 3-pointer with 1:19 remaining and scored 36 points, Julius Randle had a triple-double of 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors 102-97 on Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series.
Jimmy Butler had 33 points, seven assists and seven rebounds and Jonathan Kuminga scored 30 off the bench, but the Warriors still lacked the kind of rhythm they have with Stephen Curry on the floor.
Kuminga shot 11 for 18 as the Warriors again mixed and matched while playing without Curry as he nurses a strained left hamstring that he injured early in Game 1 on Tuesday.
Game 4 is Monday night at Chase Center.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr stressed his team had to win with defense - and his team couldn't make the key stops down the stretch.
Edwards, who showed no signs of being hampered after spraining his left ankle in the second quarter of Game 2, knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 6:16 remaining, while Jaden McDaniels made another key 3 with 3:20 to play.
Randle began 1 for 6 and missed his initial four 3-point tries before connecting 6:30 before halftime to put Minnesota up 39-29 and force a Warriors timeout. He shot 10 for 23.
Buddy Hield's 3-pointer with 1:56 left pulled Golden State within 93-89 then McDaniels threw the ball away moments later but the Warriors were sloppy.
Golden State missed all five of its 3-point tries in the first half but still led 42-40, then Hield found some rhythm and scored 14 second-half points.
Draymond Green fouled out with 4:38 to play, whistled for his sixth personal trying to block a shot by McDaniels that appeared questionable on several replay reviews. Green sprinted down the floor to the Warriors bench in frustration then pulled on his warmup jacket and stood with hands on hips.
Green kept his emotions in check two days after a fan was ejected and being investigated by the Wolves whether he directed racially charged comments toward the Warriors forward. Kerr applauded Minnesota's handling of the situation.
Trayce Jackson-Davis moved into the Warriorsâ starting lineup after he made all six of his field goals and had 15 points and six rebounds in Game 2 but played just 11 minutes.
The Vegas Golden Knights shocked the Edmonton Oilers and their fans in the final second of Game 3.
Despite one last opportunity for Vegas, the game looked like it was headed to overtime for the second time this series, with Edmonton having a chance to take a 3-0 series lead. That would not be the case.
Golden Knights right winger Reilly Smith faked a shot and skated toward the left side of the net. Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner dropped to the butterfly position and shuffled out of the crease toward Smith to cut off any last-second opportunity.
Smith and teammate William Karlsson were the only players celebrating at first, as the green light went on to signal the end of the period.
As they skated toward the bench, however, the rest of the Golden Knights began to celebrate as well. Upon video review, the puck fully crossed the goal line with 0.4 seconds left in the game.
"I was sure it was in, but I saw the ref wave it off, so that gave me some doubt," Karlsson told Sportsnet's Gene Principe post-game. "But then I saw the bench celebrate, so that was a great feeling."
Just like that, the Golden Knights won the game 4-3 in Edmonton to only trail 2-1 in the second-round series. Karlsson called the goal a huge moment.
"Obviously, a 3-0 deficit, it's always hard to come back to; history speaks for itself," Karlsson said. "We've always been 'one game at a time' mentality, and this was one win on the way."
Smith's second goal of the game and third of the playoffs is one of just three game-winning goals in NHL playoff history to be scored in the final second of regulation.
Jussi Jokinen scored for the Carolina Hurricanes with 0.2 seconds left in the first round of the 2009 playoffs. They blew a 3-0 lead to the New Jersey Devils in Game 4 before Jokinen's tip-in tied the series.
In the round-robin of the 2020 COVID-19 bubble post-season, Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri scored with just 0.1 seconds left on the clock.
Is Brett Baty this yearâs Mark Vientos â a young(ish) Mets player finally seizing a big-league chance and changing the trajectory of his career?
Maybe. Obviously, thereâs much more for Baty to show. But on nights like Saturday, itâs tempting to believe that Baty can be a bigger deal than a guy whoâs had MLB at-bats every season since 2022 but canât seem to stick around.
At Citi Field, Baty clubbed two home runs and was basically the entire Mets offense â the successful part of it, anyway. He drove in all five runs in a 6-5 loss to the Cubs, setting his career high for RBI in his second career multi-homer game. The Mets were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, failing to cash in on whatever traffic they created, but Baty kept homering to keep them close.
âHeâs been killing it since he came back up,â said teammate Tylor Megill, who knows a thing or two about re-emerging from the minors. âI mean, the biggest thing you can do is not pout about it. Stuff like that (getting sent down) happens. Take it like a man, go down there, work, keep working. Donât lose your confidence, because at some point, youâre gonna be back up. Youâre gonna help this team.
âHeâs been a completely different player since he came back up⊠Heâs hitting the ball really well.â
âHe's not missing fastballs,â added manager Carlos Mendoza. âI feel like when he gets in trouble, heâs fouling them off⊠Even, I think, breaking balls in the strike zone, he's hammering them too. So anything on the strike zone he's putting barrels on.â
Baty was recalled from the minors on May 5. Over the past two games, heâs 4-for-8 with three home runs. One of his homers Saturday night was to right-center and the other to left field, his opposite field.
Mendoza noted that Baty lost his spot initially this season because of a roster crunch. But Baty was batting .204 with a .597 OPS when he was sent down. Those are the numbers of a vulnerable player, even if Baty has worked to add versatility to his skill set. Mendoza regularly expresses confidence in Batyâs defensive ability at third base and at second, which the Mets wanted him to learn so he could be more versatile.
âHeâs getting opportunities and he knows he belongs in the big leagues,â Mendoza said. âHeâs a really good big-league player. Heâs got skills. Heâs got tools and we see it⊠So I think itâs just the confidence now that he knows he belongs here.â
Baty talked after Saturdayâs game about how heâs been challenging himself in the batting cages, looking at different pitch types, trying to get his heart rate up while there to help simulate game conditions. Heâd rather dip into the technical aspects of hitting than attach heavy meaning to one game.
Still, it must be hard not to think about the ways he fits into this roster after a big night like Saturday, right?
âNo, not until yâall (reporters) bring it up,â Baty replied.
Maybe he doesnât look at one game as a referendum on the state of his career. And maybe that outlook will help him find his way in the majors. But one night like Saturday shows a pretty high bar for a former first-round pick still looking to cement himself as a Met.
The Mets couldâve moved on from Baty numerous times. But they have not. There was a time when observers wondered if Vientos would make a huge impact on the Mets and he finally did â Vientosâ emergence was one of the biggest stories of their 2024 season.
Can Baty duplicate that this season? Heâs got another chance now. His numbers arenât overwhelming. But nights like Saturday will make the Mets â and the rest of the baseball world â pay plenty of attention.
Team Canada really got a roster boost in the days leading up to the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship, as stars like Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat, and Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby joined the fold.
And one young star player - also donning the Canadian maple leaf in Sweden and Denmark, where the tournament will take place - had high praise for the Penguins' future hall-of-fame center.
San Jose Sharks budding superstar Macklin Celebrini - who finished his first NHL season with 25 goals and 63 points in 70 games as well as with a Calder Trophy nomination for Rookie of the Year - shared his thoughts on playing for his home country and getting the opportunity to play with his childhood idol.
"Every time I get a chance to play for Team Canada, it's hard to say no," Celebrini said. "It's a dream come true. [Crosby] was an idol of mine growing up, and to get the opportunity to play with him is surreal."
And not only does Celebrini get to suit up on the same team as Crosby, he also started the tournament playing on the same line as the 37-year-old center, who currently sits ninth all-time in scoring.
Crosby centered a second line with Celebrini and Columbus Blue Jackets young star Adam Fantilli on Saturday in a 4-0 win over Slovenia.
"He's just such a role model," Celebrini told Penguins' team reporter Michelle Crechiolo. "The way he carries himself, the way he plays the game... he plays it complete, and you can use him in every situation. He's the best player for the job in every situation.
"The way he carries himself off the ice, how polite he is as a human... it's amazing to watch. He's been so great to me and to a lot of other guys."
That's now two starts in a row forTylor Megill that haven't looked like the ones the Mets were beginning to get accustomed to from earlier in the season.
After "laboring" through 4.2 innings on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, Megill allowed four earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven. Much of that damage came in the first inning where a run scored before the right-hander could even record an out and needed 28 pitches to finally get out of the inning after eight men came up to bat.
"Obviously ran into some trouble early there in the first inning," Megill said after the 6-5 loss. "Quick runner on third and then just trying to make pitches and limit damage and obviously ran up the pitch count there."
Following Megill's arduous first inning, he pitched a clean second but was ambushed once again in the third, throwing two pitches which resulted in a run for the Cubs. To his credit, Megill was able to right the ship during the inning and struck out two sandwiched in between Francisco Alvarez helping out his pitcher with a pickoff at first base.
"I think probably after the second inning, [I] kinda switched the gameplan going four-seam and had a lot of success with that," he said.
The final run Megill allowed came in the fourth when Dansby Swanson took him deep with a 1-2 count to lead off the inning. Of all the pitches he threw, that was probably the biggest mistake.
"Missed pitch over to Swanson on the 1-2," Megill said. "[I] was trying to go down away and shot it up and in, right in his little hot spot for a solo shot. But I think after that I switched the gameplan around and had success."
Overall, Megill's final line wasn't disastrous and after a rough first inning that got his pitch count up he only threw 77 pitches (50 strikes) on the evening.
A silver lining in what was a vexxing night at Citi Field? Sure, but Megill will take it.
"I think after that first inning, [I] did a really good job limiting pitches throughout there," he said. "Obviously got pulled there in the fifth, but pitch count was kinda where it needed to be. After getting pulled, looking back at it after the first inning [I] managed well."
Still, in Megill's last two starts he's allowed a combined eight earned runs in 9.2 innings. In his previous six starts, the right-hander allowed six earned runs across 31 innings.
It would be foolish to think that Megill, or any pitcher, would be able to pitch at the level that Megill had been pitching to start the season. However, in Megill's case, the recent string of mediocre starts is only somewhat troubling because of his history.
Throughout his career, the 29-year-old who is in his fifth year has made a habit of pitching extraordinarily well in the first month of the season, as evidenced by his 10-4 record and 2.45 ERA in 17 starts in March/April.
In two May starts this season, Megill has a 7.45 ERA.
Obviously it's a small sample size and the right-hander still owns a 3.10 season ERA and is part of a Mets staff that continues to lead the league in ERA.
In fact, manager Carlos Mendoza isn't concerned about the two recent blips from his starter.
"Weâre pretty confident with his ability, his maturity, the guys that we got in here," Mendoza said. "... He was pretty good two outings ago. I think itâs just one of those where today probably wasnât at his best and I feel like just the life on the fastball â I thought he got better. I saw 94-95 in the fourth and the fifth and he got some swings-and-misses at the top, but early on I didnât see that."
Megill's next chance at proving he's not headed toward the same path he's been going throughout his career will likely come next weekend in the Subway Series when the Yankees host the Mets for a three-game series.
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Corbin Burnes, right, tags out the Dodgers' Austin Barnes during the first inning Saturday in Phoenix. (Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
The Dodgers were a perfect 5-0 this season when facing former Cy Young Award winners.
On Saturday night at Chase Field, however, they finally met their match.
Despite missing his last scheduled start because of shoulder inflammation, Corbin Burnes had his way with the Dodgers' powerhouse lineup in a 3-0 win for the Arizona Diamondbacks, throwing seven shutout innings to ensure the Dodgers will do no better than split this four-game series between National League West rivals.
âI think that he was going to bring his best tonight,â Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. âAnd we really didn't get a whole lot of good swings against him."
Dodger Mookie Betts reacts after getting called out on strikes in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday in Phoenix. (Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
In a stark reversal from Friday nightâs 25-run thrill ride, when the Dodgers needed a five-run rally in the third inning and a six-run come-from-behind outburst in the ninth to earn their lone win through three games this weekend, a pitcherâs duel ensued under a closed roof at Chase Field on Saturday.
Dodgers starter Dustin May was good, dotting the corners of the strike zone with his wicked sinker-sweeper combination en route to a 6 â -inning, two-run, five-strikeout outing â his longest since returning from a second career elbow surgery this year.
âHe was in a good rhythm, he was getting ahead in counts, he put guys away when he needed to,â Roberts said of May, who lowered his ERA to 4.08 on the season. âI thought he pitched really well."
Mayâs only two mistakes came on a couple first-pitch sinkers over the middle of the plate: One that Corbin Carroll hit for a leadoff triple in the third inning, leading to one run; and another that Eugenio SuĂĄrez clobbered for a 455-foot homer in the sixth.
âI was working the sinker to both sides of the plate, and I had just two poorly executed sinkers, and they took advantage of it,â May said. âIt's the big leagues, and that's what they do."
Burnes, however, was better the whole way, flashing the form that made him a Cy Young winner in 2021 with the Milwaukee Brewers and $210 million free-agent signing for the Diamondbacks (21-19) this winter.
â[He was] being Corbin Burnes,â said first baseman Freddie Freeman, one of four Dodgers' batters who went hitless on a day the team collected only five total. âHeâs one of the best pitchers in the game for a reason ⊠Just had everything going today.â
Burnes erased a leadoff single in the first from Friday nightâs hero, Shohei Ohtani, with an immediate double-play from Mookie Betts. He stranded two runners on base in both the third and fourth innings, easily extinguishing the two best threats the Dodgers (26-14) generated against him. And he finished the day giving up just five hits and two walks (one of them was intentional) while striking out five.
Entering Saturday, some of the Dodgersâ most impressive wins this season came against former Cy Young arms. During their 8-0 start to the season, they won against both of last yearâs winners, Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers and Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves. They knocked off Jacob deGrom and the Rangers in Texas last month, when their own Cy Young candidate, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, outdueled deGrom in a low-scoring affair. In the last two weeks, they had battered Miamiâs Sandy Alcantara twice, beating up on the NLâs 2023 winner as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll scores against the Dodgers during the first inning Saturday in Phoenix. (Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
Burnes, however, was on a different level Saturday, complementing his signature cutter with a mix of curveballs, changeups, sinkers and sliders to turn in his best performance in a Diamondbacks uniform.
Between Burnes and Arizona reliever Ryne Nelson, who finished the game with a two-out save, the Dodgers forced Diamondbacks pitchers to make just 107 throws in what was their third game being shut out this season.
âEspecially when heâs at the bottom of the zone [with his cutter], itâs hard to hit those,â Freeman said of Burnes, who was also aided by a favorable strike zone from home plate umpire John Tumpane. âHe was commanding the zone and getting some calls ⊠We were ready for him, and he was just really good today.â
While the loss ended the Dodgersâ perfect record against Cy Young winners, it continued a more troubling trend for the team of late.
Since that 8-0 start, the Dodgers have played 11 games against teams currently above .500. With Saturdayâs loss, they are now 3-8 in those contests, and will now need a win Sunday to avoid dropping a fourth-straight such series.
âWe probably do got to play better against teams with winning records,â Roberts said, âbut I'm not carrying too much weight into that one right now."
Brett Baty homered twice Saturday night, but his big game was not enough for the Mets, who lost to the visiting Chicago Cubs, 6-5, in front of 41,423 at Citi Field.
The Mets were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.
The Mets (25-15) fell to 14-4 at home this season. The two likely contenders meet again Sunday to decide their three-game series
Here are the takeaways...
-Baty's first shot, a three-run homer off Cade Horton in the fourth inning, got the Mets back close after they fell behind, 4-0. The second one, a two-run blast to the opposite field off Julian Merryweather in the eighth, gave the Mets a late glimmer. Baty, who also homered Friday night, has four home runs this season.
-Down by one run in the seventh, the Mets built a threat against reliever Daniel Palencia, whose fastball hits triple digits. With one out, Tyrone Taylor lofted a soft single to center and then Francisco Lindor walked, putting the tying run at second and the potential go-ahead marker at first. But Palencia struck out Juan Soto with a gutsy 3-2 slider, getting a swing-and-miss with the 87 mph pitch. Then Palencia retired Pete Alonso on a ground ball to end the threat.
-The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Tylor Megill, who had not allowed an earned run at Citi Field prior to Saturday. Pete Crow-Armstrong, the former Met prospect, led off the game with a single to center, stole second and went to third on a throwing error by Francisco Alvarez on the steal attempt. After a walk to Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki singled in PCA. Megill got two outs sandwiched around a walk, but then gave up another run. Dansby Swanson drilled a hard shot toward third that Baty knocked down with his glove. But Batyâs throw to first wasnât cleanly handled by Alonso, though Swanson probably wouldâve been safe anyway. Tucker scored on the play.
-Megill (3-3), who had a 1.09 ERA over his first five starts of the season, lasted only 4.2 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked two. In addition to the two runs he gave up in the first inning, Megill also gave up an RBI single to Michael Busch in the third inning and a 404-foot solo homer to Swanson in the fourth that bumped Chicagoâs lead to 4-0. It was Swansonâs eighth home run of the season. It wasnât a tremendous outing for Megill, obviously, but there were moments, including when he got Busch to swing weakly and miss at a pretty slider in the first. Busch missed the ball by about a foot. Megillâs season ERA sits at 3.10 now through eight starts.
-The Cubs used an opener to start the game and Brad Keller threw a scoreless first frame, which included strikeouts of both Lindor and Alonso. He was replaced after the first by Horton, a 23-year-old righty who is the Cubsâ top pitching prospect. Horton, the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft, made his MLB debut and allowed three runs in four innings while striking out five and walking none and earned the win.
-Alvarez got a scare in the third inning when he was hit on the left hand by Hortonâs 95 mph fastball. It was the same hand Alvarez had surgery on after suffering a broken hamate bone there in spring training. He was in obvious pain after getting plunked Saturday, but he remained in the game. The broken hamate bone cost him time earlier this season â Saturday was only his 11th game so far.
-Miguel Amaya hit a two-run single off Max Kranick in the eighth inning to extend the Cubsâ lead to 6-3.
-Edwin Diaz threw a 1-2-3 ninth for the Mets, including a strikeout of Suzuki, the Cubsâ No. 3 hitter.
Game MVP: Brett Baty
Baty, who had his second career multi-homer game and finished with five RBI.
Following the Knicks' 115-93 loss to the Celtics in Game 3 on Saturday afternoon, coach Tom Thibodeau and the players spoke on a number of topics after the game...
Handling 'Hack-a-Mitch'
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has implemented the "hack-a-Mitch" strategy in this series and it's worked out for them. Intentionally putting Mitchell Robinson on the free-throw line -- where he's a career 52 percent shooter -- has allowed Boston to maintain momentum while neutralizing the Knicks' offense.
Mazzulla used the strategy again in Game 3 on Saturday and Robinson responded by going 4-for-12 at the line. He's now 11-for-38 (29 percent) this postseason. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was asked about the decision-making process of leaving Robinson in.
"You got to make a decision between 5 and 2 and then go from there. If heâs making, he stays; if heâs not, we got to get him out," Thibodeau said. "Is he impacting the game? Is that more beneficial to leave him in? Thereâs a lot of factors that go into that."
To the MSG crowd's credit, they were encouraging to Robinson whenever he was put on the free-throw line. They went crazy when he hit his first, and the big man would make three in a row at one point in the game.
The six-year center was practicing his free-throw shooting during pregame warmups but it seems the Celtics will keep sending him to the line until he gives them a reason not to. In the meantime, Robinson's teammates are looking to lift him up.
"You encourage. It's a tough position to be in, especially mentally. We're going to have each other's back regardless," Jalen Brunson said of Robinson. "No matter what happens, we're going to win together, we're going to lose together. We're going to go through that together."
On Saturday, Robinson played 19 minutes, scoring six points and coming down with eight rebounds, six offensive.
Towns' hand injury
During Saturday's loss, Karl-Anthony Towns was seen holding his shooting hand in pain after being fouled on a shot.
The first-year Knick did not come out of the game and scored 21 points on 5-of-18 shooting while coming down with 15 rebounds in 37 minutes on the court.
Towns was asked about his hand after the game.
"It is what it is," Towns said. "I just want to do whatever I can to be out there."
Viewers on social media were trying to read Towns' lips and they believe he said that he broke something, but the big man would not give any indication of what's going on.
"It is what it is. I'm going to keep finding ways to play. I ain't tripping," he said. Towns also gave a non-answer when asked if he had an X-ray done after the game.
"It's the playoffs. People are going to get hit and you have to play through things. That's why you do it throughout the entire season. No one is playing 100 percent but you can understand you can play well when you're feeling less than your best. That's all part of it; the mental part of the playoffs is huge."
Back in January, Towns sustained a sprained thumb and it was revealed he has a bone chip in his right thumb, which has played through this season.
Karl-Anthony Towns was asked about his hand injury:
"It is what it is. I just want to do whatever I can to be out there."
When asked, Towns declined to elaborate on whether or not he got an X-ray or any other imaging on the hand pic.twitter.com/Mk170EEMvM
The Carolina Hurricanes defended home ice in Game 3, smashing the Washington Capitals 4-0 at Lenovo Center Saturday night.
Frederik Andersen and the Hurricanes' depth scoring proved the difference, in what could have been a game that went the other way fast.
In what was nearly a mirror of Games 1 and 2, the Canes were the worse team in the opening frame, getting outchanced and outshot by the Caps, but Andersen came up huge with save after save.
Perhaps the biggest was on Alex Ovechkin who got loose off of a faceoff win for Washington and found himself all alone in front.
Andersen made an acrobatic save, kicking the leg out to get a toe on that Ovechkin redirect.
Frederik Andersen has been massive for the #Canes through the first 15 minutes.
Washington's gotten off to a quality start, but thanks to Zilla, they haven't broken through yet. pic.twitter.com/whc31weRsA
"Clearly that was the key to our win tonight," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "That first period, where clearly they were on their game and we were on our heels. It's what goaltending does. It kept us in the game. I thought we got to it a little bit in the second half of the game, but it could have been a lot different if we're chasing it.
"That might have been one of the better games he's played for us just with the actual magnitude of the game, what it means and how his performance impacted it with the way he played."
But following that same reversed blueprint, it was the Hurricanes who actually struck first despite it all, as Andrei Svechnikov jumped into the dot on a faceoff loss and ripped a quick shot by Logan Thompson.
Andrei Svechnikov opens the scoring for the @Canes! đš #StanleyCup
He hit the post earlier in the game, his third of the series, but he wasn't going to be denied this time.
"After every faceoff, we have a plan kind of, but to be honest, that one wasn't planned," Svechnikov said. "I just saw the puck was loose and made the move to get closer to the puck and shot it.
"Just getting the lead, 1-0, I think is huge, especially when it's 0-0 in a tight game."
And once they got that first one, the team got rolling.
"The second half of the game we got rolling a little better, but obviously that Svech goal was huge," Brind'Amour said. "Nothing going on, and obviously a won faceoff for them, but he ends up jumping in and sometimes you need those individual efforts. We had that tonight."
And toward the end of the second period while on the power play, Jack Roslovic got his first goal of the postseason, cleanly beating Thompson shortside from the left circle.
It was a big game for Roslovic, who found himself as a healthy scratch after Game 3 of Round 1.
Not only did he score that second period tally, but he also picked up an assist on Eric Robinson's first of the postseason.
"It's a deep team, a really good team so it's nice to come back and try to help the guys out as best I can," Roslovic said. "I don't really want to get too deep into it. But like I said, just always be ready and try to help the team win."
After Carolina killed off a phantom penalty to Jordan Staal, the team started rolling again and Robinson blew by John Carlson on the left wing and absolutely wired one top corner past Thompson.
"You always want to contribute in the playoffs when moments are bigger so it was nice to get one to go in," Robinson said.
Eric Robinson makes it 3-0 in the third! đł #StanleyCup
From there, the Hurricanes just buried the Capitals as the team begin to forecheck and skate them into the ground. You could tell that Washington just had nothing left in the tank and were playing out the string in that period as the Canes just kept coming.
"That was textbook Hurricanes hockey," Andersen said. "Long shifts in their end, making it tough on them to break out and obviously that sets up the next line to kind of continue to do the same. It's tough to change that momentum when you're kind of in it as the defending team. Obviously huge to protect the lead and build on that."
The lead ballooned to four late in the game as Carolina grabbed a second power play goal, as Blake picked up a missed shot off the end boards and got it to after quickly putting it on net.
The Hurricanes now take a 2-1 series lead with another game in Raleigh slated for Monday night.
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Even though the Edmonton Oilers have superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl at their disposal, they need a full roster of players pulling on the rope to make a Stanley Cup Championship happen.
Experience helps us grow, and it's no different for NHL hockey players.
The Oilers have learned a lot since last year's playoff run. And in this year's postseason, more Oilers are pushing the team along offensively.
Their playoff goal differential without their dynamic duo is quite an impressive statistic. When McDavid and Draisaitl aren't on the ice, the Oilers have outscored their opponents 14-8.
Every single Oilers forward (except Jeff Skinner) has scored at least one goal in the playoffs. Ty Emberson, John Klingberg, Brett Kulak, and Josh Brown join that list of Oilers who haven't recorded a goal.
Throughout their entire 2024 postseason, the Oilers only scored 12 goals when McDavid and Draisaitl weren't on the ice. Derek Ryan, Vincent Desharnais, and Sam Carrick were the only players to not score.
Let's see what the rest of the year has in store for this Stanley Cup hopeful team.
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Itâs been a lively second-round playoff series between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs so far.
Entering Sundayâs Game 4, the Maple Leafs hold a 2-1 series lead over the Panthers after winning the opening two games in Toronto.
Florida has since battled back, picking up a big overtime win in Game 3 on Friday night.
Going back to last week for a moment, there was a play that occurred during Game 2 that left players, coaches and fans alike all confused and scratching their heads.
The play in question was a hit from behind by Scott Laughton on Evan Rodrigues that left the latter in pain on the ice and immediately led to an on-ice scrum.
After the dust settled, the officials announced the penalties from the whole hullabaloo, and this is where the shock came in.
Among the calls, Rodrigues was penalized for embellishment on the play.
When the announcement was made, Rodrigues was already in Floridaâs locker room receiving treatment for the hit.
Eventually, Rodrigues returned to the game.
Afterwards, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said that he received no explanation from any of the officials on the ice.
He has since poked fun at the call, clearly as flabbergasted as the rest of us as to the reasoning behind such a penalty.
On Saturday in South Florida, Rodrigues spoke to the media for the first time since everything went down three days ago at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
âI didnât find out until after the game, to be honest,â Rodrigues admitted. âI didnât have a clue. I figured there were coincidental roughing (penalties).â
Embellishment penalties, at least for some, are a sore spot, but for a different reason.
Itâs simply because embellishment never seems to be called without a corresponding penalty, so apparently the only time a player embellishes to get a call is when an actual penalty takes place, which seems silly.
That wasnât the case here, though.
There was no call on Laughton for the hit on Rodrigues, according to the NHLâs official game sheet.
The calls on the play, all minor penalties, were Rodrigues for embellishment, Nate Schmidt for roughing Laughton, and Laughton received two minors for roughing Schmidt.
So not only was Rodrigues called for embellishing a hit that sent him to the locker room with an injury, but the hit itself was never penalized.
By the time the dust had settled from the game, there was nothing to do about the play other than watch the video with your mouth hanging half open wondering what the officials were thinking.
Not that weâll find out, as the NHL is the only of the four major sports that doesnât make its officials available to a pool reporter after the game.
And for those wondering, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who met with the media Friday in Sunrise before Game 3, said that he doesnât see any reason why that should change.
Which means all of us, just like Rodrigues, have to soldier on and wait for the next battle.
âI couldnât believe it,â Rodrigues said. âMy bother texted me and I was shocked, but the game was over at that point, so you just move on and get ready for Game 3.â
Saturday was billed as the biggest Knicks home game in the past 25 years. It ended up being a big letdown for the home crowd.
The Celtics built a 16-point lead in the first quarter; it ballooned to 31 points in the third quarter. The Garden crowd erupted when the Knicks cut the deficit to 20 with 10 minutes to play, but there was no miracle comeback on Saturday.
In some ways, what happened on Saturday was the worst-case scenario for New York.
The Celtics found a rhythm behind the arc and looked way too comfortable on the Knicks' home floor. At times, it looked like a replay of the regular season, when Boston thoroughly dominated the Knicks.
âThey got some clean looks early, and they see it go in. That gives them confidence and itâs hard to shut them off,â head coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game. âWe have to have greater awareness. We canât allow missed shots to take away from defensive tenacity.â
Another issue brought up in the postgame locker room? The Knicksâ low-energy start to the game.
âThey just came out with more urgency,â Mikal Bridges said.
âI donât think we came with the mindset of being satisfied, but I think it was subconsciously satisfied with being up 2-0,â Jalen Brunson added. âBut itâs not what we need to approach the game.â
If you read these quotes and wonder how a team in the Knicksâ position can start a game without good energy, youâre probably not alone.
âWe canât let makes and misses affect how weâre playing on the defensive end. When weâre not making shots, weâve got to make it tough for them,â Josh Hart said. âWeâve got to fly around more. Weâve got to rebound the ball, weâve got to deny them of second chance points. Weâve got to do more things. We know this was far from our best game. Weâve got to regroup and get back to it Monday.â
It's easy to see how the Celtics can carry their strong shooting on Saturday into Game 4. Boston has won a lot of games behind strong three-point shooting. They were 25-for-100 from beyond the arc in the first two games of this series. What happened on Saturday made that look like an aberration.
I didnât get the sense that the Knicks felt particularly deflated or worried after Game 3. I get the sense that they still feel they can compete against Boston and be in a position to win these games by executing in the clutch. They talked a lot about using Sunday and Monday morning/afternoon to identify their Game 3 mistakes and correct them. Theyâve been able to do that at different times over the course of the season.
If they can execute that plan and turn things around in Game 4, they will have a clear path to the conference finals for the first time in 25 years. But if Monday is anything like Saturday, itâs easy to see this series slipping away from the Knicks and their season, yet again, ending in the second round.
