Jordan Henderson’s first goal for Brentford was cancelled out by a towering header from Dominic Calvert-Lewin
13 min It’s all fairly cagey. Leeds, who look very comfortable for a side who only recently switched to a back three, are having plenty of possession in the middle third.
9 min Almost a chance for Leeds, who have settled nicely on the ball. Bogle slides a pass down the side to Calvert-Lewin, who slips Van den Berg cleverly and guides a low ball into the six-yard box. Okafor is slightly on his heels and Brentford are able to clear.
Morgan Scalley was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach at Utah on Saturday, succeeding Kyle Whittingham, who announced Friday he would step down after 21 seasons.
No. 1 Indiana is keeping defensive coordinator Bryant Haines after he agreed to a new contract that will make him one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the nation.
Nick Woltemade’s own goal gave Sunderland a Tyne-Wear derby win, while Villa, Man City and Forest beat West Ham, Palace and Spurs respectively
Talking of Brobbey, it’s an absolute crime if he doesn’t get a song to this, no 1 on this day on in 1993.
If I was a rich club looking for a midfielder, I’d be very interested in Noah Sadiki, who has a bit of everything. My guess is Sunderland look to run Newcastle off the pitch in midfield – not easily done – and to play off Brobbey, with Enzo Le Fee their wildcard. If they can get him on the ball, they’ll hope he can pick runs in behind with balls slid down the sides of defenders, and I’d also expect plenty of crosses and box-crashing from the midfielders.
Even in a week when they have beaten the mighty Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabéu, this must rank as one of Pep Guardiola’s most satisfying victories of the season.
It was Oliver Glasner who condemned the Manchester City manager to his first season without a major trophy since his first year in English football when Crystal Palace enjoyed the greatest day in their history at the FA Cup final back in May. So outsmarting one of the Premier League’s shrewdest operators would have provided Guardiola extra contentment, not to mention helping City move back to within two points of leaders Arsenal.
The metal of the Detroit Red Wings was put to the test as they embarked on a season-high six-game road trip.
The road trip, which just concluded on Saturday evening, yielded extremely encouraging results, as the Red Wings won four of six games while claiming nine of a possible 12 points.
The Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks by a 4-0 final score at United Center thanks to multiple contributions from former Blackhawks players Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, helping Detroit maintain a tie for the first place position in the Atlantic Division.
Not only that, but John Gibson picked up his second shutout in three games, and won his fifth straight start, something he attributed to a complete team effort.
“I thought it was a complete game top to bottom, from the drop of the puck to the finish," Gibson said. "We stuck to our game plan and played really well. A total team effort.”
DeBrincat scored just 55 seconds into the contest, while Kane picked up the 498th goal of his NHL career in the venue in which he wowed legions of Blackhawks fans during his 15 and a half seasons as a Blackhawk.
Rookie Emmitt Finnie increased the lead to 3-0 in the second period, while DeBrincat capped the scoring with an empty-net goal late in the third period, his second of the night and team-leading 18th goal.
Afterward, head coach Todd McLellan, who is closing in on his one-year anniversary since being hired, lauded Detroit's efforts not only against Chicago but on the overall road trip.
“When you look at it from a points perspective, it’s a really good trip for us, we had to win in a lot of different ways," he said. "To finish six games in 10 nights with a shutout, that’s something we should be proud of."
McLellan has repeatedly spoken about the importance of mental fortitude and game management, which he saw plenty of over the course of the trip.
When we started Training Camp three months ago, we talked about being mentally stronger, physically stronger, and improving (our) in-game management," he said. "I thought we saw all three of those elements on the trip, especially here tonight.”
The Red Wings return home to play consecutive games on Tuesday and Wedesday evening against the New York Islanders and Utah Mammoth.
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December 15th is the unofficial start of NBA trade season, as free agents that were signed this offseason become eligible to be dealt. The rumor mill is already hard at work, with the Knicks a headliner in multiple rumors.
In recent days, Kris Pursiainen of ClutchPoints reported New York is interested in acquiring Donte DiVincenzo or Jose Alvarado, and ESPN1320’s James Ham reported they have shown interest in Dennis Schroder. DiVincenzo remains a fan favorite from maybe the best single-season Knick career in franchise history, while the other two are reliable, defensively stout guards, making for a natural group of targets.
What’s notable are their salaries: DiVincenzo earns $12 million and Schroder $14 million. If the Knicks are truly aiming to acquire one of them, in order to match salaries they’ll have to ship out half of their bench or one key player.
Mitchell Robinson has been the longest tenured Knick throughout the Leon Rose era, making a huge impact on multiple playoff runs. But this is the final year of his contract, they didn’t agree to an extension, and historically the Knicks have traded players in similar situations before allowing them to walk in free agency.
Maybe this time is different, but Robinson’s health has been a major concern, his defense has dropped off dramatically, and his contract just so happens to be the only one that aligns with these reported trade targets. Are the Knicks gearing up to trade Robinson, and if so, should they?
If the former is true, it can’t be gleaned from reports of trade interest. On the rare occasion the Knicks have made a midseason trade, they weren’t pre-linked to their targets, and a report from an opposing team’s beat can easily be juicing the local player’s value for future talks.
It’s possible New York wants the offseason flexibility and still re-signs Robinson this summer. He was immensely effective in the postseason and even with his struggles this year has been a beast on the offensive glass.
Nov 5, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) controls the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The fact that his salary happens to match potential trade acquisitions means little, as complicated as combining salaries or roping in third and fourth teams are it still happens, and is an alternative route to secure these names. They could also just be interested yet not willing to move on from Robinson.
Should they be? The concerns about his health are legitimate, not having played a 60-game season since 2022 and being restricted this year.
When he has played, he hasn’t looked the same defensively, with his mobility taking a big hit. With Robinson on the court, the Knicks are allowing 114.2 points per 100 possessions compared to 110.3 with him off, when historically he’s had the opposite impact.
He’s been the same monster on the glass as usual, and is still their best option at backup center. Without Robinson, the Knicks are down to Guerschon Yabusele, Ariel Hukporti, and Trey Jemison III.
That’s one concern about trading him, though the Knicks could theoretically fill that gap in another move. Does moving Robinson and a Yabusele/ Pacome Dadiet/picks package for DiVincenzo/Schroder and a new backup five provide enough extra value to shake up team chemistry and avoid losing a free agent?
The answer likely depends on who New York can acquire on both ends. If DiVincenzo is actually in play, it’s hard for the Knicks not to consider this pattern of moves.
DiVincenzo would provide a jolt of shooting and creation in a system he’s especially equipped for, not to mention the narrative and aura surrounding such a reunion would take the city by storm. Schroder ironically may be the even better fit as a reliable ball handler and nosier defender.
But if New York can’t backfill Robinson, it gets tougher. Perhaps they believe in Yabusele and Hukporti enough, or can somehow swindle a Daniel Gafford or JalenSmith.
Even then, the upside and game-breaking impact Robinson can deliver in the Playoffs makes it hard to justify even a marginal on-paper improvement during a championship hunt. What’s more realistic is the Knicks are doing their due diligence on every front and exploring all avenues to maximize these upcoming playoff runs.
What that actually materializes in vis-a-vis a trade will more than likely be nothing from what we’ve seen. New York is especially low on chips and flexibility here, and won’t want to upset a 17-7 rolling Knicks team headed for the NBA Cup Championship.
Still, anything is possible in this wild league and with this unforgiving franchise desperately pursuing its first title in 50 years. We’re sure to hear plenty more between now and February, but don’t read too much into it unless something finally happens.
If you were hoping for an immediate big-splash response to losing Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz that would make you feel better about this Mets’ offseason, well, it’s clear by now that David Stearns just isn’t wired that way.
Which is to say, Jorge Polanco is a solid player coming off a good season with the Seattle Mariners that included a few electric postseason moments. He’s just not a guy who’s going to send anyone running to buy season tickets.
And that’s fine if he helps the Mets win a lot of games next season. Which remains to be seen, of course.
For the moment, the timing of Polanco’s signing seemed to indicate that Stearns won’t be pushed into going big-game hunting no matter how outraged the fan base is by the events of this past week.
On the other hand, a potential trade with the San Diego Padres that has been reported -- most heavily by The Athletic -- in recent days could be of blockbuster quality, even if it apparently wouldn’t include Francisco Lindor or Fernando Tatis Jr.
More on that to come.
As for Polanco, it’s not exactly a bargain contract, as $20 million a year seems to be pushing the envelope on value, given his inconsistent track record. But it’s only a two-year deal, or $40 million total, which is $115 million less than Alonso is guaranteed with the Baltimore Orioles.
There is also the little matter of whether Polanco can play first base, which is where Mets’ people are saying they see him getting most of his at-bats. It’s notable because he’s virtually never played first base at the big-league level (one career game at first base, which came this past season), and though most middle infielders are a good bet to adapt well to the new position, it still adds some risk to the equation.
It’s also thinking outside the box, to a degree, which is kind of what you want to see from Stearns after all the bloodletting this past week. Yet Polanco, whose 26 home runs last season was the second-highest total of his career, is hardly a guy who’s going to fill the power void left by Alonso’s departure.
However, Stearns may think he can build an effective offensive team without big power. Consider what his old team, the Milwaukee Brewers, did last season, finishing third in the majors in runs scored despite ranking only 22nd in home runs.
Of course, the Brewers also finished second in the majors in stolen bases and had the fifth-fewest total of strikeouts, so they were a fast, contact-hitting team that would be hard for the Mets to emulate. They also were completely shut down in the postseason by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and indeed they’ve had little success in October in recent years.
Perhaps Stearns also had an eye on the Toronto Blue Jays, who had great success with a high-contact offense, including the second-fewest total of strikeouts. Polanco struck out only 84 times last season, which ranked in the 83rd percentile of all major league hitters last season.
“What you’re seeing is David wants to build a team that is solid in all facets of the game,” one person who has worked for Stearns in the past told me. “He’s a sum-of-the-parts guy. I think he’d rather have grinders than stars.”
Polanco fits that mold. So does outfielder Ramon Laureano, who could be coming to Queens as well if the Mets make that multi-player trade with the Padres that has been reported in detail by The Athletic as being in the talking stages.
There is no indication that Lindor or Tatis Jr. would be part of such a deal, yet it could still fill a lot of holes for the Mets, as it reportedly could include starting pitcher Nick Pivetta, reliever and strikeout monster Mason Miller, as well as lefty reliever Adrian Morejon, who was dominant last season, and Laureano too.
Laureano isn’t the contact hitter that Polanco is, striking out 119 times last season in 132 games, but he hit .281 last season and he’s got some pop, as evidenced by his 54 extra-base hits and a .512 slugging percentage. Last year he ranked in the 93rd percentile of all MLB hitters in expected slugging percentage, based on his quality of contact.
At age 31 he’s coming off his two best offensive seasons since 2019, and while he has very limited range in the outfield, according to Statcast, he does have one of the strongest arms in the game.
And Laureano is making $6.5 million on a team option in 2026 before reaching free agency next winter, which means he would come a lot cheaper than Cody Bellinger, not to mention Kyle Tucker.
Likewise, Pivetta could be a short-term answer to upgrading the starting rotation, coming off the best season of his career at age 32, with a 2.87 ERA over 31 starts and 181 innings. The righthander is due to make $19.75 million in 2026 and can opt out of the final two years of his contract (worth $33.5 million) after next season.
For the Mets to also get Miller, perhaps the hardest thrower in the game, in the same deal, it would take a huge package, but baseball people say the two teams do match up in terms of needs.
That is, the Padres are desperate for pitching, after losing Dylan Cease and (presumably) Michael King to free agency, as well as Yu Darvish to injury, and while the Mets would get Pivetta they could send back Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat, as well as David Peterson and perhaps Kodai Senga as well, in addition to a Mark Vientos or Ronny Mauricio.
It’s an intriguing possibility and, perhaps more to the point, it would fill some key needs for the Mets without dipping heavily into free agency.
“I’d bet on Stearns making some version of that trade (with the Padres) before I could see him giving (Framber) Valdez or (Ranger) Suarez a long-term deal,” said the person who once worked for Stearns. “That’s just who he is. (Juan) Soto was the exception, and that was probably more (Steve) Cohen anyway. David wants to build something without committing to long-term contracts as much as he can.”
Rodrygo keeps Real within four points of Barça at top
Inter win 2-1 at Genoa, as Milan draw and Napoli lose
Rodrygo secured a crucial 2-1 victory for Real Madrid at Alavés in La Liga, ending a dismal run of form and keeping them within four points of the leaders, Barcelona.
Real, under pressure after two successive defeats in all competitions, broke the deadlock through Kylian Mbappé’s stunning first-half strike. However, a resilient Alavés levelled in the 68th minute through Carlos Vicente. The visitors restored their lead eight minutes later, courtesy of a counterattack led by Vinícius Júnior, whose assist was converted by Rodrygo.
William Nylander did not skate for the final 6:07 of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, resulting in the star forward logging a season-low 13:46 of ice time.
The second line, comprised of Nylander, Bobby McMann, and John Tavares, was ineffective on Saturday. The trio was on the ice for two of Edmonton’s even-strength goals and failed to score themselves. Nylander finished the game as a -3.
Nylander did not take part in the morning skate due to illness, and Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube explained why he limited the forward's usage in the third period.
“He played tonight. But obviously he wasn't even close to 75 percent,” Berube said. “He was sick, but he played. But I didn't feel there was any reason to keep playing him.”
With the game out of reach, it is hard to classify the move as a benching, but Nylander hasn’t recorded an ice time that low since posting 13:32 in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins on April 6, 2023.
William Nylander went minus-3 and skated a season-low 13:46.
Craig Berube: "He wasn't even close to 75 per cent. I mean, he was sick. But he played. I didn't feel there was any reason to keep playing him."
Dakota Joshua, who also missed the morning skate due to illness, was not healthy enough to play. Joshua's absence affected Toronto’s second and third lines, necessitating McMann's return to the lineup following a one-game suspension.
William Nylander leads the Leafs with 34 points in 27 games and is coming off a two-point night in a 3-2 overtime loss against the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 11. It is clear the Leafs took a bet on playing a less-than-75-percent Nylander over a player like Matias Maccelli, who hasn’t played since Nov. 28. Given the underlying numbers, it may have been the wrong decision.
Ultimately, what cost the Leafs the game on Saturday was a late second-period goal that gave Edmonton the lead. Toronto followed that by getting caught standing around as the Oilers took over with three more goals, chasing Dennis Hildeby out of the net and forcing Artur Akhtyamov to make his NHL debut in a relief situation.
Charlie Coyle(5) and Yegor Chinakhov(3) scored the only goals against the Vegas Golden Knights, while Jet Greaves made 22 saves in a 3-2 loss on a snowy Saturday night in Columbus.
They had this one. It really felt like they had this one. Instead, after blowing multiple leads in the game, they would lose to the Golden Knights to seal their 5th straight loss.
When Adam Fantilli left the game pouring blood after taking a high stick from Brayden McNabb, giving the Jackets a power play for the duration of regulation, and then came back patched up and ready to finish, you just knew they were going to score. But that didn't happen, and the Blue Jackets were left frustrated once again.
Almost 17,000 fans braved the snowstorm that hit Columbus midday to watch their team lose a fifth straight game.
Charlie Coyle said after the game: "The effort was there. Just because you do the right things and give the right effort doesn't guarantee you win. It was a step in the right direction. We need to compete and play the right way. I think defensively was definitely better. It's not perfect, but it's a work in progress."
This loss brings much frustration to a fan base that is desperate to see some wins. Losing five in a row is tough to swallow, especially after all of the positivity surrounding the team coming into the season.
The Blue Jackets need to right this ship quickly, or the season will end early yet again.
Final Stats
Player Stats
Charlie Coyle scored his 5th goal. He also had 4 shots on goal.
Yegor Chinakhov scored his 3rd goal. It was his first goal since Oct. 28 at Buffalo.
Zach Werenski recorded his 24th assist of the season. He now has a home points streak of 10 games.
Cole Sillinger picked up his 11th assist.
Kent Johnson tallied his 5th assist.
Dante Fabbro recorded his 4th assist.
Jet Greaves made 22 saves.
Team Stats
The Jackets power play went 0/4.
The Columbus PK stopped 2 of 3 Vegas man advantages.
Columbus won 58.1% of the faceoffs - 36/62
The Blue Jackets had 19 blocked shots.
Up Next: The Jackets are back at home to play the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.
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As it turns out, the Philadelphia Flyers were never one of the serious players involved in executing the Quinn Hughes trade and were ultimately behind two Metropolitan Division rivals in the hunt.
On Friday night, Hughes, 26, was traded to the Minnesota Wild by the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for prospects Zeev Buium and Liam Ohgren, center Marco Rossi, and a 2026 first-round pick, and the immediate (and correct) reaction was that the Flyers were never going to beat that offer.
The Flyers themselves must have known this, because, according to a recent report from The Athletic and TSN NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, Philadelphia was never a true contender for Hughes.
"The New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers are among those six teams confirmed to have made legitimate offers. The Devils feel they made a strong first offer. I can also confirm that the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes showed interest," LeBrun wrote for The Athletic.
"The Philadelphia Flyers were among the teams that kicked tires but didn’t get to the next level. The Flyers weren’t willing to give up the assets the Canucks wanted, so that took Philadelphia out of being a major player in it."
The fact that, as LeBrun reported, the Flyers weren't ready to part with assets the Canucks wanted means that Vancouver asked for a blue-chip prospect akin to Buium, which implies that Porter Martone or Matvei Michkov would have needed to be on the table.
Of course, the Flyers could have drafted Buium outright in 2024, but traded down with the Wild to instead select center Jett Luchanko.
Much can and will be made about the Flyers' management of assets, especially as it relates to how and why they use their draft picks, and there is nothing we know that suggests the Canucks would not have taken the Flyers' offer had they ponied up.
Yes, the Flyers do not have a center like Rossi aside from savant Trevor Zegras, but it would also be disingenuous to say that a Hughes trade was impossible.
Truthfully, the Flyers are probably better off not going for that kind of a deal anyway, but there is a point to be made regarding the rebuild.
If you're rebuilding, trading away players, and stockpiling young players and draft capital, and you can't trade for a superstar when they are actively available on the NHL trade market, what is the point?
The Flyers certainly would have had a better case for the trade had they drafted Konsta Helenius or Buium and Jackson Smith ahead of Luchanko and Jack Nesbitt, respectively, but instead, the current result is a prospect pipeline that inspires little confidence in fans whose faith in the organization is already shaken.
With Hughes off the table and seemingly no big additions coming to Philadelphia anytime soon, only time will tell if that malaise will grow or fade.
After enjoying a day off in New York on Friday, the Montreal Canadiens were back on the ice on Saturday night to take on the New York Rangers. For a second game in a row, Jacob Fowler was in the net, Samuel Montembeault was backing him up, and Jakub Dobes was in the press gallery.
After a solid first game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the American netminder had earned an opportunity to play another game. Still, he had a tall task since the Canadiens had struggled against the Rangers in the last couple of years.
When the puck dropped in the first period, the Rangers tested Fowler quite a few times while the Canadiens were looking for the perfect play at the other end, repeatedly passing the puck instead of unleashing a shot on legitimate scoring chances. Ivan Demidov made that same mistake quite a few times tonight. It’s all well and good to be an elite playmaker, but that’s not a reason for not even shooting when you have a golden opportunity.
Still, thanks to Fowler weathering the early storm, the Habs stayed in the game, and when they finally took a shot, it went in. And they did it again a minute and a half later. With shots up to 5-2 Rangers, the score was 2-0 Canadiens, and the Sainte-Flanelle even added another goal to take a 3-0 lead. When the goaltender holds the fort, he gives the team a chance to overcome a tough start.
Had the Canadiens been able to take that lead into the intermission, things might have worked out differently, but after a penalty to Lane Hutson, the Rangers got on the board through Noah Laba. Both Arber Xhekaj and Mike Matheson tried to get the puck on the play, but they missed it; Laba didn’t. Then, with Artemi Panarin heading on a breakaway, Noah Dobson spun him around, and he was awarded a penalty shot, which he buried.
Stuck Inside
While the Canadiens do not normally struggle to launch their attack, tonight, they had trouble getting out of their own zone. The Rangers were both proactive and aggressive, quickly shutting down the young Habs and making it hard not only to attack but to defend, as the quick turnovers allowed New York to come back and attack in waves.
Stuck in their own zone, the Canadiens panicked and repeatedly gave the puck back to the Rangers. No matter who’s in net, if you play nervously and on your heels, you will make mistakes, and it’s only a question of time before they cost you.
Speaking to the press after the game, Martin St-Louis maintained the Habs weren’t giving much to the Rangers early on, but that stupid mistakes were their downfall. He was clearly annoyed by the outcome, but said he was happy that his men would have the opportunity to get right back on the saddle when they host the Edmonton Oilers.
Pucks On Net
In the first frame, the Canadiens got seven shots on net; in the second, they managed only four, before putting up five in the third and one in overtime. Scoring three goals on seven shots on Igor Shesterkin is a miracle; you shouldn’t have beaten him that often, and you certainly won’t fool him again in that game if you don’t give him a real test.
The Habs went 10 minutes in the middle frame without taking a single shot; that can’t happen, and it’s a significant reason they are struggling in the second period. Montreal has scored 32 goals in the second stanza this season and has allowed 44; that’s a minus-12 differential. When they scored a goal 3:17 into that period, I thought they might have turned a corner, but they didn’t.
As Michael Gary Scott once said, 100% of the shots you don’t take don’t go in (don’t worry, I know Wayne Gretzky said it first, and I fancied a wink to The Office), it was never as evident as it was in the first period. St-Louis may say he’s not worried about the number of shots, but the shots are so few and far between and so often that it is a trend and one that needs addressing. This was a 5-4 overtime loss that should have been a win.
After the game, the coach said he didn’t know who would be in the net on Sunday night, but given that Montembeault has been the backup for the last two games, I’d put money on him being in.
The Canadiens flew right back home after the game, and there won’t be a morning skate because of the back-to-back, but it will be in their best interest to play a much better game against the Oilers.
